Audio Note AN-SPE HE Speakers

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Don Parkhurst, May 21, 2015.

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  1. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Well, after being on a typical audiophile quest since I was 13, I have finally gone the way of single ended tubes. As I have mentioned in other threads along the way, I sold my beautiful sounding Moon 600i integrated amp. I also sold my Proac D40R tower speakers. I had the most amazing sounding system, using a Meitner DAC and Purist Audio Design cables, but I found that what I really wanted was that little bit extra that one gets from tubes. I had them for a brief period when I was young, but.......

    So, anyway (to quote John Cleese : )), I sold my system at the usual loss and started to rebuild it with an Audio Note single ended system. I liked the fact that they had some history and that if I changed my mind, that I was able to sell the various pieces, versus some company from China that no one had heard of!

    I am not at all interested in the personal history between Peter Qvortrup and Mister Kondo in Japan. I think that both build beautiful components and so does Shindo. Really.....any of the three would be terrific!

    So, I sold my amp, speakers, cables, turntable..... And..... I now have a VPI Classic 3 with a Dynavector 20X2Lo cartridge. This is being fed into an Audio Note SUT. The AN-S2/H SUT. I feed that into an Audio Note Meishu Silver Phono Integrated Amp. 9 Whole Watts!! Seriously! You worry about it at first and then you can 'peel the paint' in your room from ridiculously high SPLs and then you realize what a waste of time the Watts RMS is as opposed to the match of the amp to the speakers!

    All of this was through my daughter's Epos M12 monitor speakers on Sanus stands.

    Two weeks ago I finally received my Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers from Don Thorne at Sound Hounds.

    At first they sounded pretty good.
     
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  2. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    So, now I have the speakers. 98db sensitivity and 9 screaming watts with transformers that weigh half as much as I do!
     
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  3. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
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  4. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Please click through the next 10/20/30/40 photos while I show you every angle of my new speakers! I picked them up as my local dealer was setting up for the Vancouver Audio Show. Obviously their main concern was making sure that i had absolutely perfect sound and the hifi show was second most important!!
     
  5. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    That is what I told my wife ; )
     
  6. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Ok, sorry to break this up, but.......

    I have gone through the exact burn in that Richard mentioned on another thread. I have about 100 to 150 hours at a low level and about 15-35 at a 'fun' level.

    My wife and I really enjoyed having Rafe and Don Thorne over for a pizza dinner. Next year, I am really hoping that David Cope will join us! We had such a nice time. I just wanted to force one part of the hifi scene on the family at a time. I really am hoping that David can join us next year as well as perhaps Warren Jarrett and Steve Hoffman! If not, then you people are dead to me!!!!

    Ok, kidding a bit : P

    More to come........
     
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  7. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    So, after a few discussions offline, I decided to try moving my speakers out a little bit. Steve also suggested trying that about half an inch at a time. It really worked!

    Tonight, just for fun.... I tried pushing the speakers right into the corners. I mean right in the corners! Stop pushing when the speaker stands hit the wall. They truly have transitioned! Wow! no more huge mid bass bloom!
     
  8. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I have faded for this evening. I will update tomorrow night.

    Take care all........

    Don
     
  9. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
    Those are really beautiful and the attention to detail in the fit and finish is obvious. I didn't realize they were made in Austria as well.

    Two questions ... (1) what is the MSRP for a pair of those? and (2) are the stands included with the price?
     
  10. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Sure Don don't invite me eh? Yeah I might not invite me either but I am home to Nanaimo in late July and half of August.

    You picked such a wonderful finish. Nice photos. Jackson Browne "The Pretender" acoustic Vol 2(or 1 I forget). I brought that to a show and got a lot of great comments. That's my recommendation track. In fact I'm going to put it on my E's now.

    enjoy.
     
  11. David Cope

    David Cope Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gales Ferry, CT
    Happy to turn up for that, Don!
     
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  12. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I'm not sure of the exact price as my purchase wasn't a straight ahead cash purchase. I believe that the list price for the AN-E SPE HE in a high gloss finish is about 4800 English pounds. Of course, they have to buy in English Pounds and then convert before giving me a price, but it is almost twice (in Canadian dollars) that price after shipping from England. The stands are on top of that and are about $500.00. You could probably count on twice that price including stands and taxes.
     
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  13. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Richard;

    You are of course invited! I thought that you were in Hong Kong having moved there and your life here was a past life! It would be fun to get together this summer : ) Maybe we can convince the other guys to join us for another pizza evening....
     
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  14. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
    Thanks Don, so 4800 GBP would roughly equal about 7500 USD. Plus shipping from the UK?

    I never paid for separate shipping if I bought anything from a brick and mortar dealer here in the US (it's always been worked into the price) so I find that strange.

    I'm just wondering if that is the norm for purchasing AN speakers from a USA dealer as well (paying for shipping)? What about a non-gloss with just a nice satin walnut finish ... any US dealers have MSRP cost total out the door?
     
  15. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Today in the mail was another box from Sound Hounds. In other words...it was another good day for me : )

    Don had a demo or used pair of Audio Note SP/x biwire speaker cables that were a little older but he felt that they were only surpassed by Sogon. I hooked them up to the system and pulled out my cheap (temporary) Monster Cable speaker cables. I have been a little skeptical about top notch interconnects and speaker cables as I have had a couple of great experiences but also several 'I don't hear any change' experiences. I have had speaker cables that were as inexpensive as $30/pair all the way up to $4400/pair.

    I popped on Paul Simon's One Trick Pony, which isn't the best recording in the world and was immediately impressed! I had apparently gained an extra octave of bass and it was tighter and better delineated. Much better rhythm and resolution. Next up was Edgar Winter and listening to Frankenstein was awesome! Finally, before running some errands was George Ezra. Everything was improved on that album, as one would expect as the amp now had half an hour to an hour of warm up. The first Paul Simon song was after only 90 seconds of amp warm up! Overall, this was an improvement that was the equivalent of a component upgrade. Which was not too surprising as the previous cables were $85.00/pair and this new pair is going to cost me a whole lot more than that!

    I will give further impressions when the system has more hours on it, with the new cables. So far it appears to be what Steve said. Very nice silver cables without any of the downsides that I have heard with some other silver cables.
     
  16. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I'm not sure that paying for shipping is the norm. But my dealer just factored it in as I was getting a good deal and we were covering a couple of new items as well as a couple of used items. I'm sure that no one else charges for it and as I think of it, he didn't charge me, he was just working out his costs, which included exchange and shipping. So.....disregard that part!
     
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  17. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    I think that I paid about $700 extra for the high gloss finish. It seems to be the equivalent finish to other manufacturer's 'piano gloss finish'. It really is gorgeous! That being said, a certain other member here has ordered a pair in the satin finish in (I think) Pallisander. That is beautiful as well!
     
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  18. ceynon

    ceynon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Whistler, BC
    Great thread don! I can't wait to hear them in your or rafe's setup! I suspect they will blow me away.

    Oh, and Don, cables do matter... ;)
     
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  19. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    It looks like we are re-scheduling the get together at your place to some time after the May 30th weekend. Rafe is going to be a little busy : )
     
  20. ceynon

    ceynon Forum Resident

    Location:
    Whistler, BC
    Sadly he will miss out on the best system playing that weekend but I am sure he will be ok listening to second best. ;)

    We will make it happen.
     
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  21. raferx

    raferx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver, Canada
    Hehehe... I would not doubt that for a second :)
     
  22. Don Parkhurst

    Don Parkhurst Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    You know, I have always had two minds about cables. When I worked part time at a high end audio store in the early nineties, I had the chance to bring five different sets of cables home. The Cardas Golden Five absolutely smoked all of the other cables. They were of course the most expensive! It never seems to be that the best sounding is the most affordable ; ) That really opened my eyes as to what was possible with a good set of cables. I do also remember the other brands that had no effect positive or negative on the sound and were not cheap. I had a fairly resolving system back then so I should have heard a difference, but didn't with the others. I also heard quite a nice improvement with Purist Audio Design cables. Again, not cheap, but very well made and great sound. Mostly I look for system synergy. We used to match dull sounding speakers to amps that were a little 'hot' in the treble and the balance was terrific. Match either component with a different partner and the sound would be overbearing.

    The other cables that I would have liked to have tried were the Auditorium 23 and Shindo. I don't recall ever hearing even one bad thing about either brand.
     
  23. kfringe

    kfringe Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Oregon Coast
    Don't worry. I'll make sure he has fun anyway.
     
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  24. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I come home every summer to visit friends and family. NET (Native English Teachers) in HK get around 30 days summer vacation. Unlike Canadian teachers it is paid vacation - but unlike Canadian teachers it's 4 weeks not 10 weeks off.

    I still have my system in Canada - which I will probably have to sell. Not looking forward to that when I only have a few weeks time window and no vehicle (or license currently - it expired while I was here - stupid Canada and their stupid 5 year license). I am looking to get one in HK which is good for 10 years but the line is crazy. Spend a whole day there.

    Easy to sell me on pizza - tough to get good pizza here
     
  25. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    beowulf

    You're looking at ~$10,000 list for the speakers and the stands in regular finish(non high gloss) for the E/Spe HE. Around $500 less for the non HE version.

    If you can live with the non HE version and copper wiring - the AN E/Lexus which I have is $7500. The cabinet and drivers are exactly the same - the wiring can be upgraded later.

    My plan was/is for the E/Spx ALnico which is bordering crazy price. But I just love it so what can you do. So I was about to go for the E/Spe HE but it occurred to me that I was going to upgrade the thing eventually anyway - and this upgrade would mean replacing not just the wiring but both woofer and tweeter because they are different. So I opted for the lower model to save the $2000 and put the money later to the Spx Alnico.

    It's somewhat similar to buying an LCD TV - compared directly against one another the more expensive one is better - but once you get the lesser one home and you're not directly comparing it's really quite fine. The Lexus is more veiled but that's not always a terrible thing if the front end gear is less or the recording is lesser. It can cover some of that. But on good recordings the silver wired versions are cleaner overall. Still $2000
    - Don't discount the AN J models - they use the identical drivers and the same cabling in a smaller cabinet. But they still have excellent bottom end.

    [​IMG]
     
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