Audionote Soro SE, or cheaper single-ended?

The Oto is said to be better than the Soro, and it's cheaper. But it has less power. My experience has been that both Audio Note products and the people who sell it, service it or whatever are all top notch.

Can't go wrong acquiring Audio Note stuff from Truesound (Nick Gowan) in Campbell, CA. He is as good as they get.

The Oto uses EL34 tubes, I think, and that is what the people are after I think over the Soro. Some like that tube better; that's what Nick told me anyway.

Another Audio Note product that is very, very good at the used price is their entry turntable the TT1. One of these with the Audio NOte ARM2 (silver wired rb300) went for 800 from Jeff's Sound Values a couple of months back. That has to be about the best table/arm rig around for less than a grand; has a small footprint, too.

OTO uses EL84, not EL34!!!

Not an integrated, Oliver, but if you want stellar sound, buy a pair of George Wright Mono 3.5's and run them direct into a CD player with internal preamp OR with stepped attenuators. You could also use a passive preamp. For $1430 new, I don't think you will find better for many dollars more. If you are patient, you can find a pair for around $1000 on the used market. In a comparison with 5 other high end SET/OTL's, they bested every one, the highest priced costing $30K. I kid you not.

Hi Howard, indeed, I've done quite a bit of research on these since you first taught be about SET last year. I contacted Alan Yun at Silverline, (I have the SR15's) and he told me that at 90dB efficiency 3.5 watts would be pushing it. Though if I ever move up to even slightly more efficient speakers, these will be my amps.

Would you mind telling me what other amps you compared the Wright's too? Thanks!