Audio AN-E-LX User Manual

Music’s Finest Conductor

AN-E Loudspeaker Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Unpacking Instructions 2

Loudspeaker Placement 3

Connection 4

Warranty Information 7

Running In 8

Care & Maintenance 8

Specifications 9

Contact Information 9

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of a pair of Audio Note™ AN-E loudspeakers! We
hope and expect that they will give you many years of musical enjoyment and
trouble-free listening. And, whether you know it or not, you’ve just struck a blow
in the service of Music.

Far too much of the high-end audio marketplace is occupied by low-efficiency
loudspeaker systems – several less-than-ideally-matched drivers and a very
complex, (read: life-sucking), crossover – all housed in a cabinet doing its best
impression of reinforced concrete or petrified wood. Of necessity, they are paired
with high-powered, nearly always solid-state amplifiers in an attempt to jump-start
their (and your) hearts. 10 times the power applied to a speaker which is 10dB less
efficient will produce the requisite sound pressure level, but what about coherency,
full natural micro-, as well as macro-, dynamics, inner detail? What about LIFE?
What about the musicians’ delivery of their and the composer’s EMOTION? Sorry,
they’re just not part of the “High Performance Audio” design brief. And Music suffers
for it.

The design of the AN-E Loudspeaker, by contrast, calls for a cabinet made from
materials that complement the workings of the chosen drive units. Instead of trying
to kill the resonances in the cabinet, we tailor the cabinet to place the resonances in
frequency bands where they aid and enhance the operation of the drive units,
culminating in a loudspeaker system that makes the most of the preceding
amplifier’s output.

The drive units employed in the AN-E have been developed with our very active
participation and are manufactured to our specifications.

The crossover is simple – essentially first order – hardwired and incorporates careful
location of components, both in relation to each other, and also in relation to the
woofer’s magnet, which influences the behaviour of the crossover a great deal. The
crossover uses air-cored chokes and select bipolar and polypropylene capacitors.
(In the Signature models, copper foil, and in the Sogon, silver foil.) The AN-E
internal cabling consists of varying numbers of either 99.99% pure copper or

99.99% pure silver wire, depending on the exact model. (See specifications.)

This combination of design approach, parts quality and manufacturing process yields
an extremely even load characteristic as well as a very flat power/frequency
response that remains within tightly controlled limits throughout its working
bandwidth.

Each complete loudspeaker is individually adjusted under dynamic operating
conditions, using proprietary software, in order to compensate for the slight
variations that always exist in drive units and assures precise uniformity of sonic
performance. This individual adjustment, and matching to a reference, of each
crossover network to each pair of drive units allows an unparalleled degree of
sample-to-sample consistency not only within pairs of loudspeakers, but also from
one pair to another. Each of you’re an-E loudspeaker’s performance is within

0.4dB of its mate and our reference response curve. To the best of our
knowledge, no other loudspeaker manufacturer achieves such close matching and
tests 100% of its production.

The result? Maximum efficiency and dynamic behaviour. And Life. And Emotion.
Retained and delivered with goose bumps. Your Music will thank you.

Unpacking Instructions

To easily remove the loudspeaker from its carton, fold the four bottom flaps
outward. Then, holding the inner packing material in place, tip the box over onto its
open end and simply lift the carton away.

If there are any signs of shipping damage, inform your dealer at once.

Be sure to save the cartons and all packing materials in the event that subsequent
sale or repair necessitates re-shipping.

At this time, please fill in the warranty card, putting both serial nos. and the date of
purchase on the card. The serial numbers are on the rear of the speakers below the
input terminals and on the outside of the packing cartons.

Loudspeaker Placement

The Audio Note™ AN-E is a highly versatile loudspeaker which will provide satisfying
performance in most listening environments.

For optimal tonal balance, the AN-E should be used on a stand of 24 - 27cm (10
inches) in height, for best results, use spiked high-mass stands that can hold the
speaker so firmly that even if the top of the speaker is pushed, it will not move at
all. Alternatively, light open-frame stands will give decent results provided they have
spikes rigidly coupling them to the floor, (through carpet if present.)

The speakers should be coupled to the stand by placing four pea-sized balls of Blu
Tack on the stand’s top and pushing the speaker down onto these so that they are
flattened. (We have included some of this Blu Tack with the instructions and
warranty card.)

The AN-E has very wide dispersion which provides a great deal of flexibility in the
different rooms and set ups, and despite being a rear ported design it is designed for
corner or near wall, much of the set up process is therefore counter-intuitive in that
it works in the opposite way to “normal” loudspeaker set up (for example move the
speaker CLOSER to the rear wall will normally result in a tightening and deepening
of the bass reproduction), so bear that in mind when you do the initial set up and
later adjustments.

The AN-E has, as a result of its wide dispersion, a very wide listening window,
allowing considerable angling (or toe-in) to provide an evenly distributed energy
window between the speakers, by allowing adjustment of early side wall reflections
either to adjust the frequency content to coincide and underpin the direct sound, or
prevent those reflections from interfering with the direct sound from the speakers.
These reflections will greatly affect tonal and stereo balance and even relatively
small changes in the speaker’s angle and distance to the sidewall can change the
room interaction markedly.

To control these reflections, place the outer edges of the speakers as close to the
side wall as possible, shortening the time difference between direct sound and first
reflections as much as possible. The optimal angle at which the speakers are aimed
at the listener varies from room to room. The room size will have a particularly
marked influence on the angling and proximity to the side walls, where room layout
allows.