Building the Audio Note Kit 1 SET amp...

Raylinds, You are building quite a AN Kits system. The new Mentor preamp looks really great. I was hoping it might have a phono pre but I guess not. Your Kit 4 speakers have the Alnico drivers. Congrats! And congrats to Rebbi who will be hearing great music very soon. I've got some Audio Note output transformers coming soon. Were rockin! Jet

Jet,
You have good transformers currently. Are you getting AN double C core output transformers? Copper or silver wired ? Let us know how they sound. I think you are in store for a real treat.
Charles,

Charles, Yes the Sophia Electric 91-05 is a beautiful sounding output transformer and my amp is tweeked out WE91a with Black Gates in the tube bypasses and Duelund couplers and I recently optimized the power supply with some help from one of the guys on the Audio Ayslum site so at this time I dont want to upset the apple cart of sonic goodness so the plan is to build a second amp with the AN output trannies. They are double C Core Ultra HiB. These are the version just below silver. Take a look at AN prices for their silver transfomers in pounds and then convert to dollars, you'll gasp in horror. But before I build the second amp I'll uninstall the Sophias and put these bad boys into service on my present amp. These AN transformers have a 2.7k primary impedance which is specifically designed to work with Audio Note speakers. I havent posted anything in my system thread for a while so I'll update it with more info about my 2nd amp.

Grannyring we need to compare notes on our polypropylene capacitors.

Jet
What output tubes will you be using in this second amplifier? Wow, you are in store for much fun and listening pleasure. I will follow your system page thread for sure. I know what you mean regarding the use of silver transformers, they are said to be the ultimate in sound but are very expensive. I am very curious to see how the Sophia Transformers compare to the Audio Note output transformers
Charles,.

Charles I'll most likely be using EMLs in the second amp but it really depends on how EML300bXLS sound with Audio Note Transformers. Love the EML's they are so well balanced that I can use AC heat on the filaments with no hum pots. (The elimination of hum pots was a sonic revelation). EML also makes versions of their tubes with a 5th pin that connects directly to the center of the filament creating a "cathode" which should also make the tube completely hum free and making the biasing circuit even more simple than it is now. This means even less parts in the circuit.