Audio Note speakers

[Pearljam5000]

What's the deal with Audio Note speakers ?
They have so many models and they're not exactly cheap (can cost over $100K)
And it seems they're "legendary " speakers on other audiophile forums.
What's so special about them ?

 

[SCR]

A bit too much voodoo in their approach for my taste

https://www.audionote-deutschland.de/downloads/hell-hifi.pdf

 

[MattHooper]

I suspect you’re not really waiting for ASR members to affirm the “greatness” of Audio Note speakers ;-)

I auditioned, audio notes speakers, and their usual configuration set up near room corners. I thought they sounded quite nice.
I also heard a small pair of sound really terrific had an audio show.

The last time I listened to audio note speakers, was that an audio store a while back. it was one of their cheaper models, they look similar to the above models. In this case they were pulled out into the room more. They sounded absolutely horrid. Thin and bright as hell. I cut my listening time short with those things.

 

[Selkirks]

Although they are a basic design and likely measure like shit I enjoyed my time with the AN-J and AN-E. Pleasant listening no matter what position or gear pairing, from Devialet to SET tube amps. Explaining the sound would get me too deep in the rabbit hole of made up Audiophile descriptors.

I suspect a bump in mid-bass but never measured. The asking prices as you go higher up the chain are ridiculous.

 

[Mnyb]

They was some kind of variant on the snell type E and type J speakers ? Once .

They runned with this concept forever since the 90’s . Prices are ofcourse nuts ?

As usual with AN no real development just voodoo

 

[thewas]

The only model for which I quickly found some measurements shows the typical overpriced "high end" mess:

Audio Note AN-E Lexus Signature loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

 

[Mart68]

auditioned them many times. Mutton priced as lamb.

They don't sound bad, just wrong. Their appeal eludes me, even if they were cheap I'd avoid.

 

[Purité Audio]

Effect generators.
Keith

 

[DanielT]

They was some kind of variant on the snell type E and type J speakers ? Once .

They runned with this concept forever since the 90’s . Prices are ofcourse nuts ?

As usual with AN no real development just voodoo

Popular about three decades ago. That is, two-way speakers with an 8 inch bass and tweeter without (WG). You mentioned Snell. Buy some used Snell III instead of a Audio Note speaker and save a hell of a lot of money. Okay you might need to re-foam the bass driver as the edges have weathered away but it's not hard to do and it costs almost nothing to buy such a re-foam kit.

Backwards directed , rear-firing tweeter, Snell Type E / III?

Anyone have experience with such speakers? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Grateful for response. Snell Type E / III, just to show an example of what I mean:

audiosciencereview.com

In Sweden we had the popular QRS 500 speaker, which was a sign off the times back in the 1990s. Same 8 inch bass and tweeter design concept without WG. Both the QRS 500 and Snell III were built with Vifa drivers (if I remember correctly). QRS took a lot of inspiration from Snell.

The QRS 500 were very popular because the price was modest and they actually sounded pretty good I must say.What I remember anyway. It's been decades since I listened to some QRS 500:

These must appeal to this nostalgia, I imagine. I would have preferred Snell III or QRS 500 but still:

Tekton M-Lore Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, equalization and detailed measurements of the Tekton (Mini) M-Lore speaker. It is on kind loan from a member and costs $US 750 a pair. As you see, this is a mini-tower speaker if there is such a thing. I had to put a 6 inch stand under it to get the tweeter...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Selkirks]

These must appeal to this nostalgia, I imagine. I would have preferred Snell III or QRS 500 but still:

Tekton M-Lore Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests, equalization and detailed measurements of the Tekton (Mini) M-Lore speaker. It is on kind loan from a member and costs $US 750 a pair. As you see, this is a mini-tower speaker if there is such a thing. I had to put a 6 inch stand under it to get the tweeter...

audiosciencereview.com

I was reminded how the Audio Note sound can be acquired for cheap when I picked up a used pair of Tekton Lore S with Seas Excel components.

 

[DanielT]

It might be possible to combine an 8-inch bass with a one-inch tweeter. If so with the right type of drivers and a good, sensible design where, for example, a waveguide can be of great help. WG, which by the way,none of the speakers above have.

Here a DIY kit with an 8 inch bass and a one inch tweeter with WG. It looks good, especially considering the price of that kit:

Momo

Momo,Monacor,img SP-8/150PRO, DT-300, WG-300,Lautsprecher,Audio,Hifi

www.lautsprechershop.de

 

[JiiPee]

Apparently Audio Note has borrowed their business model from Scientology. Victims of the scam are constantly encouraged to pay more to achieve the next level.

 

[Cbdb2]

The only model for which I quickly found some measurements shows the typical overpriced "high end" mess:

Audio Note AN-E Lexus Signature loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

And still a great review, including (I laughed out loud) "Then, at almost the same moment, my wife walked into the hi-fi room from where she was scouring pans or some such thing, and asked, "What's this?"
And people wonder why I bash these rags.

 

[Cbdb2]

It might be possible to combine an 8-inch bass with a one-inch tweeter. If so with the right type of drivers and a good, sensible design where, for example, a waveguide can be of great help. WG, which by the way,none of the speakers above have.

Here a DIY kit with an 8 inch bass and a one inch tweeter with WG. It looks good, especially considering the price of that kit:
View attachment 354575

Momo

Momo,Monacor,img SP-8/150PRO, DT-300, WG-300,Lautsprecher,Audio,Hifi

www.lautsprechershop.de

If you ever go to Nepal you have to try the chicken momo's. Delicious!

 

[Rosenild]

Apparently Audio Note has borrowed their business model from Scientology. Victims of the scam are constantly encouraged to pay more to achieve the next level.

This is a serious postulate that requires elaboration or at least should be backed up by valid sources.

Their production line is more similar to that of Volvo: they have product platforms that comes in different categories with different components and therefore different prices.

I have listened to a lot of systems over the years and I must admit that it is seldom that I come across systems with such finesse and musicality.

auditioned them many times. Mutton priced as lamb.

They don't sound bad, just wrong. Their appeal eludes me, even if they were cheap I'd avoid.

How do they sound "wrong"?

 

[Mart68]

How do they sound "wrong"?

Bass like a 1950s radiogram.

 

[Rosenild]

Bass like a 1950s radiogram.

Are you aware of the preferable positioning of Audio Note speakers? If not, then you should try to experiment with placing the speakers close the corners to get the full effect of the natural sounding bass.

 

[Mart68]

IME the recommendation for corner placement just makes it worse.

Seen it described as a 'Comedy bass hump.' It does sort of enhance the realism of a double bass in a jazz trio or quartet, I grant you that, but it's a disaster with other types of music.

 

[DanielT]

About the same same design principle. Two-way speakers, both with eight inch bass drivers, roughly the same type of baffle BUT in Snell's case it is done right in the bass area, no bass boost but a nice FR:

Snell Type E/III loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

For the Audio Note AN-E Lexus Signature, it looks like this in the bass area:

Audio Note AN-E Lexus Signature loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

www.stereophile.com

 

[Purité Audio]

Bass like a 1950s radiogram.

They have bass?
Keith