Audio Note speakers
- Thread starter tetreb
- Start date
pure sound
Trade: manufacturer/distributor
I'd guess that sales of the last Peter Snell designed models ceased here (UK) in about 1991. (That would be Types K, J/II, E/II, C, and A/IIIi) Subsequent to that the designs were gradually re-visited by Kevin Voecks & others. But they were still always badged Snell & made in Haverhill Mass. In fact iirc the changes had already started being made prior to that and Audio By Design, who were the European Snell distributor, were insisting on buying the original versions & not the revised ones which of course caused some friction with Snell Acoustics!
The earliest ANUK speakers were always badged as Audio Note & were made in Brighton. There shouldn't be any confusion as to what was what. Those early AN models would come from 1991/1992.
pure sound
Trade: manufacturer/distributor
They came fitted with a low 'plinth', 2-3" high with little feet fitted to it although we (Audio by Design) supplied some heavy, 4 leg stands which lifted the whole speaker by 10" or so.
Hi Steve
Had them a couple of years now, I recently had a dabble with some PMC FB1+
but have gone back to the Snells.
I am using a Tact SDA 2175 power amp but I am tempted to go back to a valve power amp.
We will have to meet up sometime and compare, speakers that is
muzz, you can always borrow my Audionote OTO for a night or two if you get curious about how some glowing bottles would work with them.
Thanks a lot for the invaluable info. Did I understand correctly that AN changed the design again later? If so, when did it happen?
Would you ship to Germany?
J/K. I will go to the local AN distributor to check the prices of the new equipment, although I suspect anything more than AX models is out of my price range.
pure sound
Trade: manufacturer/distributor
You'd need to ask Audio Note what they've done with the various models over the intervening years. I've no idea. They have evolved and of course there appear to be various versions, certainly of the E, with uprated drivers & crossover components.
DarrenW
Oxygen User
how about saturday afternoon then - say 1pm?
been a while since you've been here - do you need the address?
I will drop Steve a PM incase he doesn't see this, my amp is only 8w but shiould be powerful enough to drive all three - steve might bring his oto along so we can try that as well perhaps
cheers
darren
been a while since you've been here - do you need the address?
I will drop Steve a PM incase he doesn't see this, my amp is only 8w but shiould be powerful enough to drive all three - steve might bring his oto along so we can try that as well perhaps
cheers
darren
I just bought a pair of Snell K/IIs, in part because of this thread. I couldn't get my former speakers (Dynaudio Excite X12) far enough away from the wall and thought that Snell/Audio Note might the answer. First impressions are *very* positive. Excellent all around, but the big surprise is the bass. The Dynaudios were not deficient in this area (too much bass, in fact). With the Snells, drums sound like ... well, drums. I'm very pleased (and appreciative of the information I picked up here).
Congrats Afranta. There are a couple of auctions for old Snells going on at eBay and I was thinking of going that route, but none would ship internationally.
I just got stood up for a lovely pair of AN/Js, got beat up by 10 Euros in the waning seconds of the Ebay auction. Damn snipers. I had already started looking for the right amp and everything. I am so pissed I think I will give up on AN speakers until I calm down.
I just got stood up for a lovely pair of AN/Js, got beat up by 10 Euros in the waning seconds of the Ebay auction. Damn snipers. I had already started looking for the right amp and everything. I am so pissed I think I will give up on AN speakers until I calm down.
bottleneck
pfm Member
Afranta
That is good to hear. If you can get them for the right money, old snell and audionote speakers are a good buy. With a low powered but good sounding amp you can have a very good sound for a small outlay.
They are very living room / wife friendly and a good purchase that will hold their value.
For an efficient practical speaker they are remarkably neutral, which in my experience is often the achiles heel of efficient speakers, neutrality is often thrown overboard in search of high efficiency. . . so much so it has become a worn-out generalisation . . but it needn't be so. .
what will you be using them with out of curiosity?
All the best,
Thanks. They were a bargain ($175 US). I wish I could set them on sturdy stands; for now, a rigid metal console will have to do. My sense is that they work far better in this compromised setup than the Dynaudios ever did. My source is a Naim CD5x and the amp is a Nait 5i. I'd convinced myself that the Nait was powerful enough for the Dyns, but I can play the Snells louder (much louder in fact) without feeling that it's too loud, which suggests that I was wrong ...