Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Audio Note Oto SE Amplifier (Tube) by TimK

Technical info:
Power amp - 2 SOVTEK 7025/12AX7WA tubes driving 2 pairs of EL84 pentodes
Pre amp - 2 double triode valves of unknown origin
Solid, high quality construction. Three line level inputs and tape loop, (optional) phono stage. Knobs rather large, ostentatious gold.

Sound: After warm up, about 30 mins, sound is clear, detailed and sweet when listening to small orchestral works, soloists and jazz. Jacqueline DuPre was almost in the room with me on the Elgar Cello Concerto. Solo instruments are realistically presented, ambience is involving, the emotion of the music comes across superbly.
Quality of recording is revealed mercilessly, with analog-to-digital sounding markedly better than all-digital recordings.
Probably even better with an analog source, but I don't have a turntable yet.
Volume control is very sensitive, with a small sweetspot, beyond which the sound is unpleasantly loud and quickly breaks up. Too quiet, and the sound quality is flat and lifeless.
Rock music sounds tinny, with brittle highs and no guts.
Surprisingly, organ music is outstanding, filling the house with rich, deep sound and reproducing cathedral accoustics in a stunning way. I never find myself missing bass response.

Summary: a great budget amp for certain types of music

REVIEW: Audio Note Oto SE Amplifier (Tube) Review by TimK at Audio Asylum