Audio Note AN-K/LX Loudspeakers

The Audio Note AN-K/LX is a compact two-way passive loudspeaker with a sealed acoustic-suspension cabinet.

It combines an eight-inch paper-cone bass and midrange driver with a three-quarter-inch dome tweeter, copper voice coils and Audio Note AN-Lexus LX copper internal speaker cable.

Its birch-plywood enclosure, wide front baffle and simple hardwired crossover follow the same underlying design principles as the larger AN-J and AN-E models, but within a smaller cabinet that is easier to accommodate.

What Does AN-K/LX Mean?

• AN-K: Audio Note’s compact sealed two-way loudspeaker design
• LX: Audio Note AN-Lexus LX copper internal speaker cable

The AN-K/LX sits above the entry-level AN-K/D and below models using Audio Note silver internal cabling and more advanced crossover components.

It should not be confused with the AN-K/SPe, which uses AN-SPe silver cable, or the AN-K/SPx SE, which adds higher-grade silver cable and crossover components.

Sealed Acoustic-Suspension Cabinet

The AN-K differs from the larger AN-J and AN-E because it uses a sealed enclosure rather than a rear reflex port.

The air trapped inside the cabinet contributes to the control of the bass driver, while the design avoids the additional output and timing behaviour introduced by a conventional port.

Although sealed, the AN-K has still been designed to make use of nearby walls. Boundary placement reinforces its lower-frequency output and forms an important part of achieving the intended tonal balance.

Eight-Inch Paper Bass Driver

Low and middle frequencies are reproduced by an eight-inch paper-cone driver with a foam surround and copper voice coil.

The relatively large cone area helps the AN-cone driver with a-K move air efficiently without using several smaller drivers or a complex multi-way crossover.

Audio Note favours naturally damped materials that are intended to reproduce instruments and voices without adding an obvious material character of their own.

Three-Quarter-Inch Dome Tweeter

A compact three-quarter-inch dome tweeter handles the high frequencies.

Its size, sensitivity and behaviour are selected to integrate closely with the larger paper-cone driver through the simple crossover network.

Both drivers use copper voice coils in the AN-K/LX, while silver voice coils and more advanced driver specifications are used on selected Audio Note models further up the range.

90dB Sensitivity

Audio Note quotes a sensitivity of 90dB for 1W at 1 metre and a characteristic impedance of 6O.

This makes the AN-K easier to drive than many similarly sized modern loudspeakers and allows it to work with carefully matched lower-powered amplification.

Audio Note recommends a minimum amplifier output of 7W RMS per channel. Room size, listening distance, preferred volume and amplifier quality should still be considered when choosing a suitable partner.

Birch-Plywood Cabinet

The enclosure is constructed from birch plywood and finished in real wood veneer.

Instead of attempting to suppress every trace of cabinet movement with extreme bracing and damping, Audio Note applies these measures selectively.

The cabinet is designed to work sympathetically with the drive units rather than behave as a heavily damped container disconnected from them.

Its shallow depth and relatively wide front baffle also help support the operation and dispersion of the drive units when the speaker is placed near a room boundary.

AN-Lexus LX Copper Internal Cable

The internal connections between the input terminals, crossover and drive units use Audio Note AN-Lexus LX copper speaker cable.

AN-Lexus LX is a high-purity copper design and represents a significant part of the LX model’s specification.

External speaker cable remains a separate system choice. Audio Note AN-Lexus LX offers the most direct matching option, although other suitable cables can also be used.

Simple Hardwired Crossover

The AN-K/LX uses a simple, essentially first-order internal crossover with copper air-cored inductors and selected capacitors.

The crossover is hardwired rather than assembled as a conventional mass-produced printed circuit board.

Keeping the network relatively simple reduces the number of components placed between the amplifier and drive units, while the crossover values are matched to the drivers used in each stereo pair.

Dynamically Matched Loudspeaker Pairs

Drive units of the same model can vary slightly in their mechanical and acoustic behaviour.

Audio Note therefore matches the drive units and crossovers dynamically rather than relying only on nominal electrical component values.

Each loudspeaker is compared with a master response curve and matched with its stereo partner to within 0.4dB, helping maintain consistent tonal balance and stable central images.

Close-to-Wall and Corner Placement

The AN-K is intended to operate close to solid room boundaries, where nearby walls reinforce the bass output from its sealed enclosure.

Audio Note recommends beginning in the room corners or at least against a solid rear wall. If the bass is too strong, move both loudspeakers gradually into the room while maintaining similar distances from their surrounding walls.

If voices and instruments appear divided between the left and right speakers, bring the cabinets slightly closer together. Small changes in toe-in can then be used to refine focus and treble balance.

Dedicated Audio Note AN-K Stands

For conventional upright placement, the AN-K should be supported by a rigid, high-mass stand that positions the tweeter at a suitable height for seated listening.

The dedicated Audio Note AN-K Speaker Stands are designed specifically for the cabinet and are available separately.

The stands measure 570mm high and use fillable steel pillars with adjustable locking floor spikes. Audio Note recommends using four small pieces of Blu-Tack to secure each cabinet to its stand.

Shelf Placement

Audio Note also allows the AN-K to be placed on its side on a rigid and stable shelf.

The shelf must be strong enough to support the 11kg cabinet and deep enough to hold it securely without overhang.

Both speakers should use the same orientation and be positioned symmetrically. A small amount of Blu-Tack can be used to help secure the cabinets to the supporting surface.

Single Wiring and Bi-Wiring

Separate high-frequency and low-frequency binding posts are fitted to the rear of each cabinet.

With the terminal links fitted, the AN-K/LX can be connected using one conventional run of speaker cable per channel.

Removing the links allows separate cable runs to feed the high-frequency and low-frequency crossover sections for bi-wiring.

Compatible bi-amplification is also possible, but the terminal links must be removed before separate amplifier channels are connected.

Amplifier Options

The AN-K/LX is suitable for carefully matched low-powered valve amplifiers as well as compatible transistor designs.

The Audio Note OTO Phono SE provides around 10W per channel in its single-ended version, placing it within Audio Note’s suggested operating range.

The Audio Note Cobra offers greater power alongside analogue and digital source connections, providing another natural system option.

AN-K or AN-J?

The AN-K is the smaller of the two designs, with a sealed cabinet measuring 470mm high.

The Audio Note AN-J/SPe Hemp uses a larger rear-ported cabinet, has higher quoted sensitivity and provides deeper published bass extension.

The AN-K is likely to be easier to accommodate in smaller rooms, while the AN-J offers greater scale where the room and system allow. A demonstration remains the best way to choose between them.

Real Wood Veneer Finishes

Audio Note finishes its birch-plywood loudspeakers in responsibly sourced, book-matched real wood veneer.

Natural variations in colour, grain and figuring mean that no two pairs will look completely identical. These variations are part of the character of real wood rather than manufacturing faults.

Standard satin, selected high-gloss veneers and special-order finishes may be available, subject to current production, pricing and lead times.

Running In

New drive units require a period of normal use before their suspensions settle fully.

Audio Note suggests allowing approximately 100 hours for the AN-K to run in. During the early stages, the presentation may initially sound tighter, brighter or less developed.

As the drive units settle, the bass should become fuller and the treble smoother. The exact running-in period will depend on programme material, listening volume and frequency of use.

Key Features

• Compact two-way passive loudspeakers
• Sealed acoustic-suspension enclosure
• 90dB sensitivity for 1W at 1 metre
• 6O characteristic impedance
• Eight-inch paper-cone bass and midrange driver
• Foam bass-driver surround
• Three-quarter-inch dome tweeter
• Copper voice coils
• Audio Note AN-Lexus LX copper internal cable
• Hardwired internal crossover
• Copper air-cored crossover inductors
• Dynamically matched drivers and crossovers
• Birch-plywood cabinets
• Book-matched real wood veneer
• Designed for close-to-wall placement
• Separate high-frequency and low-frequency terminals
• Single-wire, bi-wire and compatible bi-amplifier operation
• Dedicated Audio Note AN-K stands available separately
• Two-year manufacturer warranty

Frequently Asked Questions