“The Peter Qvortrup I know is a ‘materialist’. He believes that the better the material used for the tube amplifier, the better its sound performance. This is the basic concept and operation model of how Audio Note makes their tube amplifiers. Whether you agree with Qvortrup or not, the maker has become famous on this basis, and has established the world’s most successful premium tube amplifier brand. His rich personal experience in tinkering with amps has affirmed that the better the materials used, the better the sound quality will be. Yet one cannot underplay the ‘fine-tuning’ factor. ⋯ Audio Note’s expensive tube amplifiers are harolded by audiophiles all over the world. In addition to paying great attention to the quality of the parts, another critical factor is the accuracy of Audio Note’s sound calibration. Peter was born with a pair of golden ears, and his musical training is superior. Be it classical, jazz, pop, or electronic, Qvortrip is proficient in all genres of music. Any new product must be carefully listened to to his satisfaction, before it leaves the factory and launches onto the market. I reckon that Audio Note is an extraordinary achievement, resulting from the combination of excellent material selection and outstanding sound calibration. ⋯The musical tone, emotion and the ability to create a three-dimensional sound stage with different types of music are the best I have heard in our listening room. ⋯When the M5 Line is paired with a 45 tube amplifier with a relatively affordable price point from the same brand to push the A5, it is exquisite. The sound was so good that I’m left speechless, and it’s the best I’ve ever heard in our editorial listening room.”

“Compared with Western Electric, the sound detail displayed by the M5 Line is slightly superior, and the details in the re-mastered recording are more obviously brought out, and the musical appeal of both are indistinguishable from the two. In other words, the sound effect of the M5 Line has reached a pinnacle level.”

“After the test listening, I returned the M5 Line back to the distributor. Its intricate sound when it played string music, its powerful sense of dynamics when playing different types of music, and the three-dimensionality of the sound stage, which was simultaneously both bold yet delicate, were unforgettable to me.”

“In conclusion, at this price point, the Audio Note M5 Line has no rivals in the current market.”

– Y. K. Chan
2022 Summer Issue