Beyond the measurable range AVantGarde High-End Combination on Test Produced in Bienne, Switzerland, AvantGarde systems from AvantGarde High-End have already won a few trophies abroad. Reason enough for us to put them on our test bench if only to refute the saying "a prophet is without honour in his own country"!
	AvantGarde hi-fi components are manufactured in Bienne by a five-man operation (Tel. 032 323 18 81). Fred Gassmann, experienced engineer and audiophile through and through, thinks that electronic measurements have their place, but are not capable of providing information on the subtle musical nuances reproduced by a system. Nevertheless, he co-operates with polytechnic engineers who regularly suggest the latest, state-of-the-art circuits to him. Then, unforgiving listening tests pick out the men from the boys, highlighting those which will satisfy the needs of the most demanding audiophiles. Quite often, technological masterpieces are declared mediocre or unusable, which apparently does not fail to frustrate the poor engineers. However, it is not unknown for the odd circuit to sometimes find favour with the sensitive ears of the AvantGarde team. Needless to say, they are integrated into new equipment or are used to upgrade existing units. The AVantGarde team take delight in designing systems that go beyond the measurable range. The ears are king here and not the intellect or science ! Optimisation rules For our test, we examined a set of matched components with a total value of 35,000 francs : B1 preamplifier (10,300 francs), A1 amplifier (4,400 francs), CD1 CD player / DAC (16,800 francs) plus First loudspeakers (8,600 francs a pair). The installation was completed by type S speaker cables, XS interconnects and A1+BI power supply cables, as well as a voltage distributor for a total of 3,530 francs. Added to this sum was a further 480 francs for various accessories : Ceramic Cone feet, "Quick Chock" filter terminals for the mains cable and AV-1 magnetic screening which is placed on the case, directly over the transformers. Ingenious triangle The triangular shape of the CD player is no accident. The aim is to avoid letting the case resonate, and to avoid the incidence of internal standing waves. Therefore there are no cavities to be packed with damping material. Chrome-plated steel was chosen as the material and artistically welded, then polished. Gassmann went for one of the latest Philips decks, the CDM 9, equipped with Arcam-Philips 16 bit DACs featuring 4 times oversampling. The player has a genuine oscillating chassis. Isolated from all damaging vibrations, the electronics sit on a 10 Kg base, suspended on springs. It takes less than 47 hours to manufacture one of these players. So, the "Made in Switzerland" label is justified, as is the price. A speciality also found in the cases of YBA and Krell is the supplementary radiation of the CD with a secondary "parasite" beam. According to Gassmann, the red LEDs of this system produce a form of interference which tricks the error correction device, thus improving resolution. The fact of the matter is that nobody knows exactly how this mysterious system works, even measuring instruments refusing to lift the veil. Also, green LEDs distributed all around the CD compartment radiate the CD from the side with a light complementary to the main laser beam. This is intended to cancel out any dispersed light from the main laser beam, giving the same effect as drawing a green felt-tip pen across the disc. These LEDs can be set to two different levels. Muscle-bound transformers The electronic circuitry in AvantGarde components is entirely symmetrical. Transistors are used which have undergone various selection tests before acceptance. It is quite simple: some 97 % of the components purchased find their way into the waste-bin! The ultra-rapid bipolar transistors are made by Toshiba. It is strictly forbidden to put capacitors in the signal path. The stable cases with metal and Plexiglas front panels are made in Nidau. Gassmann does not like symmetrical connections in hi-fi equipment, because he thinks that the symmetrical ICs necessary alter the sound. According to him it is only in the professional sector with very long cables that symmetrical technology offers any advantages. Gassmann makes sure the output impedances are very low, both in the preamplifier and amplifier. By contrast, input impedances are very high. In this way, even highly resistant cables do not cause any loss at the treble end. A classic When it first appeared on the market about 7 years ago, it was, according to Fred Gassmann, revolutionary. It has now been superseded by the approximately 1.15 metre high "First" floor-stander which has been steadily improved over the years. For two years, the well-known "Scan Speak" tweeter has provided high resolution without any aggressive characteristics. It now uses a 12 dB crossover with several capacitors wired in parallel. The cabinet has also seen some improvement and now has a double wall and bitumen internal damping. Eton midrange/bass speakers have Kevlar membranes which are extremely light but incredibly rigid. To avoid any risk of break-up in the higher frequencies, Gassmann fits passive attenuation circuits above the acoustic transmission zone and in front of the chassis with the aim of partially removing any strident sounds. Inside, the wiring consists of the same cable that is used to connect the speakers to the amplifier. In concert With our "High-end test record", this system reproduced the recordings made with two microphones with perfect balance and very natural projection. It really dazzled with its reproduction of a grand piano: from the highest trebles to the lowest basses, the vitality was all there. A comparison with some "exotic" equipment stands out when it comes to violins. Of course, electrostatic speakers would render greater smoothness and finesse, but we can confirm that, for a dynamic system, The "First" loudspeaker columns offer the maximum in sound definition. And, as everyone knows, "exotic" speakers have their weak points as well. Conclusion Even if, technically speaking, certain "magic details" might be missing from this system, especially as far as the CD player is concerned, it appears that the fastidious research of the designers into "metaphysical spheres" (i.e. beyond the measurable) has reaped its rewards. The AVantGarde combination tested here really seduced us. It does not seek to win over the listener by means of artificial effects, but by incomparable musicality.
Specifications
A1 A1 A1 B1 B1 DAC CDI C1 Studietta First First Magnetic Sub   1kV 2kV 2kV accu   Phono CS space*     Bipolar   Aktiv Power (RMS 4 Ohm) 100 100 300         100         300 Input Impedance (kOhm) 90 100 100         10         100 S/N Ratio (dB) 110 110 118 105 90   105 110         110 Dumping Factor 400 1000 1000         400         1000 Slew Rate (ms) 0,35 0,35 0,35 0,05 0,4     0,35         0,35 T.H.D. (%) 0,1 0,01 0,01 0,01 0,05 0,03 0,007 0,1         0,01 Power Supply (W)*(AH) 1000 2000 2000 1000 -500 500 500 1000         2000 Inputs (Chinch) 1 1 1 6 1 1   5         1 Power ( WRMS) 120 150 150 150 Efficiency 88 89 88 89 Frequency Response 10-20kHz 30-40kHz 20-50Hz Impedance (Ohm) 8 4 4 4 Height 16 16 16 16 16 16 12 16 97 115 117 161 51 Width 44 44 44 44 44 44 50/39* 44 19 21 21 25 42 Depth 38 38 38 38 38 38 40/36* 38 23 29 30 27 55 Weight 19 28 48 15 15 15 12/10* 22 18 35 42 45 62 Warranty 3 Years Cables Interconnect XS Digital DS Speaker S