The Es were also excellent in their sense of sheer impact, as in the percussion on that album's "Heart of Gold": That sound was more forceful and dramatic through the Audio Notes than either my Quad ESL-989s or my comparatively bass-shy Lowther horns. And on good recordings of more straightforward rock-try almost any song from Classic Records' great LP reissue of Neil Young's Greatest Hits (Reprise 48935-1)-the sound of the electric bass was deep, full, and strong, with believable timbre and excellent clarity of attack. The realistic sibilance of Drake's voice in the middle eight was pleasantly startling, and every note in Richard Thompson's electric guitar part was a joy. Listening to "Time Has Told Me," from Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left (CD, Island 422 842 915-2), through the Audio Notes was an absolutely wonderful experience. The first notes I wrote about the AN-E Lexus Signatures-which their distributor had already broken in during various shows and demonstrations-centered around the fact that they sounded "immediate, tactile, emotive, and above all, musically right, all without being in-your-face, overbearing, or anything even approaching bright or brittle." A month and a half later, my enthusiasm has only increased. The only significant shortcomings were a dip centered at 2.5kHz, and a more severe one at 50Hz that may have been room-related. (I have nothing but sympathy for the manufacturer whose products are reviewed in an incorrect manner and then condemned for the shortcomings that ensue.) I can say with confidence that an AN-E Lexus Signature, positioned approximately 4' from the wall behind it and a little more than 2' from the sidewall, exhibited the same basic frequency response as when standing in the corner-except, of course, for that bottom octave.Īs to which: In my room, with the AN-Es out of the corners, it was possible to get a generally smooth response curve, flat down to 40Hz. I proceeded to move the Es away from their corners a little at a time, listening and measuring to ensure that other aspects of their response didn't suffer as well. I tried that, and while I was amazed by their extension-flat to 25Hz!-I simply didn't care for their spatial presentation that way, being more used to a nearfield experience with my Quad electrostatic panels. Bear in mind that Peter Qvortrup intends for these speakers to be installed close to the wall behind them-preferably in the corners-for maximum bass reinforcement (footnote 3). There's something else that sets the AN-E's cabinetry apart from the norm, although it took me a while to realize what it was: Apart from the two drivers, the front baffle is undisturbed by anything else, including the visual blight of those cheap-looking plastic sockets for a grille that no one wanted in the first place.īefore I began making serious notes on all of the serious listening that lay ahead, I used the AudioControl SA3050 spectrum analyzer to help fine-tune the Audio Notes' placement in my main listening room, and to give graphic evidence of their best-case performance. Aesthetically, the Lexus Signature is a refreshingly simple thing, yet the depth and complexity in the grain of its flamey maple veneer-every surface comprises two flip-matched pieces-make it look as rich as it is serene. I could write at least 1000 words on the AN-E's appearance and not be done with the subject.
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