First impressions at California audio Show

[Feanor]

And I think your being way too generous. As you know (probably more than anyone here), ALL sensitivity readings are done at 1m anechoic. This is the industry standard and EVERYONE uses it except one funny little speaker company that thinks it's OK to measure their speaker in a way that adds many dB to the numbers. It's inaccurate to call these 98dB speakers when the way they measure them add 6-8dB or MORE (depending on frequency) to the readings.

The more I consider the actual design of the AN speakers, the more I realize that they are, objectively, nothing special. Just simple drivers with a simple crossover in a simple box-- hemp, silver, and Baltic birch notwithstanding. The bottom line consequence is a primitive design with primitive results. Indeed what AN is really good at is cultivating mystique.

Sadly, audiophilia isn't about accuracy at all -- the great efforts of people like Sir Terrence with the goal of accuracy are all in vain. It's about what sounds pretty to the audiophiles, (euphonic: smooth & bloomy). Further, they have no intention of learning the truth; to a remarkable degree they like what they're used to and/or what their audiophile gurus tell them is "organic", "holistic" or similar billsh!t. What can be said of AN, most generously, is that they have nailed this sound.