Please help - 3 top-of-mind choices for Avantgarde


Hi - I have just bought a pair of Avantgarde UNOs speakers and need to rebuild all my system around it (sounda familiar???).

I have a pair of QUAD amps (vintage - loan from a friend) and having great results, some say SET is NOT the way to go with the UNOs, but I may relay on the vast experience here - please advise of the best amps you think I need to consider.

PS: Manufacturer recommends a minimum of 10 watts per channel amp, I would rather prefer monoblocks.

Fernando
128x128flg2001
I'm not an expert on the Avantgarde. However, a friend of mine owns a pair of Duos which I heard so many times and sound flawless. He runs them with a pair of Audiopax monoblocks. Look into them, I've read elsewhere that they are one of the best matches for Avantgardes. good luck!
The Tom Evans Linear A is worth looking into. Jeff Day from 6moons loves his driving the DUO, so it should be equally at home on the UNO. My speakers aren't horns (they are 97dB dynamics) but the Linear A has knocked three other very fine amps out of the system (Canary CA-339, Wavelength Triton and a super-tweaked Audion Silver Night Mk II PX-25). My personal opinion is that it is a paradigm-busting amp.

The Linear A is a stereo amp rather than monoblocks, but at this quality level that really isn't much of a factor.
I use my Duos with Quad IIs (rebuilt by Graham Tricker at GT Audio in the UK) driven by a TRON Meteor preamp (now replaced by the Syren). I heard a massive change when I upgraded my pre from a Verdier Control B with valve regulated PSU to the TRON.
The power amps need to be quiet with AG horns; surprisingly the Quads are pretty good. You won't need more than 10W with any AG horn. Either a good PX25 or a 300B would be great. I'm saving up for a TRON SET, which are made specifically to use with AG horns (see www.tron-electric.co.uk). Art Audio, Border Patrol or the TEAD Linear A would be fine otherwise.
Charlie
Red Wine Audio Signature 30 amplifier. It's new and it is creating quite a stir. Srajan and others are saying it equals or surpasses the best 845 SET designs such as Yamamoto and Korneff. You can use it as a single input integrated as it has a DACT gain control. Price will surprise you and there is a rumor about monoblocks. Personally I don't see that happening for quite a while because of the waiting list he has for the Sig 30.