The most enjoyable music I have heard outside of live performances.
Makes the recording come to life.
Dynamic range is an order of magnitude above what conventional speakers can offer.
Clean and clear.
Only need a few watts to go LOUD. Easy to drive. Don't need an expensive high power amp.

Very sensitive to noise - you need a good clean amp and source - tubes will probably not do.
Will need a high end source.
Can't be used for background music.
Large and sensitive to placement.
Due to the efficiency, undistorted sound and dynamic range, you may end up listening to louder volumes than you intended.
They are not cheap.

I recently came into the market for new speakers. I auditioned various mid to high end speakers including Martin Logans, Linns, Focal, B&W, Pro Ac and various others. There is no point in trying to describe what I heard, suffice to say that after several hours of listening, I was able to pull myself away from the MUSIC. Going back to the other speakers brought out the lack of enjoyment that these provided. Frequency response, separation, height, depth etc lost their relevance. The Avantgarde's are dynamic and true-to-life while all the other speakers sound compressed and lifeless.
Don't take anyone's word for it, go and listen, but be aware that there is no going back.

Customer Service

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Effortless bass (I think the two pairs of basshorns may be the reason why) Soundstaging, imaging and accuracy Instruments sound like they do in real life I should also mention that the people running the showroom in NY are totally awesome!

Cost ($70K with the two pairs of basshorns) Size (These are massive speakers and require a fair amount of breathing room) Garbage in -- garbage out (need the appropriate equipment, cables and recordings to sound their best -- although they do more than a commendable job even on lousy recordings)

Audio enthusiasts by there very nature are forward looking people -- there is always something better on the horizon. Well, I am not so sure anymore. I heard the Avantgarde Trio's yesterday for almost 2 hours at the new Avantgarde showroom in Manhattan (by appointment only). I had really gone to listen to the Uno's since I dont have the space in my apartment for anything larger -- and Bob (the store's owner) suggested I start by listening to the Trio's. His trio's are hooked up to the Audio Aero Capitole CD player and the Audiopax amp (both wonderful products by the way) and high-quality cables and the like. More importantly, the Trio's are mated with a couple of pairs of basshorns (as opposed to sub-woofers; the Trio's with two pairs of basshorns are $70K list price). The sound from this system -- I have heard before -- but only at live concerts. Well recorded CDs like an acoustic piece Bob played as well as my MFSL Louis Armstrong/Duke Ellington disc and JVC's Hell Freezes Over XRCD sounded LIKE the real thing. You wont believe me but -- Don Henley was standing right in front of me with Felder to his left and Walsh to his right. There really is nothing more to say -- it was absolutely wonderful to be in the same room as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Don Henley, Mark Knopfler, Tracy Chapman and Diana Krall -- and at the same time!!! The music just seemed to flow and the soundstaging and imaging were unlike any other speaker I have ever heard (including the $70K JM Lab Grande Utopias). The only thing better would be to be at the actual concert. Other than that, barring minor tweeks, I am not sure its possible to improve music reproduction at home any more than this. So being the forward looking audio enthusiast I am, I think I am going to settle for the Uno's now and start saving to move into a bigger place so that I can eventually get the Trio's some day.

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my living room is too small - and I haven´t got the money yet. ;-)

I´ve heard this Speaker only one time, at the "High End" in Frankfurt - for a few minutes. All I can say is: It was the only Speaker, of maybe thousands, which created the illusion of "Reality" - without any compromise. At the same moment you closed your eyes - the speakers were gone and a big band established itself in the room. It was really unbelievable!! I´ve !!never!! heard a performance like this again! PS: forgive my bad english :-)

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Dear readers, I post this message just in order to provide some alternative opinion to some craziness was published here. Any technology in the hands of barbarian will produce a barbarian result. This is what has happened with the authors of the previous posts.
This IS a wonderful product, which is order of magnitude more capable emotionally and technically, then any known to me speakers (I would say I know all of them). Unfortunately Geeks told that teacher comes when student is ready….
Frank, I offer you to pay off your travel expenses form UK to USA if you confirm in my room what you daydream in your article. The concussion is…dear Europe music-lovers, please, stop to drink Audio Note coca-cola…

Pressence, dynamics, speed, detail, coherence, musicality, realism of sound stage!...This is down right fun!

possible slight glare with wrong associated gear! Besides that, I don't think there is any viable one!?...

You all must be smokin' hashish!...or maybe you should start! Ironically, with this speaker, it kinda puts you in that kinda guru habitual mood!...and I don't smoke! Well, anyway...I'd like to know what would posses this list of poo-poo-ers to slam this obviously world class (down right awsome infact!) speaker! From my best estimation, this must be the same guy running around this site, trashing all the product reviews with his lame oppinions!...what ever.
Anyway...so there I am, at my audiophile buddies house. And everytime we talk about what we're using in our systems, he keeps mentioning that I should give his new speakers a listen...that if I do hear them, I"ll never go back to anything else again!...That I'll be hooked! So, ofcorse, I'm sceptical. Because he's talkin about horn speakers, that I just know aren't going to be worth owning! Right?...Wrong!
Both of us have worked in several high end audio salons over our cumulative 20+ years in the business. As of now, we both work in the same store (I actually work at two differnt ones, as a salesman, as well as working my more full time career as a custom Home Theater engineer and designer...I do the retail thing to break the monotony!)
that just happens to sell some of the best, most highly rated product in the world, period! And, don't get me wrong, this stuff is all fine product that exudes refinement, and an obvious commitement toward excellence! I mean, were talking specifically, speakers now, stuff like Wilson, Thiel, Logans, Maggies, Audio Physics,Sonus Faber,Celestions, Dunlavy, B&W, NHT,
and others. I mean, we deal in some fine stuff!!! And to be honest, we've spent litterally hundreds of hours trying to make most of the top speakers in these lines perform as good as possible with the best equipment money can buy! But, at least for us, and our other audiophile tweeky buddies, there never seems to be that magic system that we can construct, that really floats the preverbial boat!...You know, something you would permanently call your own. (you'd think after buying $70K speaker systems that you'd at least be content!...But, no! It's kinda a disease or something, I don't know!?)
Between the two of us, we've actually owned and had at our residences at one time or another, a list of the likes that include (no kidding here), Wilson Grand Slamms, WATT Puppies, AP Virgos, JM Labs Utiopias, B&W 801's, Quad 64's, Several of Thiels offerings (I currently own 2.3's), Sonus F Electa Amators (originals), Proacs, and others! (most of which my friend now biasedly refers to as "fire wood", "kindling", "scratch posts" for his cat!!)(sure I threw in a couple of my own here!
I mean, we've owned, a lot of speaks, and all on the most expensive sellection of high-end kit that money can afford!...we're talking $15K tube preamps, $10K tube amps (by people like C.J., Audio Research, Cat, etc.)
0K Solid state Class A Jobers by the likes of Krell, Levinson, Coda, and others....And ofcorse, all connected by way too expensive wire and Analogue and Digital source components. So, We've definitely held up all ends of the deal with these speakers, in playing them out! But, in the end (or at least up to this point), with all the variety of music that we like between all of us audio friends, varitable never ending search for that perfect sounding system, has simply been, well, unfullfilled!...That is, until now!!!(or at least, that's the way we're talking these day's!!! Infact the High-End salon we both work out of, is considering picking up the Gardes, to ad to their already world class sellection of goodies!)
So, already long story short, I'm just at his place the other day being just blown away by the sound I'm hearing out of his Avantgarde Trios!...Just simply the best sound quality I've ever heard!(and the amp wasn't even warm when I started listening!). Wow!...this was reall sound reproduction like it's supposed to sound (to me anyway)!...Not that synthetic strained sounding stuff that seems like it's pasted on top of your speakers with scotch tape! You know, that kind of sound that never sounds like your actually there with the musicians, but rather the music has been laid out like a map in front of you?! We'll, I can tell you, for the first time in my audiophile junkie life, these Avantgarde Speakers have done what no single other speaker has been able to do, and that's make me forget about the gear! The speaker physically puts you with the performance! Whether it's Rock/Classical/New Age/whatever, no matter,the speakers simply bring it all to ya the way it's meant to sound!...Real!
Wow, this is great stuff! And these speakers absolutely Rocks (like a horn should) with home theater like no other speakers that exist on the planet!...None! I reapeat none!
And I've hooked up litterally over 1000 home theater systems in my time, THX and all, and this by far takes the high-end Home Theater Cake for a speaker choice! I'll be owning at least the Uno's here REAL SOON!
So, now, between the 5 or 6 of us audiophile friends in the group, we now own the Uno's, Duo's, and ofcourse Trio's.
I must contend that, sure, these speakers are a little over priced for the material that's submited for the speaker build! But, so what! The sound is way worth it, and surely more rewarding than anything we've invested in over the years to this point! So, there you are...
I strongly suggest that, if you've never heared what a truely world class horn speaker sounds like, you owe it to your selves to go out and hear these! I don't think you'll ever go back if you get them to your house! And if you do try to go to something else, I bet you'll have a serious empty (god I miss that speaker) fealing in the pit of your stomach! The Speakers like Tube Gear (very good tube gear to be more specific), and will play back accurately what you pump through them!
So, in my opinion, all you "review trashers" out there, who feel the need to bad mouth product out there that either, one, you can't afford, or two, your wife can't stand to look at (and she runs the deal anyway), or three, you've never even auditioned it hooked up to a properly matched system, and just decided to plug something that was not set up right when you heard it at the local store (most store set ups don't even do justic anyway)
and you made your decisions on that, you should be happy with the pieces of furniture you ended up with and stop your armchair griping!...These speakers rule the world! Wowwie Zowwie Batman, I gotta gow BLOWN baby...yah!!!!

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The musicians are standing in front of you, nothing more, nothing less.

Totally unforgiving with all other elements...

I have listened to the Trios in a shop in Paris, driven by an AudioNote Meishu amp. The visual aspect of these speakers is a treat in itself incredible, but nothing compared to what was given to my ears. This was a one of a kind experience, and if I had millions, these TRIOS would be at home much sooner than a Porsche or a swimming pool.

I don't know how they would compare to other speakers at this price range(>$30.000 !!!), as I admit have never
heard any other at this price (Wilson Audio Grand Slamm, JM Lab Grande Utopia, Maggies, Soundlab Ultimate, Egglestonworks Andras, B&W Nautilus, etc). But those who have (mainly professionnals) say these are simply the best in the world.
I would for once easily believe them, as I really don't see how it can get any better than this. If you have that kind of money, go for them, but I think they should never be mated to solid state amps because of their efficiency. They really magnify the qualities of the best tubes (300B and 2A3 monotriods).

It is well-known that most horn systems are flawn and that many people who hate them have experienced a bad horn system. If they have the chance to hear the AvantGarde speakers WITH THE RIGHT equipment (i.e SE monotriods IMO), I bet they will change their mind right away, or they are deaf, or they are so biased and for too long time by their audiophiliac opinions (like the guys below) that nothing can be done for them. Because all the common critics about horns are simply plain wrong with the Trios.

But enough blahblah. If you have the chance to hear them only once in your life, don't miss it.
I rate these "5 stars-Far better than you EVER imagined"
and I MEAN it !

None based on the system that I auditioned.

Obviously VERY equipment and position sensitive.

This is a review of how what supposedly is an outstanding speaker system can sound horrible. The system I heard the Advantgarde Trio's in consisted of an Antique Audio integrated tube amplifier with a Sony SACD player and all the fancy cables and power cords and vibration isolators.
The acoustic glare was so bad that after 5 minutes my ears ached. The soundstage was flat and the stereo separation was comparable to two spot lights blasting at you.
It would appear to me that one would need to be positioned at least 30 feet away from the speakers for the sound to get into phase. One should be very cautious about matching the rest of their system to these speakers. Room placement is also critical. Based on the previous reviews, I would really like to hear these speakers with compatible equipment and properly set up.

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Musical reality. Speed, dynamics, detail and subtle beauty

Size including 4 subwoofers

Question: What does the best loudspeaker in the world sound like?

Answer: Totally silent. Like every other loudspeaker would sound unless its fed a signal, and then it will sound like the signal its fed plus the reflections from the room in which its installed.

If you want to know how a speaker really sounds, you'll need to a live microphone feed and an anechoic chamber.

Which brings me to the Avantgarde Trio. Certainly the finest loudspeaker I've ever heard, in any installation, anywhere. I'm lucky enough to own a pair and have learned over the past 18 months just what this loudspeaker is capable of.

Then tonight I logged on to the Audioreview website and read 2 or 3 reviews which give this loudspeaker 1 or 2 stars. Now I'm not saying that those reviewers are telling lies or even that they didn't hear what they did. I am saying though that in terms of the Trio's performance, their reviews are completely inaccurate. The Trio can sound awful when fed an appropriately awful signal and that is inevitably what these reviewers heard.

That's a real shame for 2 reasons. Firstly because they (or their friends) have paid for and own one of the finest loudspeakers in the World, yet obtain only mediocre results and secondly because their very public review may prevent others who had considered a Trio, from ever visiting a dealer or importer to listen to these incredible loudspeakers. I hope my review goes some way to avoid at least the latter.

Back to my Trios. Here are some of the things I have learnt after 18 months.

The Trio is completely transparent of the signal its fed. Take a good amp without major design errors, some good OFC cables, a clean source, spend some time getting the speaker position, toe-in and sub-woofer settings correct (very important) and the speakers will already fill a room with incredible levels of music.

Refine the installation with an excellent source, some refined but gutsy tube electronics and a few room treatments to take care of first reflections and performance is elevated into the reference class. If there's any trace of bass discontinuity or treble glare, look to the room, cables, electronics or sub-woofer settings.

And more is available. With an exceptional source like SACD, an all-triode output CD player like the BAT VKD5 or a well set up TT, top flight electronics, for example BAT, CARY, LAMM, EAR, Wavelength and some of the better low power SET designs and some well matched cables like the expensive but truly excellent Nirvanas and the Trios will reach a level of music reproduction that 99% of audiophiles did not think possible.

The Trios have certain characteristics. They are lightening fast and transparent like the best electrostatics but with dynamics that honstly have to be heard to be believed. But far beyond that they have a fundamental musicality that makes them an absolute joy to listen to. They do all the audiophile things like imaging and soundstage with aplomb, but way beyond that they place the musicians in your room with enough reality to constantly thrill. Music is revealed in a totally new dimension. One that thrills the spirit as well as the head. You'll marvel at the virtuosity of musicians and at the beautiful textures of their instruments. And you'll be amazed at the music's power and drive and at the emotions it evokes. You'll stop concentrating on the music and simply let yourself be enveloped and absorbed; swept away on its wings.

But to get this requires some work. You won't take a pair of Trios, throw them down in your room and obtain instant perfection. They need well matched partnering components with minimal aberrations, proper positioning relative to the listener and above all, they need to be installed in a system without major set-up errors and flaws.

So how will you know when you've got them right? Because you'll sit for hours completely mesmerized by the music and when its over, you'll be left craving for more.

Unfortunately the Trios are not cheap but since their performance ranks well beyond speakers at double their price I guess they do represent something like reasonable value. Purely in terms of the enjoyment they have brought me, I'd say they were worth every penny.

Way-out good looks, Will play loud with 20 watt tube amp.

Way-out funny looks. Only sounds really good loud. $40,000
US is crazy expensive.

My wife says these look like big white tubas on the floor.
She hates them. I say they look like big white tubas on the floor--I like them.

No good at all at low volume--need to be placed perfectly.
Too effecient for my Sunfire amp--would be happier with
20 watt class A I'm sure.

Crazy expensive--get an old Klipschorn for 1/20 the price and buy a Mercedes with the difference--you'll be happier.

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the stuff of lost horizons

too many to list

What to say about Avantgarde Acoustic…

Numerous wordsmiths have described the instantly recognisable appearance and sonic signature of this speaker range.

The Trios are a late C20 design classic and whilst it will probably be considered inappropriate, (and as the manual also refers) they remind me in so many ways of that other awesome teutonic icon; the 930. Integrity freely flows from form following function… (gosh, that’s a lot of ‘f’ ’s).

I was a confirmed direct radiator man.
Drs’ formed the basis of my hi-fi belief and value system. Yea, I’d tried to remain open-minded and had hung ‘round with actives, panels, stats, ribbons, hybrids, dipoles, bipoles open baffles and omnis in my time… but they were always unfortunately and ultimately referenced against my dr standardised and homogenised world.

Standing on the edge is scary.
To embrace horns for the first time, you’ve got to throwaway and forget, probably most everything you’ve ever experienced and be prepared to re-evaluate and cultivate a new hi-fi belief system, let go and then leap...

Initially I found the trios a dominating presence (literally). Arrogantly posturing, daunting and definitively ‘male’ without recourse to overtly stylistic phallic symbolism. These are the kind of speakers that can pick you up and toss you against the back-wall. Or as Van-the-man might say

“…down on the far side of the tracks
They take the eyeballs straight out of your head
Say son, kid, do you want your eyeballs back…”

I guess it took nearly a year to get drs’ out of my head and I still find it a disorientating experience to listen to most non-acoustic music on the Trios, previously defined by drs.

As with any hybrid and full(er) range speaker they are sensitive with regard to system and room context and listener position. I’m happiest sitting at least, (a duly respectful and out of harms way) 17’ from them in a 22’ by 19’ by 8’ dedicated room. They suddenly snap into focus and kick-box into life at about 85+db and then start to take-off (not unlike a 930 at 4k) This characteristic can be tamed by using a sympathetic and truly great power stage, such as a 7 watt Audionote Neiro. I prefer to use a more dynamic 25ishW set, but, as always it’s a matter of priorities and compromises and then some.

In order to post this review, I am required to indicate value and performance. For me the Trios are beyond this… value for money? performance? To think of them in these terms is to have missed the point entirely. They have the (cap)ability to take the listener a little nearer to… recognitions, emotion and expression, and they remain a love/hate relationship, but then, I suspect (that for me) this is an end of the line experience.

You choose from the heart and pay (in more ways than one) to share time with this speaker and the very same can be said for the Audionote set, I chose to drive them with. Conversely, spending time with my previous speakers (Wilson 3/2’s) was dictated by the head, a black and white, matter of fact, very valid, experience.

Here’s to recognitions and the alchemist – enjoy the journey.

FW

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