Avantgarde..... Still a contender???

I've been through a similar transition. I auditioned Avantagardes. The importer and AG contend they are horns that don't sound like horns. I disagree. They are horns alright, and they unmistakably sound like horns, though less so than any other horn I've heard. It's a revealing, highly defined sound, but fairly frigid. The emotion comes from dynamics, not tone. Personally, I could not live with the more-than-a-trace of horn shout. But that was the secondary inhibitor to purchase. The bigger issue for me was that none of the AG systems sounded truly integrated. I was always conscious of the separate drivers and the imaging and tonal discontinuities between them. You have to get very far away from any AG system to ameliorate this, IMO. Even the cheapie concentric 2-way does this.

I found something much better. Zu Definitions. 101db/w/m, 6 ohms, 16Hz - 25kHz in a 12" x 12" footprint, 49" tall. A pair of full-range drivers handle the 40Hz - 12kHz region and roll off naturally on each end. The main band of the music sees NO crossover or filter elements. A supertweeter rolls in on a simple filter at a 12kHz centerpoint, and an active sub-bass array of 4-10" paper cone drivers is filtered in below 40Hz. This speaker has the transient speed and coherence you're accustomed to in your Martin-Logans, with much better behavior consistency midrange-to-bass, and far more convincing dynamic range.

You have some options on balanced amps but it doesn't always sound better. I suggest you first focus on the amp characteristics you need and treat balanced inputs as a mild preference, not a requirement. Zu Definitions really ought to be listened to at least 9 or 10 feet away, ear to baffle. It looks like you have that distance already assumed.

It's hard to say what amp you should start with, without knowing more about your room and how you listen. But a pair of Audiopax 88 monoblocks would be a terric start and finish. Also, there are some excellent 845 options and a few 300B amps worth considering. The Definition has the efficiency for you to consider something really mouse powered like a 45 tube, but choice narrows and you might not find the bass character you want.

You're welcome to email me for a little back and forth on this if you're interested.

Phil

I think you should listen also to Ocelia speakers. With your room and with the way these speakers are "room friendly"....they like any good amp,set or ss so you have many choices, but you will at the end end with SET anyway...

I’ve my owned Duos for 2+ years and consider them in the top echelon of speakers. Some of the speakers I’ve owned previously include Celestion SL 600s, Martin Logan Sequels, Quad 63s, Innersound Eros, & Verity Parsifal. The Duos, set up correctly and using synergistic equipment, come close to bringing live-in-your-home concerts to your everyday listening sessions. What the Duos can do and the emotions they bring to listening sessions are unique and addictive. Certainly, they are keepers.

Like most perfectionist speakers, especially those in the Duo’s price range, system synergy and fine tuning are required in order to achieve this speaker’s considerable potential. The issues that Cobra mentioned are not part & parcel to the Duo. Though, they are part & parcel to Duos hindered by set up or synergy issues. Critical setup items include speaker positioning to achieve excellent imaging and a coherent blend of the bass to the midrange, adjusting the bass to midrange crossover frequency, and setting the volume of the bass. Like many users, I find the Duos are coherent with the horns in their “stock” position. A few other users adjust horn positioning via the adjustments available to achieve a similar blending of the various drivers.

The Duos certainly let you know about the equipment used in front of them. Lacking proper attention to other components, the sound certainly can suffer. This is not a fault or a problem; just something to consider and is shared by most other speakers in this performance class. I sit about 10’ from the front of my speakers and the sound is fully integrated. Given decent source material, the speakers disappear and I have a lovely deep rectangular soundstage. I’ve never heard any lack of integration where I became conscious of the individual drivers. Timbre, harmonics, accurate tonal colors, etc are essential characteristics in my listening priorities. I used OTL amps for many years in part as they excel in these characteristics. The Duos also excel. You want emotion; you get it in spades with these speakers.

Per your electronics questions. I have not used a balanced amp in years so cannot provide any help there. Electronics that I like a lot with the Duos are the Viva electronics (like the Verona amp) and the Art Audio PX-25 amp. Viva components drove the first Duo system I ever heard and which initially caught my attention. The Viva Solista integrated amp, a scaled down combination of the Verona amp & Linea preamp, is rumored to be a great fit. Also, try the Audiopax as Cobra suggested. If you get the Duos, I highly recommend evaluating the new power cord from Basis Audio to replace the stock Cardas power cord as the improvements obtained are considerable.

I also think that Avantgarde has too much horn shout (for my tastes). Of all the horns I've heard, I've liket those made by Classic Audio Reproductions (Michigan) and also the Edgarhorns. There was one other horn made of wood (not the Zingali) that I though was good. Also, I've heard that the horns made by Exemplar Audio are fabulous. The ones I've heard are all characterized by a natural and warm sound, yet still fast. Good luck with yous search.