Terry, I'm quite sure your observations are completely accurate. I'm standing by on the sound demo of ATC SCM 11, and now Amphion Argon 1. It is your fantastic skill at system calibration, and prowess in recording the sound of the gear you review, that sets you above all other talking head reviewers. Thank you for all you do.
Thank you for your review of the Amphion Argon. I was particularly interested in your comment about possible house sound as I am considering buying the Argon 3S, the bigger brother. Amphion, like the ATC, has another virtue in my eyes It is made in Europe. I believe Amphion was the pioneer in using the "dished" type of wave guide now noticeable in other speakers like Buchardt.
Loving the detailed comparison of all these speakers, even though I am not in the market for speakers, just now. I will look into the entire Amphion line of stand-mount size speakers. They look interesting!
Saw these at Bristol show 2020, most impressive speaker I saw there, sound drew me from the corridor. They look really nice and are a perfect compact size in my opinion.
Did you find them unpleasantly harsh or bright compared to the other speakers in direct comparison? Looking for something that's not muddy at the top end but not too bright or fatiguing either. Also, are they easy to drive?
Another stellar review. I've never heard of this company but it looks like a great contender. It seems almost voiced for home theatre. By that note, let's see the SVS Ultra next, which is a HT speaker that measures pretty flat. I'd like to know how its tonality is compared while these recent speakers are still fresh on your mind.
Time alignment is one aspect to using a waveguide. Directivity matching to the woofer and acoustic loading mean a higher electrical xo point allowing the waveguide to increase SPL below and therefore reduce power seen by the tweeter to increase power handling
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Ive experienced that (for me) its not realy an argument to not buy speakers just because theyre ,,nearfields,,. I used my neumann KH310a as main stereo setup for film & music listening (listening position is 3 meters away). For my taste you can get decent / great results with nearfields in a normal room. Ive changed today my neumann main setup from the living room to a different relativly small room ~7m x 5m and the neumann are there also perfect for my taste (even a little bit oversized) - at the end the acoustic and correct placement of the speaker is the most important point... i use studiomonitors for my hifi setup now since over 3 years and i‘m totally happy with them. At the moment Neumann KH310 + Sotm SDP1000ex DAC + Funk Tonstudio XLR Cables + KEF LS50 Stands (modified top plate)
I didn't think it would be different because it would be Amphion saying that studios can only use them on a desk and not everyone will want to use them like that which shrinks their potential customers - I thought it was worth pointing out that they make a point of saying that they are designed for nearfield in the first few words on the website as something to be mindful of and maybe ask about
Terry, I know this is an old vid, but given your impeccable ear, can you please comment on the Argon 1 vs Dali Rubicon 2? Which is better for low volume listening? Which less fickle with amp pairing? Cheers!
I thought that you posted a comparison of the ATC SCM 11 vs. The Amphion Argon1 ? I cannot seem to find that video? Can you please advise? Thank you for your work and insight.It is much appreciated.
YT has decided to block it in 166 countries - one of the songs in it the copyright owner must have broken their deal with YT. Sadly I cant control any of that its part of it
Are KEF R3's not the same price as the ATC speakers? I always wondered how the R3's compared to the LS50's. Are KEF working on an R3 Meta do you know? Interesting to compare a standmount 3 way to the rest of the 2 ways you have chosen.
Thank you for all that you’ve shared and taught me via your channel! Can you please tell me the music you’ve used in this review, I’d like to hear more of it-thanks again
more like S400 since its waveguide and KEF R3 since LS50 meta is coaxial which means tweeter's waveguide is actually woofer, making it move at high power(excursion), thus causing tweeter waveguide to deform and changing response, thus causing IMD :) though nice analysis to be honest agree, to be honest, more money is spent on crossover design and polar response.
How would you rate the Argon 3s against the Ls50's? I have the Ls50 hooked up to an Arcam SA30 and contemplating moving to the Amphion to try something new. I have a sub so bass isn't important to me.
Its quite a similar speaker it wont be a wildly different move for you so it comes down to why you want to change and what you want to change about your speakers sound
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you for your reply. I'm looking to upgrade and experience different speakers. So far I've had B&W 685s2, and my Kefs. If it's not a clear upgrade I'm not really interested. Could you give me an example of an upgrade path that would match the gear I have? Happy to sub to your Patreon and ask through there if you could tell me how. Cheers mate.
wish everyone company sent in speakers for this big review and comparisons series. i just got my new speakers and they fit into the budget of this review, its an interesting design with MTM or d'appolito with amphion style waveguide large(28mm) soft dome tweeter and dual 5" woofers in sealed compact cabinet. Crossover at 1500hz. Its very narrow, just enough to fit the drivers. its so small that it has early rolloff at 90hz i think, while i break them in i run minidsp EQ to reach flat to 35hz(and room shake 25hz). with eq you will get more bass from this speaker than any other in the test. or more controlled bass and match made in heaven for subwoofer integration. The speaker is Arendal sound 1961 monitor. norwegian company and its local for me.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem they have three series now and 1961 is the cheapest and newest one they added. mostly home theater people reviewing them so far, so i like a stereo hifi perspective :)
Hi Terry!!I just sow another review on youtube and the guy says that because of their low sensitivity (86 db) they don't sound as good in low levels listening and they need a big space. Do you agree with that?Thank you!!!
I dont generally listen at low volumes and I think it would be more dictated by the speakers frequency response more than its sensitivity - these are a bit rolled off in the upper treble so that would effect lower listening a bit. Really not sure about the big space - did the other person have a small and big space to listen in. I dont think any small speaker will sound good in a big space personally
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thank you so much for your respond Terry!! I also agree about the big space.I am sure you know the other reviewer he is from UK too but his identity its not the case here!! Because i trust you 100% (from the many reviews i see from you) thats why i ask you about it!!
I was really close to buying these to go with my Hegel H120 as they are a well known match but i wasn't able to get a home demo and went for the ls50 Meta's instead as i already knew the sound of the original ls50's from previous experiences. But after listening to your review it has got me wondering if i made the right choice 🤔
You prolly dont care but if you're stoned like me during the covid times then you can watch pretty much all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my brother for the last weeks xD
I am not 100% sure what speakers you mean, I contacted lots and lots of speaker manufacturers - all the ones people asked me to and got as many to compare as I could.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I'm talking about the eclipse speakers. I thought you rated them quite well. You even gave the top model best sound at show award a few years ago.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem but that's another thing. Why do you have to restrict the price to a certain range? Theres no evidence that a more expensive speaker gives you better sound. This is just a belief of audiophiles.
Will you be comparing the winner of this test with the winner of the previous 'budget' standmounter test? It'd be interesting to have an idea of the jump in quality!
Some people write that Amphions are rather difficult, transparent speakers, that will require top class electronics and decent recordings to get the best of them? Could you make reviews of french speakers- Triangle, Jean Marie Reynaud?
I've used both JMR Folia and Amphion's Argon1 with a second hand 400 euros Rega Brio. Amphion are much more better in terms of fastness, sound dispersion, balance and placement. In term of transparency, both speakers will reveal what you feed them with ....
With the pricepoint being low, they are all going to cut corners. While I'm happy with the performance/performance ratio, to upgrade the insides (cross overs, ect) is very expensive. Also, could the 10db dip around 180hz be your room?
The whole point of a group test is it makes it possible to compare lots of different similar priced same category speakers to each other to see what the differences are - each speaker gets compared to all the others reviewed before them there is no other way to do it
@@ReggaeSpijkenisse with all due respect don't watch these videos then because I will be comparing them all to each other as its the only way really to know what is what.
I have a pair of Amphion Argon 3L (floorstanders) and for the price they're still one of the best sounding choices around.
Terry, I'm quite sure your observations are completely accurate. I'm standing by on the sound demo of ATC SCM 11, and now Amphion Argon 1.
It is your fantastic skill at system calibration, and prowess in recording the sound of the gear you review, that sets you above all other talking head reviewers. Thank you for all you do.
The demo video is done and will be going live tomorrow David :)
Thank you for your review of the Amphion Argon. I was particularly interested in your comment about possible house sound as I am considering buying the Argon 3S, the bigger brother. Amphion, like the ATC, has another virtue in my eyes It is made in Europe. I believe Amphion was the pioneer in using the "dished" type of wave guide now noticeable in other speakers like Buchardt.
Loving the detailed comparison of all these speakers, even though I am not in the market for speakers, just now.
I will look into the entire Amphion line of stand-mount size speakers. They look interesting!
Hi Terry, vey interesting analysis, I was going to buy the ATC SCM-11 but I met the KLH Model 5 and finally bought them
Saw these at Bristol show 2020, most impressive speaker I saw there, sound drew me from the corridor. They look really nice and are a perfect compact size in my opinion.
The Argon 1 are the most versatile, dynamic and the best valuee for money from the entire category.
Just buyed those for surround speakers..got Amphion Argon 7LS front speakers + Amphion Argon 5C on center 🤩
Nice !!!!
Thanks Terry, your group test videos are awesome!
Acoustic Energy please Tel. However, you have just reviewed the overall winner - I love amphion speakers.... :)
Did you find them unpleasantly harsh or bright compared to the other speakers in direct comparison? Looking for something that's not muddy at the top end but not too bright or fatiguing either.
Also, are they easy to drive?
Please do the same stand mount review for more expensive $2K - $2.5K speakers!
Great, smartly written and delivered review. Thank you!
Thanks very much, really appreciate it
Another stellar review. I've never heard of this company but it looks like a great contender. It seems almost voiced for home theatre. By that note, let's see the SVS Ultra next, which is a HT speaker that measures pretty flat. I'd like to know how its tonality is compared while these recent speakers are still fresh on your mind.
My introduction to your channel and I've already subscribed after less than a minute of watch-time.
Thanks very much and welcome
Time alignment is one aspect to using a waveguide. Directivity matching to the woofer and acoustic loading mean a higher electrical xo point allowing the waveguide to increase SPL below and therefore reduce power seen by the tweeter to increase power handling
Greats reviews,as always!I'm fan of Dynaudio speakers...wich model are you testing??cheers from Argentina!
I am waiting for Evoke 10 and 20 to come but I haven't heard to say they have shipped yet but I will chase it up
Please recomend me a system amp and speakers that are great in low volume especially.
Great, solid review as always 👌A detailed comparison between the Amphion Studioline & Hifi would be interesting :-)
I like the look of the studio monitors but I think they are designed for near field use and I don't know what that means - I think I sit mid field
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Ive experienced that (for me) its not realy an argument to not buy speakers just because theyre ,,nearfields,,. I used my neumann KH310a as main stereo setup for film & music listening (listening position is 3 meters away). For my taste you can get decent / great results with nearfields in a normal room. Ive changed today my neumann main setup from the living room to a different relativly small room ~7m x 5m and the neumann are there also perfect for my taste (even a little bit oversized) - at the end the acoustic and correct placement of the speaker is the most important point... i use studiomonitors for my hifi setup now since over 3 years and i‘m totally happy with them. At the moment Neumann KH310 + Sotm SDP1000ex DAC + Funk Tonstudio XLR Cables + KEF LS50 Stands (modified top plate)
I didn't think it would be different because it would be Amphion saying that studios can only use them on a desk and not everyone will want to use them like that which shrinks their potential customers - I thought it was worth pointing out that they make a point of saying that they are designed for nearfield in the first few words on the website as something to be mindful of and maybe ask about
Thank you Sir. 😊
Terry,
I know this is an old vid, but given your impeccable ear, can you please comment on the Argon 1 vs Dali Rubicon 2? Which is better for low volume listening? Which less fickle with amp pairing?
Cheers!
I have no experience with the Rubicon 2 sorry
I thought that you posted a comparison of the ATC SCM 11 vs. The Amphion Argon1 ? I cannot seem to find that video? Can you please advise? Thank you for your work and insight.It is much appreciated.
YT has decided to block it in 166 countries - one of the songs in it the copyright owner must have broken their deal with YT. Sadly I cant control any of that its part of it
Acoustic Energy next I agree with others.
Are KEF R3's not the same price as the ATC speakers? I always wondered how the R3's compared to the LS50's. Are KEF working on an R3 Meta do you know? Interesting to compare a standmount 3
way to the rest of the 2 ways you have chosen.
The R3 def have the 3 way advantage - I did ask KEF for both and I will see what I can do
I prefer a good 2 ways than a 3 ways kef...
AE500
Amphion argo
Davis olympia one master
These speakers are better for me.
Thank you for all that you’ve shared and taught me via your channel! Can you please tell me the music you’ve used in this review, I’d like to hear more of it-thanks again
it should all be listed in the video description
more like S400 since its waveguide and KEF R3 since LS50 meta is coaxial which means tweeter's waveguide is actually woofer, making it move at high power(excursion), thus causing tweeter waveguide to deform and changing response, thus causing IMD
:)
though nice analysis to be honest
agree, to be honest, more money is spent on crossover design and polar response.
I have yamaha rn 803 network receiver which is 145 watts per channel. Can you suggest most suitable speaker for me?
Terry so at the end which speakers sound better for your taste, the Metas or the Amphions ??
I tried to consolidate my thoughts here ua-cam.com/video/_ZvBdPHtc3M/v-deo.html
Ummm.. Clear Fast response? In which song can one find that in these speakers to summarize your review.
How would you rate the Argon 3s against the Ls50's? I have the Ls50 hooked up to an Arcam SA30 and contemplating moving to the Amphion to try something new. I have a sub so bass isn't important to me.
Its quite a similar speaker it wont be a wildly different move for you so it comes down to why you want to change and what you want to change about your speakers sound
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Thank you for your reply. I'm looking to upgrade and experience different speakers. So far I've had B&W 685s2, and my Kefs. If it's not a clear upgrade I'm not really interested. Could you give me an example of an upgrade path that would match the gear I have? Happy to sub to your Patreon and ask through there if you could tell me how. Cheers mate.
wish everyone company sent in speakers for this big review and comparisons series.
i just got my new speakers and they fit into the budget of this review, its an interesting design with MTM or d'appolito with amphion style waveguide large(28mm) soft dome tweeter and dual 5" woofers in sealed compact cabinet. Crossover at 1500hz. Its very narrow, just enough to fit the drivers. its so small that it has early rolloff at 90hz i think, while i break them in i run minidsp EQ to reach flat to 35hz(and room shake 25hz). with eq you will get more bass from this speaker than any other in the test. or more controlled bass and match made in heaven for subwoofer integration.
The speaker is Arendal sound 1961 monitor. norwegian company and its local for me.
I have some Arendal here now FWIW - they are coming after
@@PursuitPerfectSystem they have three series now and 1961 is the cheapest and newest one they added.
mostly home theater people reviewing them so far, so i like a stereo hifi perspective :)
I think I have the 1723 £2k a pair set
@@PursuitPerfectSystem looking forwards to your thoughts in it :)
@@PursuitPerfectSystem i take it thats the monitors? Looking at the bookshelfs (small room) so wonder how comparable they are.
Hi Terry!!I just sow another review on youtube and the guy says that because of their low sensitivity (86 db) they don't sound as good in low levels listening and they need a big space.
Do you agree with that?Thank you!!!
I dont generally listen at low volumes and I think it would be more dictated by the speakers frequency response more than its sensitivity - these are a bit rolled off in the upper treble so that would effect lower listening a bit. Really not sure about the big space - did the other person have a small and big space to listen in. I dont think any small speaker will sound good in a big space personally
@@PursuitPerfectSystem thank you so much for your respond Terry!! I also agree about the big space.I am sure you know the other reviewer he is from UK too but his identity its not the case here!!
Because i trust you 100% (from the many reviews i see from you) thats why i ask you about it!!
Can you please do a group mega test of £2000 floor standers next Tel? You know I like you to be busy. 🤣👍
I cant do it next as I have other things planned but maybe as the next group test after that yes possibly yes
Hello. I have something on the grill of the Tweeter ! It 's seems to be à plastic with the form of a Tweeter smaller....
Acoustic Energy next please
Definitely Acoustic Energy AE500 next please ,just bought a pair to replace Original AE1'S, they are amazing 👏
I was really close to buying these to go with my Hegel H120 as they are a well known match but i wasn't able to get a home demo and went for the ls50 Meta's instead as i already knew the sound of the original ls50's from previous experiences.
But after listening to your review it has got me wondering if i made the right choice 🤔
You prolly dont care but if you're stoned like me during the covid times then you can watch pretty much all of the new movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my brother for the last weeks xD
@Wilson Braxton Yup, I've been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :D
Hi, how is this compared to Boenicke W5?
how would these compare to my current Rega RS1's
Acoustic Energy next please Tel.
SVS Ultra Bookshelves next, please! :)
SVS ultra have an agressive tweeter, i've compared with davis olympia one master, the davis is really better with much emotions and homogene sound!
What about those funny looking egg speakers you did a while ago. Aren't they good enough to be included in the tests?
I am not 100% sure what speakers you mean, I contacted lots and lots of speaker manufacturers - all the ones people asked me to and got as many to compare as I could.
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I'm talking about the eclipse speakers. I thought you rated them quite well. You even gave the top model best sound at show award a few years ago.
@@ProfessorJohnSmith pretty sure they are 2k each speaker and at the show they had the sub as well that's a lot more money than this group test
Sorry they do have a model in this price range, I didnt think of them sorry
@@PursuitPerfectSystem but that's another thing. Why do you have to restrict the price to a certain range? Theres no evidence that a more expensive speaker gives you better sound. This is just a belief of audiophiles.
Dali Opticon 2 mkII? :)
Will you be comparing the winner of this test with the winner of the previous 'budget' standmounter test? It'd be interesting to have an idea of the jump in quality!
I dont know but I will talk about the differences and what you get at this price level I touch on it in this video
How come you didn't review Elac Carina?They are excellent speakers for the price.
Some people write that Amphions are rather difficult, transparent speakers, that will require top class electronics and decent recordings to get the best of them? Could you make reviews of french speakers- Triangle, Jean Marie Reynaud?
I've used both JMR Folia and Amphion's Argon1 with a second hand 400 euros Rega Brio. Amphion are much more better in terms of fastness, sound dispersion, balance and placement. In term of transparency, both speakers will reveal what you feed them with ....
With the pricepoint being low, they are all going to cut corners. While I'm happy with the performance/performance ratio, to upgrade the insides (cross overs, ect) is very expensive. Also, could the 10db dip around 180hz be your room?
Yes below 300hz ish is all room
Ophidian next please ☺️
Now that Buchardt S400 Mk2 came along and is quite a significant redesign, I wonder how that would match up to Amphion Argon 1.
The S400 mk2 is more similar priced to the Argon 3 not the 1
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Ok thanks, I was not aware of the existence of the Argon 3.
SO MANY great speakers....DURN.
Neat Acoustics please
AE500s please.
Which one is the winner for best vocal reproduction, so far? Most natural and energy.
I had the same question.
Did you ever test Audiovector QR1 ?
Sorry no I didnt / havent
Falcon "Gold Badge" LS3/5a please
Nick are they are more affordable peai as I just checked and the Falcon are £2400 - thats double the budget for this group test??
Amphion Argon 1 are now £250 cheaper than ATC SCM11
That waveguide tweeter looks like Buchardt s400
It might be the other way around Amphion have been in business over 20 years fwiw
@@PursuitPerfectSystem true
. . . speaker w/ AMT tweeter. ATOM, or EMOTIVA, or such.
Emotiva don't make a stand mount speaker in this price category I can see?
KEF LS50/Meta highly over rated Imo….fatiguing which always makes it a non-starter.
Oooo kinkier speakers 😁
We have now reviewed the LS50, Buchard and ATC enough, haven’t we.
The whole point of a group test is it makes it possible to compare lots of different similar priced same category speakers to each other to see what the differences are - each speaker gets compared to all the others reviewed before them there is no other way to do it
@@PursuitPerfectSystem I know, I know. But nearly every channel is reviewing the LS50’s until they drop dead. No offence.
@@ReggaeSpijkenisse and how you of them have compared them to this many other similar speakers?
@@PursuitPerfectSystem Too much, to many.
@@ReggaeSpijkenisse with all due respect don't watch these videos then because I will be comparing them all to each other as its the only way really to know what is what.