Sibling Rivalry; AudioNote iZero vs Cobra - Adrian compares the 2 tube integrated amps

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Sibling Rivalry; AudioNote iZero vs Cobra - Adrian compares the 2 tube integrated amps
Brother Vs Brother! It's the punch-above-its-weight Audio Note iZero vs its beefy-big-brother, the Audio Note Cobra!
Review of the AudioNote iZero vs Cayin CS 55A - • AudioNote iZero vs Cay...
Music we mentioned:
"Something Cool" - June Christy
"Wish You Were Gay" - Billie Eilish
"Taste" - Tyga
"Oh My Sweet Carolina" - Ryan Adams
"Mahler's 5th Symphony" - Adagietto
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Donate to your charity of choice and email the receipt to [e-mail], Adrian's playlist is $10 . Lewis's is still in the works!
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As always, we would love to hear from you, so please if you have any questions about hifi/audiophile or anything audio related, leave your comments and feedback below. If you have suggestions for future topics, please let us know.
Audio Excellence Inc. is a high end audio/video store in Markham, Ontario, Canada, a suburb of Toronto. We've been in business since 1991.
Check out our interviews with designers and audio luminaries like Daryl Wilson of Wilson Audio, Paul McGowan of PS Audio, Paolo Tezzon of Sonus faber, Wendell Diller of Magnepan, John Atkinson of Stereophile, Dan D'Agostino of D'Agostino Master Audio Systems, Nelson Pass of Pass Labs and others.
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[@JG-gg9wk]

Here's a suggestion. Be interesting to do a shoot out or compare the differences between these Audio Note amps anf the comparably priced Synthesis amps.

[@raphaelmeillat8527]

Wondering if it’s not my favorite video from you guys. Very thoughtful. And I love how you can bring Tyga and Mahler in the same review. At the end of the day, it’s all about the music and the mood we find ourselves into. And thanks for the JFK story. Very touching. Congrats to your video editor. Well done. Thanks for sharing this video with us all!

[@buddyhume9297]

Adrian I really enjoy all of your Audio Note discussions ans comparisons. Hope you are able to do future content with upper end AN amps to gain more insight.

[@GigHarborAudioHiFi]

awesome heartfelt review. really pleasant to watch/listen to.

[@xcvbxcvb2179]

Cheers from Sweden. Just waiting for the NHL game starting. Keep rocking in the free world.

[@forcedbreath]

I was really impressed by the OtO SE signature at Axpona 2019. When a recording of Vincent Belanger’s cello was put on it was really startling. Hope Adrian will comment on that model.

[@IvoCoric]

Great review , please do one of Audio Note Mieshu Tonemeister !

[@shanestephenson8423]

Hi Adrian, this video was very deep and thought-provoking. I have had some experience auditioning audio note. I find the higher level equipment to be beautifully balanced between sweet realism and lovely dynamics, with great transient swings when the music calls for it. You are just left really convinced the artists are in the room. But my only criticism is unfortunately your wallet is on life support 🎧👍😁

[@edverbeek6292]

I love listening to you talking about music and music history.

[@bikemike1118]

…because of his soothing voice I suppose

[@adrianlow2114]

Thanks Ed. I am glad you find it as interesting as I do

[@adrianlow2114]

@@bikemike1118 why the cynicism? Or am I mistaken

[@emanon321]

Thank you, Adrian, for this wonderful, poetic, and heartfelt video. I'm in my "golden years" and have loved Mahler ever since I was a young lad. I wanted to also tell you that I've taken a leap of faith and ordered an Audio Note Cobra. I did so, due in part to this and your other videos which discuss Audio Note. To refresh your memory, I used to have MFA separates which got too costly to maintain. So far, with about 48 hours on the Cobra, the amp sounds thin playing through Sonus Faber GH speakers.. I will give it at least an additional 150 hours before coming to any conclusions about the Cobra.

[@911dion]

Adrian, thank-you for this wonderful review and background of Gustavo Mahler. Your passion for this type of amazing music is great it to hear and you communicate it very well. I’m wondering if you have some recommendations for recordings of Mahler’s 5th or a cycle of his symphonies you could share? Thanks!

[@adrianlow2114]

Thanks for the kind words. I am partial to Bernstein's 1987 version with the Vienna Philharmonic for the interpretation. Sonically I am still exploring. Note though that Bernstein's Adagietto is played at a slower tempo than what Mahler originally scored.

[@psyphonyxaudio]

Nice comparison =)

[@adrianlow2114]

Thanks!

[@saint6563]

EL34 not EL44 on the specs. 1st fave valve, now it's the 300B. Thanks & have an enjoyable journey.

[@MsCorbacho]

I love audio note equipment , it was almost always the room that i kept coming back at shows , Only voxativ did it better for me , but it was also a much more expensive one from voxativ , While with audio note even the most humble systems sound very musical

[@agostonberko]

Please test soro signature

[@brown-eyedman4040]

Thank you, Adrian. Imo, nothing but nothing matches the ability of tubes to create an emotional connection to music.

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

You are one of the few that know what music reproduction is about ..........for years I worked in Hi end with those unbelievable pricetags for ordinary people .....and years ago I stopped discussing and arguying with those (exper) t audiophiles with their ( stupid and fake ) beliefs where it is all about Hi-end performance and the fabulous low distortion levels on glossy papers. None of those ever talked about musicality and the beautifull connection with the music, .....I had a friend with the most expensive system i've everseen at that time ......with cables worth the price of a luxury car........and he has only 3 records !!!!!............all other did not sound good on his faulous system......... Thank you for telling the TRUTH........

[@saint6563]

The letter shows the shock that Jackie was still feeling at JFK's funeral; because she completely forgot she had heard the music then.

[@Stevenc1970]

Hi. I'm trying to decide between the Audio Note Cobra integrated amp for my set up (Rega RP6 with Audio Note iQ3 MM cartridge and Audio Note R Zero/II vacuum tube Phono stage. I have Audio Note Lexus LX interconnects and believe it or not I play cassettes on a restored Nakamichi BX2 made in Japan cassette deck) and trying to compare with the Luxman L-505uXII Integrated Amplifier. The Luxman looks better and they're around the same price. Can you recommend one over the other mostly for analogue listening? And since I have the Audio Note R-Zero II phone stage, would it be better for me to seek out a power amplifier? I am a ROOKIE. Please help...

[@hans-henrikrasmussen53]

I set out with the iZero amp and Zero Dac 0.1x and the R Zero to run my AN K SPx SE and AN E SPz SE Silvers. Even substituted the stĢ Blackburn ECLs. To my mind and ears the Cobra, likewise upgraded but with current production Psvane EL34Ph metal base replicas of the very first - mand perhaps best EL34s ever was such a major improvement over the iZero in dynamics, presence, scale, timbre U name it, that for me the Cobra was like no contest the best sounding of the two - no looking back! The thing mentioned about the Cobra's darker tonal balance is more in line with the orgnic sounds I hear live. It's most impressive what AN UK has done with such a modest layout - but compared to the COBRA to me, and excuse me for saying that, the iZero seems more like a toy. But as always YMMV - besides the rest of your system may be voiced to suit the iZero better.

[@hans-henrikrasmussen53]

Correction: I even substituted the stock Yugo valves with a matched quad of Mullard Blackburn ECL valves for an even better delivery. And still found the Cobra to be the clearly superior amp of the two.

[@dajikbatarang1]

Its just not the same as when there is a dialog between multiple audiophiles. Hope you will be adding someone very experienced to your team soon.

[@adrianlow2114]

Thanks. The last series have been more of a combination of the sound as well as an exploration of the story behind the music that I find important to me.

[@simonirvine1628]

NO, it's EL44's and a Remote

[@capwkidd]

Why at about 8:50 do you play the same line about the number of siblings and them dying, from one camera angle then from another?

[@AudioheavenDenmark]

To look fancy 😅

[@volpedo2000]

I though I imagined that. 😁

[@adrianlow2114]

mistake in editing

[@calmic75]

Fixed! Thanks!

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

Is it true you are rehiring Villip and giving him a raise?

[@bikemike1118]

What?

[@vintagehifilover]

LOL I see what you've done there 😂

[@adrianlow2114]

Did hell freeze over and no one send me a memo?

[@tarichar8]

Hi villip!🤗

[@bikemike1118]

The golden knobs on black chassis look really tacky for my taste

[@falconquest2068]

Hmm, I think the look is very classy. To each his own eh?

[@bikemike1118]

@@falconquest2068 …tacky, cheesy, Russian taste like

[@falconquest2068]

@@bikemike1118 One mans trash is another man's treasure!

[@bikemike1118]

@@falconquest2068 …apparently