Turntables — Audio Note TT-Three Reference

The TT-Three Reference is the flagship suspended turntable from Audio Note UK, built as the ultimate expression of the same three-motor drive philosophy found across the entire Audio Note turntable range, from the entry-level TT-One right through to this model. Audio Note considers the TT-Three Reference to incorporate the ultimate solutions to most of the solvable problems in vinyl replay, with the model's engineering achieving its most complete form here at the top of the lineup.

Key specs that matter

Three immensely powerful motors drive the platter via an external-rotor rubber belt around its outer rim, their speed locked together by the separate power supply unit's completely analogue control system. The platter is a very light, highly inert design made from Lexan, chosen specifically for its virtual absence of reflective properties and resonance-storage problems - combining a light platter with high motor-sourced torque provides a level of stability that high-mass platter designs can only dream of, since the stored energy in the motors focuses purely on rotation rather than being absorbed and released unpredictably by platter mass. A three-point suspended sub-chassis design is centred precisely at the bearing, which also forms the epicentre of the motors' own inertia, completely removing the common suspended-turntable problem of motor and suspension misalignment. The sub-chassis carries three arms - the tonearm sits in the standard position on the far right, with the remaining two holding mass-balancing weights precisely equivalent to the combined arm-and-cartridge mass, loading each suspension tower equally. Uniquely within the range, the TT-Three Reference offers three speed settings - 33, 45 and, unusually for a turntable at this level, 78rpm - with all three settings independently adjustable, the 78rpm setting spanning roughly 60 to over 120rpm to accommodate the wide variation found among vintage 78s that were never actually cut at a true 78rpm. The turntable is supplied exclusively with an arm board cut for Audio Note's own 10-inch AN-1S tonearm, with no other manufacturer's arm boards offered. Standard finish is High Gloss Black, with the power supply fascia available in Anodised Aluminium or Black Acrylic. A single tonearm support comes as standard, though two or even three supports can be ordered to accommodate multiple cartridges simultaneously.

Sound and use context

Expect the same essentially transparent, "I can't hear it" character that defines Audio Note's entire turntable philosophy, now taken to its fullest expression - the brand's four fundamental design insights around suspended-chassis vibration isolation, low-mass platter energy transfer, vibration-free high-torque drive and carefully managed material resonance all converge most completely in this flagship model.

Pairing

The dedicated 10-inch AN-1S tonearm is the only arm Audio Note supplies with this turntable, and the optional multiple tonearm-support configuration suits a serious analogue enthusiast wanting to run several cartridges without constantly re-mounting a single arm.

Alternatives

Audio Note's TT-Three .5 Reference, referred to in-house as the "Half Reference," sits as a streamlined alternative within the same flagship-tier lineup, though availability has at times been constrained by supply shortfalls - worth checking current stock directly with Audio Note or a dealer if this full TT-Three Reference's price or three-tonearm-support ceiling exceeds what a specific system requires.