Audio Note AN-E SOGON...$165K

[treitz3]

It could be said that "there is no replacement for displacement".

Tom

Tom,
Surely. But do you need a bulldozer to move a flower pot?

Well, no.....but one can only expect so much from a driver of that size. At some point, the laws of physics take over and things are just not possible. Regardless of cost, especially at a 165K for a pair of speakers type of cost. This reminds me of Zu Audio at 1000x the cost. At some point, folks need to get real about audio reproduction and its costs. This speaker and its price point go WELL beyond that point.

Tom

 

[Andre Marc]

Micro, IF AudioNote is trying to get away from the sound of real un-amplified instruments in a 'live' space and are trying to reproduce something else ( less real and an alternative view therefore), I would agree with you;they are a good example.

You mean live musicians don't play with stuck in a corner???

 

[DaveyF]

You mean live musicians don't play with stuck in a corner???

None that I know of, BUT I guess Audionote lover's would beg to differ, LOL.

 

[microstrip]

Well, no.....but one can only expect so much from a driver of that size. At some point, the laws of physics take over and things are just not possible. Regardless of cost, especially at a 165K for a pair of speakers type of cost. This reminds me of Zu Audio at 1000x the cost. At some point, folks need to get real about audio reproduction and its costs. This speaker and its price point go WELL beyond that point.

Tom

Tom,

We had this debate before. Some people feel that they do not need low bass frequencies at low levels to get audio nirvana. Their sound systems show other aspects, such as liveliness and presence, that with some types of music, surpass anything we can have in conventional audio. IMHO, there is no point in this hobby where we can say to others "get real".

 

[microstrip]

Micro, IF AudioNote is trying to get away from the sound of real un-amplified instruments in a 'live' space and are trying to reproduce something else ( less real and an alternative view therefore), I would agree with you;they are a good example.

Davey,

With some types of real-acoustic music, the sound of an AudioNote system sounds much more like real music than most of our systems. If I reported mostly on sound describing poor and lousy experiences in shows and shops, I would be very negative about sound reproduction. I also listened to very poor Audionote demos, but the good one was enough to show me there was something special with them.

 

[microstrip]

You mean live musicians don't play with stuck in a corner???

Andre,
Can you elaborate on this comment? I fail to understand it.

 

[DaveyF]

Davey,

With some types of real-acoustic music, the sound of an AudioNote system sounds much more like real music than most of our systems. .

That needs an IMHO....No???

 

[MylesBAstor]

That needs an IMHO....No???

Why?

There's no difference between reading a review, article or a post. It's inherently understood that what's in the post is the opinion of the author. That's why you don't need to (at least with good writers) preface every sentence with "I."

 

[spiritofmusic]

Treitz3, interesting you mention the Zu comparison. I'm currently running Zu Definitions Mk 4s at $16k, so a mere 10% of the entry ticket to these spkrs. Similar technology, in effect full range driver(s) (one with AN, two with Zus) with no crossover, specs in Zu's case flat to 16Hz, up to 25kHz+. Totally addictive with delicacy, slam, transparency and tone density in equal measure. Would love to see/hear where an extra $149k gets me in the quest for Nirvana.

 

[microstrip]

That needs an IMHO....No???

Surely. Any subjective appreciation such as this is IMHO. I often add IMHO just to empathize it, but in this case I felt it was not needed.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

The interesting thing is that no matter the amount of Bovine Manure thrown in the air, there is always some to call it find it an unknown but earthy and green smelling substance.

For this nonsense there is at least a consensus : most recognize it for what it was , pure, unadulterated, thus smelly Bovine Manure .. This emperor has no cloth .. It is very difficult to say otherwise but some will persist ... Which reminds me ... there is a bridge for sale in NYC ...

 

[treitz3]

Treitz3, interesting you mention the Zu comparison. I'm currently running Zu Definitions Mk 4s at $16k, so a mere 10% of the entry ticket to these spkrs. Similar technology, in effect full range driver(s) (one with AN, two with Zus) with no crossover, specs in Zu's case flat to 16Hz, up to 25kHz+. Totally addictive with delicacy, slam, transparency and tone density in equal measure. Would love to see/hear where an extra $149k gets me in the quest for Nirvana.

Hello, spiritofmusic. I am sorry if I offended you or anybody else with my post. I have heard Zu Audio and to these ears........"congestion" would be the word I would use to describe the sound. In no way am I trying to take away from your pleasure, nor in any way am I trying to slam your speakers. To these ears and with this thread, I felt compelled to state my observations. My apologies if I disturbed you in any way and I mean that sincerely.

The fact remains that with certain drivers of a certain size, one can only realize a certain part or part(s) of reproduction. If that is their preference, I am not one to tell them otherwise and I am glad for them if they find immense pleasure from listening to said speaker. With that said, it is still my observations and opinion that a 165K speaker [regardless of internal wiring or parts] of that size and with only two drivers per channel reminds me of a Zu Audio speaker. IME, the speaker can simply not handle complex passages and to get a full frequency range is........shall I say, impossible.

Please note that these are my observations and my personal observations do not reflect that of the forum or its management team. These are simply my observations. YMMV. With all due respect.

Tom

 

[GaryProtein]

No, thank you. I'll pass on these.

 

[audioarcher]

Hello, spiritofmusic. I am sorry if I offended you or anybody else with my post. I have heard Zu Audio and to these ears........"congestion" would be the word I would use to describe the sound. In no way am I trying to take away from your pleasure, nor in any way am I trying to slam your speakers. To these ears and with this thread, I felt compelled to state my observations. My apologies if I disturbed you in any way and I mean that sincerely.

The fact remains that with certain drivers of a certain size, one can only realize a certain part or part(s) of reproduction. If that is their preference, I am not one to tell them otherwise and I am glad for them if they find immense pleasure from listening to said speaker. With that said, it is still my observations and opinion that a 165K speaker [regardless of internal wiring or parts] of that size and with only two drivers per channel reminds me of a Zu Audio speaker. IME, the speaker can simply not handle complex passages and to get a full frequency range is........shall I say, impossible.

Please note that these are my observations and my personal observations do not reflect that of the forum or its management team. These are simply my observations. YMMV. With all due respect.

Tom

Spirit's Zu Def Mk4 speakers have built in 12" down firing powered subs in each speaker. I've heard Zu Def mk4's before and they don't lack much in the bass department.

 

[zztop7]

take that Audio Note

$84,000.00 Bugatti belt buckle / yes USD Eighty Four Thousand Dollars / take that Audio Note

http://thesupercarkids.com/the-bugatti-belt-buckle-which-costs-84000/

zz

 

[spiritofmusic]

Tom, absolutely no offense taken. Personally I don't feel the word congested can be applied to my Zu Def 4s, but if that's been your experience of them, that's a shame because in my setup they sound totally stunning. However I do know that they often don't perform of their best at shows, and that's where most non Zu owners have heard them. If you're ever in London, UK, a cordial invite is extended to you to get a truer idea of their capabilities.
No doubt the full range driver FRD idea doesn't tick the boxes of those seeking a spotlit, hifi type of sound. But in terms of a sound dripping with tone via the FRDs, full slam thru the sub bass downward firing driver, and exquisite treble air via the oversized Radian 850 supertweeter, I chose the Def 4s over 3x pricier Magicos and B&Ws that I was close to shelling out for.
Despite my love for the FRD concept, the pricing on these AN-SOGONs surely can't be taken seriously, no matter how much silver they're packing.

 

[treitz3]

Please allow me to clarify. The Zu Audio speakers I was talking about were the speakers that were comparative to the 165K speakers in this thread. A simple two driver, two channel speaker with what looks to be a small woofer. I'll be the first to admit, I haven't heard any Zu Audio speaker with a 12" down firing woofer. That may be a whole other animal that I would love to get my ears on so that it may change my thoughts on Zu Audio as a whole. With that said, we tried with that same type of speaker a plethora of extremely nice gear, cables and amplifiers [tube and SS] to get them to sound good. Unfortunately, to these ears, I was thoroughly unimpressed regardless of what combination we tried. Even with what we thought would be the best of combos, "congestion" would be the one word I would personally use to to describe what I heard.

A pleasure for some, stunningly real for others but for me? Eh, no pleasure derived.

Thank you for understanding, spiritofmusic and I appreciate the invite. If ever I am out your way, it would be an honor to hear your system.

Tom

 

[spiritofmusic]

Tom, I guess that's what makes this hobby infuriatingly addictive. Can be very love/hate. I've been at shows where the guy next to me with Wilson Maxx's has been frustrated with his purchase from day one, and is set on spending even more cash to find that elusive 'sound'. After a couple of rounds myself of escalating purchases on speakers, first Roksan, then Pro Ac, I was going to sink some serious cash into rel. mega$'s spkrs, maybe $45k Magicos, but found myself under the spell of FRDs done the Zu way, and haven't looked back.
There's no doubt that the 10" FRDs that make up 90% of the Zu sound must seem like a "one size fits all" compromise. But Sean Casey of Zu Audio feels that the critical listening spectrum is 40Hz to 12kHz (that covered fully by the FRDs), covering the full range of the human voice, and this should be represented as wholly as possible without the intervention of a traditional x'over splitting this range into separate drivers. I know that the FRDs don't measure flat, but I've never been a great fan of "perfectly" measuring components (Halcro, Soulution, etc). So my Zu Def4s with (per spkr) 2 x 10" FRDs, a 300W/ch powered 12" sub bass w/room adjustability, Radian supertweeter and excellently engineered cabinet with automotive standard paint finish/metalwk, give me a hell of a lot for $16k.
But like horns, 'stats, planars etc, there are enough alt tech in spkrs to satisfy all tastes.
Whether the AN-SOGONs really bring anything extra to the party for such an exorbitant sum, I'm really skeptical of. Other than an overdose of silver which should improve purity of signal transmission, where is such a sum justified? I guess in a steady stream of customers signing the cheque.

 

[JackD201]

Subjective as this hobby is in terms of performance, so is the cost "redline". A two way at this price would blow my engine up really quick. This coming from somebody who caught himself laughing at himself because he was surfing for rail mounted dental surgery lights for use over his turntables. Did you know that some come with a second articulating arm with a surgery grade LCD screen you could hook your USB microscope to? LOL.

It's a crazy world and I love it!

 

[XV-1]

Audio Note= Scientology of Hi-Fi....

That is funny.

It would seem on the outside that Audio Note UK are really good at rehashing/reinventing other people's designs.

Speaker - Peter Snell
Turntable - Voyd
Electronics - Kondo.