Полочная акустика — Audio Note AX

The AX is the entry-level loudspeaker range from Audio Note, the British company based in Hove, East Sussex, which grew out of the Japanese Audio Note founded by Hiroyasu Kondo and has long been led by Peter Qvortrup. The AX is a compact two-way bass-reflex design intended to bring Audio Note's loudspeaker philosophy - boundary placement, easy loads and high efficiency relative to size - to a small cabinet that can stand on a stand or lie on its side on a rigid shelf. Like all Audio Note speakers, it is designed to work with low-powered amplifiers, including the company's own single-ended valve models.

Key specs that matter

The AX is a two-way, bass-reflex loudspeaker. Its frequency response extends from 55Hz to 60kHz, nominal impedance is 6 ohms and it accepts amplifiers from 7W to 100W. The cabinet is compact, measuring about 30 x 19.6cm on its front face, and is designed for placement close to room boundaries.

Engineering and use context

Audio Note designs its loudspeakers to be placed near walls, ideally in room corners, and toed in so their axes cross about a metre in front of the listener. Working with the room, the company uses the nearby boundaries as part of the design - a wall or corner reinforces bass output, and the AX's reflex tuning and crossover are voiced with that reinforcement in mind, and its bass output grows markedly near walls. Audio Note's stated approach is to tune cabinet resonances so they complement the drivers instead of trying to eliminate them, and to use broad, shallow cabinet proportions that give the drivers a baffle effect similar to a larger wall. Because the AX works close to the wall, it does not need to be placed well out into the room as many speakers do, which suits small living spaces and shelves. The easy load reflects Audio Note's emphasis on speakers suited to modest valve electronics. The AX can be used horizontally on its side on a firm shelf, which Audio Note allows because boundary loading is part of the design.

Pairing

The AX pairs naturally with Audio Note's Zero series electronics and low-powered single-ended valve amplifiers, while its wide power range also covers solid-state integrated amplifiers. It should be placed close to a rear wall or in a corner, on a rigid, massive stand or a solid shelf, to achieve its intended bass balance.

Alternatives

Audio Note's own AZ-Two is a larger two-way loudspeaker from the series above the AX.