Upgrade Information Some information about our upgrades

Introduction

Every component and material used in an audio circuit imparts its own sonic signature to the signal. Although the components that we supply in our basic kits are of a high quality, it is always possible to improve the sonics by use of even higher quality components. It is for this reason that we offer a number of upgrade options.

Please note that we tend to only list the most popular and affordable upgrades on our product pages so please enquire if you are interested in hearing about any extreme upgrades that may be available (i.e. silver wound transformers, AN-Vx signal cable, more Black Gates, silver foil caps, etc.).

Black Gates

Black Gate capacitors are said by some to be the most significant upgrade that you can make to any audio circuit; whether it is in the signal path or in the power supply. There are many Black Gate capacitor types for different purposes and prices. They are, of course, on the expensive side but can make such a significant and worthwhile difference. Their price does, however, dictate that they are used sparingly in only the most significant places. One thing to be aware of with these devices is their long ‘burn-in’ time (the in-circuit time that is necessary for them to achieve maturity). A Black Gate can sometimes sound quite disappointing when it is first fitted into a circuit. The sound will then vary in terms of perceived frequency emphasis, before finally settling down to become what can be quite a dramatic contrast. Depending on the type and size used, burn-in can actually take many hundreds of hours (although the manufacturers quote around 30 hours).

Tantalum Resistors

We have found that Tantalum Film resistors are about the most sonically transparent of all resistors available today and are highly recommended for use in all audio circuits. Some of our most adventurous kit builders insist on using nothing but 2-Watt tantalum resistors throughout, despite their high cost, because these are said to be the most transparent of the series.

Hi-B Double C-Core Transformers

We are proud to be able to offer Audio Note Hi-B Double C-Core transformers for both output transformers (i.e. Kit1 300B/2A3 PQ range and M3 Pre-amplifier HiB versions) and I/V transformers. Hi-B C-Core transformers are the ones that Audio Note prefer to use in their higher-level finished products. The ones that we normally supply are copper primary/copper secondary types. More expensive silver wound versions are also available - but only by special order. Click here to read an Audio Note technical article on this subject.

Transformer Covers

Our stainless steel transformer covers can improve the look of our amplifiers no end.

Hard Wiring Options

Some of our boards, such as our phono boards, come standard as silver hard-wired boards. We are now also producing a number of hard-wired boards as upgrades for some of our PCB boards.

Hard wiring is superior to using printed circuit boards. Unlike many producers of hard-wired circuits, we still use a board for our hard-wiring; rather than wiring between evenly spaced tags or lugs. This gives the advantage of shorter pathways in most cases (one of the things that hard-wiring is all about). It also compacts the build and produces a portable, self-contained sub-system just like, and sometimes mistaken for, a normal PCB. We also use substantial Audio Note solid silver wire for all our hard wiring.

Please enquire.

M2 Power Supply

The already well-proven and established M2 power supply comes directly from Audio Note’s finished products line. Having now used this power supply to great effect in some of our kits as the standard power supply, we can now offer it as an upgrade for some of our other products. It uses a 6X5 rectifier and ECL 82 regulator for its variable H.T. supply and also provides two separately rectified supplies for heating purposes etc. It can provide a substantial upgrade to some of our kits.

Copper Foil Capacitors

Audio Note Copper Foil signal capacitors are a significant improvement on standard paper-in-oil capacitors and we highly recommend their use. These are used in Audio Note’s middle to high-end equipment. Next up in quality from these are Audio Note Silver Foil types that are used in some of Audio Note’s finest equipment. Silver Foils, however, are very expensive and, as such, are only available by special order, as stocks are not kept of these at this time. It should be noted also, that these capacitors are said to give best results if they are oriented correctly in the circuit. You will notice a | line printed toward one end of these capacitors - this marks the start of the foil. Audio Note recommends that this line face toward the incoming signal. See diagram opposite.

Audio Note AN-V Pure Silver Litz signal wire

Audio Note AN-V cable is silver interconnect wire made from 15 individually insulated strands of 0.09mm diameter 99.99% pure silver wire for both signal and return with an insulated copper outer shield.

This highly regarded cable is typically used for conveying signal from inputs and for the outputs of pre-amps etc. and is considered a significant upgrade.

TKD Volume Pot

Our standard range amplifiers come with a PCB mounted volume pot. This can, in most cases, be upgrade to a TKD (Ko-on) potentiometer that is one of the most highly regarded, fully encapsulated potentiometers on the market today.