Strictly for fans of Audio Note UK (all things Audio Note UK)

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Richard Austen, Mar 19, 2015.

  1. slcaudiophile

    slcaudiophile Forum Resident

    Location:
    Salt Lake City
    hi bill. as FH mentioned, ISIS is a fantastic cable. it is my go to cable for many systems. it does so many things so well. unless you can do at least SPX i would do ISIS. BUT ... those Alnico speakers are so good if you could do SOGON with them it will be rewarding. so i would do SOGON but if that is cost prohibitive do the ISIS.
     
  2. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    SPx is a silver speaker cable. It is not available as an interconnect. The silver interconnects include AN-Vx, Sogon and SOOTO.

    I have never used SPe speaker cable so I can’t say how much of an improvement SPx would be. I have SPx as my everyday cable and it sounds really good. I also have a set of ISIS copper speaker cables. They also sound very nice but have a quite different sound—-warmer, very dynamic, but not the pristine clarity that AN Silver provides.

    In general I would suggest that if you like the sound of the AN Silver cables, and your system sounds balanced with the silver, you may be disappointed if you replace them with a copper model.
     
  3. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    Fred,
    Wouldn't it be better to stay with silver , considering the speakers are wired with Spx ?

    Do you have a rough idea the cost of Spx and Isis or a link on line with cost?

    I know can't afford Sogon !

    Bill
     
  4. Fred Hansen

    Fred Hansen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Absolutely, if the speakers are wired internally with Spx, I would not consider cobber.

    Isis is very affordable, Spx not so much, also because Spx is a mono cable (unlike Sogon minor and Sogon, which can both be used as stereo cables)

    I don't know the exact prices but your local dealer will gladly help
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2019
  5. jonwoody

    jonwoody Tragically Unhip

    Location:
    Washington DC
    Bill congrats on your new speakers! In terms of break-in AN says 200 hours which sounds about right to me though my AN-J's seemed most of the way there at 80-100 hours. To clarify when you say they came with new Spe 19 strand cables do you mean speaker cables? Those will take some time to break in as well possibly as long or longer than your speakers. I would personally suggest letting everything burn in and get a good grip on your new sound before making other changes.

    Spx is a really solid upgrade over Spe if you want to go that route but as mentioned above it's quite costly. Perhaps try a silver interconnect such an AN-Vx and seeing how that changes the sound since you already have the speaker cables.
     
  6. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    Fred,

    Due to the purchase of the speakers my audio funds are very low.
    I'm currently selling older speakers and some amps .
    I'm not very knowledgeable about AN cables and interconnects .
    I think eventually I will get the SPx cables and I'll research the AN-Vx .

    Thank you for the info.

    Bill
     
    Fred Hansen likes this.
  7. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    Yes , the SPe cables are for the speaker , they were new, so they have 60 hours.

    I will let everything burn in for 200 hours then decide.
    At that time I will contact a dealer and get some info and prices

    Which item is more important for the sound , the speaker cable or the rca cable for the amp to preamp ?

    Thank you for the reply.

    Bill
     
    Fred Hansen likes this.
  8. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    Yes , I agree , I like silver.
    Now with only 60 hours everything is sounding very balanced , I can't wait to hear the sound at 200 hours.

    Now I have a better understanding of the Audio Note sound , it definitely does sound right .

    I'm amazed how quick the Alnico's are and low level detail is getting better.
    My room is 11 ft x 18 ft long , with 4 corners and I like being able to tune the bass by moving the speakers .
    I move the speakers an inch and I can hear the effect in bass response .

    Bill.
     
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  9. Encore

    Encore Forum Resident

    I would say that Spx Alnicos were quite shouty on the beginning, and that it took something like 500 hours for them to develop a fuller sound.
     
    Don Parkhurst likes this.
  10. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    Would you prefer SPx oner ISIS ?

    Which connection is more important for quality sound , Speaker to amp or amp to preamp ?

    Thanks for the reply.
     
  11. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    I don't have Audio Note speakers, but, I do use their interconnects and speaker wire (both Sogon). There is a tonal difference between their silver and copper wires--copper sounding warmer (less emphasis on top end), but, unlike some other brands of silver wire, I have not noticed unpleasant sibilance or shrillness with their silver wire. I used very good NBS wiring between my linestage and amp (4-meter run) and my amp to speaker (2-meter run) prior to getting the Sogon wires. The bigger difference in sound was the replacement of the 4-meter run of interconnect between the linestage and amp.
     
  12. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    I too do not have AN speakers but I use AN cables throughout. If you like the overall tonal balance of your system with the SPe silver cables, I would not consider the ISIS speaker cable because it will have a considerably different tonal balance. Within the AN silver lineup, as you move from the less expensive to the more expensive models you add progressively more strands of silver conductors, and in sonic terms the tonal balance tends to fill out and become richer and more colorful. Although I have never heard the SPe in my system, I am pretty sure you would notice these types of improvements moving to SPx. In contrast, switching to the copper ISIS you would find the tonal balance to be warmer on the bottom and comparatively softer in the treble. The overall resolving power of the ISIS will be good but not as good as the SPx. At least those are the differences I hear when I compare the SPx and ISIS on my system.

    It's really difficult to say whether interconnects or speaker cables are more important. In fact, some will say that power cords are actually the most important. Each of these cables plays a big role in determining the overall sound of a quality system, whether Audio Note or some other brand. The point I keep coming back to is your selections need to be balanced. I.e. don't use a Level 2 interconnect and a Level 5 speaker cable. Audio Note does a real good job in my opinion classifying its cables and components into the different Levels since this lets the customer make intelligent choices that should lead to an overall balance in a given system.

    For my money, I like Sogon interconnects much more than AN-Vx. They are both silver but when I listen with the Vx I am always aware of its colorations; when the Sogon is inserted in its place I just hear the music. Sogon is expensive of course. On a more affordable level I like the ISIS copper interconnect. Similar to the speaker cable differences, the ISIS interconnect is warmer and not quite as detailed as the AN silver interconnects but to my ears it is less colored and more musical than the AN-Vx.
     
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  13. spartree

    spartree Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    Has AN ever documented the levels for their cables? I’d be interested to see that.
     
  14. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Warren Jarrett used to have a very helpful chart on his website that described each of the AN cables, and it included a Level designation for each model. The last time I checked it was no longer on the website though, or at least I couldn’t find it. That’s the only place I have seen a Level designation for cables.
     
  15. Subagent

    Subagent down the rabbit hole, they argue over esoterica

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    I read over the shoulder of someone, somewhere, looking at a price list online. Levels were listed. Well, a number was listed, at least. I only remember the AN Isis speaker cables were level 4, and the AN Lexus speaker cables were level 2. I'm sure a dealer can confirm that.
     
  16. slcaudiophile

    slcaudiophile Forum Resident

    Location:
    Salt Lake City
    ISIS is actually a level 3 cable.

    yes, Audio Note has a level list for power, digital, speaker and interconnects.

    here you go …

    Interconnects:

    Copper

    AN-A - 0
    AN-C - 1
    AN-Lexus - 2
    AN-ISIS - 3

    Silver

    AN-S - 3
    AN-v - 3
    AN-VX - 4
    SOGON - 5
    SOOTTO - 6

    Speaker Cable:

    Copper

    AN-D - 0
    AN-Ba - 1
    AN-La - 1
    AN-Lexus LX - 2
    AN - ISIS LX - 3

    Silver

    AN-SPa - 3
    AN-SPe - 3
    AN-Spx - 4
    AN-Sogon Minor - 5
    AN - SOGON LX - 5
    AN - SOOTTO - 6

    I hope this helps!
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2019
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  17. alan967tiger

    alan967tiger Forum Resident

    Has anyone added the TT2 power supply? Thoughts please?
     
  18. slcaudiophile

    slcaudiophile Forum Resident

    Location:
    Salt Lake City
    on your speakers, I would get as good of a cable as you can afford. the E SPX Alnico is such a special speaker … get the best you can afford. also, bi-wiring makes a favorable difference so consider that. if not an option and you single run it AN makes jumpers ... i would get a set of those if you do a single run. i was surprised in the difference just the jumpers make.
     
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  19. Subagent

    Subagent down the rabbit hole, they argue over esoterica

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    I am awaiting one. I should have ordered it when I ordered the tt2. It's been a couple of months now. Ask me again in x-y weeks.;)

    Honestly, at this point I really want it so that:

    1. I can leave the cover on (and up) when spinning vinyl. My fingers are too fat to turn it on and off with the cover up.

    2. I can switch to and from 45 with greater ease.

    Any performance increase will be the icing on the cake.
     
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  20. sky nguyen

    sky nguyen Member

    Location:
    bedford IN
    hello all, my name is Sky and am new member here.
    am owning audio note M8 phono and thinking about upgrade to m9 phono. has anyone here do the compared between the M8 and the M9 ? it there a big gap in sound quality between m8 and m9? it is worth to upgrade? my amp is audio note kegon lg.
    thanks you everyone.
     
  21. alan967tiger

    alan967tiger Forum Resident

    Yes, I might order one now for the same reasons as you:) I wish I'd also ordered it 2 weeks ago when I placed my order for the TT2 deluxe!
     
    Subagent likes this.
  22. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    Wow , plenty of good comments .
    I'm not getting any cables or interconnects until I get 200 hours on the speakers.
    Using SPe speaker cables now and the sound is a little dark at lower volumes .
    It could be my other cables , ( copper ) not audio note cables .
    Nothing is harsh or honky the opposite it's very smooth and enjoyable .

    Bill
     
  23. Encore

    Encore Forum Resident

    Mine were quite harsh until fully broken in. But my room is atypical, it tends to suck out bass in the 40-65 Hz range, so my experience may also be atypical. But the Copenhagen AN dealer does say that the Alnicos break in differently than the HE/SPe. The latter starts out boomy and then gets more balanced, whereas the Alnicos start out thin in the bass and then attains a fuller sound as they break in. My recollection is getting a bit hazy as to exactly how many hundreds of hours I put on them before I found that they had settled but it was definitely AT LEAST 200 hours. So yes, do wait at least 200 hours, and after that wait until you're sure that the sound doesn't change anymore.
     
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  24. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    I think the speakers were a little dark because I had them to close in the corners.
    I'm moved them away from the corners about 1/2" or 12mm and it's definitely better.

    I bought these speakers used the original owner used them for two months and didn't like them .
    He bought something else and these speakers were not used for two years .
    I don't know how many hours were on them .

    I have 77 hours on them and they are opening up with tighter bass .
    Imaging is very good .
    I can't imagine not liking these speakers but to each his own.
     
  25. billb51

    billb51 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Hudson NH
    I found a pair of Ocellia Reference rca interconnects in my stash and replaced the copper interconnect from the amp to line stage .
    WOW what a difference !
    These speakers love silver , listening to Phoebe Snow Second Childhood on vinyl and there is nothing like vocals with set amps and Alnico speakers .
     
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