Audio Note UK Ongaku

[nirodha]

Hi there,
heard the Audio Note UK Ongaku today and thought it was very (!) impressive. Are there any users on WBF?

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I would use it with my horns but cart afford it. A surberb piece.

 

[howiebrou]

Hi there,
heard the Audio Note UK Ongaku today and thought it was very (!) impressive. Are there any users on WBF?

Ex-user. Loved it. It is a bit more mellow than the original Ongaku but excellent all the same.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Over priced in my opinion as well.

 

[gian60]

ANUK are overpriced,but can find in Italy at a very good price

 

[howiebrou]

Over priced in my opinion as well.

They're all overpriced but nobody pays full retail so it's not a problem.

 

[nirodha]

I would use it with my horns but cart afford it. A surberb piece.

Can’t afford it now either but looking far ahead towards Acapella high Cellini in combination with a great tube amp. Fortunately I will be able to hear the Ongaku at home soon. I just have to know . going to listen to the high Cellini also in the near future. Already heard the regular Cellini two weeks ago. Now all Nagra and kef 207/2, furutech ncf nanoflux, purepower 6E NCF, Elrod Master Diamond loudspeaker cables.

 

[nirodha]

Ex-user. Loved it. It is a bit more mellow than the original Ongaku but excellent all the same.

Are you saying that the original Kondo Ongaku is a more modern sounding amp?

 

[movingmagnet]

What makes an Ongaku JP. or Ongaku UK better in performance than, for example, an EAR V12 ?

I have never been able to hear such high price calibres. Surely it depends on the right pairing of speakers. 18 watts is not a lot....that makes finding the right speakers a pain. I think so. Or you bend over and take the AN-E speakers.

With a V12 from EAR (2x60 watts), the choice of speakers is many times greater. I also read about scratchy volume pots, humming power supplies and the like at Ongaku UK. Do people just take such things for granted?
Thank you for a sincere statement.

 

[howiebrou]

Are you saying that the original Kondo Ongaku is a more modern sounding amp?

No, I found the Kondo a little more dynamic than the ANUK one but we're pretty much splitting hairs here.

 

[nirodha]

No, I found the Kondo a little more dynamic than the ANUK one but we're pretty much splitting hairs here.

Thanks! I have never heard the Kondo and it is almost impossible to try it at home. I know the Japan vs. UK Audio Note audiophiles have been "at it" for decades

 

[nirodha]

What makes an Ongaku JP. or Ongaku UK better in performance than, for example, an EAR V12 ?

I have never been able to hear such high price calibres. Surely it depends on the right pairing of speakers. 18 watts is not a lot....that makes finding the right speakers a pain. I think so. Or you bend over and take the AN-E speakers.

With a V12 from EAR (2x60 watts), the choice of speakers is many times greater. I also read about scratchy volume pots, humming power supplies and the like at Ongaku UK. Do people just take such things for granted?
Thank you for a sincere statement.

The only thing I can say is that I will be able to try it at home next month with my Kef 207/2's. I will report what I hear in detail, realising it is just one man hearing things.

 

[howiebrou]

What makes an Ongaku JP. or Ongaku UK better in performance than, for example, an EAR V12 ?

I have never been able to hear such high price calibres. Surely it depends on the right pairing of speakers. 18 watts is not a lot....that makes finding the right speakers a pain. I think so. Or you bend over and take the AN-E speakers.

With a V12 from EAR (2x60 watts), the choice of speakers is many times greater. I also read about scratchy volume pots, humming power supplies and the like at Ongaku UK. Do people just take such things for granted?
Thank you for a sincere statement.

Better or not is, I think, an impossible measure. One man's meat is another man's poison. The Ongaku is 27watts but yes there is a limit to what can be driven. Such are the foibles of first world problems!

 

[howiebrou]

Thanks! I have never heard the Kondo and it is almost impossible to try it at home. I know the Japan vs. UK Audio Note audiophiles have been "at it" for decades

Yeah, best to stay out of that stuff.

 

[Music and Wine]

Hello All

I am a owner of a 1992 Ongaku made in Japan.It is a great amp,but don’t forget it was designed in the late 1970th.I will never sell it, but I only fire it up a couple of times a year.I was privileged to have the new Ongaku UK in my system for a week .It is a completely different design,with interstage transformer and different front tubes.At the time I definitely preferred the UK amp,more detail and drive.The Ongaku Japan,is very slightly slow and a bit mellow and rounded off in comparison.Not the most transparent but very musical but not so accurate.Some will prefer the one and somebody the other one,it will depend on taste and speaker matching.If you know the original Ongaku design,my personal opinion is the power supply is not the best,the driver stage is also not the best.The question,would I buy any Ongaku again and the answer is no,ok now I don’t have the financial means anymore,like years ago,I am retired now,but still love tubes and love good sound.I just finished building my own single ended monoblocks,with a WE 212 tube per monoblock .It took me 5 month to finish and it was a lot of hard work and go sapped by 1600volt twice,not a nice experience.I believe if you got the knowledge and experience build your own,for much less and if done properly it will sound as good or better.I don’t want to hijack the thread. Just one word ,the new monoblock 212 with 2 interstage transformer 6f8g drives a interstage transformer then a 300b then a interstage transformer to the 212Western Electric tube,is way better than the Ongaku. It sounds so much more powerful ,it got at 3% distortions 48wattts and much more energetic and more detailed with a bottom end my S/S Accuphase A250 monoblocks don’t achieve.Yes it also got all silver transformers and just the parts cost was about $20 000 ,the most expensive was the transformers,but the price is without tubes,all the 300b and 212 are original WE.It was for the last 20 years my dream to build my own design but never had the time,now I got it,but never ever something so complicated again.1600Volt scares is very scary to work with and can jump 4 inches

Just one thing,No Ongaku ever had the promised 27 watt, 18 on a good day 19 watts. The Ongaku Japan,could never achieve these figures,the driver stage was not powerful enough and the power supply sagged at full throttle .


I don’t care about the politics between Audio Note UK and Kondo Japan,I never met one of them and none have ever given me anything for free.I believe,at the very top ,both are equally good,but both got a different option what is the best sound.

If you ever get a chance to listen to either,do yourself the favor,it is worthwhile,but the prices are crazy.

 

[Argonaut]

Bravo !

 

[LL21]

Hello All

I am a owner of a 1992 Ongaku made in Japan.It is a great amp,but don’t forget it was designed in the late 1970th.I will never sell it, but I only fire it up a couple of times a year.I was privileged to have the new Ongaku UK in my system for a week .It is a completely different design,with interstage transformer and different front tubes.At the time I definitely preferred the UK amp,more detail and drive.The Ongaku Japan,is very slightly slow and a bit mellow and rounded off in comparison.Not the most transparent but very musical but not so accurate.Some will prefer the one and somebody the other one,it will depend on taste and speaker matching.If you know the original Ongaku design,my personal opinion is the power supply is not the best,the driver stage is also not the best.The question,would I buy any Ongaku again and the answer is no,ok now I don’t have the financial means anymore,like years ago,I am retired now,but still love tubes and love good sound.I just finished building my own single ended monoblocks,with a WE 212 tube per monoblock .It took me 5 month to finish and it was a lot of hard work and go sapped by 1600volt twice,not a nice experience.I believe if you got the knowledge and experience build your own,for much less and if done properly it will sound as good or better.I don’t want to hijack the thread. Just one word ,the new monoblock 212 with 2 interstage transformer 6f8g drives a interstage transformer then a 300b then a interstage transformer to the 212Western Electric tube,is way better than the Ongaku. It sounds so much more powerful ,it got at 3% distortions 48wattts and much more energetic and more detailed with a bottom end my S/S Accuphase A250 monoblocks don’t achieve.Yes it also got all silver transformers and just the parts cost was about $20 000 ,the most expensive was the transformers,but the price is without tubes,all the 300b and 212 are original WE.It was for the last 20 years my dream to build my own design but never had the time,now I got it,but never ever something so complicated again.1600Volt scares is very scary to work with and can jump 4 inches

Just one thing,No Ongaku ever had the promised 27 watt, 18 on a good day 19 watts. The Ongaku Japan,could never achieve these figures,the driver stage was not powerful enough and the power supply sagged at full throttle .


I don’t care about the politics between Audio Note UK and Kondo Japan,I never met one of them and none have ever given me anything for free.I believe,at the very top ,both are equally good,but both got a different option what is the best sound.

If you ever get a chance to listen to either,do yourself the favor,it is worthwhile,but the prices are crazy.

Wow...quite a read! I think it's good I dont try to do my own work with 0 technical knowledge! Well done to have created something so apparently all-out-assault on the high end! Sounds fantastic...I have always wanted to hear [any] Ongaku given its legendary status. Also nice to hear from an owner with serious experience its strengths as well as some of its shortcomings (which all equipment has).

Enjoy your amp...is it now your primary amp above the Accuphase monos as well?

What is the rest of your system?

 

[Klonk]

What makes an Ongaku JP. or Ongaku UK better in performance than, for example, an EAR V12 ?

I have never been able to hear such high price calibres. Surely it depends on the right pairing of speakers. 18 watts is not a lot....that makes finding the right speakers a pain. I think so. Or you bend over and take the AN-E speakers.

With a V12 from EAR (2x60 watts), the choice of speakers is many times greater. I also read about scratchy volume pots, humming power supplies and the like at Ongaku UK. Do people just take such things for granted?
Thank you for a sincere statement.

If you, for instance use Graham Audio speakers, it is certainly an advantage to use amps with more power, like an EAR V12, which sounds superb paired with the above mentioned speakers. You mention humming with Audio Note amps, which I experienced as well, however I had the same problem with EAR amps. For my ears I always preferred AN amps together with the right speakers, to EAR amp, to me the AN amps sounded more refined.

 

[1_Ongaku]

Currently own one built in 2008 and love the piece. For my listening taste, the higher the efficiency speaker it is attached to the more you hear the differences/advantages.

 

[perart1]

Hello All

I am a owner of a 1992 Ongaku made in Japan.It is a great amp,but don’t forget it was designed in the late 1970th.I will never sell it, but I only fire it up a couple of times a year.I was privileged to have the new Ongaku UK in my system for a week .It is a completely different design,with interstage transformer and different front tubes.At the time I definitely preferred the UK amp,more detail and drive.The Ongaku Japan,is very slightly slow and a bit mellow and rounded off in comparison.Not the most transparent but very musical but not so accurate.Some will prefer the one and somebody the other one,it will depend on taste and speaker matching.If you know the original Ongaku design,my personal opinion is the power supply is not the best,the driver stage is also not the best.The question,would I buy any Ongaku again and the answer is no,ok now I don’t have the financial means anymore,like years ago,I am retired now,but still love tubes and love good sound.I just finished building my own single ended monoblocks,with a WE 212 tube per monoblock .It took me 5 month to finish and it was a lot of hard work and go sapped by 1600volt twice,not a nice experience.I believe if you got the knowledge and experience build your own,for much less and if done properly it will sound as good or better.I don’t want to hijack the thread. Just one word ,the new monoblock 212 with 2 interstage transformer 6f8g drives a interstage transformer then a 300b then a interstage transformer to the 212Western Electric tube,is way better than the Ongaku. It sounds so much more powerful ,it got at 3% distortions 48wattts and much more energetic and more detailed with a bottom end my S/S Accuphase A250 monoblocks don’t achieve.Yes it also got all silver transformers and just the parts cost was about $20 000 ,the most expensive was the transformers,but the price is without tubes,all the 300b and 212 are original WE.It was for the last 20 years my dream to build my own design but never had the time,now I got it,but never ever something so complicated again.1600Volt scares is very scary to work with and can jump 4 inches

Just one thing,No Ongaku ever had the promised 27 watt, 18 on a good day 19 watts. The Ongaku Japan,could never achieve these figures,the driver stage was not powerful enough and the power supply sagged at full throttle .


I don’t care about the politics between Audio Note UK and Kondo Japan,I never met one of them and none have ever given me anything for free.I believe,at the very top ,both are equally good,but both got a different option what is the best sound.

If you ever get a chance to listen to either,do yourself the favor,it is worthwhile,but the prices are crazy.

I think that you have nailed it perfectly. I heard the original Ongaku and the AN UK version and I think you have summed up the difference. There is an interview with Kondo San that explains what he was trying to achieve, which, despite the problems of translation, can be expressed as coherence and flow. The ANUK version is more dynamic and has more control but is not always particularly well built. It really does come down to the quality of the transformers and the execution of the design. I very nearly bought the AN Japan Ongaku until I had a chance to hear an amplifier that had both the dynamics and the delicacy I was looking for, plus a grip of the lower frequencies. This amp used silver wound interstage transformers as opposed to capacitors which gave it the lyrical flow I was searching for.

Anyway congratulations on being able to build your own amplifier; beyond my capabilities I am afraid. And I can do without the electro convulsive therapy that seems to be a prerequisite.