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

AN-E stands are 10” tall + spikes. Yours look taller than originals to me and also less substantial.

Check out some online images for comparison.
audio note an-e at DuckDuckGo

 

Maybe something from IsoAcoustics might work. Not as expensive as Sound Anchors especially considering they would have to be shipped from the states to Belgium. Either their pucks or Iso-stands may be a bit more practical and might just work as an alternative.

Home Audio Isolation Products | IsoAcoustics

Not to detract from any response or advice Richard may provide: Weight bearing capacity of the bracket itself should be a consideration as well as the ability to position and angle the speaker if that is a requirement.

 

The only way to know is to listen. Leave the stands for now and listen with the Meishu

 

I thought the same. Then, I looked at the dimensions. Even the largest Aperta300 speaker stand is 11.8″ x 7.9″ x 3″.

Regardless, shorter speaker stands are a good idea in the space, but the speakers will need to be tilted upward to achieve a similar tweeter-to-ear arrival. Using a laser guide affixed with BluTak to the top of each speaker, then aimed at an ear-level target at the listening position (or right and left of the listening position) will pay dividends.

 

Agree with ear-level adjustment. I used the IsoAcoustics product selector wizard using the dimensions and weight provided on AN's web site. The IsoAcoustics product selector recommended (4) of the Iso-Pucks or (4) of the OREA series depending on orientation and/or whether you chose floorstanding vs monitor. Unfortunately with those, you can't tilt. OREA will run about $240 for a set of 4 vs the Iso-Pucks which may be less - just depends on where they are purchased.

Another option would be a DIY project or maybe contact this forum member and have him build a custom pair: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/posts/26786545/

Of course, OP could just live with the stands currently in hand.

 

I think I'll have to place them high, so being able to angle them downwards would be a big plus.

 

I had a pretty difficult speaker placement issue in a TV room and not an audio room. In my main listening room anything goes but this is a den and audio gear is to be mostly heard and not seen. I have a pair of Audio Note AN-K/SPX SE aka "Super K's". They are being driven by Shindo amplification and sound absolutely amazing. They are placed on their side in a bookshelf (on a shelf slightly above ear level) on some ISOAcoustics Aperta stands and, given the difficult placement, I couldn't ask for a better outcome. The smaller Apertas are perfect for the depth of the speaker and I took advantage of the tilt feature. Highly recommended.

 

I was thinking of something along the lines of these JBL stands for L100 monitors.

 

Thanks, but the link for the sound snippet appears to be dead?

 

Like many of us, as I upgrade or try new gear, my older stuff migrates to a new room or system. When I got my Cobra amp, I created a system in our dining room. Then the fun part, what speakers to pair with the Cobra. It is a pretty powerful amp and will drive a lot of different speakers. I tried it both with a pair of AN K/SPes and also with a pair of KEF Reference 1s. They both had strong points, but neither was really engaging. At a friend’s suggestion, I am now using a pair of Sony SS-NA5ES. Wait, Sony? Yes, from back when they were making real audiophile gear. I have to say that I like them quite a lot. They let you listen to the music without thinking about what is good or bad about the speaker. Here is a picture of the current setup. The sources are an old AN CDT-Two and a Sonos box. The Cobra’s DAC does a fine job with both. You will see that the space is challenging, but then it is just the dining room system, so I am happy with the performance.

 

Plays for me. Turn the volume up. Here it is again:

http://khain.org/priv/buzz.flac

 

These are not my photos - the J and E are rear ported - they need adjustments to suit the room more than the K so wall mounting the J is probably not a good idea. The K is sealed that is why they can be placed more easily.

FWIW the biggest selling Audio Note dealer is Hong Kong and they do not put the speakers near the walls - AN speakers have a fair amount of bass on their own so it's not like they need the wall at all costs. This is the Hong Kong dealer's old room

 

I’ve tried a lot of positions for my AN-E, and I can’t imagine speaker positioning without toe-in sounding better than if they were in corners.

In my room, less toe-in equalled less imaging…until it fell apart completely. It was easy to hear.

 

My J's are positioned conventionally, I don't really have any corners where they are, and sound great with plenty of bass to me about 22" from the front wall.

 

For a minute there, all I could see was your private chef working on lunch.

 

Hey, I just want to say thanks again for posting that suggestion... Really helpful advice.

I spent some time last week dialing in my speaker positioning using a laser guide pointed at a flat object set up 3' directly in front of my listening position. Right away, I noticed that one of my speakers was almost 1" lower than the other one. They were the same height when measured vertically from their own spots on the floor, but the floor in my room overall isn't perfectly level. I fixed this easily by adjusting the IsoAcoustics feet.

I also realized that I had been off the mark when eyeballing the toe-in, which was pushing the intersect point further forward and to the right. I had gone through a lot of trial and error in the past and they sounded great, but this was really a significant improvement. Imaging is so much better!

 

Thanks for following up. It’s great to hear that someone tried a tweak or a set-up suggestion and heard positive results.

 

wow lots of interesting pointers. Anyone can point me to an address in Europe where I could get a low base for the AN-E. And can somone ping me (PM will do) a link to a little guide on how to pinpoint the speakers vs my listening position as until now I simply used (a not very accurate) imaginative line I estimated?

 

I propped up a large piece of cardboard exactly 1 meter in front of the typical listening position of my head. Then I used a laser pointer sitting on top of the speaker and pointed it at the cardboard until it was in the desired position. Then I repeated the process with the second speaker and I was in business.

 

How simple yet efficient
thanks! Will do this over the weekend.

 

If I may suggest a couple points of clarification...perhaps helpful, perhaps not.

Affix the laser pointer to the loudspeaker with a pea size ball of BluTak. Position the laser pointer so it's centered on the loudspeaker in line with the drivers, and perpendicular to the baffle. A plastic t-square, or a hardback book are helpful.

Then, move the loudspeaker so the laser light hits the target.

That last point may have been obvious in @johnnypaddock's post, but I thought one might mistakenly interpret it as moving the laser pointer, rather than the loudspeaker.

Some laser pointers also have a distance measuring feature, which can also be useful to matching speaker distance to listening position. Not all speaker placement methods result in matching distance...Sumiko Master Set for example...so apply distance measurements accordingly.

 

Thanks guys! I've been remiss in really dialing in speaker positioning so you've inspired me just ordered a Bosch laser distance measurer.

 

This Self Leveling Laser Guide is what I purchased. It works well. It does not measure distance, however.

 

+1 Bosch laser (since 2007)

 

A few questions (sorry noice 100%): where exactly I stick the laser pointer (I have a Bosch) between the driver and the tweeter (half distance from each)? How do I factor in the listening distance?