Am I the only one that thought the AN3s that were at Axpona 2019 looked awesome?
Look at uncle Paul here lookin like a stud next to these wooden modern marvels:
What do you guys think about the look of these speakers?:
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I think we should give this version another shot…I think they would sell.
That proto-ship has sailed. Entirely different speaker now🤷🏻‍♂️
I would be interested to know if this is primarily a reaction to the wood sides, as a whole lot of folks were opposed to the thickness of them, which is a different question than the look of them.
It was my understanding that those wood sides were removable and therefore, id assume, highly customizable.
Was that not correct?
When my wife and I visited PS Audio and listened to the AN3s, the removable wood sides did not fit perfectly. This is because real wood “moves” due to stresses in the grain and in response to humidity changes and drying of the wood. The same issue occurred with our wood cupboard doors and the longer the piece of wood, the worse it can get.
We liked the wood sides, but as amateur woodworkers, we could see the challenge of consistency with them.
I don’t recall that being part of the idea at the time. I think it was initially part of the mass/solidity of the prototype cabinet, independent of the finish. Many liked the look of the wood, many disliked the thickness of the panels. If someone imagined it meant they were removable and available in different finishes - that was what it was - imagined. As with the rest of the design.
I greatly prefer the aesthetics of this AN3 version over the latest version. The new one looks like a large air purifier to me. These look like SPEAKERS. My 2 cents.
The AN3 protos shown at the last RMAF (as pictured above) were my favorite, as well, and not by a small margin.
But I have a hazy recollection of Paul (in one of the “Ask Paul” videos some time ago) commenting on the weight of the wood side panels. He also commented that they would require separate packaging for shipping.
So: extra weight, extra skus to manage in inventory and carrying costs, extra packaging, added shipping cost … do the math.
I like the looks of those too. Looks like a d’appolito rendition of the axpona 2019 version.
Yikes. As if aesthetics are the main problem this observer has with the AN. How about a stable design and predictable price point?
The new ones in person are nowhere near as offensive as many seem to feel based on the bad cell phone shots. They do have a certain look, but so do lots of speakers, including some very popular ones. However, if it is all about the wood panels, it looks like that ain’t happening at this point.
I also very much disliked the “ventilation” looking grills that covered the high end drivers. Looked like the venting of some new fancy HVAC unit. Just sayin’. I have NO idea how those speakers actually SOUND mind you. But the presentation leaves me cold.
That’s a mock-up of how the Coax tweet and mid will be, vs. the RMAF setup folks are complaining about.
Ok, I’m not sure I know the difference, but I’ll hush up and wait and see what the current iteration will be.
Reread the FR-30 thread, and pay attention particularly to what Chris writes about his speakers, would be my two cents.
The looks for this are interesting for sure…not bad, just different. I do really like the engineering - really into it! The more or less Uni-Q design and force cancelling woofers really reminds me of the KEF Blades, which I like alot. It’s actually a brilliant design imo.
I saw Paul’s post regarding the FR-30s. I hope Paul and everyone else didn’t think(from this string, which i created) that i disliked the new design of the speakers. I was just shining some sun on the first design, which i also liked.
I like all your designs at ps audio! Keep up the good work guys. Looking forward to Axpona 2020!(hopefully there is one this year, stay safe out there boys!)
You need a new carpenter. Most solid woods shrink. I had bifold doors made 3m x 0.75m each, solid cherry with glass panels, the carpenter made them too big and after 3 or 4 months they had shrunk to size.
Speakers are never made of solid wood. Besides the cost, ply or MDF are better acoustically and then get veneered. I assumed the AN3 panels were veneered.
