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Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Audio Note AN-E / LX Speakers by lou dijon

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REVIEW: Audio Note AN-E / LX Speakers

92.148.184.181


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Model: AN-E / LX
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: € 4.700 (in France)
Description: two way speakers, with a 1" tweeter and a 8" woofer ; 94 dB ; bi-wirable
Manufacturer URL: Audio Note

Review by lou dijon on February 15, 2010 at 03:42:28
IP Address: 92.148.184.181
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for the AN-E / LX


hello fellow inmates ; who needs another rave review of the famous AN-Es ? Yes, I know, nobody, but I just would like to shout my joy to the world. I had to wait till my 50th birthday to be able to afford a good tube system, and it was a brand that occupied my dreams for years : Audio Note, from England. I can tell you I thought I would never be able to get an AN system, in fact I thought I would not be allowed ! But I could ; second hand at first, of course, then... First thing first, I started with a nice young couple, the M1+P1. What a surprise, what a relief, and what a world that opened before my eyes ! And I bought my first stereo when I was 13. But I'm patient, and intent on living long. After that, I found a pair of CDT Zero+DAC Zero ; I could upgrade to a CDT One+DAC Two Signature. Now I'm waiting for a P2SE and a TT One with Arm One. That will be great. But in the meantime, I received, yes, you know what, my AN-Es+stands, oh yes. I'm not sure, I think it's the first time I have brand new speakers. And they really look brand new, and so beautiful, my wife was delighted. Classy, sober, even if they are Burgundy, just the two tweeters and woofers, nothing to hide them (you never know where to put these contraptions we don't need), no hole or scratch in the corners, you can even choose not to put the badges with the name on them. After a good time marvelling at their beauty, you plug them.
And you start choosing what to listen to. It's like embarking on a travel in unknown countries. Of course, you take albums you know. After a couple of songs, you feel where you're going. Just before the AN-Es, I had some Tannoys HPD 315s in big boxes, they are 12", known for their limited treble but they gave me deep bass. With the AN-Es, it was the opposite : a treble that flew high, high, and higher still, and a bass that was there, but not so deep. My first thought was : " ok, they were designed by Peter Qvortrup, who listens mostly to classical music, so...". But all the same, it was surprising, the amount of bass I could get from this 8" woofer. And then, generally, I heard things I had never heard before in my recordings ( I have some 5,000 vinyls and 3,000 cds, a lot of territory to cover ). And I listened and listened and listened. Sometimes, the idea of a subwoofer crossed my mind, maybe not on the way of the AN-Es, the preamp has two parallel outputs, I could add the sub and switch it on just for rock or even hard rock albums. But I also wanted to keep the purity of the system. And I hadn't filled the feet of the stands with sand and lead yet. And I kept on listening for hours, didn't want to leave the house, had food delivered ( I had received the speakers on Dec, 19th, and for nearly two months had no work, so was not forced to leave my armchair in front of my stereo ). And about a good month later, I realised I was listening more and more to rock albums, with plain, simple but true drums, like some old Rod Stewart (before disco), the first two Bad Company, Pinups by Bowie or the first Nils Lofgren, two albums with Aynsley Dunbar on drums, and I listened more and more to Ringo on the Beatles mono remastered. I must tell you also that I am a FOH sound technician, I work often with rock groups ( check The Romanee Counteez) and I heard thousands of drum kits. And with the AN-Es, I heard beautiful bass drums (ah, John Bonham, from the Zep' !) but most of all, marvellous floor toms. Of course, you must be a sound technician to know how difficult it may be, to get the right sound from a floor tom, to have the depth without sounding empty. And now with my speakers, I heard that, and that was right. So they had evolved -- remember, I had no experience with new speakers -- they had evolved and I don't feel the need for a sub anymore.
I also listened to more subtle things, even some classical music, that I don't really know, but it's such a pleasure -- yes, I admit, sometimes I listen more to the sound than to the music, sorry, I apologize, but when I hear Teddy Papavrami's violin, it's as --or more-- beautiful as when Didier plays one meter from me. One day, I was listening to a piano album, some Satie I think, and it dawned on me : it's true. My wife plays her piano about one hour each day, and I was listening to speakers, and it sounded like a piano in real life, not like a recording of a piano. What a major difference ! I put on some Cat Stevens, the albums produced by Paul Samwell-Smith, and it's a knock-out. The voice, the acoustic guitar, the piano, the choirs. I could go on like this for hours, tell you about each album I play, and each time say "up until now, I've been cheated, now that is the truth".
All of that, remember, with the first model in the range of the AN-Es, with a system that is practically an entry system with Audio Note ( and that I could afford ). Other people, Ougo for example, could tell you how it is with the big brothers, the P4s, the Conquerors or even higher up in the range, but for me, it's difficult to imagine how it could be better. Saint Peter has opened the doors to paradise for me, before my time fortunately, and I intend to profit from it for a long time.
No, this was not really a review, I'm not really technically minded, but I wanted to share my joy with like-minded people, who could understand me, understand my satisfaction, without mentioning that I spent more for my speakers than for our cars.
Would it be useful to someone ? Maybe you will listen to AN-Es when you want to change speakers, or when you, like me, where disapointed with what you had heard so far. But be aware that they don't jump at you with cries of "buy me, buy me", they are more subtle, but they are true, and they'll remain true to you.
I'm happy, you've understood that so far, even if my English may be hard to understand sometimes.


Product Weakness: still looking for it
Product Strengths: Truth


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Audio Note P1
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Audio Note M1
Sources (CDP/Turntable): AN CDT1+DAC2, Thorens 166 Mk2
Speakers: AN-E /LX
Cables/Interconnects: for speakers : Qed Anniversary
Music Used (Genre/Selections): rock, soul, singers, some classical
Room Size (LxWxH): 8m x 4m x 2,5m
Room Comments/Treatments: none
Time Period/Length of Audition: 7 weeks
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): none
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Audio Note AN-E / LX Speakers - lou dijon 03:42:28 02/15/10 ( 28)