AUDIO PHYSIC Avantera

The bass section of the Avantera is designed in the typical Audio Physic fashion: two pairs of 18cm woofers (all active and connected in push-push tandems) radiate to the sides and are vented to the floor. Such the arrangement benefits from the bass energy distributed over a higher number of smaller cones that can be lighter and faster. The other benefit is the elimination of the floor-bounce null caused by the reflections from floor, usual with front firing woofers, resulting into smoother in-room response. The trade-off is the way the bass arrives to a listener’s ears – some claim that in principle it loses attack and definition. I did not experience neither of these with the Avantera, quite opposite. The big drums in  Saint-Saens’ Samson and Delilah (Reference Recordings, Exotic Dances from Opera) were, as far as the full orchestral attack and definition are concerned, among the best I had ever heard in absolute terms.

The timpani that rolls in at around 2´26 mark into Bacchanale was convincingly portrayed from the first stroke of its skin and when played really loud a minute later the orchestral climax swept the room with the energy that had to be felt two blocks away from the house. Despite the amount of the energy that was thrown into the room I never had a feeling that I was loosing anything from the speaker’s superb control and resolution. The drum maelstrom after 6‘ mark was palpably physical including the delicate and spicy detail of the variation in force with which the percussionist was hitting the instrument’s skin. For the Bacchanale is a firm part of my test discs portfolio I had opportunity to listen to it through many excellent speakers, with a lot of variation in what I heard. For example, the bass ranged from muscular and juicy (Wilson Audio Sasha W/P), controlled and dry (Focal JMlab Scala Utopia) and wonderfully textured (Bowers Wilkins 802 Diamond) to swift and smoothly impactful (Dynaudio Confidence C2 II). The Audio Physic Avantera did not outperform any of the previously mentioned speakers in what was considered their particular strength, yet somehow managed to make a blend of all aforementioned assets into the very balanced and tuneful bass performance. All of sudden, there was everything, yet in a less exposed manner than like singled out by the competitors.