My Goodness!

So you think you can listen to a youtube recording of a random system on your system and know what the random system sounds like?

That's a good point, lol.

So is the random system performing at it's peak when your system sounds most like your system?

Yes, Audio Salon does a fantastic job with the sound quality of their videos. 

I am fully aware of what Youtube compression does to sound demos. One has to be comparative. I was just extrapolating that if the Audio Note system could sound that good relative to other Youtube fare, then it was probably a very good system. That does not pretend to be a thorough review.

bolong

Best system demo I have heard through Youtube.

That is damning with faint praise, sort of like, "That's the best hamburger I ever had at McDonald's."

Every YouTube video that I ever played on my system sounded just like the lossy compressed audio that it is.

It's more like praising with faint praise.

Best system demo I have heard through Youtube.

Best stripper at roachino's club next to the roach motel.

Very recently I was introduced to a Pre-Power Amp' design produced by a EE Friend that has an 3W Output. On the day of the Demo' New High Efficiency Speakers not heard by myself before were also in use.

A Selection of CDT's and CDP's of both SS and Valve circuits were in use, along with a Vinyl Source as well.

From recollection of the impression made of the 3 Watt Amp and Speakers Selected and now unfairly using the Computer Speakers to assess the AN Equipment. I am comfortable with the claim I have heard the AN Youtube Demo' bettered with equipment costing a fraction of their prices.

The 3 Watt Prototype Amp' and Speakers in conjunction with the Sources used, of which one was a AN CDP (heavily modified) and the other a EAR Acute, has made an everlasting impression and caused a rethink about all my thoughts gathered to date on the importance of Amplification.      

Of course, the elephant in the room here, literally, is that ear to ear encounters with systems at trade shows can be equally fuzzy as can be demos in dealer store rooms. It’s a wild and rocky world out there. Somehow, we manage to figure it all out because we are crafty and enterprising beasts who are often forced to rely on our wits.

Actually they sound very good on video. High efficiency speakers great for tube amps. 

@pindac 

"I am comfortable with the claim I have heard the AN Youtube Demo' bettered with equipment costing a fraction of their prices."

So then you are avowing that systems can be auditioned successfully via Youtube?

@ bolong I got it from the get-go. ;)  Thanks!  It's def a great sounding bit!

 YT Recording quality of a system playing a recording is paramount.

My cheap laptop sound was fantastic. Even sound good thru my cheap phone.

My ears can pick up cues as to the quality the sound coming out of the speakers into the room.

The room appears to be quite small, bare hard wood floors and speaker placement looks compromised. That said the sound is clear and detailed. Room is not "treated" and overall sound at times too "lively"= too much reflective area?

Same setup probably epic in a dedicated room?

@carlsbad2 

"So you think you can listen to a youtube recording of a random system on your system and know what the random system sounds like?"

I should have been clearer. Wasn't listening through my stereo system. Was listening through very mid-fi speakers under the Samsung Big Screen. I have listened to many a Youtube through that setup, so I have some sense of how that plays Youtube sound. When something sounds a cut above it makes me sit up and take notice, but not enough to buy something sight unseen. Could never afford the AN system anyway.

@tablejocky

There you go.

@tablejocky

There you go.

"I am comfortable with the claim I have heard the AN Youtube Demo' bettered with equipment costing a fraction of their prices."

I am also comfortable with the Claim, I have heard other Youtube Demo's of other types of Audio Equipment using the same Computer, that has been a much more enjoyed experience than that experienced during the AN Youtube Demo'.

The comments made could be partially influenced by the amount of Surface noise that appeared when using the AN Vinyl Source in the Youtube Demo'. Not an attractive listen, more of a detractor!!,  especially when Vinyl can be witnessed replayed on Youtube from much lesser market force entities, with a much much better presentation in relation to the AN surface noise produced. 

I have not spent much time listening to AN via Youtube, maybe some could think this discounts my comments.

I have been very familiarised with Demo's of AN designs over multiple years, as well as owned Audio Devices designed by Andy Grove prior to his move to AN where he remains as the Guru Designer.

Audio Note CD Sources, Cart's, Amp's and Speakers, Cables and Components are all experienced being used by myself. Even not too long passed the Kondo Ongaku has been used at a Demo' I attended to create a System Valued at £300k+, this Amp was selected to be compared to another 211 Power Tube Amp', which was the reason for the invite to the Demo'. I have never felt AN equipment is essential for being used in my own system, that is dominated with Valve Circuitry, where 845 Tubes supply the Power. 

As said the 3 Watt Prototype Amp' has created a pattern of thought that has caused myself to rethink all previous experiences had with Valve and SS Amplification.

The keyword is Prototype, the design has room to be tweaked and evolve. Ultimately it will become voiced to an even more attractive end sound.    

Bach's "Tocatta en Fugue" on any table setup is challenging. Jazz instrumentals and the vocals at times are a little "hot"/excessive reverb from that room.

Speakers BEHIND the rack- audiophool travesty!

...another Teacup Tempest.....😏🙄

Part of what I always find funny about the AN rooms is that they don't pay a lot of attention to the "room" acoustic - the tacit implication being that the system rises above all that. Rather cheeky and confident.

@bolong ...which is the ultimate shortcoming of all YT 'live' demos of anything of an audio nature....🤷‍♂️...

...but, 'cheeky is as cheeky does', and it hasn't seemed to effect their sales....

But, if they go 'belly up' later this week, I'll have Nothing to do with it...

Here is one of those videos featuring my ProAcs. I do not think it indicates a lot about the system's (not mine) in the room sound quality, but it is fun to watch/hear.

https://youtu.be/6LPhGY5PnMg?si=4_Q8b1bIC1catvvP

They have the microphones placed very close to the speakers, which can largely account for the difference you are hearing relative to other YT videos. This fact will also go a long way in minimizing the contribution of room reflections, creating an advantage that you wouldn’t experience were you there in person.

What’s largely masked in that YT recording is the box resonances (“warmth” to some listener’s ears) that are prevalent in AN speakers. AN essentially claims they can integrate those resonances such that they enhance the bass and dynamics, rather than serve as a distraction. IME, they don’t manage to achieve that goal any better than do the thin-wall BBC legacy brands (Harbeth, Spendor, Graham etc). If anything, I found their cabinets to be more lively and distracting than those aforementioned brands, despite the fact they produce tighter/drier bass. To me the AN-Es sounded as though they’d actually benefit from using thinner cabinet panels and less stiffness. That might lower cabinet resonances to a lower frequency band, making them better integrated with the bass.

Overall, the ANs sound how I would expect a speaker to sound if someone were to simply pick some mid-tier Seas drivers and slap them into an undamped plywood box with a first-order crossover. In other words, they sounded like what a novice speaker designer would achieve by merely playing with decent drivers in a garage-constructed box. Sometimes such designs can sound surprisingly respectable for the mere fact they have decent drivers.

There is more going on here than just "speakers." Would agree with many though that AN speakers are way overpriced for what they are.

Audio Excellence Canada Review

"Audio Excellence" in Toronto always has colorful things to say about Audio Note though, of course, they are selling them. Still, listening to reviews of Audio Note is like listening to reviews of an angel. There are apparently things going on that escape vocabulary, or that is the pretense anyway.