Avantgarde Uno XD Review (97/100)

Also other German magazines have reviewed them very favorably, such as Stereoplay.

At some point I thought this might also be a potential replacement for the S3, should I at some point choose change.


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Anyone seriously interested in horn loudspeakers should do some research on the advantages of square vs. round tractrix profiles. There is a reason why Avantgarde dedicates so much guidance in their owner's manual pertaining to positioning and even makes available special software for further assistance with setup.
 
We had these in the store for a while, and showed them at THE Show Newport this year. They are indeed incredible speakers, and not only with tube amps!
Good, Class A-biased solid state shines on it as well!
And the Avantgarde software to tweak and adjust the bass modules is an endless source of fun :)
 
Could any members post their experience of the Uno XD vs Duo XD? it used to be the Duo was a clear cut winner due to the bigger horn /lower crossover point and hence much better integration. Now with XD, I wonder if that negative has disappeared.
 
KeithR said:
Could any members post their experience of the Uno XD vs Duo XD? it used to be the Duo was a clear cut winner due to the bigger horn /lower crossover point and hence much better integration. Now with XD, I wonder if that negative has disappeared.
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Very room dependent. Smaller room, go Uno XD. Something like 14 x 20. Anything bigger and the Duo XD's are the way to go. Very similar sound, but the Duo's do play bigger and seem to integrate better at the 150hz range vs the 290hz range. But again, we are talking about a 435i vs M4 if you know what I mean. Both are excellent. Honestly, the Uno XD's are properly the better match for my room, but the Duo Mezzo XD's are so damn good, I just had to make them work - and I think I have.


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Was supposed to review them last weekend, but that did not work out. Will let you know if it happens.


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Thanks gents - I owned Solos a long time ago and fondly remember the sound.

I really think the XD tech is a huge leap vs prior versions, so am interested as a "you're done" speaker.
 
I, too, am interested in these speakers. I see they are 107db, so what Amps do folks typically use to drive them ? Will low power SET work ? Can they be placed closer to the front wall and still have great imaging and depth ?
 
Devg said:
I, too, am interested in these speakers. I see they are 107db, so what Amps do folks typically use to drive them ? Will low power SET work ? Can they be placed closer to the front wall and still have great imaging and depth ?
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18ohm, 107db. Any amp will work. I have a 45 SET that puts out a whopping 0.8 watts/channel and it drives them fine. Most common pairing is a 300b SET amp (8 watts). That's my go to amp. Mine is the Triode TRX-M300's. According to the meters, I rarely get to 1 watt on the amps.
 
Geez, sign me up for more posts in this thread. The thought of buying the Uno XD has really messed with my mind in the last 3+ months. Ever since hearing Mike's Duo, I wake up occasionally in a sweat.

Do I stay married to this polite, educated, really impressive woman with unbelievable test results? After all, the audio rags love it.

Or do I file for a divorce and follow my heart. My crush. The one path that gives me goosebumps, that sends an immediate shockwave to me and gives me nervous anticipation, like that first date with the woman of your dreams? I am torn and it eats away at me every day. I don't know if I will ever be happy. Forever tortured.
 
Mike said:
18ohm, 107db. Any amp will work. I have a 45 SET that puts out a whopping 0.8 watts/channel and it drives them fine. Most common pairing is a 300b SET amp (8 watts). That's my go to amp. Mine is the Triode TRX-M300's. According to the meters, I rarely get to 1 watt on the amps.
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any idea why AG has >10 watts on their website?

i can't imagine more than a watt or two in normal listening rooms, especially since there is active bass.
 
Mike said:
18ohm, 107db. Any amp will work. I have a 45 SET that puts out a whopping 0.8 watts/channel and it drives them fine. Most common pairing is a 300b SET amp (8 watts). That's my go to amp. Mine is the Triode TRX-M300's. According to the meters, I rarely get to 1 watt on the amps.
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Thanks much Mike. How hard is to place it in the room ? Closer to the wall is fine or do they need more room to breathe ? Driving a speaker with a watt of SET has always been on my radar for a long long time :)
 
Devg said:
Thanks much Mike. How hard is to place it in the room ? Closer to the wall is fine or do they need more room to breathe ? Driving a speaker with a watt of SET has always been on my radar for a long long time :)
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Devg - if you're in the U.S., you must come by and hear the Avantgarde Duo Mezzo XD's and Avantgarde Zero XD TA's. The Avantgarde's are a controlled directivity speaker, and as such, are much less susceptible to room anomalies and room challenges. They do however still need to be out from the front wall about 2-3 feet measured from the wall to the back of the speaker to sound their best. However, they can go a little closer to the wall without too much issue since they are not ported on the back. I have my Zero XD's quite close to the front wall (2 feet) and they sounded wonderful. My Duo Mezzo XD's are measuring 60 1/8 inch from the back of the speaker to the front wall. I have a rather long room (25 feet), so I have some play with moving the speakers into the room a bit.

I really hope you can come for a visit. As Justin pointed out above, it's not an experience you will soon forget.

I will say this about the Avantgarde's: they start out on the precipice between heaven and hell. If you take them home and stick bright cables, bright amps and a bright source on them, you will not be happy. But if you go with a SET amp (preferably 300b), a nice tube preamp, some smooth cables (I love Siltech on AG), than you will be in heaven. I find the ones who struggle are those that try to put a square peg into a round hole: putting AG's in a very revealing system. They are so revealing at the outset...you need to dial that back a little. Horns have so much detail and resolution and are so revealing, you end up focusing on two things: noise floor and smoothing things out. The Denali really took care of the noise floor in my system and the Siltech/Triode 300b amps really took care of "smoothing things out".

I said before, if you truly want to know what something sounds like, bring it over to my place. AG's are like a giant spotlight or magnifying glass on sources, cables, amps, etc.

The XD customization also allows for easier integration to the front wall. I recommend starting with my Duo Mezzo XD settings (which I've provided on a couple of threads) and tweaking from there. I put my Duo Mezzo XD settings into the Zero TA's and was surprised at how much it helped.

I will also suggest, a professional setup by Jim Smith is strongly recommended. Jim has set up hundreds of pairs of AG's and he is phenomenal.
 
@Mike, thanks for the detail reply. Yes, I am in the US, West Coast. Ever since I read your BM store post, I have been silently planning to visit some day. It will happen :)
 
NWCgrad said:
What is the current list price for these? All the prices I find online are in Euro.
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$34,600. I have a pair coming in October. They will be on display at RMAF and then finding a permanent home in my store.
 
Mike said:
$34,600. I have a pair coming in October. They will be on display at RMAF and then finding a permanent home in my store.
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Mike, what amplification and electronics are you planning to pair the AG XDs with in the store?


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