As is my custom, I like to give you a "sneak peek" into my upcoming Positive Feedback feature reviews, which in this case is the exotic and ultra-performing "Level Five" Audio Note (UK) pairing of the M8 RIAA phono preamplifier with the AN-S8/L step-up transformer.

Sometime in the next few weeks, the full review will be published at Positive Feedback, at which time I'll update this "sneak peek" with a link to the feature review. 

Enjoy!

The Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA Phono Preamplifier and AN-S8/L Step-Up Transformer!

Greetings friends, I hope you are well. 🙂

Today’s feature article here at Positive Feedback is about the exotic “Level Five” Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA phono preamplifier and AN-S8 step-up transformer combination.

Above: Level Five Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA phono preamplifier.

Above: Level Five Audio Note (UK) AN-S8/L step-up transformer.

Audio Note (UK) is one of the few audio companies in the world that manufactures entire audio systems, from sources to loudspeakers, and everything in between.

Audio Note (UK) is located in Sussex, England, and has been manufacturing high-performance vacuum tube based audio components for 34 years now, since 1991. 

Audio Note (UK) product lines feature over 150 components, arranged in "performance levels,” from affordable to exotic, with the M8 RIAA phono preamplifier and AN-S8 step-up transformer that are the subject of today’s article being decidedly on the exotic end of the spectrum. 

In case you haven’t been following along with my Audio Note (UK) review series here at Positive Feedback, I’ve been exploring the ascending “performance levels” of Audio Note (UK) product line components. A list of the previous feature reviews can be found HERE (scroll down to the Audio Note (UK) section).

Above: "Level Two" Oto Phono EL84 SE Signature integrated amplifier.

Audio Note (UK) components are all high-performance, high-fidelity designs, arranged in performance levels from zero to six, in ascending order of performance and retail price. You can read more about the performance levels HERE. 

Each higher level in the Audio Note (UK) performance level system provides a higher level of refinement. Each higher level of refinement is achieved by the circuits, power supply topology, and the quality of components and materials that are chosen to make up a component at a particular performance level.  

Above: "Level Three" Meishu Phono Silver Tonmeister 300B SET integrated amplifier.

The Audio Note (UK) “performance level system” is an aid to audio dealers and customers, indicating the level of component performance in the Audio Note (UK) product lines, and is a useful guide for matching complimentary components.  

Audio Note (UK)’s guidance for building an audio system is centered upon the amplifier’s performance level. As a rule of thumb, the components you would choose to make up your Audio Note (UK) audio system would be those in the same range, or one level above, or two levels below, the amplifier you’ve chosen. 

Above: "Level Four" Tomei 211 SET integrated amplifier.

So, for example, the components I have here are centered around the “Level Four” Tomei 211 single-ended triode (SET) integrated amplifier.

The M8 RIAA phono preamplifier and AN-S8 step-up transformer (SUT) are at “Level Five,” or one performance level above the Tomei. 

Above: "Level Five" M8 RIAA phono preamplifier.

Above: "Level Five" AN-S8/L step-up transformer.

The Audio Note (UK) CD 5.1x Red Book CD player is at Level Three, or one performance level below the Tomei.

Above: "Level Three" CD 5.1x Red Book CD player.

I have found the increase in performance between levels to be rather reliably dramatic, so you get your money’s worth in greatly improved performance as you go up through ascending levels.

If you are unsure about choosing components from the performance levels, or what cables, phonograph cartridges, etc., would be a good match to those components, you can ask Audio Note (UK) or one of their dealers for advice. 

When one is at “Level Four” with the Tomei 211 SET integrated amp, or at “Level Five” with the Audio Note (UK) M8 RIAA phono preamplifier and AN-S8 step-up transformer, one is in truly rarefied audio performance air, and these are by far the finest-performing components of their kind I’ve ever encountered. 

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