[Review] Avalon NP2.0 Speakers

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.

 

A few weeks down the line and I'm keeping the Avalons. Uninspiring looks aside, they tick all the musical boxes, and I can begin to understand some audiophiles' obsession with leading edge definition. I can't quite bring myself to listen exclusively for such things, but the sounds of plucked string instruments like acoustic guitar (Spanish Guitar music on old CFP vinyl), and particularly drums, are rather impressive. I even dug out Patricia Barber (Cafe Blue) and was stunned by the speed and definition of the drums: a wholly awful album, but enjoyable as an occasional audiophile dem session. The same edge definition came out of quality jazz albums, like Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, which is pretty damned good for a recording that's now 50 years old.

The lack of overt character really troubled me, but having removed the NP2.0s from the system and re-inserted the old Focals, I realised how well the NP2.0s represent real instruments, and how coherent the sound is, in the musical sense. Recordings that I thought were crap before were still crap, eg Hunky Dory, but unexpectedly more listenable, perhaps because the Avalons salvage something from every recording. Until now I always thought that the better the transducer, the worse poor recordings will sound, but (up to a point) that's not entirely true. That said, I have not tried Coldplay's X&Y on them!

So, I'm very happy with a system that's singing very nicely from both vinyl and CD. The Avalon NP2.0 speakers do still merit a very strong recommendation from me - just don't expect fireworks or overt character. Just enjoy the music.

 

very funny, it is a stinker...

 

Some systems actually make poor recordings sound more listenable because whilst they will never polish turds in terms of improving on the poor high fidelity presentation, what they will do is extract the essential musical information on the disc, even if poorly presented.

Avalon NP 2.0s are musical speakers in that they are extremely adept at reproducing subtle contrasts between loud and soft, i.e: dynamics. This in turn gives greater insight into inflection, timing, harmony, reverb and a general sense of exactly what and how the music was played at the time the recording was captured.

Those who listen only for 'sound quality' will never hear improvements in capturing the essence of the musical performance.

It is no accident that Audio Works used Avalon speakers in their Manchester Show demonstration. Their cables, blocks and stands exist for this purpose (capturing the dynamics on a given recording) as does their choice of equipment.

Those listening for hi-fi niceties will never hear the virtues of a dynamic musical system and therefore will never hear improvements in the capturing of the musical performance.

 

lol.

 

I see the clown is amused by his own ignorance.

Anyway, Avalon NP 2.0 speakers are very nice if you want to listen to music.

 

Shuggie,

I am in the market for speakers and found your opinions on the Avalon np2 quite informative. Heard them myself with Pathos Classic One and Naim cd5 vs Audio Physic Yara's and they came across very well. However, this is new to me so I need help/advise. I mainly listen to rock and Jazz and like my music warm, not bright. Having auditioned various tube amps, amongst them Pathos and Audio Research I have settled on an american brand - Rogue. Not too well known but great sound with tight bass and one of the few tube amps i though did justice rhythmic music as well as Jazz and good value to boot. Unfortunately the dealers who carry the Avalons dont carry Rogue so I have unable to match them.

I have also considered B&W 804, Vienna Beethoven Baby Grand and Audio Physic Spark and Vandersteen. Frankly, the vandersteen's are good but their rather unconventional looks and large size make it difficult from a marital accrod operspective.

So many questions:

Do you have an opinion on the other speakers I have mentioned above and specially vs the Avalon?

Also, how flexible are the Avalon's (and the others) with regard to placement. I accept that placed too close to the wall (given my current space they will be about 6 feet apart, 12-18 inches from the back wal and one of them will be 12 inches from a side wall so kind off in the corner) impacts the sound stage but will it also impact their overall ability to faithfully reproduce music?

How are they on bass?

As i am getting back into serious listening after many years i really dont think i will have an issue with their lack of character which i understand to be neutrality in reproduction.

Thanks.

Sumeet

 

Shuggie,

I am in the market for speakers and found your opinions on the Avalon np2 quite informative. Heard them myself with Pathos Classic One and Naim cd5 vs Audio Physic Yara's and they came across very well. However, this is new to me so I need help/advise. I mainly listen to rock and Jazz and like my music warm, not bright. Having auditioned various tube amps, amongst them Pathos and Audio Research I have settled on an american brand - Rogue. Not too well known but great sound with tight bass and one of the few tube amps i though did justice rhythmic music as well as Jazz and good value to boot. Unfortunately the dealers who carry the Avalons dont carry Rogue so I have unable to match them.

I have also considered B&W 804, Vienna Beethoven Baby Grand and Audio Physic Spark, Focal 716 (too bright?) and Vandersteen. Frankly, the vandersteen's have a rather unconventional look and their large size make it difficult from a marital accrod operspective.

So many questions:

Do you have an opinion on the other speakers I have mentioned above and specially vs the Avalon?

Also, how flexible are the Avalon's (and the others) with regard to placement. I accept that placed too close to the wall (given my current space they will be about 6 feet apart, 12-18 inches from the back wal and one of them will be 12 inches from a side wall so kind off in the corner) impacts the sound stage but will it also impact their overall ability to faithfully reproduce music?

How are they on bass?

As i am getting back into serious listening after many years i really dont think i will have an issue with their lack of character which i understand to be neutrality in reproduction.

Thanks.

Sumeet

 

Sorry - I have no experience of them.

I find them to be quite tolerant of placement. Mine are similarly close to the rear wall, and do no seem to get overblown. If one of your is going to be near a corner, then you will get a great deal of boundary reinforcement and that could change the sound, but that's the same with any speaker - it's just the laws of physics.

Like any speaker, the bass will be dependent on the room being driven; however the NP2.0s are in my view rather good in this respect. There is little overhang or bloom - indeed very little 'character', which I now hold to be a good thing. They do seem to shift a good deal of air when required, and furthermore don't go to pieces when given a bit of wellie.

I would seek out a dealer for a listen. The Avalons are undoubtedly excellent value, but £2000 is still a good deal of money to buy unseen or unheard. I know that Audio Works ( http://www.theaudioworks.co.uk/ ) and Blade Audio (www.blade-audio.com) both stock Avalon, so it may be worth having a chat with them. If you are in the Surrey/Hants area, I would be happy to let you hear my NP2.0s.

 

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!
Do you have any views on CD players? I have am considering from amongst the following: Rega Apollo, Cambridge Audio 740 or 840, Naim cd5 or Roksan Kandy. Looking for something reasonably good without blowing my budget. Cheers

 

That's quite an Anglophile list you have there! I can't comment, not having heard any of them. My CD player is a Lyngdorf CD-1, feeding digits into a Lyngdorf TDA2200 true digital amplifier. What I will recommend is MIT AVT1 speaker cable, which ought to be good value over there. I won my AVT1 cables from MIT and, bearing in mind the modest retail price in comparison with most fancy cables here in the UK, they do seem to work well with the Avalons.

 

Shuggie, just a quick check - do the Avalon NP2's go well with tube amps or are they better suited to SS?

 

I think they'd probably go well with anything, but the ultimate test has to be hearing them for yourself.