The tradeoffs for using tubes are higher maintenance cost and lower power.Īudio Note has set performance parameters for its products in the goal of attainment of specific fidelity, they are: low level detail, dynamic contrast, bass control with pressure expansion, intensity of piano attack, timbral separation between instruments, general presence, immediacy and presentation. To Peter Qvortrup, directly heated triodes are the perfect and original voltage amplifier for High-End audio application, because its amplification pattern is highly linear, whereas solid-state devices’ “semi-conducting” nature along with the resultant largely non-linear amplification patterns makes them unsuitable. According to product literature, AN claims to be “the first company in the world to realize and therefore re-introduce commercial amplification utilizing the single-ended output stage…” Making control and power amplifiers is Audio Note’s core business, whose owner Peter Qvortrup also claims that it designs and manufactures the best transformers in the High End industry. “Silver Signature” upgrade of the Quest’s utilizes more Black Gate’s, with Audio Note silver wiring and copper wired thin lamination Radiometal 36 C-core transformers, for another $5,600. A $4,000 “Silver” upgrade adds proprietary tantalum resistors, copper foil signal capacitors, Black Gate electrolytic capacitors and High B copper wired C-core output transformers. Upgrade of Quest’s 300B tubes from the Chinese stock to Western Electric’s costs $500 for the pair. The lower model is the Conqueror 300B stereo amplifier, while a pair of Conquest monoblocks surpasses the Quest with two 300B tubes on each amplifier doubling the output to 18 watts in parallel single-ended configuration. The Quest represents the lowest-priced Audio Note “Level 3” single-ended monoblocks utilizing the 300B output tubes. The very narrow and long chassis enables side-by-side placement. At only 23lbs each, a Quest is easily carried around. Only RCA inputs are provided with detachable power cords and three metallic 3-way speaker binding posts for negative, 8ohms and 4ohms impedance. Frequency response for this transformer is 20Hz to 40kHz within 1.5dB. The amplifier is hard-wired throughout, using AN’s copper foil paper-in-oil signal capacitors, and an IE cored transformer with high quality silicon steel laminations, wound with OFC wire. They are “zero feedback, pure class A, single-ended, direct-heated triode output stage, valve rectification and materials and component quality.”Įach Quest monoblock features one 300B output tube, driven by one half of a triode 6SN7WGTA tube, with the other half acting as the input stage, and a choked coupled 5U4G tube for power supply rectification. Similar to Audio Note’s best amplifier products, such as the $60,000 Ongaku (Japanese for music or sound & joy) and the $95,000 Gaku-On (more music!), the subject of this review, the Quest, features six AN technical criteria. We shall also take this opportunity to examine Audio Note’s sophisticated R&D principles. Since the AN-E/D review elaborated on how the speaker performed with the Quest, this review will cover how the Klipschorn sounded with the Quest. My July 2001 review of Audio Note’s AN-E/D speakers was the first of three AN hardware reviews, followed by this review on a pair of AN’s own single-ended, directly heated, no feedback triode monoblocks, the Quest, and an upcoming one on the M3 pre-amp.
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