What's unique about the brand
Brand overview
The Uno SD is the place to start. Its bass comes from a powered woofer box with a room correction filter, and Damkroger used that filter on his Duos to tame the worst bass boom in his room. Roy Gregory of Gy8 calls the Mezzo the Trio "you can actually accommodate" and, on paper, the most interesting model for most serious listeners. A horn that reaches deep bass has to be huge, and Fromme puts it plainly: "The lower the frequency, the bigger the horn." The Trio is the big step up. You can buy it passive and add Avantgarde's iTRON electronics later, and Gregory called that switch a "night-and-day difference." With speakers this sensitive, Gregory warns, amplifier noise becomes a serious concern, so choose a quiet amp. He picked Avantgarde's own XA Power for the Trio because it is quick and quiet. Give them room, too. Damkroger set his Duos 4.5 feet from the front wall and 10 feet apart.
Fromme saw Pink Floyd live several times and found hifi a letdown next to the concerts, until a shop played him a pair of Klipschorn-like speakers. He tracked down rare horn literature from universities in East Germany, which took a year to reach him in the West. He met Matthias Ruff, an engineer, at a mutual friend's wedding, where the two ended up talking about horns. Fromme invested in molds for injection-molded ABS horns, and Avantgarde dates its beginning to 1991. The first product was the Trio, and at the IFA fair in 1993 the partners explained their designs ten hours a day and went home with swollen tongues. Gregory, writing in The Audio Beat, says it was the first spherical horn speaker he ever saw, and the first to capture the public's imagination. The BassHorn followed in 2003, and Fromme's own system became a Trio with six of them. Avantgarde still builds its speakers by hand in Reichenbach, near Darmstadt. The Trio G3 marked the company's 30th anniversary and won a 2023 Golden Ear from The Absolute Sound.
Sources
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
Firstly: Most prominently, our spherical horn technology with its precisely calculated wave-launch accounts for a unique appearance, outstanding (typically 104+ dBs/W/m) efficiency, and a favorably controlled sound dispersion in any room and environment. This gives our speakers an objet d'art character and makes amplifier choice a straightforward task: it’s all about sound quality, not about wattage.
Secondly: With launching the G3 series speakers, the range is optionally available in fully active versions, with the horn section powered by a breakthrough innovation regarding the membranes' displacement control: the proprietary iTRON current-drive amplifier technology. Executed in single-ended push-pull, fully Class-A, and zero-feedback topology, iTRON is the ideal and logical choice for offering not just conveniently connectable powered speakers but to consequently provide a musical experience beyond what is possible with customary voltage amplifier technology.
What's your approach to customer support?
Our customer support consists of a network of stipulated regional service providers and a central coordinating office at the factory for prompting the most effective procedures. Standardly, our local instances will be the recommended and most effective support channel (e.g., because of a time zone offset to Germany), while in specific cases, e.g., with "vintage support," our own team of experienced specialists may of course be addressed for appropriate advice and servicing.
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
Showcasing the famous Allman Brothers Band in an astonishingly intimate frame, on stage in a rather small club (while filling stadiums, usually), is the track "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed" from the record An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band – 2nd Set, recorded live in LA around 1992. Listened to by a dynamically capable and highly resolving speaker like from our range, the skillful, fun-driven playing, the vibrant atmosphere, and the cheering public make a "be there" experience par excellence. Ten minutes and fifteen seconds that fly.
Leopold Stokowski's famous Rhapsodies collection from 1960 (on Living Stereo, recorded at Manhattan Center) still holds surprises! While considered to be a "nice recording" anyway by many, especially true for the Liszt "Hungarian Rhapsody No.2," listeners who become exposed to the recording through our speakers realize far greater "ebb and flow" contrast in the orchestra's fantastic playing. At realistic concert level? As you please!
Meraki's "La Fong" track has driven people to tears (of joy…) where one would never think that this is the kind of music they'd fancy. Powerhouse electronic music that combines thrilling dynamics with a wonderful sense of space that does not merely scatter sounds into thin air but makes them glitter. A special, almost limitless trip when listened to by the right set of speakers.
What other products pair best with yours?
Especially in combination with our iTRON amplifiers, the co-branding question does not need an "exclusive" answer. Rather, it deserves an "inclusive" answer, as the high degree of control over the musical result ensured by horns and current-drive has generated feedback from our network that attests many excellent (no matter if praised for a specific strength or for an overall sound balance) source components to make a truly "shining" contribution.
Products overview
Every Avantgarde speaker pairs spherical wave horns with a sensitivity above 107 dB, built by hand in Reichenbach. The Uno SD uses a 500 mm midrange horn with a 10 inch bass driver. The Duo SD moves to a 670 mm horn and a 12 inch driver, and the Duo GT adds a second 12 inch driver with a 1,000 watt amplifier. The Mezzo changes the bass to a horn loaded system, and the Trio G3 adds a 950 mm horn for the low midrange.
- Start here. The ZERO iTRON is the entry point, a fully active speaker priced between $20,000 and $50,000 for a room above 16 sqm.
- Sweet spot. The Duo SD fits a dedicated room above 20 sqm, and reviewers praise its clarity and detail.
- All in. Owners with a large room can pair the Trio G3, the flagship with 109 dB sensitivity, with Spacehorn subwoofers.
Product list
What reviewers are saying
We read all the reviews, and here's what stands out:
- Avantgarde Acoustic distinguishes itself by using horn-loaded drivers across the frequency spectrum in many of their designs, prioritizing efficiency and dynamic range over traditional driver configurations.
- They offer a modular upgrade path with their speakers, allowing users to transition from passive crossovers and traditional amplification to fully active systems utilizing Avantgarde's proprietary iTRON current-drive technology.
- A core design principle is achieving seamless integration between drivers, particularly between the horn-loaded components and powered subwoofers, using DSP and careful design to create a cohesive soundstage.
- Avantgarde allows extensive aesthetic customization options, including a wide array of colors for the horns and finishes for the cabinets, enabling customers to tailor their speakers to suit individual tastes and room décor.
Quotes we liked:
- "Not only did the bass reach sub-sonic levels, but the low frequencies sounded nearly perfect, with a very tight midbass, a mighty sounding deep bass, with a transient response that added to the speakers' realistic portrayal of low-frequency sounds." (https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0324/AvantgardeAcousticUNOSDHornspeakers_Review.htm)
- "The transient precision of the Trios, which I ascribe in large part to their extreme efficiency, means that the amplifier is loafing along in its comfort zone, reproducing every syllable, no matter the frequency, with a degree of verisimilitude that was and remains simply jaw-dropping." (https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/avantgarde-trio-g3-loudspeaker)
Used
Avantgarde
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Featured products
About the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Featured products
About the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Featured products
About the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
We have an exemplary reputation for producing single-range drivers that do not use crossovers. We have been in business since the 1930s. Many other companies have copied us, but none are our equal.
What's your approach to customer support?
We do not use conventional distribution/retail models. The majority of our products are manufactured to order. We use a number of trade representatives and what we term as boutique dealers for countries outside of the UK. We would normally ask a customer to refer themselves to our local representative in the first instance, as they can then ascertain what assistance the customer may require before they go to any unnecessary expense. Support, however, is controlled via our UK operation. For example, we may issue replacement products directly, supply our representatives with OEM parts for them to fit locally, or generally offer advice.
We pride ourselves that having purchased Lowthers in 2018, we have worked very hard on customer support with a no-quibble warranty. We have re-introduced the Lowther for Life scheme. Once you are a Lowther customer, we will do our level best to ensure that you remain a Lowther customer for the rest of your life.
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
Spanish Harlem – Rebecca Pidgeon (Chesky) – voice accuracy, instrument placement, depth of soundstage.
Wallace – Drive-By Truckers – dynamic range, visceral power.
Segue in C / bdb – Basie/Ellington (The First Time) – Duke on the left, Count on the right, spacious CBS studio recording.
What other products pair best with yours?
Lowther 'total sound philosophy' – matched with PX4 and our interconnects. Well set-up Lowthers will reveal weaknesses in the 'front end,' so phono/digital source should be carefully set up. Likewise, interconnects will vary tonal balance greatly.
Veracity Chrysalis pre-amp/DAC (if you can find one).
Raspberry Pi (Allo Digi hat, or similar) digital endpoint from server/file storage, JRiver library management.
Clean, modestly powered 'push-pull' amp: EL34 Howes / Leak S20.
Big REL subwoofer.
Featured products
About the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Featured products
About the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
Featured products
About the brand
Our interview with the brand
What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?
What's your approach to customer support?
What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?
What other products pair best with yours?
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