When I entered the Audio Note UK room, someone was in the midst of auditioning a CD of exotic Chinese instruments. The strings sounded beautiful, the highs lovely. On solo piano, the system had a very quiet, enticingly crystalline purity. Soprano Elly Ameling's voice sounded equally beautiful, the voice clear and radiant, even though her piano accompaniment was strangely bloated and over-emphasized. That was no doubt due to room problems that other exhibitors tried to tame with ASC Tube Traps.
Auditioned were the Audio Note CD4.1 x ($9500), Jinro 211 SE integrated amplifier ($21,175), and E/Lexus Signature loudspeaker ($15,500/pair). The latter is a two-way rear-ported baby with a claimed 98dB sensitivity.
