Today, I still listen to this fantastic Audio Note AN 3 CD player (difficult time for the world as Covid-19 pandemic). The sound is so organic and fatigue free; Bass is natural tight, mid and high are sweet! can listen to all day. Audio Note UK had used one of the best caps that don't exist todays (black gates) for the player. System: - Krell KCT pre; Bryston 7B SST power amps; Speakers: Tannoy Yorkminster SE; cables: Nordost, AN silver SPe XLR, RCA, Audience AU24 SE...cables. - Sources: AN3 CD player, PS Audio PWT, Bryston BDP1; LKS audio DAC...

nothing to say

Had a similar experience as Neil, compared the CD2 against the CD3 and found the CD3 quite better. To me within the 5000$ range the best CD Player and believe me, I heard a lot.
It is lifelike, musical, very natural.... just fantastic.

Excellent, smooth sound, natural sounding, fatigue-free.

Initial problem with a noisy valve - Audionote UK replaced the whole player immediately with great customer service - and it has been totally reliable since. Some mains hum at high volumes, but not a problem at normal levels.

I had decided to totally change my system in an effort to get a cd-based system which I could live. I was using an Audiolab 8000a amplifer, Rotel CD 965 player and a pair of home-built transmission line speakers (using top quality Volt and Scanspeak drivers). The bass was great, but I soon tired of the harsh, gritty and fatiguing sound. I found that I ended up not playing music very much.

In my search for something radically different, I happened on Audionote by way of their high-end valve equipment. Liking what I found - and being able to save some money by DIY - I decided to buy an Audionote Kit 1 amplifier(300b SE), an Audionote Preamp kit and a pair of ex-dem AN-ESpx speakers. What I needed next was a good cd player - smooth sounding but at a realistic price. I was looking for something in the $2000 - $3000 category, but there didn't seem to be much around to choose from. My dealer recommended the CD2 or (then just out) CD3.

I demo'd both, and the differences between them were subtle. Both sounded great, but the CD3 was better. Really smooth sounding without a hint of grain or harshness. My new system sounds totally different from the old one: it sounds truly lifelike and totally involving, particularly with classical music. It is never fatiguing (but possibly slightly recessed in the high treble). The bass is a loose compared to my previous system on rock music - but this is a price well worth paying for a system that I can now listen to and enjoy for hours on end

I would recomend the CD3 player (and Audionote kits!) without reservation.