Audio Note J vs E?

I've been using Snell J's for the past few months and really enjoy them. I think their preference for corner positioning works better in my less-than-ideal room compared to modern loudspeakers that prefer space around them.

The room isn't going anywhere, so I'm thinking stepping up to an Audio Note version of these speakers would be a smart choice. Right now, my Snells are sitting on wooden chairs of the appropriate height. I need to purchase real stands and if I could buy stands that would also work for a future pair of Audio Note J's, that would be convenient.

Thus, my dilemma: if the J's are working well in my room, should I stick with that design and be happy? I'm afraid the E's would overload my room. Has anyone had a room where the J's worked better than the E's?

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

It's an interesting question - I own both the Audio Note AN J/Spe and the Audio Note E/Lexus Hemp. I also own the AX Two and owned the AN K/Spe.

The J and E sound similar - same drivers, ported design etc - the AN E has another octave plus of bass response and a bigger dynamic envelope going for it - but it can also be trickier to position and in a not so great room can boom and sound colored. Still the AN E to me is the better sounding speaker overall when everything room related is right. Still the AN J is virtually full range - under 30hz. Some people like the AN J over the AN E and some even like the AN K the best. They sell a $40,000 version of the AN J so certainly some people prefer the J sound to the E sound! They make an AN K for $13,000 when you can buy several AN J and E's for less...so people love the K as well.

In general though I feel like if the room can support an AN J it can probably also support the AN E. I live in Hong Kong in a relatively small apartment and the AN E I was a bit worried about given that in Canada my AN J/Spe is in a room at least twice the size. The AN E has zero problems here.

As for stands though the AN E uses a different sized stand than the AN J. Try to get the dealer to give you a reduced price on the stand when you buy the speaker (like push for half off the stands). These are good stands - People often think they're from Sound Anchors that's how good they are.

Also, if you have a dealer - ask them to let you take home both the AN J and the AN E (with the same cabinet and wiring) to compare in your room. From the AN dealers I've seen posting and have dealt with - Audio Note seems quite good about home trials - in England they come to your home set-it up for you to try for relatively lengthy in home trials.

But don't think the AN J

 

Have the same dilemma. My room is quite small (16 square meters) and because it's an attic, I have no possibilities to place the speakers in the corners. Although Peter Qvortrup told me that 16 sqm is about the minimum room size for the AN-E so I could try it and see what happens. Anyway, interesting thread.

 

Thanks @Richard Austen thats very informative. It's probably dumb to base a decision on being able to reuse stands.

@roole my room is just over 17 sqm (a 13.8 feet square with vaulted ceiling)

 

Pretty sure I already know the answer, but do the Audio Notes have a a grill option? That might be a deal breaker with a child on the way. I love how the Devore Orangutans have the grills.

 

I believe you can purchase the grills as an optional extra. Buy a baby gate and put them around your speakers - he/she won't be able to reach the drivers.

 

I just use some folded acrylic as protection for the speakers, stops the veneers and drivers from sun damage and dust and the cats can't get a purchase on the drivers. I think around $400 for the size required for the E's

 

Folded acrylic? Can't picture that. Did you purchase them from a manufacturer?

I was thinking some sort of soft/silk lined bag/cover would be a good idea with the amount of sunlight I get

 

There are 2 folds in the acrylic with one fold extending down the rear face of the speaker about 4 cm and the second fold at the front which is 3cm from the front face edge at the top of the speaker and the acrylic covers completely the front face of the speakers. Clear non marking bumpers keep the acrylic off the veneer and allow for simple lifting off of the covers. If you then wish to add a fabric cover over the top to completely cover then easy enough to do. The acrylic offers hard protection from little fingers and sharp pencils and cat claws. I'll see if I can find some images of how they look insitu. I had them fabricated from my drawings, just my own design.

 

@finn I would be most interested to see a picture of this acrylic protection. Seems like a good idea.

 

I suppose your choice is AN-E? You think it wouldn't be too much in the 17 sqm room?

 

I don't know the answer to that.

 

I have a room that is wide, but only about 13 feet from front to back. I really like the way my AN-Es load the room. There are times when I am playing it fairly loud, that I can feel the bass energy. Unless you like to play music at very loud levels, I don't think the Es would overload the room.

 

I have been using AN-E s quite successfully, in a room that is 12 feet wide (3.7meters) by 16 feet long (4.9 meters). The ceiling is eight feet high (2.5 Meters). This gives an area just over 18 square meters. The AN-Es do beautifully in that space.

If the room was a few meters smaller, I would suggest trying AN-Js or even AN-Ks. You shouldn't have any trouble in a 17 square meter room with AN-Es, especially with a vaulted ceiling. That would be better than my 2.5 meter high ceiling.

I have been very happy with my AN-Es. Very resolving, yet even more musically rewarding.

 

Sorry but this question is not related: I really want a pair of Audio Note speakers but have to go second hand route. I have found a pair of AX -Two going for an ok price, is there anyone who has experience with this model. Does the foam inside ever require replacing or any components due to age. I am unsure how old they are only that they have had silver wire paper in oil caps & the tweeters uprated.

 

I believe that Richard Austen has a pair (or a similar model) and could probably help with your questions. Hopefully he will see this.

 

Thanks
I searched under Audio Note and both yourself & Mr Austen appear very active on Audio Note matters.

Cheers

 

I should have mentioned that Warren Jarrett is a dealer in the L.A. Area and very knowledgeable. He might have some comments that could be helpful. I haven't heard the AX-Two.

 

Nope - grills are not available.

 

Upgrading may make them better but I would find more about the tweeter - and if it is an Audio Note tweeter - people seem to like screwing around with stuff and often times they shouldn't because it no longer sounds like the initial product. Some amps may have a certain magic - then you change the transformer because you want more bandwidth - you get more bandwidth but you lose some of the magic of the "supposed" inferior transformer. There are usually trade-offs. Ideally you retain and add but often that doesn't happen.

I would definitely find out what has been done - is the silver AN silver - that sort of thing.

And it should be noted that at Soundhounds - Terry (the owner) and I auditioned the Signature version of the AX Two and the regular version back to back - and the regular cheaper versions sounded considerably better. The addition of the better cabinet and wiring made it sound more hi-fi and less musically rewarding - the magic was in our opinions lost.

On to the foam - Well my Wharfedales had rubber surrounds which cracked and tore in 10 years - so I'm not exactly sure why rubber gets a pass on longevity. Foam can last decades - Peter noted that in a non humid climate 20+ years - in a humid climate 5 years - the speakers would need to be refoamed - maybe something like $100-$200 for this. I wonder what the cost will be for new rubber surrounds on my Wharfedales will run - I suspect more.

Indeed - what you might want to do is look for some AN K speakers (a better speaker anway) and the older ones that come with rubber surrounds you will actually WANT to have replaced with foam as it sounds better. Not exactly sure why foam sounds better - Never seen an explanation for that. Rubber would seem to be more rigid

 

I decided to demo a new pair from my local dealer. I don't think I have heard Buena Vista Social Club sound so alive.
I am very impressed so far, listening to them now and reading a brilliant review online that as it turns out was written by yourself. They are being driven by my Audion Sterling Anniversary & Croft phono stage.

 

i've been keeping my eyes out for used AN-E's or AN-J's for a bit. Audio Note speakers don't seem to come up for sale on the second hand market very frequently

 

Your complete speaker kit could be fitted and working within an hour of receiving your kit!
http://www.ankaudiokits.com/newSpkr.html

 

Hi all,

This thread is most apt for my present situation.

I own a pair of ANJ Hemp speakers now. Absolutely love 'em. My listening room is fairly small. Dimensions are 4.5m x 3.15m (14.18 sqm) Ceiling height of about 2.5m. I might have the opportunity to upgrade to a pair of ANE SPE HE speakers and would like to seek wiser heads first before doing so.

Would ANE SPE/HE speakers be suitable for my listening space? I recall reading somewhere that ANJ speakers are more suitable for a small listening space?

Appreciate the input folks.

Cheers.

 

So, on the audio note website, what do the "Level" numbers mean in the speaker specification area?