Audio Note UK AN-E speakers, from cheapest to most expensive. A handy chart, UPDATED 7/21...

Here's another option. Speaker Kit-04 with the Alnico's. Even the kit was out of my budget until I stumbled upon a set for half off. Still cost me $3995 for a cardboard box of drivers and the crossover kit. When I called ANK Kits to get their cabinets, Brian told me his carpenter was moving and they'd be unavailable for a few months. Not to be denied, I found a collective woodshop in the LA area and one of the owners offered to help me with the project of building the cabinets ourselves. Very rewarding, but much harder than the square boxes reveal. Probably cost me a total of $1500 plus all my free labor. Stands from HiFi Collective in the UK for about $500 (sorry Warren, they were significantly cheaper). One pair of REALLY good sounding handmade AN-E Alnicos for around $6K, which is probably more than I can get for my beloved 2002 Subaru Outback (which isn't for sale as I plan to be buried in it with the speakers).

 

I like to applaud people who take the initiative. I am very happy with my speakers and other gear. I would not have them or would have been able to afford most of my gear if I did not take the initiative to source out used and unique things and figure out how to cobble them together to get some sort of satisfying sound out of them.

Those are beautiful speakers and stands. You are to be congratulated for your perseverance and a job well done.

A lot can happen when you work with your head and your hands.

It is a lot different than letting your wallet do the job for you.

I hope that both you and your speakers will fit in your beloved 2002 Subaru Outback!

 

Beautiful!

 

If I can pull this off, anyone can, with qualified help, of course I had NO woodworking experience and couldn't have done it without the help of Robert at Community Woodshop LA. And it was certainly a LOT more work and stress to do it yourself, but so worth it in the end. Of course, I really need to finish them, but just couldn't wait for that - had to hook 'em up. In fact, they are still just sitting on the stands without blue tack or feet. Kinda scared to mess with them because they already sound magical - the bass definition is otherworldly on the right tracks - pressurizes the room - so cool.

A couple more shots of the build...

 

I'm also a fan of plywood cabinet's (a forever material), MDF not so much.

 

AN-E's require 3/4" Baltic Birch for their signature sound. One of the rare box speakers that do not want a dampened cabinet. No MDF and no nails - all glued.

 

Should have been more like $500.

As long as the heads aren't leaking oil, just keep driving it.

jeff

 

The $1500 includes Robert's labor. I think the plywood costs were around $500, but can't really remember, but 3/4" furniture grade baltic birch ain't that cheap in LA. Plus, being a one-off build they took a lot of time, and Robert had to design a jig to router the cut-outs. The ANK cabinets run $1200 without shipping, so I certainly didn't feel like I was ripped off in any way, quite the opposite.

 

Yeah, that's a lot for material.

If you ever build another pair of speakers, have the boxes CNC'd. They will be a lot cheaper.

jeff

 

Which only serves to point out that an efficiency rating by itself has little meaning, unless accompanied by how the speaker was measured and how the speaker was intended to be played.

Sometimes on a 4-Ohm speaker, the how the power is factored in is also not made clear.

For example, an 8-Ohm speaker measurement is measured with 1-Watt of power at 2.83-Volts, If that same amount of power were introduce into a 4-Ohm load, the current would be doubled, according to Ohm's law and the voltage would be therefore lowered to 2.0-Volts.

If you were to put the same 2.83-Volts into a 4-Ohm speaker, it would be receiving more current and would therefore play louder.

So the question come into play when a 4-Ohm speaker's efficiency is stated.

Is it being stated with the same 1-Watt input as a 8-Ohm speaker would be. (Which would be an apples to apples comparison, because both speakers would be receiving the same amount of power.)

Or;

Is it being measured at the same 2.83-Volts that a 8-Ohm speaker would be measured at? (which you see, would be the incorrect way to measure the efficiency of a 4-Ohm speaker. That is because that speaker would be getting more total overall power, play louder and give the general impression that it is more efficient that it actually is).

 

Apparently only the top line model SEC has silver voice coil and alnico magnet and it is very expensive. It is possible to upgrade my copper coil SE to silver coil but I must send my speakers back to AN UK to have them installed and matched. They would also need to tweak the crossover as the woofer specs are different. That don’t sound cheap at all either...

 

it’s probably worth the price of admission. it doesn’t get much better then audio note, especially the higher end stuff. i would do it.

 

I don't know about such measures as "is it worth the price," but the SEC is certainly nice sounding. I went to a local dealer a few years ago and went into his Audio Note room. That room always has AN-Es in the corner. What I heard was quite a bit better than usual, so I asked him what changed. He knows I don't care about the looks of any gear so I had not paid attention to the change in the AN-Es in the room; what I had been listening to was the SEC version. Yes, the high gloss lacquer finish should have tipped me off, but, I don't really care. The sound was move vivid and less muddy than the regular AN-Es without being harsh or bright. I don't know of any regular, commercial speaker I would prefer over this model (I also like various horn-based systems that are custom built using vintage or somewhat exotic new drivers).

 

I’m very happy with the sound. Just that I bought the SE silver from a friend who upgraded to the SEC who says the difference is massive. As in all things Hifi, when you compare side by side there’s no going back.

 

16 levels x 20 veneers x choice of glossy or matte finish. Roughly 640 versions. Nope, not inventoried anywhere.

 

that makes sense. thanks for the info.

 

or slate finish (“E”) only (cat. # Y-SLATE-E)

 

Hey Steve,
I don’t wish to break any rules here so will ask in advance.
My store has just been appointed an Audio Note (UK) dealership here in the U.K. and we have uniquely for us, afforded them a dedicated newly built demo room.
To celebrate this, we are hosting an extra special event ‘Once in an audio-lifetime’ at a prestigious local hotel in November. Peter Quotrup has generously offered to bring, along with his team, his own personal £800k ($1m) system!!! Wahoo!
We have set this up as 4 back-to-back 2hr sessions and is free to attend for 20 at a time.
Vincent Bélanger, their musical ambassador, will also be in attendance playing cello pieces as well as playing to his recordings; can you hear the difference?
If you are happy I would like to add the link or a sticky to extend the invitation?

Simon

 

System: TT2 Deluxe+Ext PS-Arm 3/IO1 AN-S, CDT-THREE-DAC2.1x Balanced, M3Phono Conquest Silver Sig/ AN-E Spe HE in olive

 

just stunning! thanks for the pic.

 

Thank you, we are very pleased with the room although a little more acoustic tweaking to go.

 

without giving to much away, what is that front wall made of? are you just using regular drywall with insulation on the side wall and ceilings?

 

The room is entirely 1m thick concrete. As such we had horrendous clap/flutter echo so we battened the wall @ 1ft intervals and filled the voids with insulation. The wood is 8mm birch tongue and groove cut to irregular lengths then stained. As a result the echo has gone but the room still exhibits some life. We have a tad too much upper bass perhaps which is next on the list but really, it sounds great as is so don’t want to loose the Audio Note magic. I’m in the store front whilst Herbie Hancock (Empyrean Isles, MM 33rpm) is play downstairs, it sounds like he actually is; love it. I do that at home a lot too.

Simon