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  1. #51
    RGA
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    That is a bonus with Audio Note in that you know exactly what the speaker will cost. You can actually go an buy the drivers and wiring option and box material of your choice.

    You can dictate a large portion of what you pay - or you can opt to have the Audio Note builders do it at a premium - but at least you know how much you're paying. Naturally they are going to make a profit either way but that is only fair - it is a business.

    Labour is always the biggest cost - but it's not rocket science if you have the direction and the tools and all the parts to simply put it together. Audio Note's glueing process is a bit tricky to right from what i understand - but to a non-novice probably not too hard.

    And as you say you can have people build the box cheap - especially if they're your friends. Plus you get to choose the quality of wood, quality of wiring, quality of drivers etc.

    The advantage of all of this over any speaker company that builds everything in-house is that you have control of upgrades and you can always get parts.

    If I own a B&W or a Paradigm Etc now - in ten years when the tweeter blows they could stick me with a $200.00 bill to replace a tweeter or in naby cases they don't have any rreplacement - "oh well sorry sir but we no longer use metal tweeters we use silmk and that won't work - so do please look at buying one of our brand new offerrings.

    I'm in this boat with my Wharfedales - the company went under after i bought them and the name was bought by the verity group - I can't get a replacement for my drivers - oce dead they're dead. Now i can no doubt get something close - but not exactly the same.

    I digress.

    If you REALLY want to save money try and find some used original Snell models - and simply replace the drivers - ask Peter Q about the adjustment to the tuning port and you should get pretty much the same sound. Or better yet try and find the Snell AII - all Audio Note speakers amplifiers and everything else are designed off of that speaker which had a rear firing tweeter etc.

  2. #52
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    Totally off topic: RGA, i noticed that you are in Nanaimo and I am in Nanaimo as well... was hoping to ask you where you buy and/or audition your gear? I can't find any good places locally... I tried to email you but your profile doesn't allow emailing... I was searching for "naniamo audio" on google and your posts came up

  3. #53
    RGA
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    Quote Originally Posted by corwin99
    Totally off topic: RGA, i noticed that you are in Nanaimo and I am in Nanaimo as well... was hoping to ask you where you buy and/or audition your gear? I can't find any good places locally... I tried to email you but your profile doesn't allow emailing... I was searching for "naniamo audio" on google and your posts came up
    I actually make the drive to Victoria - the place is called Soundhounds on Pandora Avenue. I have never been to a dealer as good as them. They made me two Capuccino's and gave me pretty damn nice cookies today - and Starbucks has nothing on those Capuccino's either. They're not open on Sunday or Monday though http://www.soundhounds.com/

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    I actually make the drive to Victoria - the place is called Soundhounds on Pandora Avenue. I have never been to a dealer as good as them. They made me two Capuccino's and gave me pretty damn nice cookies today - and Starbucks has nothing on those Capuccino's either. They're not open on Sunday or Monday though http://www.soundhounds.com/
    Ah.. i've heard a lot about Soundhounds and how they just let you hang out there even if look like a student and don't buy anything. How are the prices? Do they sell any used gear?

    I'm definately thinking about making the trip out to Victoria some time but with the Gas prices its kinda expensive in my gas guzzlin' SUV. Thanks for the tip though.. i will probably want to check this place out.

  5. #55
    RGA
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    Yes they have a pretty good used section and I was tempted...but no money.

    They had a Magnepan speaker in so I had the chance to hear em - in the next few days I will post a review of the day spent there and my impressions. They had a used Bryston 2B LP power amp for $275 - an older one but still. They had about 12 different speakers from Energy to Tannoy and my AN K's now too. They had some McIntosh and Cal Labs gearin and the usual Sony ES, Denon, Yammie, NAD receivers. A Carver, Audio Note, Audible Illusions gear were all present on the used shelf.

    Affordable depends on the term. Their entry level is Denon - then NAD/Rotel then Antique Sound Labs/Audio Refinement and then it goes way up. And hearing the way up it's hard to go back.

  6. #56
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    Damn.. $275 for a Bryston 2B LP? I woulda snapped that up on the spot!

    I'd really like to go down there sometime, sounds like they have some killer gear. I need to schedule a trip down to Vic since we need to go visit my girlfriend's aunt and uncle again sometime.

    On a side note A&B Sound up here is starting to carry some nice gear too.. the Parasound Halos and Totem speakers along with possibly Roksan as well... they were demoing the Caspians. Too bad A&B sound is so drastically overpriced and requires haggling to get anything reasonable.

    Which reminds me.. do you need to haggle at Soundhounds or do they start you off pretty good? I mean do they inflate prices so they can have sales or are they a pretty firm priced fair priced kind of place?

    BTW, thanks for all this great info i really appreciate it.

  7. #57
    RGA
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    Well - their prices on used gear is pretty tight. Then again $275Cdn for a 2b is pretty good. Probably get htem down to $250.00. But it was a very old 2B may actually be out of warranty - but even still.

    My Sugden was ~2k from 1992-1997 I got it there for $425.00Cdn down from $450.00. They don't move much on the used gear but they don't price it beyond belief.

    The Audio Note spekaers they are pretty firm on as well - but the K/Spe sells in the states for $2250US while at soundhounds they carry the same speaker but last years model for $1500.00Cdn. Understanable that they are not haggling on them much.

    They had some flagship Sony ES receivers going for $200.00Cdn which proibably sold for $2000.00 4-5 years ago - but receivers are pretty worthless used especially if they're slightly out of date features wise.

    They also had a sub $300.00Carver amp and a lot of speakers - like the Maggies some Tannoys and now the K's I traded in.

  8. #58
    Canuck!
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    Thanks for the info.. The first free weekend i got i will be down there! I needs me a new tube preamp, a SS amp and some speakers.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    Like I said not everyone is going to like the same speakers. Foam is better if the design requires it. Raising sensitivity is important for dynamic realism. I have never heard at any price a low sensitivity design that sounded good dynamically...case in point any and all electrostatic and planar designs are inferior and for my taste totally unacceptable loudspeakers. People swear by them and they are not fatiguing speakers so I respect them...just would not want them.

    Audio Note is a different design from the originals in that they are designed to be placed in corners or near walls which was not the case for the Original Snells - however - the box design is the same and the drivers while not made any longer are still paper coated and foam surrounds, Except the AN K which is a rubber surround.

    Foam does deteriorate faster but offers a 6-25 year life - it depends on the climate you live in. If you''re in a hot dry place perhaps they don't last as long.

    The idea behind the Audio Note speakers is to use little to no damping - the ferrofluid cooled drivers they get from Vifa and SEAS have had all ferro-fluid cooling removed because the coolent damps the sound.

    There are not a ton of reviews for the AN J either but several reviewers from Hi-fi Choice, Stereophile and the lead editor of enjoythemusic use Audio Note speakers as referenence products or in their own homes. I have not heard the AN J but I did hear the AN E/SEC which is again based of the original Snell E. It was the best system I have heard - not nearly the most expensive clocking in at a mere $50,000.00Cdn. I have heard systems with more bass but more bass and better bass is something else.

    http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...udspeakers.htm
    http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_read.asp?ID=475 Ahh this review explains the difference is a re-design of the rear ports from the original Snells.
    http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_print.asp?ID=1577

    I've decided to stick with the K because although the bass isn't as deep I like the depth and the punch The K isn't a port. I found the hi-fi choice review interesting because the J is meant for a corner as is the E - so one would have to experiment with that to be sure. Against a wall and not toed in would be a disaster area however(which may be what Hi-Fi Choice meant).
    This reviewer added the E to his collection -- considering all the other speakers he is reviewing are at LEAST 3 times the price I think his review is more than interesting. http://www.stereotimes.com/speak071701.shtm

    At the end of the day it is really simple: If you are generally unsatisfied with the slim line approach of Paradigm, Energy, PSB etc or just think there is something artificial and unnatural about their idea of music as I do - and or find them bright lacking dynamics, bass and presence then you have to start to look at stuff that has a different design approach. Perfect? No! Better? To me it's not even remotely close.
    Can Audio Note be bought in the US?

  10. #60
    RGA
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    Yes there are many dealers in the United States - one of the biggest high end dealers in the U.S. is also the Audio Note distributor. They are in Denver Colorado called http://www.audiofederation.com/

    This is the U.S. distributor page http://www.audiofederation.com/distr...lers/index.htm

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    Yes there are many dealers in the United States - one of the biggest high end dealers in the U.S. is also the Audio Note distributor. They are in Denver Colorado called http://www.audiofederation.com/

    This is the U.S. distributor page http://www.audiofederation.com/distr...lers/index.htm
    I know where i'm going when Ill be in the US this easter Hopefully I'll fnd out what all the fuss is about

  12. #62
    RGA
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    Actually I am not sure where in Colorado - I wrote Denver but it might be Boulder??

    If you're on the west coast you're not too far from Canada - British Columbia is about 2.5 hours drive north of Seattle - I would recommend a ferry ride from Seattle to Victoria and you could go to Soundhounds - Does not hurt that Vancouver Island is pretty spectacular.

  13. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    Actually I am not sure where in Colorado - I wrote Denver but it might be Boulder??

    If you're on the west coast you're not too far from Canada - British Columbia is about 2.5 hours drive north of Seattle - I would recommend a ferry ride from Seattle to Victoria and you could go to Soundhounds - Does not hurt that Vancouver Island is pretty spectacular.
    Mate, I'll be in Boulder AND Denver, so no worries
    Thanks for the link.

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