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I know horn speakers, and AG's, aren't for everyone. Need to write one post on this as I am glowing with audio happiness.
I recently took the plunge. Clearly there is no right or wrong with this stuff, only opinions and observations and certainly paths that are more right or more wrong for our individual preferences. I am so thankful that I took this leap, and found this path. After years of struggling and trying to enjoy my rig, I left very highly rated, traditional "cone and dome" speakers behind. I kept trying to love what I had, but it was work. I was just never completely at ease.
I couldn't be happier now. These Uno XD's, in my opinion, are absolutely amazing. For my tastes -- I love live music, acoustic guitar, rock, jazz, etc. -- I am thrilled. Beyond.
I will be candid. I heard Mike's Duo Mezzo's a couple of years ago and it left a lasting impression. I wanted and needed a change but I didn't want to go AG. No local support for me in Northeast. Plenty of audio "experts" telling me to be careful. Problems with bass, problems with shouty horn coloration, etc etc. Very very few folks outside of Mike seemed to be fans of these speakers that I would talk to in my local journey.
I travelled to Toronto to hear Uno XD at their North American distributor (Angie's / American Sound of Canada). I needed to hear these and cross them off my list. Because I kept coming back to the fact that when I went to Mike's, I heard his incredible Magico M3's with top notch electronics downstairs, and then when I would pop upstairs to hear his AG's, there was zero question which sound was right *for me*. It was immediate and obvious and right. For me. I tried to hear every other speaker I could within a reasonable distance of Boston, where I live. I wanted to find something else. But the life, the energy, the spirit of the Avantgardes... I just couldn't get over it. I heard a couple of other horn speakers, but they just didn't have the same magic that the AG's seemed to have for me.
So now I am only a couple days into having these, matched with sweet 300B amps and my VAC Signature SE preamp. There is no question that there's loads of improvement yet to come... I haven't matched cables, upgraded power cords, swapped in WE 300B NOS tubes for the stock tubes, etc. Heck, the amps have less than 15 hours on them! I guess I just want to say I am so thankful that i took this risk. At many moments I thought about trying to tweak an amp, or a cable, or something else, in my last system... but deep down I knew that was just a band aid. I am so thankful that I finally have that magic I have craved. These speakers -- to ME -- are amazing, and the best possible choice for my space of everything I have heard, regardless of cost. I kept coming across a tradeoff with traditional speakers -- in my experience, I could have tube amps and capture more of that emotion and "magic" that I love. But lose much of the dynamics. I don't have that tradeoff with these Avantgardes. I can have tubes and still have all the dynamics and speed I would ever want.
Those intrigued by AG, give them a listen. I think if matched up properly, they breathe magic... they create music, live music, with all the energy and spirit and emotion and snap and thump of the real thing. Not harsh, not ear piercing. But so alive and so eager to let the music just pour out effortlessly and fill your room with joy.
Thank you, Mike. I should add that my bias was to NOT buy anything from Mike, but from a local dealer to me. It was my preference. But all Mike did was patiently be a resource, with zero pressure. I tried and I tried and I tried to find a different path. But this was the right path... for me. Just so thankful I found it.
Give this new XD generation of AG a try. You might find you like it. I have never been happier. Not even close.
I recently took the plunge. Clearly there is no right or wrong with this stuff, only opinions and observations and certainly paths that are more right or more wrong for our individual preferences. I am so thankful that I took this leap, and found this path. After years of struggling and trying to enjoy my rig, I left very highly rated, traditional "cone and dome" speakers behind. I kept trying to love what I had, but it was work. I was just never completely at ease.
I couldn't be happier now. These Uno XD's, in my opinion, are absolutely amazing. For my tastes -- I love live music, acoustic guitar, rock, jazz, etc. -- I am thrilled. Beyond.
I will be candid. I heard Mike's Duo Mezzo's a couple of years ago and it left a lasting impression. I wanted and needed a change but I didn't want to go AG. No local support for me in Northeast. Plenty of audio "experts" telling me to be careful. Problems with bass, problems with shouty horn coloration, etc etc. Very very few folks outside of Mike seemed to be fans of these speakers that I would talk to in my local journey.
I travelled to Toronto to hear Uno XD at their North American distributor (Angie's / American Sound of Canada). I needed to hear these and cross them off my list. Because I kept coming back to the fact that when I went to Mike's, I heard his incredible Magico M3's with top notch electronics downstairs, and then when I would pop upstairs to hear his AG's, there was zero question which sound was right *for me*. It was immediate and obvious and right. For me. I tried to hear every other speaker I could within a reasonable distance of Boston, where I live. I wanted to find something else. But the life, the energy, the spirit of the Avantgardes... I just couldn't get over it. I heard a couple of other horn speakers, but they just didn't have the same magic that the AG's seemed to have for me.
So now I am only a couple days into having these, matched with sweet 300B amps and my VAC Signature SE preamp. There is no question that there's loads of improvement yet to come... I haven't matched cables, upgraded power cords, swapped in WE 300B NOS tubes for the stock tubes, etc. Heck, the amps have less than 15 hours on them! I guess I just want to say I am so thankful that i took this risk. At many moments I thought about trying to tweak an amp, or a cable, or something else, in my last system... but deep down I knew that was just a band aid. I am so thankful that I finally have that magic I have craved. These speakers -- to ME -- are amazing, and the best possible choice for my space of everything I have heard, regardless of cost. I kept coming across a tradeoff with traditional speakers -- in my experience, I could have tube amps and capture more of that emotion and "magic" that I love. But lose much of the dynamics. I don't have that tradeoff with these Avantgardes. I can have tubes and still have all the dynamics and speed I would ever want.
Those intrigued by AG, give them a listen. I think if matched up properly, they breathe magic... they create music, live music, with all the energy and spirit and emotion and snap and thump of the real thing. Not harsh, not ear piercing. But so alive and so eager to let the music just pour out effortlessly and fill your room with joy.
Thank you, Mike. I should add that my bias was to NOT buy anything from Mike, but from a local dealer to me. It was my preference. But all Mike did was patiently be a resource, with zero pressure. I tried and I tried and I tried to find a different path. But this was the right path... for me. Just so thankful I found it.
Give this new XD generation of AG a try. You might find you like it. I have never been happier. Not even close.
, it took me 2-3 hours or so, but I agree the DSP soft is a gem. I have made around 10 different presets , use on daily basis 2-3 of them depending on source ( DAC, CDP, analog)