Audiotechnique – Audio Note Ankoru/ II Mono Amplifier
Inheriting the flagship’s fine pedigree, a relaxed enjoyment of the musical spirit
“I believe all our readers must know by now that our writer ‘Big Grass’ has a premium set of Audio Note’s flagship equipment at home. If you ever have a chance to visit his home and experience his setup for yourself, you too will be intoxicated by this extremely addictive combination, and unable to stop thinking about its rich musicality and impeccable sound quality.”
“The Ankoru / II is best described as a copper version of Gaku-On.”
“This time round, I’m listening to the Ankoru / II mono amplifier to experience Audio Note’s uniquely rich musicality at a deeper level, so I borrowed a set of their M6 Line Signature pre-amp from their fourth-tier product line via the distributor. The M6 Signature version their latest improved version. It also uses the single-ended pure Class A and zero-negative feedback design of Audio Note’s high-end products, and adopts the design derived from the M10 output transformer. Since the M6 Signature uses a much larger transformer than the normal version of M6, it is not possible to fit all parts and transformers in a single chassis, and a split power source is used. The output transformer of the M6 Signature uses sophisticated materials: C-Core structure is adopted, with Super HiB highly magnetic silicon steel used as the core material of the transformer; and the primary coil is made of high-quality pure silver wire.”
“The vocals are warm and meticulously detailed.”
“The sound is clear, crisp and full of tension.”
“The overtones are rich and penetrates strongly”
“The sound is clear and never too thick or too thin. The dynamic changes in the sound are very subtle and delicate. Between the notes, you can hear the roughness from the friction when the bow swipes the strings of the cello. There is also an excellent sense of airiness and exuberant overtones. It feels as though you are in-situ. The presence… is extremely contagious, and the bass frequencies dive to the deepest point.”
“The Ankoru / II mono post-amplifier was extremely powerful when performing the percussion section, and its potential for submersion was quite amazing. The super-low frequencies came wave after wave pushing forward to the front, and the crescendos and diminuendos were well-controlled and orderly. It was definitely stunning.”
“The Ankoru / II ⋯ and M6 Line Signature ⋯ have presented the unique and consistent Audio Note sound, with thick and vibrant musical notes and an unexpected high sound quality that can completely reproduce the faintest details in the music. ⋯⋯ This Audio Note pre- and power amp pair has such an outstanding sound that is delicate and enchanting, such that it is also very sensitive to all external pairings. It will reflect everything as-is like a mirror. At the time of writing, I have decided to purchase this set for my personal use. It’ll serve as important reference equipment in the future!”
－ Iceman
Audiotechnique – January 2020
