Audio Note UK gear coming to me for review & studio use, Ginrei, M9, AN-E SPx Alnico, Sogon wire..

Very interested in their approach to DAC.

 

That's fantastic and I can't wait to hear yout thoughts on these. You're going to have quite the AN collection.

I'm anxiously awaiting delivery of the AN-E Alnico silver core speaker kit and cabinets. They're not quite as good as the UK built units, but hopefully, pretty close.

 

That DAC 4 is a work of art inside. Silver wired I/V transformer, ‘C’ core output transformers, separate mains transformers for digital and analogue stages, AN tantalum resistors, Black Gate capacitors, two 5687 NOS double triodes. Lovely.

 

Man, those are going to be some sweet listening sessions when that stuff arrives. Looking forward to your impressions as always Steve.

 

lucky boy, loverly stuff.
Supreme DACs

 

Seeking Position as housesitter/equipment break in tech. Call...

 

Nice!!! Can't wait to hear your feedback.

 

I'm several thousand miles closer, available...

 

I was curious about the Empress Mono blocks myself and did contemplate them but no longer see them listed on the UK web site, any idea if they still sell them?

With that aside I can't with to read through your review all the same, I like AN stuff, very musical sounding stuff and never disappoint at shows I have been to in the UK the past few years

 

Have ears will travel.

 

Sucks to be Steve Hoffman doesn't it?


NOT!!!

 

Regarding the Empress amps, yes, they are still available, made to order. Listeners, including Steve, were consistently VERY impressed with my demo pair, that I brought to shows this year in the USA. They are 8 wpc monos, with two parallel (not push-pull) 2A3 power tubes per chassis, $7200 per pair retail. Similar 2A3 models with upgraded internal parts include the Empress Silver (about $10k), Empress Silver Signature (about $15k), Neiro (about $31k), and Kageki (about $80k).

I have not heard any of the more expensive 2A3 models, but the basic Empress amps I have provide SO MUCH resolution and yet also SO MUCH musicality, that nobody at shows wished for "more". I received nothing but glowing compliments. Never-the-less, I have compared other series of AN amps, and the greater refinement is absolutely rewarding to those buyers who swing the higher cost. When Steve and I do the comparisons mentioned above, we will comment thoroughly.

There are many more Audio Note items in my dealer price list than appear on their website. So I would say that any imaginable version of any Audio Note product is available by special order. Or as the British say, "bespoke".

 

Hi Waren

Thanks for that, I will give Mario a call in the morning to see what the UK RRP is and see if they will be ok to run with my ANK-SPE speakers

Many thanks

Lee

 

Steve,
I hope you will let us know how you like the AN 2SL and the mc cartridge as i bought à sut from AN which i liked so much i bought à phono Riaa and now i ordered à Soro as well (and i bought the new V2 tonearm)to use with my Denon DL 103 wood.
Next to my Hadcock 242 with Zyx cart i think that my sut AN 1SL is just good enough for my Denon ,but not for my Zyx or Koetsu.(although i love this sut,instead of my Bob,s Cinemag).
So i plan on buying à AN 2SL as the 3 is also 3x more expensive and the 2L only €300 more.(than the AN 1SL).
Looking forward to your review.
Regards Cor Rotterdam

 

I finally got round to speaking with an Audio Note UK dealer today, who only sells AN products, all being well in January he is going to bring a few models round to my house for me to have a listen too, these being the Empress, Meishu and the Conqueror. I really do like the look of the Empress mono blocks as they will fit into my rack easier.

Initially I plan to use the pre in my Bel Canto dac 2.5 but if all goes to plan and I like what the Empress has to offer then i will look at a AudioNote pre or the Music First pre, so roll on the New year and get some new kit in the house to try out

Lee

 

This sounds like something exciting to look forward to. I hope you enjoy the experience and report back your thoughts. I take it you will be hooking these up through the Audionote AN/K-SPe speakers in your profile. Nice!

 

Hi Ray, i sure will my friend, also hooking them up with my AN SPX 27 strand interconnects

 

Nice combo.

 

I own a Kageki parallel SET 2a3 amp. When it is in my system, it is used in tandem with an Emotive Audio Epifania linestage. The other two Audionote products I own are a two-meter pair of Sogon speaker cables and a 4 meter run of Sogon interconnect (between the linestage and the amps). Currently, the Kageki is on loan to a friend while I run a pushpull 348/349 amp and 310/311 preamp. That friend and I are thinking about converting the Kageki to operation with 45 tubes. I heard a very nice Audionote clone amp that runs 45 tubes (it uses the Kageki output transformers and Audionote silver foil caps, so this clone amp IS NOT inexpensive). If we get Peter Qvortrup's approval, we will try the Kageki conversion.

 

Sometimes people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. People forget that Audio Note is still hand built in Europe where they actually pay living wages to people. Companies like Snell themselves jumped ship to China for cheap labour and no health and safety or pollution standards. And those companies I might add STILL charge $5k and up.

The AN E/Lexus HEMP is around $8000. For that money you get a choice of 20 finishes - the cabinet is 100% 13 ply No-void Russian Birch containing Hemp woofers and their custom tweeters. They are all tested because each speaker has to be measured against their partnering speaker to a tolerance few companies dream of. I see a lot of speakers using cheaper materials that cost far far more money. And people have to make some money on them as well.

Start looking at high end speakers that sell for $8000 that do what the AN E does for $8,000, that uses the cabinetry and drivers oh and sound as good. Man I couldn't find any. The Devore Orangutan is in the ballpark - um it's $12,000. Teresonic Ingenium - $20,000 and it only has one driver. The slim line multiple stacked 6 inch plastic woofers in the MDF box with some sort of metallic tweeter are complete write-offs on sound and ease of drive before we even start.

The comparison to Snell is silly - the drivers, wiring, and the cabinet itself are all different. Snell used rear firing tweeters and was not a corner loaded loudspeaker. And besides - Audio Note tells you this. It's not like they're hiding anything. You don't need to re-invent the wheel - Audio Note took the wheel and made an elite wheel. Would you like the tires that come standard on a Bughatti or do you want the wheel on the Ford Festiva. Most companies took the wheel and give you flat tires or rocks.

 

B&W's Model Nautilus is $60,000 and requires 6 or 8 Classe amplifiers at probably at least another $40,000. I heard it - The AN E with its 30 year old technology sounds better. It may interest you to know that Recording Engineer Bob Hodus hates B&W speakers and Bob was the RE at Abbey Road Records!!. B&W loves to advertise the fact that Abbey Roads uses their speakers but the guy making the recordings despises the sound. Anyone is free to go to Soundhounds in Victoria BC and directly compare the B&W Diamond 800 $23,000 to the $7k AN E. I am not very surprised there are 5 month waiting lists on the E.

Math and Physics were the same in 1950 as they are today - what limited many old designs was the physical materials and arguably a lack of a market. The Sugden A21a came out in 1967 and still sells today based on the same class A single ended topology design - parrts have improved greatly and with better heat handling parts the amplifier can handle double the power it could in 67. The Sugden every decade gets trotted out into blind level matched auditions and continues to win them - yup against NEW class D designs and new amps from all the big makers. That 1967 design seems to be holding up quite well trouncing all the new comers.

Tannoy? Well the best Tannoys are all the ones they are reproducing from 60-80 years ago. Their newer designs barely register a blip on what people consider good. No! It is the Tannoy Westminster, Stirling, Canterburry, Kensington remakes that are their best models.

The Audio Note E was designed in 1940 by L.L. Beranek as the perfect cabinet dimensions for the propagation of sound reproducion in the home. You won't find a book on loudspeaker design that doesn't heavily reference Beranek who is one of the world's leading Opera house designers and is probably THE world leading expert on acoustics. So it goes back 75 years not just 30. Snell invented the wavelaunch approach and actually built them for a consumer market. Audio Note simply uses better materials - which didn't exist in Snell's day. So yes the drivers have advanced.

As for the price of the expensive models - well the AN E/Lexus cabinet is the same as the ones used in the $50k plus versions. What you are paying for is better drivers and an externally housed crossover (The crossover is housed in a box the size of a Krell holding caps that weigh 5lbs each of silver -- per cap).

The box on left is the external crossover. Each speaker has one. It probably weighs more than the speaker.




But no one is holding a gun to your head to buy those things. Demand in this case led AN to go further. Hey Peter why don't you make a silver wired version - ok but it will cost you - customers were like ok but I want a silver one. And so it goes. The guy buying the E/SEC at $50,000 has heard most if not all the $50k competiton and decided that yeah it sounds a lot better than XYZ State of the art to him. Just as people dropping $100,000 on an 10 watt amp over spending similar on 500watt SS. Or why people bother with vinyl at all (old tech).

The issue isn't the $50k models - the issue should be about the models most people can buy. You can buy Audio Note speakers for $800, $1000, $1500, $2,000 and $3,000, and $4000, and $5,000. These are production speakers. I own the cutting edge sophistcated KEF LS-50 for $1500. Made in China great cabinetry state of the art driver. I also own the Audio Note AX Two $1000 which is completely dumpy looking in comparison. It has been selling for 15 years and no one knows about it. Side by side comparisons both are very very good for what they are. If I had to keep only one for the rest of my days to listen to music on - it would be the AX Two.

And as for recording studios I have seen the AN K being used and the AN E - by REs who got to choose the speaker they wanted rather than being stuck with one like Bob Hodus.


gearbox records.

 

Everything you said.
+1