Upgraded to Audio Note J - and other musings.

[92135011]

Tofino is mega expensive these days I hear.
Plus if you arent a big beach or fishing fan, then its not really for you.
Ferry these days isnt cheap either. Think a car would cost you a good 40-50 one way. That's why its such a waste to go there for a day trip. Just the travel itself runs about almost 150. Then of course there are the attraction tix, which some of them are a ripoff - such as buchart gardens and others

[RGA]

Topspeed is from the States though - so their money goes considerably further up here. Certainly it would not be advisable to ocme for one day - but coming over for 3-5 days and staying in a travel lodge in the Victoria area would be a good move. If you come to Vancouver and you don't go to the Island kinda short changes yourself. Depends how long your trip is too of course - but typically the Island and Whistler are the major places outside the Vancouver area to be seen. Whale watching is a popular activity in Tofino as well.

[ciscokid1970]

Well since you are pricing things in Loons (Canadian $ for those unfamillar with the slang term) I am assuming you live in Canada.

If that is the case I am surprised that you have not given your local Canadian PSB a listen. The alpha is great for the money and the Image series is a even better value.

It is clear that you are aiming at wide soundstage stereo only music.

You gave a very fair (and close to my impression of the Maggies) so I figure that you may like the same type of sound I like.

I had a pair of psb 2b and I loved the sound and mostly the soundstage.

I now own a pair of B&W 601 with a asw 300 sub for my stereo room. Next I will upgrade to the Triangle titan 202.

[RGA]

Well since you are pricing things in Loons (Canadian $ for those unfamillar with the slang term) I am assuming you live in Canada.

If that is the case I am surprised that you have not given your local Canadian PSB a listen. The alpha is great for the money and the Image series is a even better value.

It is clear that you are aiming at wide soundstage stereo only music.

You gave a very fair (and close to my impression of the Maggies) so I figure that you may like the same type of sound I like.

I had a pair of psb 2b and I loved the sound and mostly the soundstage.

I now own a pair of B&W 601 with a asw 300 sub for my stereo room. Next I will upgrade to the Triangle titan 202.

I'm not quite sure who you're addressing with this. I have listened to PSB's - good speakers to be sure for the most part. You may not be as familiar with Audio Note http://www.triodeandco.com/Prod_Loudspeakers.html

[RGA]

92135011

Here's a pic of the soundhounds crew. Peter Qvortrup is back right - Sounhounds owner back left and my sales guy Paul is second left sitting down. It also gives you an idea as to the size of the AN E with outboard crossover. You have to click on winter CES photo because the picture is too big for this site and I don't know how to reduce the soize of pictures??? http://www.soundhounds.com/

[benil]

Congratulations RGA! you're lucky to get the SPes for such a bargain.

btw, that's a great review you wrote there! what are your impressions with regards to timbral quality and tonality of the AN-Js compared with the N805s? any chance the experience will make you go the tubes route?

[RGA]

The N805 has brighter presentation and the bottom end lacks body - it's a much smaller speaker than the J and has a sound which is much smaller - the bass can boom a little and you hear more box. But the AN J/SPe sells in the US for nearly double the price of the N805 and frankly should be THAT much better.

Basically, when you start listening to something and then you go back and listen to something not up to it it's hard to not to gain a snob-like attitude. Even the dealer admitted that when you hear the AN E upper models the AN K sounds like a clock radio by comparison - and unfortunately that's almost the way I perceive the N805 - directly compared I laughed because it's just no contest. The J has a huge soundstage real bass response without a hint of boom - the ear gravitates to the N805's tweeter and bass and less on the music. Granted if you didn't do a side by side the N805 is a terrific speaker - no real nasty habits better than most for the money. Those dealers who own the AN E/Spe probably couldn't go back to the J/Spe in the same manner.

They've been in business for 30 years - line or not I don't know, but they said they consider AN to be the best stuff, musically, they've ever carried from cables, cd players, turntables, speakers and amps - and they have carried a lot of gear during that time. It's not a fly by night operation they've been around for a long time on the merit of their sound - because they don't look like anything - they don't play the pay for reviews bribe the reviewer game. Many review publications expect to be GIVEN the product they review or other "thank-you" gifts.

I will likely save for the Soro SE. My Sugden is out of its league playing with these speakers - and I think I get why Peter Q is adamant about his amplifiers. I was considering adding a preamp but I may just get the integrated. 8 watts is more than I could ever need with both my speakers - the clarity non edgy but not glossed over nature of the Meishu was fantastic and I already heard the Soro last time was there. I think to get the best results all Audio Note is the way to go - while that is a very expensive proposition - for the first time i don't need the hassle of worry about good matches for my speaker etc - I know they designed it all to match.