PS audio AN 3 speakers at RMAF 2019

[Bahamayellow]

Hello, here is the video that I recorded of the AN3 speakers at RMAF 2019. It was recorded with a iPhone 6s so quality is not going to be a professional variety. I know making a speaker can’t be easy and takes a lot of time and money to develop. Swechsler informed me that they are still tweaking the speaker and working on it so these may be initial prototypes. That being said also music selection might have been a factor for these as well. I would like to say the fit and finish looked very good. It had a side firing woofer with 2 mid woofers a panel style mid range in the front. . Listening to the video i remember it started out sounding decent then when the more complex instruments came in there wasn’t much detail. Not sure if that was a problem or not. I wish I would have taken better pics and went back before I left to listen again.

 

[jazzmans]

Thanks for that, I know it's not a pro video, but it sounds. well, terrible.
when you listen to it, does it sound much like it did live?

 

[Bahamayellow]

Thanks for that, I know it's not a pro video, but it sounds. well, terrible.
when you listen to it, does it sound much like it did live?

It didn’t sound that well. It definitely was missing a few things. The sound was dark and very muddy in the mid range. It is probably a initial prototype. I can’t imagine the cost of the gear hooked to it.

 

[Bahamayellow]

Thanks for that, I know it's not a pro video, but it sounds. well, terrible.
when you listen to it, does it sound much like it did live?

It did pretty much sound like that live also Jazzy.

 

[Infinity4Eva]

Well, designed by Chris Brunhaver and Co. and not Arnie Nudell. There is not more to say, sorry.

 

[okeeteekid]

Right off the bat I can tell the midrange lacks dynamics and snap to match the awesome dynamics of the woofer and midbass drivers, it sounds lifeless, most likely because a 3rd of the mid is blocked by the tweeter, anytime you put something too close in front or behind a planar driver it causes the diaphragm to move much less, naturally planar drivers are less dynamic than cone drivers as they have less movement, blocking it makes things even worse.
I also noticed on both AN 3 prototypes that the upper midrange is kind of weak/recessed, it sounds good on men and womens lower vocals but it doesn't get the upper vocals of a woman right to me, like I said it just sounds weak/recessed there.

 

[swechsler]

Here are a couple of videos regarding the AN3:

Discussion of driver design

A couple of minutes with the engineers hacking the crossover

 

[Newk_Yuler]

I was hoping someone here would post about these speakers at RMAF. Thanks for sharing.

 

[techguy0192]

Yeah....so I was wondering how this would shake out. I have been monitoring RMAF remotely as I was unable to attend. To be honest, I was extremely shocked to see such drastic changes to the AN3. I mean....it's pretty far off from the original design.

I don't mean to come off as harsh or beating up PS Audio. I just find the update extreme for a product that was on the verge of launching. It comes across as a rushed attempt to get into the speaker business.

 

[swechsler]

Hello, here is the video that I recorded of the AN3 speakers at RMAF 2019. It was recorded with a iPhone 6s so quality is not going to be a professional variety. I know making a speaker can’t be easy and takes a lot of time and money to develop. Swechsler informed me that they are still tweaking the speaker and working on it so these may be initial prototypes.

I actually hadn't realized that RMAF had just happened. It appears that the information I posted was older than the show, so it's quite possible that the version shown at RMAF is the final prototype, which would be somewhat disappointing (although not being in the market for new speakers, it doesn't really affect me). Also odd; since the IRS is Paul's reference speaker, I would expect something that sounds almost as good.

 

[invaderzim]

..... To be honest, I was extremely shocked to see such drastic changes to the AN3. I mean....it's pretty far off from the original design...

It may sound cold but I have to wonder, at what point does the name just seem like marketing rather than a tribute with that much changed.

 

[kurtgo]

I could be guessing here but I got the feeling PS Audio is going for the big ones and they just wanted to get something out there to wet the appetites. Scott got really excited when we talked about the upcoming bigger models to really go head to head against the IRS V. The AN3 seemed a bit "behind the 8 ball" as respects to a few others' speakers at the show. Especially Vandersteen. The dynamics were incredible on those Kentos. But, $15k vs $36k - they better be.

 

[pauljh]

It may sound cold but I have to wonder, at what point does the name just seem like marketing rather than a tribute with that much changed.

The AN3s still have a servo subwoofer, a powered mid bass coupler, and ribbon midrange and tweeters. These were all characteristics of AN’s last speaker design. I think the project is still inspired by and a tribute to its namesake.

 

[Infinity4Eva]

As far as I recall these things do not help much unless the design philisophy is not particularly the same that it was under Arnie. Besides off all measurement being take from pole to tranship response Arnie mostly look at energy response. I am not sure since most peoplle called the sound more "dull-like" how this would look like.
Also his philisophy was to keep the moving mass, coils small as possible to that the min amount of engery goes stright into the coils and the greatest amout is moving the speaker digramm or membrane.

Since all drivers are high sensitivy now this will turn into opposite, but taking away the depth, crisp clear presence we know back from Infinity.

I see nothing here from the drivers to the crossovers that may relfect Arnies designs. Copper Coils may have sense for woofers where coils do go into a dialetric saturation before limit of exursion is reached. That may make sense to give woofers more contours on passive speakers. Their magnetic field by inructance tries to weaken under normal coils.

However, in the mids and highs section as well as Caps of high inductance in series may take something away in the sound. From taking closer look he exactly put them into the path directly.

Until now I have difficuilties to really see parallels to Arnies designs. Being working with Infinities for a long time and having sucessfully worked on them also, I will make one decision quickly.
As soon as these things are available in Europe I will take my favourite recordgins and run off the dealer for a listening section.

Chris Brunhaver is just looking for lineary not speed. He has not taken closer looks to the CMS and to the enegry curve.

But before making up a judgement, I will wait and report back when they are available.

Cheers!

 

[meyersihm]

Iphone 6s video might not do it full justice, but boy did it sound bad to my ears. I'm reminded of those big,heavy sounding speakers you'd hear in a mass-market hi-fi store where they crank it up to demonstrate the bass impact. IMO, speaker had no subtly at all and sounded nothing like live music,

Anyone know the retail cost, I'm told they're not cheap.

 

[Infinity4Eva]

As far as I recall between 15.000 to 20.000$. They are still voicing the mid/treble a bit, but I am not sure if they can keep production costs. The old AN3 has been discounted before it was even released and it did look a little more promising to be honest. Not sure where this is going, but final judgement can be made when I heard them.

 

[meyersihm]

I'm told $17k is retail.

Bob Harley liked it FWIW. Maybe he heard it under different conditions. I have not head of anyone there, other than Harley saying they liked it. There's a TON of really good speakers at $17k or less

 

[Infinity4Eva]

I am not sure where we are going since the prginal concept by Arnie has been changed several times. Only a listening session can tell you if they are really worth the money.
But I guess I will stick with old Infinitys, rebuilt them and enjoy them. I see nothing thats really new and nothing that has changed that much.

 

[Infinity4Eva]

Well lets see where we will go. I will report back after a listening session and they are available around February 2020 in middle Europe.

 

[texanalog]

Well, designed by Chris Brunhaver and Co. and not Arnie Nudell. There is not more to say, sorry.

If you were wondering why the mid-range and tweeter drivers looked somewhat familiar or reminded you of Bohlender Graebener drivers.

From Linkedin page ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-brunhaver-64a14a8 ) for Chris Brunhaver :

"Project Manager / Product Manager
BG Radia Corporation
Dec 2005 – Feb 20115 years 3 months

Managed all product development, QA, sourcing and outside engineering resources for a high-end manufacturer of residential and commercial line array loudspeakers utilizing planar magnetic “ribbon” transducers.Managed all product development, QA, sourcing and outside engineering resources for a high-end manufacturer of residential and commercial line array loudspeakers utilizing planar magnetic “ribbon” transducers."