Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

Reb,

I'm glad it all worked out as it should.

There may be some lessons learned here for AN Kits in particular.

You mentioned during the build as I recall that the build documentation was new or still in some unfinished state. has that been resolved? If one is to have a chance at building a kit anywhere near as well as an expert like DP, the build documentation should be 100% accurate. If DP is the expert, I wonder if he helps develop the build guides? Or at least provides editorial feedback. Its not clear to me that one would have a chance of doing it as well as him currently with the documentation that you were provided initially. My impression is taht it was somewhat not up to date and would not specify some of the things that Pete did.

The devil is always in the details with complex projects like this, especially with finicky audiophiles.

A complete and up to date and fully accurate build guide would help keep AN kits customer support costs down I would think so it would be a top priority if it were me.

BTW,

Thanks for sharing hte whole ordeal. WHen teh day comes for me to try out a basic tube amp, it might well be the AN. The cost for Digital Pete's build over teh kit could turn out to be quite worthwhile, especially for someone lacking time and patience for a project like this, like me.

Map,
I was working with a combination of the manual for the previous version of the Kit 1, along with an in-process version of the new manual. The new manual is either nearly or entirely complete. Brian is redoing all the manuals and working with a graphic designer to make them clean, clear and consistent in style across kits. Brian has incorporated feedback from customers in these new manuals. The new Kit 1 manual, for example, incorporates a number of suggestions that I (and perhaps others) have made. So I think that Kit 1 builders from here on out will have very good documentation to deal with.
I would consider the things that Pete does to be "icing on the cake" touches. In other words, you can get a perfectly functioning Kit 1 and not have the innards be as orderly and beautiful as Pete's, but it's certainly something to aspire to.

Reb,

I have in the back of my head that sometime soon I will sell off 1 pair of my speakers and maybe a second string pair of amps and some other extra stuff to help finance the high eff. tube amp setup that I have been wanting to try for quite some time. It would become the 2-channel a/v system in my family room I'm thinking.

The problem is mainly that things sound so good their already that its hard to justify added cost of another change but sometimes its nice to try things just for the sake of trying something different.

This thread and related info has helped solidify Ankit/Tekton as a frontrunner for me as well when the time comes.

It would mainly just require three analog inputs one of which would be a external phono pre-amp.

Reb, what are teh dimensions of the assembled kit? It would have to fit in my vertical cabinets out of site or teh wife would not approve.