Custom Built Audio Note
by Response Audio

Disclaimer: The Audio Note Custom products found throughout this website are enhanced versions of the Audio Note Kit division that were designed for those wanting the absolute potential these product have to offer from a company that also offers full service and warranty. They are also not to be confused with or compared to Audio Note UK finished products who's proprietary designs make them a world class product.

For those who are interested in any of the Audio Note Kit products as they are equipped from AN Kits but does not have the time, experience or knowledge to assemble the product on their own, we also offer a Kit Assembly Service.

Response Audio is not a reseller of the Audio Note Kit or Audio Note finished product lines.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT....... With the ever changing economy and the increase in the prices of oil, copper, silver, gold, etc, manufacturing cost continues to rise. We are receiving notification on a regular basis of increasing prices on the materials we use. We can only hold these current prices for so long.

Preamps - DAC's - Phono Stage

Let the Audio Note sound bring Soul back into your music! At Response Audio, we have always strived to bring you great value for the dollar, and our customers over the years have confirmed this. We've tried over the years many different entry-level tube products, only to end up with service problems and poor quality control.

Enter our Audio Note Custom. Our Audio Note Custom products are custom built versions of those offered by Audio Note Kits and very near that which you would expect from Audio Note manufactured products in terms of build quality but at a price point that is attractive to those on more of a real world budget. Forget entry level.... with our Audio Note Custom we can now bring you high end audio at reasonable price. Please note that other than the L2 preamp, these pieces are not built to a price point rather to extract every last bit of potential these designs have to offer.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Audio Note music reproduction. Response Audio is now proud to offer you these wonderful products as a custom built, fully assembled and tested product that also come with a full warranty. We have taken these products to what we feel is their absolute fullest potential but were voiced to produce a slightly different presentation from what you may be accustomed to. Our goal with these units was to offer more articulation and detail along with upper end air and extension without sacrificing the body, soul and emotion Audio Note is known for. Another aspect of our Audio Note Custom pieces is that we have worked very hard on the layout and grounding scheme of these products to produce the quietest background and lowest noise floor. The Audio Note Custom products are dead quiet.

As with all of our custom Bella EXtreme exclusive products, the Audio Note Customs are built to the same standards and use only the most highly regarded internal components such as VH Audio V-Cap Teflon capacitors, Mundorf M-TubeCap Polypropylene film power supply capacitors, Panasonic ES and ELNA Cerfafine electrolytics, Caddock, Mills and Dale 1% Metal Film and 1% wirewound resistors and much more. Countless evaluations and listening sessions have been devoted to the signature sound of these products.

All Audio Note custom built products purchased from Response Audio are authorized through Audio Note Kits and come with a full 2 year parts and labor warranty on preamplifiers, DAC's and phono stages and 1 year on amplifiers offered by Response Audio. Please keep in mind that this page is dedicated to only fully assembled and tested products. Purchasing a Response Audio custom built version assures you a long, invested interest in your musical enjoyment.

All Audio Note Custom products must be paid up front and in full before assembly can begin. Turnaround times will depend on our current work load and the level of which you want the product(s) built. Additional options can add to the build time of these products. For all international orders, please contact us for territorial restrictions.

 Mundorf Power Supply

Standard on all Audio Note Custom products on this page, the new Mundorf M-TubeCap power supply. In a nutshell, these are high quality, low ESR capacitors made of Polyprophylene Film and designed for tube audio components. Using these high quality film capacitors as main PS filter capacitors brings forth a much smoother presentation without any of that 'electrolytic sound'.

The M-TubeCap is made of polypropylene film with special features. This is particularly thin and the self-healing properties are markedly pronounced due to a special coating.  The M-TubeCap combines a high degree of dielectric strength and low residual inductivity with a very compact form of construction. It has been developed as a high-quality technical alternative to high-voltage electrolytic capacitors and is thus ideally suited to use in tube amplifiers

The results from using the M-TubeCap capacitors in the power supply are stunning. You will realize a much smoother presentation with transparency and resolution only a high quality film capacitor can provide.

Response Audio also offers an Assembly Service for all Audio Note Kit products.

 Read consumer feedback on our Audio Note Custom products.

• Audio Note Custom News:  updated May 9, 2008
  1) DAC 2.1 Deluxe now available with volume control for those using only digital sources and not requiring an outboard preamp.

• 2) A more affordable version of the L2 linestage now available at only $1595
  3) Phono stage now available for the L2 linestage starting at only $299 additional.

• 4) Hardwood face plates now available: $125 most species

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Preamplifiers
includes linestages & phono stages

Audio Note L2 Custom. Linestage preamp

The L2 Custom is now one display and available for audition here at Response Audio. Current setup is running pure silver internal wiring,  NOS RCA 6X5GT rectifier and JJ Gold Pin E802C/12AU7 signal tubes.

Don't let the price fool you. Stop in and hear why our Audio Note Custom L2 Deluxe  is impressing even the most discriminating listeners. 

Stop in for a listen!

Quick Start Manual

Warranty Notice: The 2 years parts and labor warranty is an exclusive warranty offered by Response Audio. Should you ever require any type of warranty service, please contact us here at Response Audio and not Audio Note Kits.

The Audio Note Custom L2 provides high bandwidth, low distortion and musicality. We have modified this unit to provide exceptional dynamics throughout the full frequency range, a clean and realistic midrange with upper end extension and air. The Audio Note Custom L2 is setting new standards in <$3,000 tube linestages.

The L2 Custom Linestage is comprised of VH Audio V-Cap Teflon capacitors in both the main coupling positions as well as in the power supply. On the Custom L2's power supply, you will find we use only the V-H Audio Teflon V-Cap capacitors throughout with the main filter capacitors being the Mundorf M-Lytic units.

Here are some of the highlights that our L2 Custom linetsage pre-amplifier offers:

• The L2 Custom comes standard with the highly praised M2 power supply from Audio Note manufactured products utilizing Mundorf main filter capacitors, VH-Audio Teflon V-Cap capacitors and precision 1% metal film resistors.

• VH-Audio V-Cap Teflon capacitors utilized in the coupling positions of the linestage.

• VH Audio V-Cap Teflon capacitors also found  in the power supply.

• High quality, very close tolerance precision 1% metal film resistors are used throughout the circuitry for an articulate presentation with unsurpassed extension, air and detail at the frequency extremes.

• Mills non-inductive signal tube cathode resistors bypassed with high quality ELNA Cerafine capacitors.

• High wattage Caddock power resistors used in the power supply.

• Supplied as standard with these units is a NOS 6X5GT rectifier tube.

• High quality 12AU7 linestage tubes come standard.

• The M2 Pre-Amplifier is all hardwired – the line stage and optional phono stage come standard with AN silver wire. 

• The AN Silver RCA's are wired with silver plated PTFE twisted pairs directly to the high Quality ELMA or Grayhill selector switch.

• The unit comes with a Noble Volume Pot as standard but can be hard wired with a Volume control of your own choosing and at an additional cost.

• The M2 provides up to 5 line level inputs (4+ phono) and 2 outputs.

• All Response Audio built units undergo full 2 hour bench and 10 hour system testing.

The M2 power supply is taken from the Audio Note finished products line. This uses the Audio Note Trans 0103 Mains transformer/Choke combination with 6X5 for tube rectification and the ECL82 for regulation.

Phono Stage: The new L2 Mk2 Phono Stage designed by Andy Grove yields a perfect RIAA curve using a 12AX7 input and 12AU7 output. Within the BE Deluxe version,  a hot of quality components have been utilized including Platinum Teflon coupling capacitors, Vishay 1W metal film & 3 watt WW resistors, Elna Cerafine capacitors and more for a clean, dead quiet presentation.

The Custom L2 has been configured to be mated with our Bella EXtreme 100 mono bloc amplifiers and our Bella EXtreme 3205 stereo tube amplifiers.

Bella EXtreme reserves the right to change pricing and specifications without notice simply because things change from time to time.

If you are interested in a more affordable version of the L2 Linestage. Check out our Audio Note L2 Standard.

Super Hot Product      Audio Note L3 Custom Linetsage      Super Hot Product
Transformer coupled output stage

Also available with Vol. L / Vol. R dual mono volume controls

Main Features:

• Transformer coupled output

• Mundorf Poly film power supply filter capacitors bypassed with V-Cap Teflon units

• V-Cap Teflon signal path coupling capacitors

• Highest quality Mills, Caddock, Dale/Vishay resistors used throughout.

• Audio Note internal signal wiring

• ELMA source selector switch

• Noble Volume control pot

• NOS 6X5 rectifier tube

• Up to 5 line level inputs ( 2 sets standard)

• Balanced and/or single ended output

• 2 sets of single ended line outputs standard

• One set of XLR Balanced outputs
   

 Specifications:

• Tube compliment: 2 pieces 5687 -linestage
  6X5 for tube rectification and the ECL82 for regulation.

• Input impedance - 100K ohms

• Output impedance - 10 ohms

• Output noise: <0.08mV

• Input sensitivity: 126mV for 1V output

• Gain 8:1 single ended / 16x Balanced

• Labor:  8 hours + testing.

• Warranty: 2 years parts and labor / 90 days on vacuum tubes

PRICING 

L3 Standard $2,875
L3 Deluxe     $3,575
DACT Attenuator: Add $195

Dual Mono DACT attenuators add $480

Bybee Purifiers

Standard - $200 pr.
Gold - $480 pr.

The L3 Standard consist of standard I/E core output transformers while the L3 Deluxe moves up to the Double C-Core transformers.

What our customers are saying

While I'm always grateful for the work of others and diplomatic in assessing new audio gear even when they impart little or no positive change, this is different. No doubt that I now have in place the other components of a really well-matched, high quality system, but your custom L3 is by far the single most musical piece of audio gear I've ever experienced.
<Read complete feedback>

Taking things up a few (quite a few) notches brings us to the L3. The L3 custom will have you melting in your listening chair and in awe wondering where all that information you never heard before in your favorite recordings came from.

The L3 Custom linestage is comprised our custom version of the M2 power supply which is taken from the Audio Note finished products line. This uses the Audio Note Trans 0103 Mains transformer/Choke combination with 6X5 for tube rectification and the ECL82 for regulation. Now we move into a transformer coupled output design! The L3 is a phenomenal linestage that will easily compete with others in the $5K price point and beyond.

The L3 Custom Linestage is also comprised of VH Audio V-Cap Teflon capacitors in both the main coupling positions as well as in the power supply. On the L3's power supply, you will find we use only the V-H Audio Teflon V-Cap capacitors throughout with the main filter capacitors being the Mundorf M-TubeCap Polypropylene film capacitors as seen as an option in the L2 preamp above which are now bypassed with V-Cap Teflon units. 

The 5687 based output stage is taken directly from Audio Note's M3 pre-amplifier (a highly regarded 'level 3' finished $7,000 product). This consists of the silver hard-wired L3 line board driving a pair of Audio Note TRANS 027 output transformers.

The output transformers are 33:1 step down transformers. In unbalanced mode (RCA) there is an overall maximum gain of about 8:1. In True Balanced mode, using the XLR outputs, we have a gain of 16x. Choices of either I/E cores or Double C-Core types are available.

Using such a transformer output stage has many advantages both sonically and for matching purposes. It's low impedance output means that it will match with virtually any power amplifier - valve or transistor - making it a highly versatile device.

Throughout the circuitry you will find high quality Caddock, Mills non-inductive and Dale/Visay 1% resistors for the quietest possible noise floor and of course our preferred VH-Audio Teflon capacitors.

High quality ELMA switches are used for input selection and high quality silver plated PTFE signal wire is used for signal input wiring. Output XLR duties are handled by high quality Neutric connectors.

The L3 Standard consist of standard I/E core output transformers while the L3 Deluxe moves up to the Double C-Core transformers.

Optional Bybee Purifiers are available and used at the input signal directly at the input of the signal board. We are now offering the Standard Bybees as well as the Gold versions.

Please let us know at time of ordering if you would like a single volume control or dual mono arrangement.

Here is a picture of our Audio Note Custom L3 linestage (shown with Bubinga real wood face plate) that works in conjunction with our Bella EXtreme 100 mono bloc amplifiers (also shown with custom Bubinga face plates) in our main reference system. This linestage uses the Hi-B C-Core output transformers, DACT dual mono attenuators, AN Tantalum resistors and much more.

Audio Note L3 Custom Phono Stage

The L3 Custom Phono Stage includes a recipe of high quality, very tight tolerance 1% metal film resistors on phono stage, V-Cap Teflon and Audio Note signal capacitors, Mundorf Polypropylene film and V-Cap Teflon power supply capacitors, AN-V silver signal wire, silver wire for hardwiring phono stage, high quality electrolytic capacitors on the phono stage. And more.

We are proud to announce that the new L3 Phono Stage is now available.

This uses the same phono circuit as that found in the world-renowned Audio Note L3 Pre-amplifier finished product.  The L3 phono circuit has been highly praised by its users for many many years and now we can offer it to you in a custom built form.

We have taken this custom built phono circuitry and coupled it with our Mundorf / V-Cap dedicated M2 power supply.

The L3 Phono's power supply utilizes Mundorf M-TubeCap Polypropylene film capacitors, with Teflon Bypass, as it's main filter capacitors as well as VH Audio V-Cap Teflon capacitors throughout the circuit. Resistors are a combination of high quality 1% metal film and Caddock high wattage power resistors. We top this off with a NOS RCA 6X5GT rectifier tube.

The phono circuit is driven by a input pair of 6072 tubes followed by a RIAA passive EQ circuit and another 6072 output tube. The filament circuitry from the power supply supplies the input and output tubes separately. It boasts an overall gain of 40db (100x voltage gain) and is ideally suited to driving a line pre-amplifier or an integrated amplifier.

A combination of Reference Grade V-Cap Teflon capacitors as well as a few Audio Note capacitors, Dale/Vishay 1% metal film resistors as well Mills and other high quality parts make up the M3 Custom Phono circuitry. 

The L3 phono circuit is all silver hardwired!

 Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC)