Audio Note Speakers AK-N vs AK-J

I’ve heard the AK-N and liked them. Next step is to compare against AK-J, before doing a home dem of whichever I prefer.

Whilst waiting, I’m thinking is there anything negative to watch out for in terms of long term enjoyment? What downsides should I listen for when comparing? Might all sound a bit negative, but I want to go in with my ears open and not just pick up on all the good points.

My room is 4m x 4.5m with solid brick rear and side walls. Speakers can go in the corners no probs. Floor is suspended wood. I mostly listen to pop rock.

Whilst it would be nice to cater for occasional led zep at high volume, this really isn’t all that important as most listening is at moderate levels and deep bass is not essential.

My amp has about 15 wpc. It drove the AK-N’s well. Source is vinyl only.

 

I have had both for years. They are both great, and both will work well in a room of this size, but I would absolutely go with the Js because they have a more realistic presentation. Expect a 6 month burn in period.

 

Thanks Fred.

Do the K's do anything better than the J's in your experience? I dunno, better timing or something, due to the sealed cabinet design?

 

Yes, the Ks have more control and precision, they take up less space, and they are easy to position and use in very small rooms. But they are less dynamic, have a more limited sound stage, and the lower frequencies are limited.

I'd say that to some extent it's a matter of taste--the Ks are very beautiful in their own right, very charming--but it is also a matter of function. If the speakers are for seated listening for an hour or more, you need the Js. That's how I ended up with the Es after avoiding them for years because I thought they were too big or needed a bigger room. The Es work well in small rooms unless you play loudly and they have a better overall sense of space. I would recommend the E HE LX or Spe to anyone and almost any purpose. They don't take up much more space than the Js because the stands are lower and "use the air" for the cabinet instead. My journey with these three models started ten years ago. I have the Es now and can easily imagine keeping them forever.

 

I've heard the J's a couple of times where they sounded great, but auditioned them (in store demo room) and found the bass a bit boomy and one-notey, as in it appeared dominant in a narrow frequency. It surprised me. Tried in a few room positions with the same effect. Didn't get chance to try them at home where they might well have been fine. Otherwise lovely sounding speaker.

 

Yes, they can be boomy and one note-ish if not positioned correctly. It is often just a few inches and all is well. My experience is that the best results are achieved by organizing the room around the speakers (as opposed to inserting the speakers into a room organized for other purposes). This is not always possible and may require compromises

 

Thanks folks!

 

so you ruled out the Es due to your room size, is that correct? i think the solid brick walls will work in your favor whatever model you choose.

regarding what to listen for -- audio note suggests you compare by contrast. it is a longer read (see below) but very interesting and probably the most thoughtful pieces of writing on system design i have come across. it makes you break down your preconceived notions and encourages you to look at things from a different vantage point.

Audio Note

 

I ruled out the E based on budget. The J is already over budget and gonna take some inventiveness on my part to pay for.

Thanks for bringing their doc to my attention. I certainly agree with much of it. I’ve not tried their approach so can’t really say more.

 

Are you considering only new or would you buy used?

 

I don't like to use a dealer for dem and then go 2nd hand. I certainly wouldn't have another dem and buy used. However, I could take the plunge on 2nd hand E's now and not lose too much sleep over it. Is that what you're driving at?

 

Just wondering if you'd consider buying used. Some prefer not to.

I'm with you on the dealer demo/buy 2nd hand thing though. It's not fair to do deliberately. But, if demoing in good conscience has just led you down a different path

 

You should always tell the dealer what you like because in my case here in HK - they often know customers who are selling their current unit waiting to buy a higher end unit. In order for me to buy the AN E/Spx Alnico Hemp speakers I first had to sell my AN E/Lexus speakers - the dealer made a phone call on my behalf and was able to sell the AN E/Lexus the next day allowing me to put that money toward the higher end unit. The person who got my speaker got a better deal than buying new and my speakers were in absolutely perfect condition. Granted Hong Kong and Asia is a vastly bigger market for Audio Note than the US. A while back Peter noted that North America is around 5% of their total customer base. Asia of course has generally tighter living conditions so near wall placement is a huge advantage.

The AN J is no slouch - it uses the same drivers as the AN E and there are some people who do in fact think the AN J model is the best sounding model. I suspect the reason for this is because it is easier to place and thus will not have the room issues that deeper bass speakers like the AN E will excite. There is a reason they have a $20k AN J model and $6k AN E models.

 

I agree and think your point is valid, Richard. However, wouldn't you prefer a 10k E to a 20k J? I don't think there's universal agreement on this but it would be interesting if many preferred a cheaper E to the most expensive J. Also, they don't make the Js with external crossover and that is a major limitation for me.

 

Well Audio Note COULD make it and it would not surprise me if it was requested.

The J has some advantages. It presents an easier load than the AN E. The E drops to under 4 ohms. The J does not go below 5 ohms. The J still reaches 25hz so it's not bass shy.

Indeed, enjoythemusic's editor reviewed a silver wired AN J to the copper E/Lx and preferred the J...well mostly. I would take the E/Lx over the J/Spe. But i might take and Alnico J over any and all AN Es without Alnico. I just have not heard a J Alnico to know for sure.

The only bad thing about the J is that the bigger brother gets all the attention. I had the J/Spe for 13 years. I moved to HK so I sold them. Almost bought another pair but gave the E a go.

 

sorry to take this a little off topic, but are the AN E/Spx Alnico's considered a Level 4 speakers?

 

Has anyone found the Es having too much bass for a particular room but not the Js?

 

Yes, some have found the bass of the Es too heavy for small rooms. I think it depends on positioning and volume, like I said above.

One thing to observe is that the level of components and the sophistication of the designs increase with each model. This indicates that the company and perhaps also consumers want to invest more in the larger cabinets. The Ks are generally cheaper and the high end configurations are reserved for the Es.

 

I have never seen the speakers actually leveled. And if they are leveled - they would probably be leveled with the speaker's internal cable - so if Spx cable is level 4 then I would expect the speaker to be level four - and I suspect given all the various versions - there could be 3-4 versions of the speaker in each level since there are four versions of the AN E/Lx alone (Lx Paper, LX Hemp, Lx Paper HE, Lx Hemp HE - oh and a signature Lx. So I guess 5.

The manual nor website offers levels for the speakers so I would go with the cables. If it is like the amplifiers then all copper wired transformers are level 3 maximum - silver starts at level 4.

If it were me running Audio Note
Level Zero = AZ and AX speakers.
Level 1 = All Speakers with the D designation such as AN K/D, J/D, E/D
Level 2 = All speakers with LX - so AN K-J-E/Lx,
Level 3 = All speakers with Spe -
Level 4 = All speakers with Spx - and Signature outboard crossover versions of the Spe and Lx
Level 5 = All the models with SE and SEC
Level 6 = AN E/SEC outboard crossovers
Level 7 = AN E/ SOGON

And then there are some which might be considered 4.5 or 5.5.

Honestly though it really doesn't matter - why spend more than you need to just to tell people you own level 5?

I kind of prefer the E/Lx to the E/Spe. It's not that the Lx is better but I just like the presentation - less resolution more warmth. Conversely it's not a silver issue - I like my E/Spx Alnico more than both. The Soro is slightly above the OTO but I like the OTO more. Then there are a bunch of amps at level 3 but I find some to sound a lot better to me than others - the Empress over the Quests with ease IMO - both level 3. The Neiro monoblocks are considered level 4 - the Jinro and Onkoru level 3(and more expensive than Neiro - Still try telling that to the 211 fans.

 

thank you, as always for the comprehensive response. just great stuff.

i understand what you mean by liking different amps. All AN amp designs are fantastic and sound incredible but there are some designs that i prefer ... but i listen to all different types of music.

 

Oh, I forgot to mention that according to one Audio Note dealer, who did talk about speakers in terms of numbered levels, the tolerances when matching drivers are lower at the higher levels. This is measured when the speakers are assembled in Austria. In other words, the matching of drivers is part of the equation, not just cables or crossovers.