Whoa there! Man, everyone says that the Avalons are lean, no bass, no dynamics, or very little of these traits. I have not a clue how anyone could come up with that. Maybe, they heard them with a bad setup or lousy electronics or both. I have heard the Ascendents( I personally own the Radians) with an all Spectral setup( I also own an all Spectral setup, as well as an all ARC setup for contrast). It takes about 5 hours of very critical listening to get a true picture of what any Avalon speaker system can do, not an hour or a cursory listen. First thing you notice is the sensuous midrange,it is truly addictive. The topend, sounds anemic, but once you realize that everything is really there you will appreciate that the topend is extremely integrated with the midrange. The bottom end for the Ascendent is very good, not quite as good as the Radians, it is tight and tuneful but does not quite go as low or as loud as the Radians. If you are a fan of the cello than this is the speaker for you.Power, I heard it with 150 watts, it was plenty loud. The dynamics are very good, soundstage is excellent, imaging is beyond reproach. For a dynamic speaker, the transparency is not half bad, but like all dynamic speakers, they cannot compare to a good electrostatic. Are they worth $8K, that is really defined by its user value rather than its exchange value. However, for only $4k, you can buy a pair of Radians(used in mint condition) that will be as comparable or better.
Avalon, Vandersteen... which to move to?
Hello-
I am considering a speaker upgrade, and am considering either Vandersteens (2CE w/2Wq sub, or alternately the 3Asig) or Avalon Ascendants... or I could keep my ProAc R2.5s. I won't be able to audition these together for a long time (and auditions at different dealers w/different equipment are hard to compare), so I'd appreciate any comments you may have, particularly:
- Are these Vandersteens competitive sound-wise w/the Avalons?
- Would the 2CEs be enough better than the ProAcs to make the shift worth it?
- 3Asig vs 2CE w/sub?
- Other advice (about these brands)?
Many thanks!
PS: I currently have a Chord DAC64 - Rowland Synergy IIi - Rowland Model 10 - ProAc R2.5, and the speakers would be the final change in the system for years. Listen at moderate/loud-ish levels in rooms of various sizes (move a fair amount) and to Grateful Dead/Bela Fleck type stuff.
I am considering a speaker upgrade, and am considering either Vandersteens (2CE w/2Wq sub, or alternately the 3Asig) or Avalon Ascendants... or I could keep my ProAc R2.5s. I won't be able to audition these together for a long time (and auditions at different dealers w/different equipment are hard to compare), so I'd appreciate any comments you may have, particularly:
- Are these Vandersteens competitive sound-wise w/the Avalons?
- Would the 2CEs be enough better than the ProAcs to make the shift worth it?
- 3Asig vs 2CE w/sub?
- Other advice (about these brands)?
Many thanks!
PS: I currently have a Chord DAC64 - Rowland Synergy IIi - Rowland Model 10 - ProAc R2.5, and the speakers would be the final change in the system for years. Listen at moderate/loud-ish levels in rooms of various sizes (move a fair amount) and to Grateful Dead/Bela Fleck type stuff.