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Vintage Audio Note AN-E speakers

lattiboy

lattiboy

Well-Known Member
I am aware of the (to me) preposterous prices that Audio Note stuff goes for, but I cannot find any info on this specific speaker, the AN-E/B. Also, the different lines of AN-Es seem to swing wildly in price.

They are in perfect condition with the heavy matching stands and the woofers were just professionally reformed a few years ago. Sequential serial numbers too.

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Anybody? I'm having no luck finding information on these. A guy in Finland is selling a pair for about $9,000. Although he appears to be as unsure of the value and model specifics as myself....
 
Get in touch with Peter at Audio Note. When I was re-doing my Snell E II's he was very quick to respond and offer advice. If you are considering these, I would make sure they are the real deal before proceeding. If they are, and the price is right, go for it. IMHO
 
I got a reply from audio note, apparently they don't "have information going back that far". He believes they are from 1992 and contain the AN-B internal cabling, but he is not 100%.
 
With Audio Note there are currently at least 10 versions - and the designation AN E/B will mean AN-B copper wires. AN E/Spe would be their speaker with 99.99% Silver Litz wires.

Constantine Soo (editor and owner of dagogo.com) wrote a review of the AN E/D in 2001 which was I believe the then top of the line speaker for $2750 http://www.stereotimes.com/speak071701.shtml

The good news for most of these original owners is that new pricey models came out and some of these older speakers then also go up in value as well so it is very possible that people who bought them new in the 90s will get more than they paid. Second hand buyers do okay if they love the AN E because they can buy them and get some semblance of AN E sound for a fraction of the price. I sold my AN J/Spe for 20% more in 2016 than I paid in 2003 for example.

The 1992 models would have the AN B cabling, and been made out of chipboard. As the years went by Audio Note turbo charged them moving to 13 ply Russian birch front and back with an MDF wrap, moving to silver wired models on the internal cables and also the voice coils themselves and to much higher quality caps resistors and external crossovers. Cabinets have now moved even further where they are full 15 plu no void Russian Birch with carted sheep's wool (over dacron) and Hemp woofers over paper and also AlniCo options on both the woofer and the tweeters.

So it is difficult to tell you what the second hand price would be but if I were the original owner I would probably take what he paid and ask at least double.

And for fun - You can see the new plant and the speaker plant that began in 2009 and how the speakers are currently being made. They are quite old school - built entirely by hand. No molded plastic assembly lines in China.

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017...nd-life-in-the-fast-lane-with-peter-qvortrup/

Lastly I would point out that a new pair of AN E/Lx speakers would beat ALL AN speakers from the 90s handily and any Snell. The tolerances are far higher and the quality of everything from drivers, cables, cabinetry is vastly superior to that era.

The AN E/Lx also gives you 20 finish options plus an option high gloss(so x2 for 40 choices) and retails new for $5,479.

There is an AN E/D model which is only available in black ash for $3,985 and $4200 (Hemp woofer version).

Further the AN E is offered as a kit speaker starting at $2,000.
 
Last edited:
RGA said:
With Audio Note there are currently at least 10 versions - and the designation AN E/B will mean AN-B copper wires. AN E/Spe would be their speaker with 99.99% Silver Litz wires.

Constantine Soo (editor and owner of dagogo.com) wrote a review of the AN E/D in 2001 which was I believe the then top of the line speaker for $2750 http://www.stereotimes.com/speak071701.shtml

The good news for most of these original owners is that new pricey models came out and some of these older speakers then also go up in value as well so it is very possible that people who bought them new in the 90s will get more than they paid. Second hand buyers do okay if they love the AN E because they can buy them and get some semblance of AN E sound for a fraction of the price. I sold my AN J/Spe for 20% more in 2016 than I paid in 2003 for example.

The 1992 models would have the AN B cabling, and been made out of chipboard. As the years went by Audio Note turbo charged them moving to 13 ply Russian birch front and back with an MDF wrap, moving to silver wired models on the internal cables and also the voice coils themselves and to much higher quality caps resistors and external crossovers. Cabinets have now moved even further where they are full 15 plu no void Russian Birch with carted sheep's wool (over dacron) and Hemp woofers over paper and also AlniCo options on both the woofer and the tweeters.

So it is difficult to tell you what the second hand price would be but if I were the original owner I would probably take what he paid and ask at least double.

And for fun - You can see the new plant and the speaker plant that began in 2009 and how the speakers are currently being made. They are quite old school - built entirely by hand. No molded plastic assembly lines in China.

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2017...nd-life-in-the-fast-lane-with-peter-qvortrup/

Lastly I would point out that a new pair of AN E/Lx speakers would beat ALL AN speakers from the 90s handily and any Snell. The tolerances are far higher and the quality of everything from drivers, cables, cabinetry is vastly superior to that era.

The AN E/Lx also gives you 20 finish options plus an option high gloss(so x2 for 40 choices) and retails new for $5,479.

There is an AN J/D model which is only available in black ash for $3,985 and $4200 (Hemp woofer version).

Further the AN E is offered as a kit speaker starting at $2,000.
Click to expand...


Wow! Thanks for all that info! You appear to be more in the know on these than Audio Note themselves!

The original owner said he paid around $3,000 back in the 90s.

At any rate, I listed them for $2200 with the stands over in Bartertown. No bites yet, but a lot of interest on my eBay listing at $2600.

I'll update this post when they do sell to give people a better idea.
 
The older ones still sound good - it's just that times change and they learn more and more - Audio Note hired Andy Whittle who is an LS-3/5a guru and designer for Rogers/Celestion and I think he has spurned the improved speakers.

Here is a photo of my finish of the AN E

ba12ace573eb02eb33b2424468dcd616.jpg
 
RGA said:
The older ones still sound good - it's just that times change and they learn more and more - Audio Note hired Andy Whittle who is an LS-3/5a guru and designer for Rogers/Celestion and I think he has spurned the improved speakers.

Here is a photo of my finish of the AN E

ba12ace573eb02eb33b2424468dcd616.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks like you have the hemp cone woofers?
 
slowpat said:
Looks like you have the hemp cone woofers?
Click to expand...

Yes I have spent quite a bit on them. I bought the AN E/Lx with Hemp in 2014 and then in 2016 (December) my dealer in Hong Kong had the AN E/Spx Alnico Hemp for sale (dealer demo). I was there to buy something else but felt that I could not pass them up and since they had a buyer for my E/Lx and I could get a good trade in value I bit the hefty bank sucking bullet and bought em.

The Alnico drivers are quite special having heard them at a fellow audiophile's house in Hong Kong - he is a retired pianist for the Beijing Symphony Orchestra and now teaches piano - he played for me a non dynamic compression CD of full scale direct to disc Chinese drums and I was amazed - even as an AN E owner the Alnico silver version was on another level. That experience made me buy them and spend more than I have ever spent in audio.

The AN E (formerly the Snell Type E) has been going well now for over 40 years. I am a pretty big fan of them as you can tell. Indeed, the speaker recently won loudspeaker of the year in 2015 and 2013 from Hi Fi Review (2013) in Hong Kong and Peter Breuninger (Reviewer for TAS and Stereophile now runs his own review outfit AVShowrooms (2015). That's pretty good for such an old speaker platform. Peter Snell was a genius IMO. He died so young (34) and we may have seen some really interesting designs over the years had he lived.

Here is an interesting (to me anyway as I like the sound) a 2 part video with reviewer Peter Breuninger and Peter Qvortrup with some listening in part two. I am amazed by their digital players that actually give Vinyl and Tape a run. It still loses to the best tape and vinyl but at least it is very good and doesn't sound like most digital.

 
Saw this thread and was going to recommend you PM RGA, but he beat me to the punch by a couple weeks. Great info here.
 
I heard today the AN E Spe\He version, the vocal is so real, never so heard before with all Audio note set up except the cables, the integrate amplifier was 300B from AN
 
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