Audio Note speakers

[Waxx]

I just hate that people buy speakers with big design faults and then come to me for a quick cheap fix. If the cabinet or driverchoice is wrong, there is no quick fix. And more expensive crossover parts (often asked) won't do it neighter. These days i tend to use Dayton PMPC filmcaps as they are 1% tollerance and relative cheap. But they want to use caps that cost 100x the price and have 5% tollerance because they would be "better" ...

 

[DanielT]

I genuinely hope you find happiness in your life. Clearly you are not at present and that’s sad. Take car

Thank you for your concern and I say the same, take care.

 

[Jimbob54]

Nice try

Lets skip to the part where you get to the point you want to make and we can all get back to eating leftovers, please .

 

[DanielT]

Lets skip to the part where you get to the point you want to make and we can all get back to eating leftovers, please .

That's really a topic for another thread, but I'll mention it anyway. Sometimes some people at ASR, including me, can be a bit like an elephant in a china shop when it comes to criticizing. That regarding mainly expensive HiFi that doesn't deliver what you think the price tag entails. There are people who have gadget X who feel insulted when what has been said is pointed out in an undiplomatic way.

BUT , on the other hand, shouldn't we elephants be allowed to express ourselves? How sensitive are people? How much consideration should be given?

 

[Richard Austen]

Well, in the interest of the thread... I didn't last long on the Outfield, but listened to the Aurora album (via Qobuz, through Harman EQ'd phones). Both have rather processed sound in the styles of the periods concerned, but hardly bright.

There's nothing there that would throw off a typical transparent (or transparent-ish) solid state amplifier. Look to poor speakers/room issues if there's a sonic (rather than between-the-ears) issue with playback, I'd say.

People do like to blame electronics, don't they?

Specifically, The Outfield "Voices of Babylon" album - I am sorry - I wrote "Play Deep" in error

Aurora specifically "All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend"

Their comments about Bright indicated that the problem for them was these albums and their system playing these albums - and not their other albums such as Diana Krall "Live in Paris" or Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" or other "audiophile-approved" recordings.

If the problem was room-related or set-up or seating-position-related then they would have issues with those recordings. There is a difference between room-related issues and electronic-related and recording-related issues.

Dynamic compression of a pop recording should be heard - a room issue will likely make itself more known on an album possessing more dynamic range - not an album with less dynamic range. Thus a room mode issue will more likely show up on Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" than on The Outfield's "Voices of Babylon" - if the room doesn't screw up Krall - it won't screw up The Outfield.

Taking a much better recording like Barber's "Adagio for Strings" with violin crescendo on B&W 805 speakers one can hear grain in the upper registers of that tweeter's tube tapering design and metal tweeter. In comparison, the Audio Note K in the same room with the same gear with the same track crescendo was still "all there" but had none of the additional B&W's upper register issues (grain). With a lesser recording, there are more noticeable issues with the B&Ws. So while I could live with the premium recordings "Adagio for Strings" on the B&W (because it was an excellent recording) - it is insufferable on something like The Outfield. The AN K also presented the dynamic compression and also presented the album in a "leaner" manner but there was no additive noise/grain in the upper registers. The issues were then compounded with Bryston amplifiers versus the Audio Note OTO Phono SE.

I was in the store ready to buy a Bryston Preamp and Bryston Stereo Power amp (the 3B or 4B). So colour me irritated to no end that some dopey ass no-name brand (at that time) Single Ended Pentode using EL84 tubes sounded cleaner and clearer with better midrange, treble and bass and worse it sounded better without having to turn the level up and up and up to make things sound better. The worst part is that I've owned that OTO for over 20 years now and it still bothers me that I am defending that dopey ass amp "because it sounds better" - Jesus I should have just bought the mediocre Bryston stuff so I could win technical arguments on forums - I could just leave them in the box (where they don't make my ears bleed) and show people the distortion and low noise numbers - boy did they have nice low noise numbers back then. Probably still do. Meh.

I can't complain about AN prices - they make several pieces of affordable gear. Maybe the issue is not the price but your salary. Get a better job.

 

[Mikig]

Speaking of Audio Note speakers: I found a pair of AN-Es at auction last month. I wanted to pair them with an old AN integrated amp I own. But I missed the moment, and the speakers, clearly in need of restoration in the cabinet, were withdrawn. I liked the design, the price, and the fact that I could fix them: But that's how it is. I looked elsewhere, but the prices for new and used are always very high.

I decided to look for the Snell Type E IIs. When I get back from vacation, if they're still available, I want to go get them. The asking price is absolutely affordable. At this point I'll do without the "noble" wire and the "jewelry" capacitors, but I'll get over it: I'll have one more piece in my collection, the original from good Mr. Snell!!

 

[Purité Audio]

Specifically, The Outfield "Voices of Babylon" album - I am sorry - I wrote "Play Deep" in error

Aurora specifically "All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend"

Their comments about Bright indicated that the problem for them was these albums and their system playing these albums - and not their other albums such as Diana Krall "Live in Paris" or Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" or other "audiophile-approved" recordings.

If the problem was room-related or set-up or seating-position-related then they would have issues with those recordings. There is a difference between room-related issues and electronic-related and recording-related issues.

Dynamic compression of a pop recording should be heard - a room issue will likely make itself more known on an album possessing more dynamic range - not an album with less dynamic range. Thus a room mode issue will more likely show up on Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" than on The Outfield's "Voices of Babylon" - if the room doesn't screw up Krall - it won't screw up The Outfield.

Taking a much better recording like Barber's "Adagio for Strings" with violin crescendo on B&W 805 speakers one can hear grain in the upper registers of that tweeter's tube tapering design and metal tweeter. In comparison, the Audio Note K in the same room with the same gear with the same track crescendo was still "all there" but had none of the additional B&W's upper register issues (grain). With a lesser recording, there are more noticeable issues with the B&Ws. So while I could live with the premium recordings "Adagio for Strings" on the B&W (because it was an excellent recording) - it is insufferable on something like The Outfield. The AN K also presented the dynamic compression and also presented the album in a "leaner" manner but there was no additive noise/grain in the upper registers. The issues were then compounded with Bryston amplifiers versus the Audio Note OTO Phono SE.

I was in the store ready to buy a Bryston Preamp and Bryston Stereo Power amp (the 3B or 4B). So colour me irritated to no end that some dopey ass no-name brand (at that time) Single Ended Pentode using EL84 tubes sounded cleaner and clearer with better midrange, treble and bass and worse it sounded better without having to turn the level up and up and up to make things sound better. The worst part is that I've owned that OTO for over 20 years now and it still bothers me that I am defending that dopey ass amp "because it sounds better" - Jesus I should have just bought the mediocre Bryston stuff so I could win technical arguments on forums - I could just leave them in the box (where they don't make my ears bleed) and show people the distortion and low noise numbers - boy did they have nice low noise numbers back then. Probably still do. Meh.

I can't complain about AN prices - they make several pieces of affordable gear. Maybe the issue is not the price but your salary. Get a better job.

I suppose I could afford Audio Note equipment , but I am just not that stupid.
Keith