Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Audio Note AN-TT Two Turntables by MikeRanfft

Model:	AN-TT Two
Category:	Turntables
Suggested Retail Price:	$1,399
Description:	Two motor (AC synchronous) belt drive turntable, suspended sub-chassis, acrylic platter, 33/45 RPM
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Note
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Note

Review by MikeRanfft ( A ) on September 02, 2003 at 13:23:58
IP Address: 24.68.108.45

Add Your Review
for the AN-TT Two

Audio Note TT2 VS Linn LP12/Lingo
This review began at the stereo shop where the TT2 was the conduit for some arrestingly dynamic, detailed and musical sounds. It was paired with an Audio Note Soro amp and Audio Note speakers and I was truly intrigued. The AN TT2 seemed to be doing some things my Linn/Lingo only hinted at-could this be so? And at about 40% less than the Linn's price?
What follows are notes from two consecutive weekend demos in my own system of Audio Note's honest overachiever of a turntable-the AN TT2-as compared with my Linn LP12/Lingo. It should be noted that I am not a professional reviewer or industry worker, I just enjoy inspiring sound and music.
The Turntables Up Close
The AN TT2 is a three point suspended belt driven design-like the Linn-but uses an acrylic platter and two motors for increased dynamic torque. It is Systemdeck IIX derived but the bearing is also modified by Audio Note. The power supply is internal-not outboard- and the arm installed was Audio Note's Arm 2. This tonearm is an Audio Note rewired Rega RB300 but our local turntable guru Lou Reda has added a few mods to this arm as well. Specifically, Lou uses a teflon counterweight with bronze weights as well as a teflon sleeve on the end of the arm. Additionally, Lou has added an acrylic armboard to the 'table and says that this also improves the sound.
For the record, Peter Quotrop-Audio Note's chief-has assessed both mods and likes the arm counterweight but has some misgivings about the acrylic armboard. To be clear, the TT2 I listened to had both mods and I had not auditioned one with stock arm/armboard.
My Linn LP12 is just over 1 1/2years old and of course has the now stock circus bearing. It also has the outboard Lingo power supply in its new full sized case-said to be improved over the previous Lingo, as well as the Trampolin feet and the now in-house fabricated Akito tone arm (said to be in the previous Ittok range).
Other System Particulars
The cartridges on both 'tables were the Audio Note IQ2 moving magnet cartridges and both turntables were sited on my Sound Org table which was individually levelled for each turntable. The turntables were partnered with my Audio Note OTO SE Phono amp and my Linn Index Plus speakers and speaker wire was single run Linn wire. My speakers are on Linn Sara stands and the amp sits on hardwood floor. (Not having a high quality purpose built equipment stand I find the average wooden furniture stand makes the sound a bit less dynamic for the Linn than simply placing the amp on the floor. Since the Linn benefits better from having the amp thus this is how tests for both turntables were done. In an interesting final check I found the AN TT2 sound signature less affected when the amp was on the wooden stand, perhaps because its sound is so inherently dynamic to start off with. Speaking of stands, I found that the TT2 benefits considerably sonically just like the Linn in having its plinth leveled on the Sound Org table. Peter Q. has also confirmed that like any spring suspended design, greater stress on individual springs occurs when the TT2 turntable is not level.)
Musical Comparisons
First up was Steely Dan's "Aja", the title cut that is a workout for any system and for me still a fascinating complex musical ode to bohemian existentialism. In detail retrieval the AN TT2 is on par with the Linn/Lingo, with a smidge less in one passage offset by a smidge more in the next. But differently, the TT2 sounds faster, has more localized images of instrumental lines, greater dynamics and unravels musical layers with a notch or two more transparency. One aspect that also started to dawn on me here was the AN TT2's strength in reproducing more varied instrumental timbres. Electric guitars were higher and more wiry sounding, Wayne Shorter's sax solos more resonant and piano lines had more prescence. Bass was also more solid but extremely articulate. In all, "Aja" sounded more honest, real and atmospheric than with my Linn/Lingo. An example of that atmospheric quality would be the way the layers of synth notes trail off in fixed acoustic space over the repeated guitar chords at the end. Spooky.
The second comparison was Lenny Breau's live performance of "Bluesette". Here again the bass had a more integrated lower bass quality but in no way did it make the bass bloated or concealing of pitch or slow. It just sounded right. Lenny's guitar of course is the real star here, showing off its refinement, quick melodic twists, subtle echoes and airy, electric but resonant tone. In contrast, though it resolved all the melodic notes extremely well, the Linn/Lingo didn't get to the nuances of Lenny's inspiring and delicate guitar work here-it couldn't reach that last level of refinement.
The third cut was something from mainstream rock, Don Henley's "The End of The Innocence". It's actually quite a sophisticated rock song recording and the AN TT2 here reaches back to the last musical layer to transparently reveal guitar lines that are the eerie steely backdrop to the song's lament. The Linn/Lingo doesn't get the whole layer of notes here- only snatches-and so misses out on atmosphere. Surprisingly, Henley's voice is also larger in size as is the bass though both lyrics and bass are well resolved and the voice expressive. Finally, Bruce Hornsby's piano is more weighty than on the Linn and propels the song with greater power. The song just has bigger scale here. My notes say "more emotive". (It is interesting to note that the soundstage here was much larger than on the previous Breau track whereas on the Linn both recordings had about the same sonic size. The AN TT2 is perhaps showing a greater fidelity to the recording characteristics).
My fourth sampling was jazz again as I continued the search to test the TT2's ability to portray emotional power. I thought I'd try "Somethin' Else" and see how Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley were remembered on the TT2.
Suffice it to say that Adderley's first solo takes off and flies with an intricacy in tone and melodic structure that leaves you breathless. It's delicate, dynamic, punchy and gyrating all at the same time. With the Linn the virtuosity of the performance just isn't there. The notes are but not the soul and dynamic range. On the same track the TT2 also highlights Miles with more energy, showing off the hip swagger of his playing that goes from cruisin' to bruisin' at a moments notice. The TT2 also renders the differences in tone between Davis and Adderley more clearly. I could more easily follow when each player calls and answers the other.
My fifth example is a Miles Davis collaboration again and it illustrates some of the best abilities the Audio Note TT2 has to offer. The cut is "Someday My Prince Will Come", and it's an easy song to sentimentalize given the Disney overtones. And through the Linn/Lingo this song has been good-all the melodic structures resolved-but its nowhere near as involving and comlex as with the TT2. Why? Dynamics and resolution of instrumental timbre again. Not to say that the TT2 doesn't get the notes down, it does. But more than that, Miles' opening trumpet solo literally pushes out the speaker in his insistent yet moody and sullen delivery, and is almost piercing in its lament. It just grabs you. Miles just doesn't have anywhere near the insistence with the Linn/Lingo. And then sax player Hank Mobley comes in calmly, velvety with a round resonant tone, as round as Miles is piercing, and plays a loevly counterpoint. And then, what really floored me-because it was the first time I recognized this in the song-John Coltrane steps up and delivers a completely different sax solo-darker, more angular, urgent and shifting. So what I am getting to is that with the differences in instrumental timbres so faithfully rendered with the AN TT2 this is the first time it was obvious that there were two different sax players playing with Miles on the same cut. Finally, not to leave out the bass and piano work-which is also great- the last passage builds an effective tension with the two increasing their loudness together before the fadeout. It's a dynamic tension that fixes your attention completely. With the Linn it's diluted.
One question I'm certain audiophiles will ask about is noise-specifically surface noise and how quiet the AN TT2 is. Well, I paid close attention to this and have to say that the TT2 is one of the quietest 'tables I've auditioned, pretty much on par with the Linn/Lingo.
Summary, Ramblings and Conclusion
Its pretty obvious that Audio Note has an incredible performer in the TT2, and both Peter Q.'s team and local Lou Reda are to be congratulated for some inspiring work. I'm not into 'dissing' Linn's LP12 as it so faithful to the music-and many turntables don't get that important foundation right. But the AN TT2 also gets a wealth of subtleties involving transparent layers, dynamic contrasts, varying timbres, soundstages and recordings that the Linn doesn't quite approach-at least that's my sense. And without an outboard power supply! And at such an affordable price!
Some people reading this review might wonder about synergy and its role here. Would it have made more sense to compare my Linn to the TT2 if it had a Linn moving magnet cartridge? Perhaps, though Audio Note and Linn mm cartridges are made in the same Goldring factory so there should be some family resemblances there. Also, some might wonder about the synergy of the TT2 with my tube amp-also Audio Note. Undoubtedly there is some synergy here but I would not hesitate to suggest trying the TT2 with other amps. Its a fallacy to think that all tube amps are rolled off on the top end-modern tube amps like my OTO SE reach pretty high in the treble range. I can finally hear readers asking, "So is the AN TT2 as warm sounding as the Linn or is it brighter and colder?" Well, through my system it was only sometimes brighter but not irritatingly so. And some recordings were actually warmer or darker sounding on the TT2, believe it or not, than on the Linn/Lingo. To summarize, I'd say that the TT2 had a greater range of tonal colors than the Linn/Lingo, but they were never harsh.
So there it is. I hope I've covered enough ground to inteest the reader in tis turntable. At about 40% less than the asking price than my Linn/Lingo/Trampolin/Akito the Audio Note TT2/Arm 2 extracts a stunning amount of information. It is easily on par with the Linn in the ability to resolve melodic detail and greatly supercedes it in the recovery of detail that involves the playback of transaprent musical layers, a wide range of dynamics, a wide range of instrumental timbres and even recording characteristics.
As a last note, if you purchase this 'entry level reference' over-achieving turntable there is a good chance that at some point down the road there will be an outboard power supply available for it. Peter Q. has indicated a willingness to do so, however he is swamped with other projects for the immediate future. The upgrade when it comes would of course take the 'table to another level though as I hope I've made clear, the AN TT2 is pretty amazing just the way it is!

Product Weakness: none
Product Strengths: as above

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Audio Note OTO SE Phono
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	None
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Arcam 72/Linn LP12
Speakers:	Linn Index Plus
Cables/Interconnects:	Linn Speaker Wire, AN V
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Rock/Steely Dan
Room Size (LxWxH):	15ft x 13ft x 8ft
Room Comments/Treatments:	none
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 consecutive weekends
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Sound Org Table
Type of Audition/Review:	Home Audition