..really? For a 40#, 2-way box speaker? I know, I know...silver cable, caps, etc, but $165K? Just when I think I've heard it all here in audiophile wonderland I see this. And guys wonder why the unwashed think this hobby is wacko?
Audio Note AN-E SOGON...$165K
- Thread starter es347
- Start date
Yeah. Your money is So Gone, after you buy it. Must be filled with gold dust. Audio Note is good at charging insane prices.
ES,
one can find anomalies in nearly any hobby or even lifestyle, at the other end of the high end audio you have the latest offerings such as from KEF and others.
BTW would you spend over $20k for a bottle of champagne/whisky/brandy that could be gone very quickly?
Or certain handmade watches, $10k for a duvet, and lets not start on fashion/boutique clothes where the term can be err very debatable
Same goes with modern art, effing ugly a lot of it IMO and yet goes for $100s of thousands.
But yeah I think a lot are very suspicious including myself of AN UK and their prices (while using some very limited caps and other components) even in the audio world.
Funny though they do have their fans, but then so does ugly and expensive art
However I notice audio hobby has more complaints about its prices than nearly any other sector with their own insane prices for some items (watches/drinks/art/furniture/fashion/etc).
Is even a high class escort worth $thousands per hour? - After all Hugh Grant must had thought they were not value when he settled for I think a $50 max when he was caught
Cheers
Orb
one can find anomalies in nearly any hobby or even lifestyle, at the other end of the high end audio you have the latest offerings such as from KEF and others.
BTW would you spend over $20k for a bottle of champagne/whisky/brandy that could be gone very quickly?
Or certain handmade watches, $10k for a duvet, and lets not start on fashion/boutique clothes where the term can be err very debatable
Same goes with modern art, effing ugly a lot of it IMO and yet goes for $100s of thousands.
But yeah I think a lot are very suspicious including myself of AN UK and their prices (while using some very limited caps and other components) even in the audio world.
Funny though they do have their fans, but then so does ugly and expensive art
However I notice audio hobby has more complaints about its prices than nearly any other sector with their own insane prices for some items (watches/drinks/art/furniture/fashion/etc).
Is even a high class escort worth $thousands per hour? - After all Hugh Grant must had thought they were not value when he settled for I think a $50 max when he was caught
Cheers
Orb
ES347,
It seems you have been sleeping for many years
- as far as I can remember the Sogon will be close to celebrate its 5th anniversary this year. Did you ever have the opportunity to listen to a complete top Audio Note system properly set? I had this pleasure very long ago, in the presence of Peter Qvortrup. It was a great experience. Although this type of sound has not been my choice, since that day I humbly recognize that some people have different views on sound reproduction, and some masters really transcend our daily gossip about frequency response and distortion. And yes, it is an wonderland. In my humble opinion we should feel happy that it exists - for me it is the sign that true high-end will always survive, independently of bad marketing or business strategy.
Forget about the silver, the cost or the hype. Our trouble is that there is something real in many of these expensive items. Surely not all of them are true high-end. But, as William Blackstone said "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer".
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I have to wonder why Audio Note doesn't charge in the millions of $$ for their gear...I mean why not,LOL
For the contrary, I witnessed a great demonstration at RMAF playing Charlie´s Stellavox/KingCello preamp thru an all AN setup, that had a very "decent" overall price (around $5 Kusd for the whole system). it was a treat!
You mean to tell me that you wouldn't be happy to fork over 165K for these speakers? I'm shocked.
If I were to own an Audio Note it would be one (or two or three) made by Kondo-San, God rest his soul.
You mean to tell me that you wouldn't be happy to fork over 165K for these speakers? I'm shocked.
Jeez, the crossovers are almost as big as the speakers! Must have some very large caps in there.
I don't know anything about building caps, but it seems the more expensive/better ones, are much bigger than a normal cap for the same value capacitance. This seems counter intuitive, but what do I know?
ES437,
It seems you have been sleeping for many years
Although this type of sound has not been my choice, since that day I humbly recognize that some people have different views on sound reproduction, and some masters really transcend our daily gossip about frequency response and distortion. And yes, it is an wonderland. In my humble opinion we should feel happy that it exists - for me it is the sign that true high-end will always survive, independently of bad marketing or business strategy.
Forget about the silver, the cost or the hype. Our trouble is that there is something real in many of these expensive items. Surely not all of them are true high-end. But, as William Blackstone said "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer".
Micro, that would be ES347 thank you and no I haven't been sleeping. Wide awake and well aware that there are certain audio companies that are assigning msrps to their products that are outrageous at best. I've heard all the arguments of those justifying such pricing and I don't buy a one of them. These are 40# 2-way box speakers and there's not a snowballs chance that the old [msrp = 5X cost to build] applies here....no way. I've seen the interviews on youtube with the owner...Peter Qvortrup and the guy could be the nicest gentlemen on earth but he didn't sound like someone...let's just say on top of things technically. Of course there's no doubt another owner holding the slide rule. His products, at least this pair of speakers are overpriced..
Yeah that's a lot of money for those speakers even with the silver. I love their description of the performance.
-6dB at 18hz from a small ported box with an 8" woofer?? That's no easy trick to pull off. Of course there are no measurements.
Found some
http://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-note-e-lexus-signature-loudspeaker-measurements
Rob
-6dB at 18hz from a small ported box with an 8" woofer?? That's no easy trick to pull off. Of course there are no measurements.
Found some
http://www.stereophile.com/content/audio-note-e-lexus-signature-loudspeaker-measurements
Rob
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I have heard Audio Note speakers on many occasions and I always leave the room thinking these guys just don't get it. Usually, I am the only one in the room that is listening along with the dealer...who seems to have a somewhat "shell shocked" look on his face.( due to my obvious lack of interest and the fact that I am probably the only a'phile he has seen all day!)
IMHO, IF these speakers and gear were something special and were competitive with the best out there, then MAYBE
...BUT they are NOT and again IMHO, they aren't even close.
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I have heard Audio Note speakers on many occasions and I always leave the room thinking these guys just don't get it. Usually, I am the only one on the room that is listening along with the dealer...who seems to have a somewhat "shell shocked" look on his face.( due to my obvious lack of interest and the fact that I am probably the only a'phile he has seen all day!)
IMHO, IF these speakers and gear were something special and were competitive with the best out there, then MAYBE
Davey, I agree completely. Their set ups at shows are laughable too.
Their digital gear (!!!) and electronics are very good sounding. The speakers. Not so much. Their early digital DAC (IIRC the 3.0 that I reviewed in TAS) was along with the Altis, one of the few digital units that I could listen to.
ES347,
My apologies for my mistype - hopefully the ES437 is not a lousy guitar ... I do not pretend to change your view, just expose another perspective of high-end. But as AudioNote is, IMHO, an example of a serious company that pursuits an alternative view of sound reproduction I think people should know my view. Have you listened to a properly set-up very top Audio Note system? Or are you just extrapolating from your "certain" audio companies?
BTW, people often forget that AudioNote is a family of products that are very difficult to integrate properly in other systems - they are not the typical brand you can mix in your system. Reviews of individual components are usually a poor service to the brand and readers, except to show they were not properly integrated. I consider them as non aligned high-end.
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.Similar threads
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