High Efficiency Speaker Asylum

Posted by Steve (i) on November 05, 2000 at 23:59:52:

In Reply to: Beauhorn Virtuoso Ref. posted by adog on November 05, 2000 at 07:52:09:

But its a pity that you choose to trash the Avantgardes in the same breath. The AG is a world class speaker that when connected to a properly set up system, never fails to wow its audience. I now have experience with my own Trios , Trios, Duos and Unos owned by various friends, plus I take the opportunity to hear other Avantgarde systems whenever possible (Walrus Systems last Saturday for example)

If AG's sound anything less than stunning, look for other faults in the system set up or matching. While my own system sounds truly marvellous, it hasn't always sounded that way. A microphonic tube and a faulty interconnect cable have in turn robbed the music of its magic.

But based on my relatively extensive experience with the AG range I can say that I've yet to assign particular characteristics to the loudspeaker itself. Whenever I think I have it down pat, a change in some other component or an alternative system reveals that what I thought was Avantgarde was in fact contributed by some other source or listening room characteristic.

I know the Beauhorn reasonably well and while I've never had it home, have heard them in various demo set-ups. They are a marvelous loudspeakers that are most certainly worth their asking price, which is considerably less than even the Avantgarde UNOS.

>>The Avantgarde is now heard as having a hard (plastic) electronic glaze, unnatural, aggressive and exaggerated<<

This simply is not correct. I'm not saying that its not what you heard. What I am saying that what you heard had nothing to do with Avantgarde speakers, which will reveal, quite faithfully, whatever they are fed. And while the Beauhorn is a truly outstanding speaker, it will not in any way show up well set up UNO IIs for example (at least not in any of the demos I've heard). As previously stated, I've yet to make a direct comparison (and probably never will), however if my memory serves me well, neither speaker had any readily identifiable shortcomings, more errors of ommission when comparing for example the UNO with the TRIO.

Let me ask you a question. While the AGs you heard were sounding as you described, were they at the same time throwing a huge, wide and deep soundstage, starting up to 10 feet in front of the speakers and extending well beyond the listening room walls? Did they portray musicians in the listening room with a stunning sense of palpability, presence and reality? Did they sound lightening fast, and absolutely transparent, yet completely musical and sonorous? Did they offer involvement in the music that excluded every other concious thought? Because if they didn't, you haven't heard Avantgarde loudspeakers sounding like they should.

Be happy with your Beauhorns, but why start a pissing contest?

Steve