Greetings friends, I hope you are doing well. 🙂

I have been so busy lately with audio projects and life events that I don't know which way is up, but it's all good! 

Audio Note (UK) Tomei 211 integrated amp (left), M6 RIAA phono pre & AN-S4L SUT (middle), M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT (right).

The Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT combination is bedding-in nicely. I've listened to 104 LPs now of the 134 LPs needed to achieve the 100 hour bedding-in time, so getting closer. 

To say the M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT combination is sounding great would be the understatement of the year. I'm really, really, impressed with this combination's performance, it is simply the finest I've ever heard anywhere, ever! 

Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers with Duelund CAST silver (HF) & copper (LF) crossovers, Audio Note (UK) Tomei 211 integrated amp (left), M6 RIAA phono pre & AN-S4L SUT (middle), M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT (right).

With the Tomei 211 SET integrated amp feeding my West's & their Duelund CAST Ag/Cu crossovers, the M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT are sounding incredible.

As a reminder, this is basically a full Audio Note (UK) signal path of Io I MC cartridge, all Audio Note (UK) silver interconnects & speaker cables, M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT, and Tomei 211 SET integrated amp feeding the West's. 

Jazz guitarist friend David Gitlen stopped in for a visit, and we had a good time catching up and BS'ing. 

David has the best ears of anyone I've ever met for hearing what's going on in the music, the recordings, and the hifi kit. Golden Ears for sure! 

As David and I were listening to Grant Green's I Want To Hold Your Hand "Tone Poet" reissue, David commented on what a big improvement the M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT was, even compared to the already mind-bending goodness of the M6 RIAA phono pre & AN-S4L SUT combo we had listened to earlier. 

Even though the performance of the M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT combo is state-of-art in every way that I can think of, there's one aspect of its performance that David commented on - and I concur - that sets it apart, and that is how remarkable it is at conveying the full impact of the music even at low volumes. 

We were listening at relatively low levels - mid-sixties to mid-seventies SPLs on peaks - while chatting, and the M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT easily communicated the full musical message, with vivid imaging & soundstaging, exceptional musicality, and full emotional impact.

That low-volume ability is something that has to be heard to be appreciated, it's really something special.  Perfect for those who want to hear & feel everything from the music at lower volumes.

I suspect the ability of the M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT combo in that regard is due to all the silver used in its circuit components, and its natural overall voicing. Very, very, impressive. 

I'm continuing to play LPs to get it to its full 100 hour bedding-in time, then I'll start doing some comparisons to M6 RIAA phono pre & AN-S4L SUT combo, and writing up their feature article for Positive Feedback. I'm hoping to get that finished up in the next 4 weeks or so. So stay tuned for more soon!

A huge "Thank you!" to Peter Qvortrup for this survey of Audio Note (UK) components at the various "Performance Levels" in the Audio Note (UK) product lines, it has been a true pleasure telling you about all this, and very illuminating. I've learned a lot over the course of these articles.  

Oh, by the way, towards the end of this year, or early 2026, Peter will be sending me the new Audio Note (UK) field-coil loudspeakers to tell you about. I'm really looking forward to that, so stay tuned about that!

Previous articles in M8 RIAA & AN-S8L series:

Today's Fresh Catch: The Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA phono preamplifier and AN-S8L step-up transformer! HERE

Listening: The Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA phono pre & AN-S8L SUT! HERE

Audio Note (UK): M8 RIAA & M6 RIAA phono preamplifiers photographic "walk-through"! HERE 

Also, you can use the Jeff's Place search function and enter "M8 RIAA" to find links to all six articles mentioning the M8 RIAA & AN-S8L SUT, or alternatively, enter "Audio Note (UK)" in the search function to find links to all one-hundred and ninety-two articles mentioning Audio Note (UK) products.  

To find links to all nine of my feature reviews of Audio Note (UK) products at Positive Feedback, enter "Audio Note (UK)" into the search field on the Positive Feedback home page HERE. 

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