Thought I’d share our first view of the newly styled AN3 loudspeaker. You can see it’s still a two-box solution like version 2 we showed at RMAF, but that’s where the similarities end.
All new drivers designed by Chris Brunhaver. Twin 10" low distortion linear drivers for the subwoofers, twin 8" low distortion drivers for the midbass coupler (now passive without active amplifier), a new version of the 10" midrange ribbon, ribbon tweeter front and back, 700-watt built-in sub amplifier. Solid walnut stand.
Looks FANTASTIC to me, quite different and has much more WAF than what I saw at AXPONA, APART from the wooden stands!
To me, they don’t look right, color doesn’t make sense and the more traditional design is in contrast to the more modern look of the rest of the speaker. They should be metal, or different color of wood, and maybe shaped in a more modern way (like how legs look on Focal, Sonus Faber).
It also looks like slimmer, which is great! Can’t wait to listen to these!
Yes, the stand is shock mounted on sorbothane cups recessed on the inside edge. Also, the woofers are horizontally opposed in a force cancelling arrangement to minimize enclosure vibration.
Thank you for the picture. Will you offer different colors?
As to the stand I like it because it is different and its openness offers a contrasts to the box shape of the speaker. I do like the wood look. I would like to see casters on each leg becuase I am constantly moving mine.
Paul, Chris,
I want to avoid being critical, so consider the following just one persons reaction. The top half looks to boxy to me. I would prefer a front profile to be trapezoidal which would give an overall vertical look. I think the flat top seems to catch the eye, distracting from the over all form.
Chas
They look gorgeous to me. Looking forward to hearing them. The walnut is stately but not my cup tea. I’d prefer to see the same lines in a brushed aluminum or grey anodized finish. Maybe the same style stand can be offered in other materials or finishes down the road.
Nice job Chris, Paul and to all the other folks involved.
It’s quite obvious that form follows function. As Chris says, the side mounted drivers have to be horizontally mounted to cancel each other out internally. A speaker with the same issue is the Vivid Kaya 90, and previous Vivid speakers, in which two horizontally mounted side firing pairs are mounted in the lower part of the unit.
I presume this could not be done in the AN3 because they are active and so the lower section is full of amps and DSP stuff, whereas the Kaya are passive, plus the mid-bass couplers are large drivers. Putting the couplers up top determines the parallel sides, softened with curved corners. Clearly they need outriggers to be stable, whereas bottom-heavy speakers like Wilson and Vivid can have hidden feet. I had top heavy PMC speakers that had elegant little chrome legs that made a very thin speaker very stable.
It’s certainly a distinctive design and the quality of the finish looks excellent. You just won’t please all of the people all of the time. Maybe Avocado or Fire Engine Red?
P.s. I don’t like the gold/brass speaker rims and bolts. That only demonstrates personal taste. I love walnut, most of my listening room is walnut including the floor (French walnut, lighter and redder than American walnut). My speakers are walnut veneer.
If there are spikes or some other form of threaded feet on the bottom of the stand then all you need to do is order Herbies Gliders either the threaded or free-standing type then slide them around all you want.
My experience of the tall tin PMC is you don’t want them sliding about. You need outrider feet of some sort with the ability to level them on spikes.
If you think about the stability were they to to get pushed from the side, horizontal bar feet like the PMC provide more stability than vertically mounted feet as per Paul’s picture. It also depends on how heavy the lower section is.
