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hi everyone.
I have a small room: 10 x 11.
I wanted to go with the AN E but been told its a too big speaker for my room. Therefore, only the AN K or AN J would fit in my room.I would like to have feedback from people who heard both and could tell me how close they sound to each other, their strength, ect...
thanks!
Edits: 09/07/14Follow Ups:
For that size room the AN K will likely be superb. I have owned both and now the AN E.
After considering the question a bit it's difficult to say one is best - each is designed for a given room volume. In your room the K will likely sound a lot better than the J and the E would probably be worst. In a bigger room the E will likely win.
Many years ago at Soundhounds in Victoria BC I had set up an audition session with the the Reference 3a MM DE Capo (and I was familiar with their more expensive speakers in the Royal reference Master and their top of the line floorstanders (the name of which is escaping me), B&'s N805 and Sig version, Paradigm's top standmount at the time, and most ofthe usual suspects from Sonus Faber, Dynaudio, Totem Mani 2 and Model One and numerous other standmount speakers.
I asked the dealer to set-up, in the same room with the same gear 4 speakers and I was smart enough to say "and throw in one you like" The one they threw in was the AN K (which was the dealer's favorite but he didn't mention that). I spent the entire day at Soundhounds which was probably overstaying my welcome but sometimes it's tough to make the trip only to be rushed out.
So I listened and pretty much eliminated the metal tweeter speakers fast. Too much of an obvious step between the drivers while impressive at first went away fast on acoustic instruments. The Reference 3a MM De Capo was my then front runner and for 2 years easily my favorite in the two way speaker class under $3000. Indeed, it probably would still be in the running. The K/Spe had a more even straight up frequency balance and first rate driver matching. It sounded faster nimbler and more engaging and more alive over the De Capo. More variation between the discs I brought. The De Capo though was richer warmer and more full bodied - but it kind of did the same thing with everything I put on them. Vocals seemed pushed back giving a bigger impression of stage depth but it also made them a little harder to hear and forced me to concentrate the wee bit harder. I am not surprised that they have changed tweeters twice since then but the change to Berryllium seems to fix some of that but has taken away some of the character that I liked about the speaker in the first place.
The AN K won the day basically on the back of a jump factor and piano. I eventually sold them back to Soundhounds for a pair of AN J/Spe which were being sold at a price too hard to turn down and Soundhounds gave me 100% of what I paid in the return. Plus I moved into a bigger apartment.
The AN E is doing supremely well here in HK in a much smaller apartment and along the long wall. I can't explain that really because I was very worried about the small room. But the ceilings are very high here and rather than carpet I have hardwood over concrete and the walls are concrete. I have also treated the wall behind the speakers.
I would say the Lx cable will be worth serious consideration over the Spe. The LX cables are friendlier to lower end amps/sources.
RGA, so you basically went from AN K to AN J and used the AN J in the same room as the AN K?
Can you tell me more about it and how they differed. I'm more tempted to go with the AN J because it uses the same drivers as the AN E and fear that the AN K is drastically different and contains much less of the goodies that the AN E or AN J can provide....
maybe im wrong and the AN K is also a serious speaker that can compete with AN E...
The K is a sealed box design and does have a different character. The J has a better tweeter and thus better treble overall. The J has considerably deeper bass but in the wrong room could potentially sound boomy/slow/thick which is why for the small room the K is recommended.
If your room is made of brick or concrete then I might say the J would still work - if your room is wood or plaster walls - I'd stick with the K or possibly the AX Two.
Both the K and AX2 are very good speakers. RGA is 100% correct on all points. The AX2 is easier on the pocket and is a really fine speaker. If you do get the Ks, look at the Spe version and hook it up with AN Spe speaker cables. For the AX2s, AN Lexus is a great combination as a speaker cable.
Observe, before you think. Think before you open your yap. Act on the basis of experience.
Can you tell us more about the room size? I am very interested in the AN-E's, but do worry about room size issues, too. Thanks!
I have a pair of AN-Ks in to review. I really like their bass. I've owned Es and I have listen to many Js and in the right room they are great, but the bass can be a problem in small rooms. The Ks may be one of the best kept secrets around.
Beatnik's stuff http://web.me.com/jnr1/Site/Beatniks_Pictures.html
wow, im impressed
could you be a bit more detailed? where the AN K shines and where it doesnt compared to the ANJ and ANE?
that would be great!
thanks
I bought a pair of AN/J's back in 1997 and had them in a 13' X 21' room where they sounded great. A few years later I moved across country and put them in a spare 10.5' X 12' room where I could never overcome a room mode peak at about 45 Hz. Unless you are very successful at taming the bass with room treatments (bass traps) I would not recommend the AN/J's for a room your size. In my small room I had better success with speakers that rolled off sooner in the bass than the AN/J's.In the Audio Note lineup the AN/K would be the better choice for your room. The bass will not be as deep, but the presentation will not be bothered by bass boom that obscures detail in the upper bass/lower mids. I've only heard the AN/K's on a couple of occassions and never had the opportunity to do a direct comparion with the AN/J's, but in a small room of your size I think you would be happier with the AN/K's.
I think Bob Neill also has some experience trying the AN/J's in a small room so hopefully he will chime in with an informed opinion.
The AN/J's are great speakers and one of my favorites, but you need a larger room to hear them at their best.
Edits: 09/07/14
I had the same experience in a small room: 45 HZ resonant frequency, and settled for Ks, initially and then turned to Tonian Labs for a more open, present and truthful sound, without any great loss in being emotionally engaging.
Observe, before you think. Think before you open your yap. Act on the basis of experience.
The Tonian Labs TL-D1 also worked out better for me in my smaller room. I sold my AN/J's. Had I known that a year later I would move and have a larger (12.75' X 19') room I might have held on to them.
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