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Audio Note speakers

T

tetreb

Well-Known Member
One question regarding AN speakers. How good are they in free space?

I was thinking of buying a second-hand set of AN's for my room approx. 6x4 meters (18x12 ft) big, without an obvious wall to lean speakers against. Would the performance take too big of a hit if I position them in free space? I can't take them home for a test, so I have to rely on forum recommendations.

Also, is there a big gap between J and E models? What would be the fair s/h price for these speakers in solid condition?
 
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Thanks muzzer, I had that auction in mind but didn't want to mention it for obvious reasons :)

I took part in two recent auctions for AN-E speakers and the price ended up in thousands, 1.2k& for a 15 years old speakers and 1.9k for newer one with silver wiring. I've sold my old equipment recently when I was moving to another country and I'm totally clueless about the prices.

What about bass? Do they offer enough even when occasionally fed with hip-hop/electro music? I mostly listen to jazz and rock at low volume.
 
I find the bass of my Snells most satisfying better than the PMC FB1+ that I also own.
They sound very natural and musical unlike a lot of modern speakers which are all fireworks but grate after long term listening.
The Es do go a bit lower in the bass and I think they like corner positioning.
 
When I had AN-E/Ds, they were much better away from the corners IMO, although I think that only more recent AN-Es than that are actually designed for corners. The Snell Es were designed for 'normal' positioning, as were their Js.

Placed in the corner you do get very deep bass, but for many it would be too much. If you are getting them quite close to a wall, I think they should be fine.

Pricing is complex. You need to know exactly what you are buying; most don't. You can get a bargain on ebay, unusually, but more commonly you get rubbish overpriced.

Musically there is actually very little between the Js and Es. The latter does have more bass, but the Js are generally easier to position and get on with, for exactly that reason. I enjoyed my J/IIs more than I did my E/IIs, E/IIIs or AN-E/Ds.
 
i picked up a pair of snell j2 recently. the young salesman in his early 20's took them in as a trade-in knowing little about them. i offered him £150 for them which he accepted. i drove down for them to the shop a few days later to collect them and his boss who'd just returned from holiday wasn't too chuffed. i got the pirate stands too. in excellent condition and sound superb too. i don't think i'll be selling them that's how good they are. they work well close too and in open space though i have them a couple off feet from the back wall.
 
I once got a pair of JR149's from a hifi shop- I held my breath while the young chap came up with a price.....and tried not to show my surprise when he asked "would £60 be reasonable?"
He put them in the boot and I took off like a getaway driver.
 
TheDecameron said:
I once got a pair of JR149's from a hifi shop- I held my breath while the young chap came up with a price.....and tried not to show my surprise when he asked "would £60 be reasonable?"
He put them in the boot and I took off like a getaway driver.
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I got a pair of Rogers LS3/5as for £55 from Cash Converters! I mentioned to the sales guy (after he had processed my card) that they were easily worth five times that, and he was going "yeah, right". I left feeling most superior - and sold them for £400 later!
 
amdismal said:
I got a pair of Rogers LS3/5as for £55 from Cash Converters! I mentioned to the sales guy (after he had processed my card) that they were easily worth five times that, and he was going "yeah, right". I left feeling most superior - and sold them for £400 later!
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About 8 years ago, I was given (yes given!) a single Leak 12.1. The following week I found another in the local free ads for £50! Near enough a matched pair and both in great nick. Sold for over £2000.
 
back to audionote speakers.

new models go for fantastic amounts. older versions with black faces and earlier snells (so similar its just a laugh) go for a fraction.

to original poster, if price is forcing a decision not to go for E's - go for really early E's or Snell equivalents rather than the smaller speaker.

18x12 is big enough to enjoy the E's to their potential, and yes they sound great in room, just not as compromised as some when against a wall. They measured better about 2 feet out in my old living room than flush (not a suprise)
 
They are a hell of a bargain for £300 assuming the drivers are in good shape, they will show a lot of modern designs costing three times the price a clean pair of heels. Would have bid myself if I wasn't stuck at work, bloody internet filters.
 
Brian said:
Did you get them then?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260675516583&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1156
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Unfortunately, the seller didnt want to ship them to Germany, even though I offered to organize the courier service myself. I traveled for the weekend and I didnt see the final price. This is the third time I didnt get the ANs I wanted, so I may just buy some cheap speakers for the time being. If and when I buy them, I will write my review.
 
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I was interested but unfortunately I went out yesterday morning and forgot to place a bid!
 
I've loved every pair of Snells I ever heard, and that's been several. Would love to hear Audio Notes if the chance ever arises.
 
i have Audionote AN-Js in a beautiful Zebrano finish, i use the AN (Huygens?)heavy stands with them and they are a good 12-18" into the room. whilst they do work in the corner, i prefer less thump and the added air that the bit of space around them gives. i need to use lightweight stands when they are in the corners really. great speakers - replaced Harbeth 7es in my system. had them for getting on for 18months now and still love them. i have had speakers that are more natural, better at imaging, more detail,better at rocking out etc etc but none have offered been as complete in terms of room interraction, balance and just general even presentation of all music types. A bit `fit and forget', which for a speaker slut like me ,is a bit annoying! :D

they sing with just 12 watts up em!
 
bottleneck said:
back to audionote speakers.

new models go for fantastic amounts. older versions with black faces and earlier snells (so similar its just a laugh) go for a fraction.
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Despite similar cabinets, the early AN E's and J's were never like the Snell E/II's or J/II's. From the off, AN were pursuing higher efficiency and used lighter, undoped cones. I always felt the early ones had too much cone sound as a result whereas the Snells just didn't. More recent AN's don't seem to have these issues as presumably now the crossovers are better suited to the drivers' characteristics. However the current AN's are sonically of a very different character to those last Peter Snell designs.

It's now very difficult to find Snell J/II's and E/II's (or indeed K's) that have had correctly calibrated replacement drivers (and their associated crossover components) fitted. Usually they are just re-foamed or worse 'near enough' drivers have been fitted. That isn't really good enough to preserve their qualities. Almost invariably they become a pale shadow of what they should be performance wise. Not for nothing were those speakers the reference of many UK reviewers in the late 80's & early 90's.

That said, I understand Snell can still supply correctly matched drivers (with the associated components) for some of the older models.
 
Hi Guy

I'm sure if I heard them back to back I could well agree with you.

I had some early AN E's, and recently heard some Snell equivalents. A friend has some later E's. I was struck by how incredibly similar they sounded (all 3 pairs)

Perhaps when heard back to back there is a more substantial difference. Having heard what I have, I wouldnt be very picky between them personally... from a financial point of view..

certainly, at £2k plus I'd be more drawn to Tannoy dual concetrics or another larger horn design.... but at £500-£1k ish I reckon they are all worth a punt.
 
I have a question regarding the wiring. Are there truly notable differences in quality of reproduction between the models with silver and copper cables? Are these differences worth the higher price?

pure sound said:
Despite similar cabinets, the early AN E's and J's were never like the Snell E/II's or J/II's. From the off, AN were pursuing higher efficiency and used lighter, undoped cones. I always felt the early ones had too much cone sound as a result whereas the Snells just didn't. More recent AN's don't seem to have these issues as presumably now the crossovers are better suited to the drivers' characteristics. However the current AN's are sonically of a very different character to those last Peter Snell designs.
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When were those changes first implemented? Is there a year or serial number to discern between different designs?

bourney said:
A bit `fit and forget', which for a speaker slut like me ,is a bit annoying! :D
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In that case, this lazy bum has found himself a perfect pair of speakers :D
 
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