Avalon NP2.0 Speakers
I've had a pair of Avalon NP2.0 floorstanding speakers on home trial for a while, and I have become sufficiently familiar with them to write a few lines. Before I do that, however, it's useful to contemplate how we in this hobby tend to be attracted to certain bits of equipment, and how we are often impressed (or unimpressed) by a particular aspect of its performance. Forums such as this one are full of strong opinions, some of which are a tad bigoted, but mainly genuinely held. Some brands come in for particular disapprobation: for exapmple Naim is still reckoned to be harsh ad unmusical even though the house sound has changed completely in recent years. And I have learnt to not mention anything Linn, let alone the LP12! My experience with the Avalon speakers has forced me to confront my own preconceptions and opinions, and possibly for the first time I have become acutely aware of the limitations of my own points of audio reference.
Not so long ago I heard some Electra 1027Be speakers, which were mightily impressive, albeit in an unfamiliar Naim system. They had a certain elegant character, and a most beguiling top end that had cymbals shimmering forever. I almost bought them, but I then convinced myself that the old Focal Daline 3.1 speakers were as good as I needed, particularly within the constraints of a small living room. I've become very attached to these speakers over many years, and while aware that the bass went deep, it was not particularly well defined, but that was offset by an effortless and elegant midrange, and a top end that came close to the Electra's once I had installed some Auricap film capacitors. So, my preconceptions and my reference point were pretty well established and to a significant extent unchallenged.
Then, a bit out of the blue, Dave from Blade Audio said he had a pair of Avalon NP2.0 speakers coming in, and would I like to try them for a few weeks, if only to help run them in? A quick look at Avalon's website ( www.avalonacoustics.com/ ) showed that they are rather compact. Rather plain looking as well, but at least smaller than the Focals, and impeccably finished in real tree-wood veneer. I readily agreed to try them out, not knowing quite what to expect.
Hooked onto the end of my Lyngdorf CD-1/TDA2200 I did expect some display of fireworks like you often get with audio gear, but there was none. They were a tad brash, straight out of the boxes, but that aside there was no overt character. Certainly there was very good bass definition and very good clarity across the midrange - I could clearly identify instruments on the rather good Martha Argerich 'Live at Lugano' series of CDs that were previously indistinct. That was very encouraging but I did expect some sort of religious experience as the NP2.0s ran in. There has been no such experience, which is most puzzling; indeed I have been struggling to articulate how these speakers perform. The clear conclusion is that they have as little 'sound' or 'character' as any speaker that I have heard. There are no lumps or bumps in the response - they appear to be utterly even handed. That might suggest damning with faint praise or a lack of musicality, but that is not so - they are very engaging.
So, my long term speaker reference has been unseated, and in the process of listening to the Avalons, I have become aware that the rest of my system is rather better than I thought. Vinyl replay from the Heavied Spacedeck/Spacearm/KB through PS Audio GCPH is now utterly stunning: relatively more so than CD. I cannot explain this, but I'm very happy with the result. My personal window onto recorded music has been given a good clean.
So, to summarise the Avalon NP2.0 speakers as best I can, they are small and rather plain, but as close to an open window to the source music as I have heard within my price range. They have no negative aspects in terms of sound quality, and they do not show off in any way. At £2000 they are not cheap, but they are definitely good value, which is a different parameter altogether. I can recommend them without hesitation, but anyone trying them is likely to be as puzzled as I was to start with. A brief listen or dem is unlikely to impress much, but Dear God do they deliver once you get used to the lack of character.
To return to my opening theme, we should all look now and then to our inner prejudices and opinions (often the same thing) and sometimes challenge them, otherwise how can we properly evaluate any other equipment at dealers, HiFi shows, or in other people's houses? As I have found out, the reference against which I measured all other audio sytems was a bit wobbly, and as a result I did not properly understand my own gear, let alone anyone else's. I shall remember this lesson dealt coutresy of the Avalon NP2.0 speakers.
I've had a pair of Avalon NP2.0 floorstanding speakers on home trial for a while, and I have become sufficiently familiar with them to write a few lines. Before I do that, however, it's useful to contemplate how we in this hobby tend to be attracted to certain bits of equipment, and how we are often impressed (or unimpressed) by a particular aspect of its performance. Forums such as this one are full of strong opinions, some of which are a tad bigoted, but mainly genuinely held. Some brands come in for particular disapprobation: for exapmple Naim is still reckoned to be harsh ad unmusical even though the house sound has changed completely in recent years. And I have learnt to not mention anything Linn, let alone the LP12! My experience with the Avalon speakers has forced me to confront my own preconceptions and opinions, and possibly for the first time I have become acutely aware of the limitations of my own points of audio reference.
Not so long ago I heard some Electra 1027Be speakers, which were mightily impressive, albeit in an unfamiliar Naim system. They had a certain elegant character, and a most beguiling top end that had cymbals shimmering forever. I almost bought them, but I then convinced myself that the old Focal Daline 3.1 speakers were as good as I needed, particularly within the constraints of a small living room. I've become very attached to these speakers over many years, and while aware that the bass went deep, it was not particularly well defined, but that was offset by an effortless and elegant midrange, and a top end that came close to the Electra's once I had installed some Auricap film capacitors. So, my preconceptions and my reference point were pretty well established and to a significant extent unchallenged.
Then, a bit out of the blue, Dave from Blade Audio said he had a pair of Avalon NP2.0 speakers coming in, and would I like to try them for a few weeks, if only to help run them in? A quick look at Avalon's website ( www.avalonacoustics.com/ ) showed that they are rather compact. Rather plain looking as well, but at least smaller than the Focals, and impeccably finished in real tree-wood veneer. I readily agreed to try them out, not knowing quite what to expect.
Hooked onto the end of my Lyngdorf CD-1/TDA2200 I did expect some display of fireworks like you often get with audio gear, but there was none. They were a tad brash, straight out of the boxes, but that aside there was no overt character. Certainly there was very good bass definition and very good clarity across the midrange - I could clearly identify instruments on the rather good Martha Argerich 'Live at Lugano' series of CDs that were previously indistinct. That was very encouraging but I did expect some sort of religious experience as the NP2.0s ran in. There has been no such experience, which is most puzzling; indeed I have been struggling to articulate how these speakers perform. The clear conclusion is that they have as little 'sound' or 'character' as any speaker that I have heard. There are no lumps or bumps in the response - they appear to be utterly even handed. That might suggest damning with faint praise or a lack of musicality, but that is not so - they are very engaging.
So, my long term speaker reference has been unseated, and in the process of listening to the Avalons, I have become aware that the rest of my system is rather better than I thought. Vinyl replay from the Heavied Spacedeck/Spacearm/KB through PS Audio GCPH is now utterly stunning: relatively more so than CD. I cannot explain this, but I'm very happy with the result. My personal window onto recorded music has been given a good clean.
So, to summarise the Avalon NP2.0 speakers as best I can, they are small and rather plain, but as close to an open window to the source music as I have heard within my price range. They have no negative aspects in terms of sound quality, and they do not show off in any way. At £2000 they are not cheap, but they are definitely good value, which is a different parameter altogether. I can recommend them without hesitation, but anyone trying them is likely to be as puzzled as I was to start with. A brief listen or dem is unlikely to impress much, but Dear God do they deliver once you get used to the lack of character.
To return to my opening theme, we should all look now and then to our inner prejudices and opinions (often the same thing) and sometimes challenge them, otherwise how can we properly evaluate any other equipment at dealers, HiFi shows, or in other people's houses? As I have found out, the reference against which I measured all other audio sytems was a bit wobbly, and as a result I did not properly understand my own gear, let alone anyone else's. I shall remember this lesson dealt coutresy of the Avalon NP2.0 speakers.
Thanks for the reply Shuggie. i am actually based in Montreal but look to the UK for the best advise on hifi. The NP2's retail for CDN 2700 $ here so make great value!