Differance between Avantgarde version 2 & 3

Let's RUMBLE! I have heard Avantguard on several occasions, and I've never been impressed with the sound that I've heard! To me, they've always sounded "honky" with a megaphone type of presentation. I've heard other horn speakers at the CES/THE SHOW in Vegas, which didn't seem to exhibit this quality.

I might ad that the last time I've heard Avantguard was in 2004. I have also been told that the amp/preamp combo will make a HUGE difference in the voicing of these speakers...maybe I've never heard them with the necessary amplification to make them shine through with the fidelity of which they are capable.

So, for all of you Avanteguard lovers, feel free to comment, or "beat up on me"...I can take it :-)

This might help:
"Avantgarde's Series 3.0 Uno has made its appearance. According to Jim Smith, president of Avantgarde-USA, the changes are evolutionary, refining the design rather than changing it in any fundamental way. The tweeter and midrange horn drivers are the same as before, but the SUB 225 subwoofer has been reworked, and the internal wiring (and the external jumpers providing connections from the midrange to the tweeter and the subwoofer) and the connectors have been changed. The SUB 225's 10" drivers now have butyl rubber rather than urethane foam surrounds, and the subwoofer amplifier has a new input board that features better resistance to RFI/EMI, higher sensitivity, and now has line-level (balanced and unbalanced) as well as speaker-level inputs. All binding posts have been changed from WBTs to what Avantgarde claims are better-sounding Cardas rhodium-plated connectors, and the internal wiring and jumpers are from Cardas. (Casey McKee, Avantgarde-USA's national sales manager, told me that he spent three weeks auditioning cables before selecting this one.)"
From a Stereophile update on the 3.0 Uno speaker, by Robert Deutsch, August, 2002. (A footnote acknowledges 3.0 revisions to the Duo as well).
As to your disappointment with the speaker, I can tell you that the speaker has certain limitations, just like any other, at any price. The 'shouty' quality may be a function of both placement and associated equipment, and is a characteristic that can be exaggerated, or made to virtually disappear, depending on alot of factors. It is not a big price to pay to get the dynamics and clarity that come from a well designed system, built around a properly set up pair. (Not that I'm an expert, but I got mine in February, and have been experimenting with them since). To me, the biggest foible is the bass, which is tricky to get right, and i'm still working on it. But, and take this with a grain of bias, since I own a pair, I have traditionally listened to Quads, old and new, and have an enormous regard for proper midrange. And, the trade-offs made by the Duo don't make me want to reach back to the Quads anytime soon, because despite the legendary quality of the 57 and the 'improved' peformance of the Crosby 63 (I have both, as well), they suffer from far greater compromises, compared to the 'real thing' in the service of what they do well.

Alright Fatparrot you dirty @!%$^%#*&# take that!

I think I may own the pair of Duos that Whart is referring to. They were Casey McKee's personal speakers. I bought them from him last winter after he had done much experimenting with them in regards to internal cabling and the external jumpers (among other things). Thay have some other refinements too including Black Diamond racing feet. I THINK they MAY be the original #3 version?????

I have never heard a #2 version so I can't really compare the two. Like Whart, I am comming from electrostats (Martin Logans of various encarnations) and have always put midrange sound above all else as well. My thoughts mirror his to a large degree in that I feel the Duo's outperform the Logans (in all regards, not just in the mids). Where my experience differs is that I do not find issue with the bass performance. In my room I am getting no Midrange "horn" colorations and the bottom end is tight and well integrated with the mids and top end. I was lucky to have Casey (who probably knows as much as anyone about setting these speakers up properly) to help me get them going.

These are some of the best speakers I have heard (and no I have not heard everything, and yes, personal preference plays a big part in everything (Fatparrot is still wrong though))........ So, I can't see myself going back to 'stats or box speakers anytime soon.

A good thing for you to do would be to call Casey at Ne Plus Ultra here in Austin and talk to him directly. I'm sure he could give some good info and probably answer any questions......... He is a really nice guy and very knowledgable in all things audio.

Chris

Hey Chris, happy that you are pleased with your Duos. You are 100% correct, the Black Diamond Racing cones/feet are new to and included in 3.0 series of Duos.

Also, I think (though am not 100% about this) that it was with the 3.0 Duos that the crossover network between the mid & treble horns was eliminated "leaving virtually no crossover components in the path to degrade the sound" & which I believe caused a slight increase in efficiency.

Like most high end speakers, it takes some time to fine tune the Duos to maximize their performance. They are fairly unique speakers and as such, require great attention to positioning and subwoofer settings and may necessitate making changes in your electronics and cables (interconnects, speaker, and power cords). Simply using your existing gear, no matter how well they worked with your previous speakers, may limit your system's performance.

Just one example: significant gains in many sonic areas can be achieved by replacing the stock 3.0 series Cardas power cords. I use the new power cord from Basis Audio and their use on the Duos is equivalent to that of a significant component upgrade. Like an addictive drug, after hearing the improvements there is no going back to the Cardas.