Japanese Audio???

[E-Stat]

Are you serious

Quite serious. Did you follow my link? There you will find:

7 cartridges
6 MC transformers
5 tonearms
3 turntables
3 CD players
2 CD transports
9 DACs
11 preamps
8 integrated amps
19 power amps
6 speakers with endless options and
20 cables!

Most of which are designated AN dash something. So these are NOT AN products? Huh?

The current Snell is name only

Now they are sold under the AN name. You seem to have difficulty associating the products found on the AN website to be...AN products today.

Have you examined why the difference in price is there

I've already answered that. It is all about Ag with their foil caps, voice coils and cable. Hemp cones optional. I haven't made any observations about their sound.


rw

[RGA]

Quite serious. Did you follow my link? There you will find:

7 cartridges
6 MC transformers
5 tonearms
3 turntables
3 CD players
2 CD transports
9 DACs
11 preamps
8 integrated amps
19 power amps
6 speakers with endless options and
20 cables!

Most of which are designated AN dash something. So these are NOT AN products? Huh?


Now they are sold under the AN name. You seem to have difficulty associating the products found on the AN website to be...AN products today.


I've already answered that. It is all about Ag with their foil caps, voice coils and cable. Hemp cones optional. I haven't made any observations about their sound.


rw

The name on the front of the box means little - what counts is what is inside the box - Audio Note's transport is the Philips Pro - piles of companies use the Philips Pro - And some companies will make significant changes to the inside - most only make changes to the outside and the prices are high on all of them. See Lexicon.

Your contention is that Audio Note is poor because no company could be great at everything.

Unfortunately, your assessment is not supported. Your contention is supported for all other single make companies who make the entire chain - and I am not disagreeing with ou on the point. For instance you can make the case that Linn's sources are very highly regarded while their speakers and amps are considerably lesser.

But can you honestly "objectively" say that in the review press that there is something from Audio Note that is considered a "weak link?" Even if you don't like the sound yourself.

What I want you to do is just look at it from a Press perspective ONLY - just taking a massive sampling of the review press from all around the world online and in print - you can see that Rega is noted more for turntables than speakers, Linn sources more than amps, Naim - more for amps than anything else.

Putting myself in a bystander perspective - I have read many reviews that consider the LP 12 to be one of the best turntables in it class ( I personally may feel something else is better but I acknowledge the fact that the review press lauds the LP12 for being at a certain "elite" level in their price class at least - Would you agree that the LP12 has been very highly regarded around the world in the review press? Yes - of course RGA.

However, never ever have I read that about their amps, or speakers being in some kind of "elite" class of amplifiers or loudspeakers. One tunrtable and one CD player and that's it. Two products in their entire history in the review press have been widely considered around the world as "elite" products. There may be a couple more but I think it's fair to say that in general my assessment of Linn - and taking my ears completely out of it - the CD Sondek 12 (or whatever it was called) and Linn LP12 have widely been viewed as "elite" level products. Regardless of my opinion on them - I bow to the fact that they are considered elite products.

We can do the same for Rega and several other companies and find the same kinds of thing - one or two products here or there that get that attention.

Now keeping that same "what I hear" out of it - and looking objectively at Audio Note's flagship products does the same argument we made about Linn hold true?

If we look at the sources - Dac 5 and either version of the TT3 turntable, tone arm, and cartridge? I think they are widely considered to be in an "elite" level

Amplfiers? Pretty sure that the M3 on up Ongaku, P4 and Gaku-On's have been widely recognized as being at an "elite level"

Speakers? Yup - maybe more so than anything else

Seems to me like something in each part of the audio chain has been widely acclaimed around the world to offer something at an Elite level - something you can't objectively state for Linn or Naim or Rega etc.

Again without auditioning or even putting your ears into the equation and ONLY looking at the objective sampling of reviews.

I don't think there is any other case to be made - none of that means you won't like a Bat amp Wilson Maxx 3s and a PrimLuna source better. Some no doubt will. I'm just looking at the case from a review print perspective and the issue that one company can't make an entire chain of elite level stuff.

[E-Stat]

what counts is what is inside the box

And who is calling who a liar by way of observation!

Your contention is that Audio Note is poor because no company could be great at everything.

When did I say that? You need to expand your horizons past one company if you wanted to be taken seriously as a reviewer.

Unfortunately, your assessment is not supported.

What assessment is that?

But can you honestly "objectively" say that in the review press that there is something from Audio Note that is considered a "weak link?" Even if you don't like the sound yourself.

I'll repeat for the umpteenth time. I think you should branch out beyond the work of a single company. You might be surprised what you find.

What I want you to do is just look at it from a Press perspective ONLY...

I totally lost you after this. It seems you can't take a crap in the morning without talking about AN.

rw