The Avantgarde speakers are the closest to concert sound I have experienced. They involve you in the music to a degree other don't...for me anyway. This includes the major $38,000 speakers they replaced. These comment come after living with the Uno for a year. They bring out detail in TV and especially DVD movies which adds a major degree of realism. They are fun to look at and every visitor wants to hear them. Try to audition them. I'd be glad to tell you more. cfjohn@home.com Good luck Chuck |
The nice thing about this speaker line is that they are very efficient which means you can use very low powered amps, especially Single Ended triodes, that will give you crystal clear midranges and extended clear top ranges. |
It is very exciting to listen to the Avantgardes. It is like going to a concert for the first time and hearing dynamics that you cannot normally hear in your home audio system. I recommend very highly if you like music to thrill and emotionally involve you. As far as SET amps are concerned, I have tried powerfull push/pull amps on them and the 12 watt Viva Sintesi integrated blows it away. Unbelievable soundstage, detail and deep controled bass. I think it is the finest combination available as do many other Avantgarde owners. |
Hello. I have heard one, two and trio model. The model i prefer is Duo. In the one model you can easily heard the differance between drivers. The Trio is too much brilliant with a nasal midrange, mid bass almost nonexistent.Duo is the best compromise. Imho. |
they're horns. they honk. and they're butt-ugly. |
hi cornfedboy, the only honking i associate w/avantgarde acoustics speakers is *your comments*. they are *very* musical, not all those folks who love 'em are deaf. no arguments w/their appearance, tho. i *do* respect that ewe don't like their sound, i guess that's why there's many different speaker brands & designs... regards, doug |
I have Duo with Wavelength Triton amp. Best ever, so natural, not great for symphony, but great for jazz, piano, strings, and voice. |
With all the fuss over the Avantegardes I arranged an audition from a dealer of the Duo 2.0s. They are very good speakers and certainly well positioned for their price point. However, they possess an upper midrange coloration that can only be described as "cupping" to my ears. I listened with SET and push-pull tube amplifiers and found the coloration with both. I also found the subwoofer to be somewhat incongruent with the horns. People who like upper midrange emphasis via coloration (like electrostatic hybrids) should like these speakers. Strangely, I found these speakers make most female vocalists sound like Barbra Streisand, and make Barbra sound like Ethel Merman with a cold. On Sudafed. With a megaphone. |
Khry, you are someone else who hears the same sound from these speakers as I do. I have heard these at three CES shows, and although the show is no place to make a final decision, I did not hear enough of what I wanted to pursue it further. I do plan on listening again this next week, the show begins on Saturday. I would like to note, that I came from a background of horns, having been the technical rep. for JBL commercial. I began my career with Klipshorns and Electro Voice, when horn systems were required, due to the lack of high quality, high powered amps. The original horn speakers, like JBL, are true compression drivers, that is, the driver is a small phase plug configuration, driving into a horn load, designed for that frequency. The Avantegarde is actually a CONE speaker, with a horn set in front of it. The horn adds a distinct direction, and intensity (efficiency), but this is not a "true" horn speaker. And, before anyone gets mad, speakers are all about the sound you like, and the space you listen in. If they work for you, it does not matter what others think. Best to you! |
Khrys - your description of the Duo's affect on female singers is hilarious! I have only heard these very briefly and can't really comment since the demo room was tiny and packed with people. I think they are quite striking visually is about all I can say. If you are married, better check with the wife first! |
Khrys, you didn't have your head stuck in the midrange horn while you were listening did you? Any Uno or Duo owner who agrees with Khrys, please email me with a price. Prefer v2.0. |
Khrys, please accept my apology for the above comment. When I posed that question I didn't know you were a girl. I would never have been anything but gentlemanly had I known. Again, sincere apologies. |
albert and khrys appear to support my opinion of 10/07/00, albeit in a more polite manner. in any event, whether real or fake horns, they still honk and are still uglier than a carl_eber rant. treed, y would anyone who holds with khrys' opinion have anything to offer you? at any price? perhaps u have your head wedged? |
CornfedBOY, Your moniker implies you were raised on a farm by a wonderful Christian mother. Perhaps you should consider moving back home and giving her another chance to teach you some manners (assuming, of course, you don't still live with your mother). Also, I am offering to buy anyones Avantgardes who has read Albert, Khrys, and your so eloquent opinions and now agrees with YA'LL. Get it? |
After calling Khrys a girl, I'd say you may have a bit more backpedaling to do, Treed. Most women take offense. |
Khrys, please accept my apology for the above comment. When I posed that question I didn't know you were a woman. I would never have been anything but gentlemanly had I known. Again, sincere apologies |
treed: your moniker sounds like you're a possum, hangin' by its prehensile tail and shiverin' all over while the hounds bark menacingly below. BTW, nothing you guessed about me or my upbringing is correct. it's you, sir, who lacks manners or any manifestatation of ever having a mother, much less learning anything of polite discourse from her. it ain't polite to call someone "boy" or "christian," particularly when you've no idea whether i'm an african american or a muslim, or both. now, if you care to tell us all why you think avantgarde uno's are wonderful, please do so. that's what this threads about, to which you've contributed not a speck. i have listened to uno's and duo's in a number of enviroments, including particularly a first-rate sound room with which i am very familiar. moreover, i have heard the speakers driven by both tube and ss electronics, analog and digital frontends. in every listening experience, my impressions were the same. the speakers are bloated in the lower-to-middle midrange, lack low-bass coherence and have an unnaturally-sized image. the presentation of single female voices is strident and massed voices smeared. of the 15-20 speakers i've critically auditioned in the past year, i'd rate the avantgarde uno's no better than 10th or 11th. there are a number of competitors out there who produce a better-sounding transducer at the same or lower price than the uno's. 'course that's just my opinion. what's yours, possum-man? |
I see that once again, Cornfed has resorted to name calling. May Allah have mercy upon you, because we don't. |
carl: you have nothing to add to this thread, so why don't you go back to bed and watch gladiator again. or maybe listen to your cd-r's of napster mp3's on your tinny little maggies. |
carl: sorry i can't wait for what will undoubtedly be yet another clever reposte, but gotta leave for ces in the am. so, i'm signing off for a few days. yeah, i know, the show doesn't start 'til saturday. arriving early, tho, 'cuz bill gates want to do a meeting. again. |
Now boys, play nice or the folks at AudiogoN will send you to your rooms! Actually, I got a good chuckle after a morning of work, so thanks a lot. Now that you've got my attention, I'll at least have to see if they have a web site to see what all the commotion is about. |
Count me with Swampwalker. Sometimes you guys are just SO *funny*! |
So Treed, who knew you weren't an Ethel Merman fan? How did you know I had my head stuck in the midrange horn? Experience? |
Khrys, yes ma'am. I was sitting on the floor, working on the woofer and one of my kids knocked the speaker over, midrange horn landed slap on my head. Took two hours to get my head unstuck! |
i hope you took advantage of the situation by playing some music--i bet you were in heaven as the sound [tried to] emanate out of the horn |
Takes a real man to admit that Treed. I'm impressed. |
Avantgarde could clear up a lot of questions about their speakers performance if they published frequency response measurements. The Avantgardes should provide flat response along with the acknowledged high efficiency in order to justify such high prices. I have not been able to audition them personally as there is no distributor where I live. I realize that Cornfedboy doesn't like the speakers which is fine; however, he should quit taking swings at members he doesn't like or agree with. |
don't have it handy, but stereophile did a pretty good yob of measuring the uno's in their recent review. |
Thanks for the update Sedond. I will try to get a copy of it. I am interested in these speakers because the vast majority of owners like them and because of their high efficiency. Definite worth checking out. |
They are absolutely worth giving them an extended, and open minded evaluation. I recently auditioned a pair of Duo's using 3 different amplifier sources. They do things that no other speaker can do in my experience. They have immediacy, incredible dynamics, minute detail, and an effortless presentation of music at lifelike spl's. However, they are definitely colored - in a minor way - in that they do sound like the music is coming out of a megaphone. But, this slight coloration can be gotten used to by many. If so, the rewards are worth it. For me, I can't get past this slight honky-ness. |
while i usually agree w/what cornfedboy has to say, in the case of the avantgardes' sound, i have to respectfully disagree w/him this time. i heard the earlier wersion of the duos, and if they were in my budget, they'd be prime contenders, even if i *do* think they're eyesores. *this* point, i *do* agree w/the iowa-lad... ;~) |
Good point Sedond. Buying a new pair of speakers is definitely not in my budget at this time. Considering their dynamic range the Avantgardes would not be a good choice for an apartment dweller such as me. Hope to change this some day. Fifteen dollar an ounce silver will help a lot. Will also keep Cornfed's and Audiojerry's comment in mind if I get a chance to audition them. |
7p62mm, i *am* considering gnu speeks - yust something a bit more reasonably-priced, if yust as ugly, in a different way! :>) check out the reviews on audioreview for the newform research r645's. i suspect these mite be giant-killers... i *hope* so, anyways! ;~) regards, doug |
