Blog #3
The source is where it starts...
Welcome back!
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So to recap; I've decided on the OTO SE PHONO Silver Signature in aluminium as the keystone in my level 2 Audio Note (UK) system.
My CD player decision has been made much easier for me, I would like a 1 box CD player in aluminium with a front loading drawer due to the fact it will be going onto a shelf with a shelf above it. The next integrated models above CD 4.1x and CD 5.1x are top loaders which rules them out for me at the moment. I do very much like integrated solutions, (amplifer, CD player) as it saves on another interconnect and is to me (and my wife) visually neater.
I also have fond memories of the sound of the formidable Audio Note CD 3 25 plus years ago so I think this should be top of the list. There are many very positive reviews online of the CD 2.1x/ii (RRP £4450 as of Nov 2025) which as a level 1 product would fit into the performance level system recommendations (ie 2 levels below or 1 above the amplifier), the OTO SE PHONO Silver Signature being level 2.
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Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/ii in aluminium would clearly be an excellent fit for me.
However...........
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I know my budget and the Audio Note CD 3.1x/ii (RRP £6500 as of Nov 2025) is just within range with a bit of a stretch. It is level 2 and has quite a few enhanced components over the CD 2.1x/ii.
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1) It is the first Audio Note (UK) stand alone CD player to feature the outstanding AD 1865 DAC (digital to analogue) chipset which features in all of the higher range DACs.
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2) The transport is the classic in-house modified Philips CD mechanism, while the analogue output stage features two ECC88 dual triode valves and custom designed and manufactured Audio Note (UK) copper foil capacitors. Audio Note (UK)s own Tantalum resistors are also used in critical areas, offering a quite remarkable level of performance.
Internal view of CD 3.1x/ii showing impressive build quality and internal components.
So what is my choice?
As I've gathered by now with all my dealings with Audio Note (UK), enhanced part quality improves the sound quality dramatically and from the reviews of the CD 3.1x/ii it is sonically a substantial step up from the CD 2.1x/ii. It is a front loader and just within my budget. My vinyl source will also be pretty formidable so I need a CD player to match. I'm also aiming for the very best Audio Note (UK) level 2 system I can.
Decision made! the CD 3.1x/ii it is! Indeed it will be an excellent match for the OTO.
Time to choose a turntable.....
I'll admit it, I am a vinyl buff and the biggest chunk of my budget has been allocated to my turntable. I still harbour very fond memories of being a teenager in the early 1980's poring over sleeve notes and admiring album covers, everyone has a favourite, this happens to be mine (still got it after 40 years).
Lets start with the turntable first. For some reason in my psyche harking back to my Hifi retailer days, I have always really liked a gloss piano black finish, and if given that option would go for that, in those days it was a sign of "high end" and I fell for the hype! I would also like a lid for dust prevention purposes and to protect my pride and joy from the attentions of Tilly the cat.
My listening room will be shared with Tilly, would you trust an exposed turntable to her? No, neither would I!
So, I'm definitely plumping for the TT two deluxe turntable in gloss black (RRP £4150 as of Nov 2025) as it ticks all my requirements, sits at level 2 and looks absolutely gorgeous in the flesh. The birch ply plinth is made by Gerhard Kilzer and his family in Austria. They make all the fabulous satin and gloss loudspeakers so to have my TT two deluxe made to the same standards would be the icing on the cake. I'll also pair it with a level 2 9" ARM two/ii tonearm in black (RRP £1850 as of Nov 2025).
The TT two deluxe has a high quality aluminium sub-chassis with optimised three-point suspension geometry. Two opposed AC motors deliver twice the torque to the low-mass acrylic platter and also have the benefit of further stabilising the suspension.
The Arm Two/ii uses Audio NOTE (UK)s own high purity silver Litz wire inside the arm tube, and their own AN-V silver cable from the arm base to the phono plugs.
A vibration free, high-torque AC drive system delivers constant platter speed even when the grooves contain strong modulations.
Mmm, what if......?
There are quite a few reviews of the TT two deluxe online, all overwhelmingly positive, pitting it neck and neck and above many other very well known brands.
Most however, review it in its basic format utilising the internal power supply and highly regarded Audio Note (UK) IQ series moving magnet (MM) cartridges.
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This is clearly a well tested and high performing combination which would sit perfectly in my system alongside the CD 3.1x/ii and be of similar price.
I am familiar and an admirer of the IQ series. Many say the top of the range level 3 IQ3 is one of the finest MM cartridges money can buy. It shares its cantilever and diamond with the IO 1 moving coil (MC) cartridge at level 3.
However..........
Having this fabulous turntable/arm/IQ3 cartridge combination in the shopping basket, anyone sane would rightly press the "BUY IT" button then move onto speaker selection knowing with a cast iron guarantee and knowing smile they'd be musically satisfied and educated for years to come.
The issue preventing the press of the said button are 2 parrots on my shoulder, gently nudging away to attract my attention, saying "what a great turntable but have you forgotten about us...?!". Pictures of the 2 "parrots" below:
Audio Note (UK) TT One/Two external power supply (TT PSU) (RRP £2500 as of Nov 2025).
Audio Note (UK) IO1 low output moving coil cartridge, available in red (pictured) or blue. This is a level 3 component.
(RRP £3999 as of Nov 2025).
OK, once the "parrots" have got my attention, immediately I see the not insubstantial price increase, but that's not all, on top of the £2500 (external power supply)+ £3999 (IO 1 MC cartridge), I'll need a step up transformer (SUT) to raise the low output signal from the IO 1 cartridge to a level the MM PHONO input in the OTO can read, PLUS an interconnect cable to connect the SUT to the OTO. (I'll go into those later).
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The addition of a dedicated external power supply (TT PSU) to an Audio Note TT two turntable will offer a significant upgrade in performance by providing greater electronic stability, reducing noise, and lead to substantial improvements in overall sound quality. From reviews, reported benefits of adding a TT PSU are; enhanced timing and dynamics, greater detail retrieval, and more stable imaging and tonal density.
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25 years ago I owned a well known high end turntable and MC cartridge. The addition of an external power supply was definitely the largest improvement I made to that component. That power supply was also a much cheaper item than this Audio Note (UK) power supply so my expectations of the performance benefits this TT PSU will bring are high.
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For the above reasons, I have added a TT PSU to my order in aluminium. This will truly be the bedrock for the TT two deluxe to perform at its best.
TT PSU offers 33/45 rpm switching from a selector on the front panel in addition to hefty lift in performance.
Which cartridge?
All 4 Audio Note (UK) moving coil cartridges from left to right, level 5 to level 3.
At the start of these blogs I wrote that from musical memories I have very positive memories of the OTO SE amplifier and MC cartridges and would really like to include them in my final system. The OTO SE PHONO Silver Signature has already been chosen, just the cartridge now.
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The Audio Note (UK) range includes 4 MC cartridges, the IO 1 is the "entry level" at level 3, the IO 2 is level 4. The IO Gold and IO Ltd are both level 5. From the performance level system, I should only go up 1 level from the amplifier so I will only consider the IO 1 cartridge. Despite my intentions to create a solely level 2 Audio Note (UK) system, the IO 1 is the lowest level MC cartridge available.
The 2 colours available for the beautiful IO 1 MC cartridge. To me there's something fascinating about esoteric high end MC cartridges and I've never owned one...
The IO 1 is praised for its crisp high-end, detailed vocals, and powerful drums, providing an "emotional" and "musical" listening experience. It is noted for excellent tracking, low surface noise, and forgiving playback of imperfections, often compared favourably against more expensive cartridges. Considering the IO 1 is priced at £3999 then it really is a stellar performer.
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The IQ 3 has been widely praised for its marvellous midband and very meaty sound, one of if not the best MM cartridge money can buy.
What's my decision?
So I'm considering the IQ3 MM or IO 1 MC cartridge, both at level 3. The IQ 3 would be substantially cheaper and sound fabulous. I have however allocated the majority of my budget into my vinyl front end and to that end the IO 1 (blue) MC cartridge is my choice. As I speak my cartridge has been ordered and will be hand built by Audio Note (UK) maestro Darko Greguras. To say I'm excited about this turntable from both visual splendor and magnificent sound quality is an enormous understatement!
So.... that was a long blog, however I'm very happy with the decisions made.
The turntable has now been ordered and is being built as I type this. To recap, the turntable I ordered is TT two deluxe in gloss black (£4150), TT PSU in aluminium (£2500), Arm Two/II (£1850) and IO 1 MC cartridge in blue (£3999). A formidable combination indeed!
Whats in blog #4?
Well the system is definitely coming together!
Sources and amplifier covered, It's all currently being built so the anticipation levels are certainly ramping up.
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blog #4 will cover step up transformer, loudspeakers and cabling, then, that's it!
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​See you soon and happy listening.