FS: Kondo era Audio Note Io with AN-S2L step-up

[montesquieu]

Selling my Kondo era (AN-J) Audio Note Io. There was only one model at the time (early 80s), with heavy sides (in comparison to the more lightweight current AN-UK Io1, or Kondo Io-M models)- this model, at 18g weight (7g heavier than the Io1) and with low compliance, is essentially equivalent to an Io2 (which is £3500 new). I have owned this for approx 4 years and many visitors have heard it over that period.

It has a lovely vintage patina on the cartridge body (pics to follow). This is fresh back this week from £700+worth of complete ground up factory rebuild (suspension, cantilever, tip) at AN-UK. My TD124 is still off at Speedysteve's for work so it hasn't been used since coming back. The receipt from Audio Note for the rebuild is available.

I'm contemplating a change (for change's sake really) so looking to sell it, complete with an Audio Note AN-S2L equivalent step-up if required - this is in a DIY box and doesn't look much, but uses the correct Audio Note transformers and has recently been rewired and new switching added by Vavebloke (AmpRegen) to provide a 1 ohm setting for use with the ultra low-output Io, and a 3 ohm setting for cartridges such as all LOMC Ortofons as well as many others.

If the Io goes, I will also be selling my matching Kondo era Audio Note AN-S6c step-up (1, 3 and 40 ohm settings) in a separate post - but not before I know the Io is sold.

Price is £1650 for the combo of both Io and Step-up or £1500 for the Io on its own. I have an Oyade heavy carbon fibre headshell with silver headshell wires which is the perfect partner for the cartridge same as this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oyaide-HS-CF-Carbon-Fiber-Headshell-/291154822157? which I can add in for another £100, less than half retail - this takes it up to the 30g+ weight of an SPU which is ideal in a low compliance world and perfect for high-mass tonearms with SPU-capable counterweights.

I'll be sorry to see this go but time for a fresh perspective on things.

[montesquieu]

Haven't had time to take a recent pic but here's a couple from a while back - in the first the Io is top left, on a Fidelity Research headshell.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x440/montesquieu61/headshells.jpg (http://s1181.photobucket.com/user/montesquieu61/media/headshells.jpg.html)
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x440/montesquieu61/voyd1_zps7c8edcf3.jpg (http://s1181.photobucket.com/user/montesquieu61/media/voyd1_zps7c8edcf3.jpg.html)

[montesquieu]

Just to confirm on the back of a query raised on another forum - I heard back from Audio Note this morning to the effect that 'the cartridge was fitted with all the current IoII parts specification', ie with the Type 1 diamond from the IoII as well as the IoII suspension.

So it's effectively a fully-specced IoII (to use the AN designation rather than Io2) inside a vintage, heavy Japanese Io body.

Better pics to follow tonight.

[montesquieu]

Pics:

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x440/montesquieu61/Io2-2_zps193f4cc5.jpg (http://s1181.photobucket.com/user/montesquieu61/media/Io2-2_zps193f4cc5.jpg.html)
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x440/montesquieu61/Io2-1_zpsb4b62d30.jpg (http://s1181.photobucket.com/user/montesquieu61/media/Io2-1_zpsb4b62d30.jpg.html)

[petrat]

The Io2 is one of the truly great cartridges out there. If I didn't have my relatively new Io1, I'd be on this. As Tom indicates, Audio Note rebuilds give you a completely new cartridge, apart from the 'cheeks', so this is a £3800 cartridge ... not forgetting the AN boxed commercial version of the S2 sells for £800, too. So, a saving of nearly three grand ... a true high-end bargain!

[montesquieu]

Io and S6 now sold. I'll be hanging onto the S2 for a bit.