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Acapella vs. Avantgarde

I currently run a Cary CD-306, Cary SLP-05 preamp, and Cary 805AE monoblocks with a pair of ProAc D38's (see system). The combination is sweet and involving, but the combo just does not boogie when asked to play a large orchestral piece, by Mahler/Wagner/Shostakovich. When the volume is turned up, dynamics are poor and the system starts to sound compressed. I suspect that the 50W Cary's simply does not have enough guts to drive the ProAc's, so I am considering replacing them with a more efficient speaker. Since most SET afficionadoes love horns, this led me to look into Avantgarde and Acapella.

I live in Melbourne, Australia. Avantgarde is available through a dealer here, but he does not have any in stock. The Acapella dealer is in Sydney (a plane flight away). I am looking to spend A$30,000 - which will buy a nice Avantgarde Duo, or a secondhand Acapella High Violon.

I have read plenty about the dynamics of the Avantgardes, but my concern is if they have horn coloration. Also, how do they image? Are they sensitive to room placement?

Would the Acapella High Violon's be a better buy, considering the pair I can potentially get my hands on have been heavily discounted? I have read that Acapella's suffer from disjointed sound because of the three different driver technologies (plasma tweeter, horn mids, conventional woofer). How much is this a problem? And are there any room placement issues? Given that the Acapella's have lower sensitivity (91 dB/W/m) would I be achieving a real upgrade by moving from the ProAc's?
amfibius
Post removed 
amfibius OP
282 posts
 
Wow, that's why I love this forum ... thank you everyone for your detailed responses. So far most of you think that the Avantgardes would be a better choice given that I only have 50W of SET power to drive the speakers. Actually, I own a pair of 805AE's (not 805C's) which can deliver up to 70W when fitted with the 211 valves. It just so happens that I prefer the sound of the 845's, and in this configuration the amplifier makes 50W. Markxii, what amp do you think would be a good match for the Acapella Violons?

Tvad, you are the first to mention the "Avantgarde sound". I have spoken to a few other audiophiles who have heard the Avantgarde and they do say that it has a certain type of sound. I'm not the type who will insist on an absolute lack of coloration ... in fact I do not mind a bit of coloration provided it makes my type of music sound better. But my other sources also indicate that the type of coloration Avantgarde introduces is harsh and trebly, as you seem to indicate. As my room is already quite "live", I am concerned that this may contribute detrimentally to the music.

Docsavage, it will not be possible to audition the speakers with my amps. The dealer is in a different city, so if I want to audition the speakers i will have to fly there. Not that I mind, considering that the asking price is not small! But you can imagine the difficulty of lugging a pair of Cary monoblocks on a plane! If you think I am insane, the queue starts right there, behind my wife :)
edle
235 posts
 
I'm doing some diging regarding the Avantgarde horn and I came across this in the net....

'According to Avantgarde USA the horns are made with pure, already dyed ABS and are not painted. The same material is used for some toilet seats so any non abrasive toilet cleaner should be OK. Do not use it on drivers. And better check with Avantgarde.'

No wonder the horn looks familiar:) !!!!
docsavage
109 posts
 
No Amfibius, You are certainly not more insane than any of the rest of us in this hobby. In fact I think you are on the right road with your speaker choices.
Markxiii said it all. The plasma drive on the Acepella's is incredible.
Amps I have used with my speakers include EAR 519, Atma-sphere MA1 Mk2.3 with resister and power supply upgrade and Einstein Mk 60's. I have tried several others but they are not worth mentioning. I love OTL amps and they sound great with Acapella's. I believe the factory uses the Einstein OTL's for voicing their speakers. Good luck.
markxiii
109 posts
 
Amfibius, since your 805AE's are capable of putting out 70 wpc they may actually be OK. Are these Violons the "High" version with a single woofer or the more expensive "High Suboktav" version with two woofers?? The single woofer version is easier to drive, the "Suboctave" model has considerably better bass, but it needs more current to make these woofers moving.

Docsavage, do you mind sharing your thoughts on the Atmas vs. Einstein amps on your Campanilles?
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