Still waiting for the Argons to be delivered. The seller text me on Monday to say he's having them delivered today (Wedsnesday). So I probably won't see them until at least Friday (just a guess)
Al ears
Well-known member
Strange really. Love their amps but never heard the speakers or sources.
They certainly fit my brief
Al ears
Well-known member
you could do worse than buying a pair a nd selling on if they didn't suit....
Just had a call from the Argon 1 dealer. He can't make it until next week so he's sending them on a overnight carrier. I've never dealt with him before, so I must come across as a trusting person. He does definitely know a sale isn't guaranteed.
Plus he knows just how excellent they sound. Likely to sell themselves...
Enjoy PP. They are excellent imo.
I'll give some feedback but it might a day or so as they are brand new. Ideally should give couple of weeks for new monitors to bed in, a luxury I don't have. But I should get a flavour of their qualities.
Just had a text message from DHL. The speakers are being delivered between 4.13 PM and 5.13 PM.
davidf
Well-known member
Lots of good feedback on them from the Daventry show last year - they sounded great in that room, and close to the wall, a position where most speakers just wouldn’t work.
Can't disagree. Overall they are impressive. But I think I've found a crack in their armour.
I'll reveal all tomorrow to make sure I'm right.
davidf
Well-known member
Nothing’s perfect, especially at this price - all down to whether the compromises suit you or not.
Absolutely, couldn't agree more. Unless you spend many thousands on each component, hi-fi is always a compromise
davidf
Well-known member
There are no 2s, but the 3S standmounts are a bigger version with a rear passive radiator, which behaves better in-room than a port does. Where the waveguide gives a nice, consistent sound throughout the room (which you’ll hear when you walk around), the passive radiator helps do the same thing for the bass - there’s a nice lack of “bass, no bass“ if you move around. More output, obviously, and deeper bass too.
2 came up on my Smart phone.
I just find these 1s are very impressive at higher volumes, not as adept quieter levels.
There are other minor niggles. All will be told tomorrow.
Had these speakers on constantly all evening. They are IMO flawed geniuses
After spending all night and into the early hours, listening, trying different placement... these tiny Argon 1s are very addictive. They have plenty of drive; they are lashed with detail and low end frequencies; they are dynamic and very cohesive. They surprisingly go very loud without losing control - the tiny Amphions are very composed. Tonality is great with the Leema.
However, they are not perfect. All the above is based on medium to high volumes, come down to a family-friendly volumes and the Argon seem to lose their mojo a little. The other slight quibble is they don't react too well with poor recordings.
Can I live with these quibbles? Not sure but I've got these speakers until Monday or Tuesday.
Fully understand why they are highly rated.
However, they are not perfect. All the above is based on medium to high volumes, come down to a family-friendly volumes and the Argon seem to lose their mojo a little. The other slight quibble is they don't react too well with poor recordings.
Can I live with these quibbles? Not sure but I've got these speakers until Monday or Tuesday.
Fully understand why they are highly rated.
nopiano
Well-known member
Don’t forget that speakers which are accurately balanced for medium to high volumes will sound less engaging at lower volumes. (Remember loudness controls!?) And a revealing speaker will not flatter poor recordings.
Something with a top-end uplift and a slightly boomy bass sounds great turned down. Most modern speakers are like that! (These Amphions sound like they’re my cup of tea! I wonder if they’re what David F was demoing a few years ago with Hegel at the Bristol show - thry sounded great!)
Give yourself and the speakers some more time. They’ve scarcely reached room temperature yet!
Well I've got them until Monday or Tuesday (or whenever the dealer screams for them). Until then I'll carry on experimenting with positioning and different volumes
davidf
Well-known member
davidf
Well-known member
Smaller speakers in general tend to need a bit of driving for them to sound their best, usually due to their lower efficiency compared to larger models. With smaller speakers, you can’t have good sensitivity, a nice impedance curve, and bass extension - one has to be compromised. How a speaker is voiced depends whether they’re still detailed at lower volumes - drawback is, if they are, they’re usually a bit forward/bright/harsh sounding when the wick is turned up. Same with speakers that have good bass at lower volumes - it usually tends to be overbearing at higher volumes. This was usually counteracted by the loudness button on older amplifiers.
With Amphion’s background of studio monitors, their speakers will be very detailed, will keep their composure at higher volumes (with a suitable amplifier, of course), and won’t be kind to lesser quality recordings. Their domestic models are pretty much ideantical to their pro models except that the pro models use a 100Hz lower crossover point, at 1500Hz instead of 1600Hz.
davidf
Well-known member
Yes, the last two Bristol shows it was the Argon 1 on demo, and also at the Daventry show late last year too. I wanted to have the 3S on demo due to the bass being more room friendly, but the distributor wanted to concentrate on an affordable speaker and system for the show, as Bristol is quite a mainstream show, unlike Cranage Hall etc. And to be fair, the Argon 1 has sounded great at both Bristol and Daventry, testament to how well Amphions work in different rooms.
robdmarsh
Well-known member
What you're saying about them pretty much reminds me of what I get with my speakers, the Triangle Titus EZ. And what I remember about the Argon 1 at the Bristol show is similar to the sound I get with the Titus, albeit I'm sure these put out a smaller sound than the Argon 1 as they are an even smaller box. As far as lower volumes is concerned, I think my speakers sound ok at lower volumes, but I have nothing to compare them against. Small combo acoustic music sounds particularly good at low volumes where you don't really miss the power. Driving, electrically amped rock sounds less convincing at low volumes, but I'm guessing this would be the case with many speakers.
The Argon 1s sound like they're right in my wheel house and I bet they sound great with your Leema amp. You've got a tough decision to make. Do you think you will do an AB comparison with the Dali Rubicon 2?
The Argon 1s sound like they're right in my wheel house and I bet they sound great with your Leema amp. You've got a tough decision to make. Do you think you will do an AB comparison with the Dali Rubicon 2?
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