Soundstage, bass, great with all types of music, high WAF.

none

These speakers can be an audiophile's dream come true as long as you have a top notch amp. I have tried them with many amps from 50watts to my present Bryston 4BSST( 300 w/ch ). The Bryston match is heaven. Keep in mind that this is the newest Bryston that is very sweet and more powerful that the older models. The soundstage is excellent. And I can only reiterate the positves in many of the other reviews. Don't let the small footprint of the speakers fool you. These are up there with some of the best. As I said just give them a top notch amp. I also found the Acoustic Zen speaker cables to work very well as they brought out great inner detail on many recordings.

Similar Products Used:

ML Prodigies, ML Ascent, Living Voice

Very well balanced speaker. Smooth, extended highs and lows, coupled with a world class midrange (and this is coming from a Martin Logan owner!). Soundstaging,imaging, gorgeous looks.

Requires high current, high quality amp to sound its best. Perennial upgraders will require significant investment to get much better sound!

I do not think I can add much that has not already been said about these speakers. In a word, they are a steal at the price especially if you live in Canada and can buy in Canadian dollars! The highs are very extended and quite detailed without sounding etched. The midrange is open and clear and as a result piano is produced as accurately as I have heard on any other speaker. When partnered with the right equipment and positioned appropriately, bass is very extended, tight and tuneful. In my room the soundstage is wide but not as deep as I have heard with the same speakers in other rooms. (I think this is a function of a large console that sits between the speakers and not a fault of the speakers themselves.) Nevertheless, imaging appears to be spot on. These speakers seem to get the tone and timbre of instruments just right and their lush but detailed sound makes them a pleasure to listen to ... even on non-audiophile recordings. They sound great at low volumes and do not tend to get "shouty" at high power levels. I currently use them with a Hovland pre-amp, Theta transport with MSB DAC, Perreaux 250P amp (another audiophile steal) and Cardas golden cross cables. To put it mildly I am in audiophile heaven. One word of caution though: make sure that you use a high current, high quality amp. Although they will work OK at low volumes with lower powered high quality amps, these speakers need a lot of juice to really open up and perform at their best. For example, I used them with a SimAudo moon I-5 for 8 months and was never entirely happy with the results in my room (25'x12'x8') at normal listening levels. Also, because they are very detailed, system matching and proper room placement is imperative. Finally, I must also comment on the look of these speakers. They are absolutely gorgeous and because of this and their size, they will fit into almost any decor. I have also had occasion to deal with Gershman Acoustics on a minor issue and can attest to the quality of their customer service.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan, Verity Audio Fidelio, B&W (various models), Living Voice, Magnepan.

Full range, life like sound with all my music. Beautiful piece of furniture.

None that I can find

I ‘m a proud owner of the Avant Garde RX-20. I listen to a variety of music: Jazz, Classical and Rock. What I like about the Avant Garde is that they do what other speakers don’t, sounding so natural and so life like with all types of music (I’ve auditioned many speakers costing twice the price of the Avant Garde). The Bass is in a class of it’s own tight and deep. The Imaging and sound stage are three-dimensional. The high and mid frequencies are detailed yet not bright I still can not believe that this life like music comes out of such small speakers. The workmanship on the speakers is just beautiful, like a piece of art. I also like to thank Gershman Acoustics for all the help and customer support they gave me and putting up with all my questions and for producing such wonderful speakers that even my wife who is not an audiophile can appreciate.

Similar Products Used:

Martin Logan Quest,JM Labs Utopia

Lush, mellow overall sound. Low and tight bass till 25hz. Sweet high end. Superb reproduction of piano, violin,guitar and vocals sound. Unfatigable and forgiving sound. Can be listened continuously for many long hours.

Requires high current, high quality power amp. Vertical sounstage a little limited by 36" high of speakers. Put them on 6-8" high stands solve the problem.

I just bought a pair of Gershman Acoustics Avant Garde RX-20, demoed at the price of $3800 (MSRP is $4600) without auditioning them in advance but based on rave press reviews and user reviews (audioreview.com). These are highly underrated gem of high end audio due to limited marketising and dealership and also probably due their "avant garde" but artistic pyramidal shape with only 36" high. But this is a real full range floorstander with beautiful bass down to 25hz. The overall sound is balanced, sweet and mellow, maybe a little too lush for people who prefer analytical and high resolution sound of ProAc,B&W or equivalent. Piano, violin, guitar and vocals sounds are superb. I can listen to these speakers all day long without any fatigue. The overall sound is so musical but is still clear and defined. I cannot imagine another speaker doing so well for so many types of music that costs less than 5K. I have listened to JMLab, B&W, Sonus Faber, PSB Golds, Martin Logans, Thiels, Meadlowlarks, Vandersteen, Vienna Acoustics, ProAc, Von Schweikert,AudioPhysics. These are all fine speakers in their own ways, some excel in some areas. But the Gershman gets at least an A in just about every area of music production. Right now I power them with a 140w.ch Marantz 18EX receiver, just enough to enjoy them. But I plan to team them with a SimAudio W5($4795), a high current high quality 190w/ch. To increase the vertical soundstage I put the RX-20 on 8" stands which also tighten the bass. With this setup, I think I can live with RX-20 for many years to come and just enjoy the music! My RX-20 with a piano black finish are really pieces of art which blend perfectly with my other black furnitures and audio equipment. You may want to go to the attach link to read what experts say on the RX-20.

Similar Products Used:

Snell A Type II, Snell CV, JMlab 920.1, ProAc 2.5, Beethoven, Aerial Acoustics 7/8b.

bass extension, soundstage/imaging, liquid midrange, size and looks

placement is crucial to get the most from these

You have to be a music lover to buy these speakers. You will not find excessive marketing, sensationalism, or tons of reviews on these speakers (although each one I have read puts these in the state of the art category). I heard these speakers for the first time on a dealers recommendation w/o ever hearing of the company. With the line-up of speakers I heard before them (see above), I wasnt expecting much. Boy was I wrong! These speakers are the goods. They are all around excellent performers that allow the listener to enjoy ALL types of music for long periods of time at any listening level. Bass is fast, tight, and extended. Mids are (dare I say) electrostatic like, and the highs are heavenly. You will not get lestener fatigue with these speakers like some other well reviewed models, but you will not lose any detail either. An added bonus are the people that make these beautiful speakers. They are always so nice and accomadating. Overall, an excellent performer that doesnt get enough attention. But it is telling that Gershman is consistently nominated for best of show at all of the major shows.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Physic Virgo, Meadowlark HotRod Heron, Revel Performa F30, B&W Nautilus 802

They really do the mids and highs just right. Very nice looking speaker!

The low end can be a little bit to much but if matched with the right equipment and placed in proper postion in the room they will do just fine.

I have let these speakers break in for the past two weeks and they are sounding better and better. They seem very lush and silky smooth. The low end seems a little bit heavy for me but that should be fixed when I upgrade my speaker cables to the PSS silver sextet. The guys at A&B Sound are top notch and helped me out in every way! The trip up there was a bit long but after all of the reviews that I have read on these things I thought I really should give them a listen. My first impression was that they are a great looking speaker. When I herd they for the first time I was blown away. They do almost everything right. That is not easy to do when it comes to speakers. These things really do like to be pushed. They can handle almost anything you put into them. I listen to all kinds of music but mainly like good heavy rock. Most speakers tend to lack in more than one area and these did not. If you are in the market for speakers in the $3000-$6000 range you owe it to yourself to give these a try.

My System:

Amp: NAD Silver S300
Source: NAD Silver S500
Interconnect: Pure Silver Sound Sextet XLR
Speaker Cables:(soon to be)Pure Silver Sound Sextet Bi Wire
Speakers: Gershman Acoustics

Similar Products Used:

Naim, Camber, Monitor Audio, many others.

Depth, Soundstage, great looks, fit and finish

None

I've waited for this momentous occasion for over three months…. I finally get to set up our much tested, thoroughly scrutinized choice as our flag ship home speaker ….The Gershman Acoustic Avant Garde RX-20!

The setup delay was due to the 11 months it took my wife and I to construct our home theatre / high-end listening room which we finally completed a few days ago. We did everything ourselves (truly rewarding BUT a labor of love to say the least!!).

After all this time, we finally get to hook up the system and needless to say, the AVG's had to be hooked up first because:

1) They were not the speaker of choice when the project evolved since I perceived them as small and not dominating enough to be our pinnacle acoustic showpiece.

2) As the room began to evolve (and to our credit it actually began to look really nice), we knew the Martin Logan Ascents drew too much attention due to their size and the B&W 803's despite a more reasonable package dimension and absolutely gorgeous cabinets seemed to lack a little acoustic satisfaction.

3) With points one and two complicating things a bit, the room had created aesthetic and acoustic constraints that we didn't expect. The speaker now needed to be smaller due to various light sconce placements and our built in wall unit had a major structural change that forced this requirement even further.

Based on these forced revisions, the AVG's task was now not only to blend in seamlessly and not throw off the room dynamics like those noted above, but they also had to perform to the superb sonic levels that we auditioned a few months ago. I can happily report that after only about 10 hours of play:

1) The Avant Garde's sound surprisingly good (despite the short audition and break in period). Out of the box was acceptable, but they definitely improved with more usage.

2) The soundstage is truly superb, literally electrostatic like but with an additional clarity that just seem to go missing with a couple of tracks we noted on the ML's and B&W's. No question, the engineering team at Gershman has created a sonic coup of sorts with this design!

3) Speaker appearance in most cases should not be a high consideration in a performance audio environment, but it was important in this case and the AVG's beautifully integrated themselves enhancing and achieving our visual goals for the room. What is also amazing is despite the entire room being built in solid oaks from floor to ceiling and custom wall textures that contrasted starkly with the AVG's gorgeous black piano finish, we both agreed that the Gershman's actually complimented the room dynamics even further!

In general, these speakers don't disappoint and are a fine addition to a room that I've dreamed building since I was a child. After all these years of planning and honing a hobby that both of us will take to our grave, the Avant Gardes will definitely be the centerpiece of our audio universe for years to come!

I would also like to pass on a special thanks to my wife Rosemary who tirelessly and willingly committed herself in not only participating heavily in constructing this highly customized room (despite a busy and time consuming sales career), but for also for willingly loosening the purse strings far beyond what we had originally budgeted.

Luckily in our home, the WAF (wife acceptance factor) doesn't exist and when your wife says, " I don't want a Toshiba big screen Robert, it's the Pioneer Elite or nothing" I think I've died gone to heaven as well!

Rosemary, thanks again for always being much more than the love of my life…. Robert

Similar Products Used:

B&W 803's, Martin Logan Ascents

Silky mids, and extended highs that lack any harshness. Bass is to die for. Imaging and soundstaging are second to none

Needs a larger room to open up, and cable matching seems more important for these than other designs.

These speakers are an all-around excellent performer. If you look at the speakers I auditioned, some of them excel in areas at the expense of others. The Gershmans do everything right and they are less expensive than the other designs. Not one of the others have bass like the avante gardes, and the mids are very life like. I thought the highs were a little rolled off until I paired the Avante Garde's with Nordost cable. Big difference! Overall excellent performer, check these out.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio 3.0, B&W 802, Audio Physic Libra, Hales Transcendance 5, and Proac Future

Top to bottom coherence, bass extension and speed, timbral reproduction, soundstage width/depth, and electrostat-like mids.

Bass extension mandates careful setup

I owned and loved the Sonata's until I heard the Avante Garde's at a friends house. The bass is much more articulate an impactful in a way that once you hear it, it is tough to live without. The mids and highs were smoother showing no hint of grain, and they could be played louder. Also, speed of presentation was better without being hyper detailed. The Sonata's are good, but the Avante Garde's are even better.

Similar Products Used:

Silverline Sonata and Sonatina, Kharma (forget model #, but one of their less expensive designs), Von Schweikert VR-4

Fantastic: build quality, design, finish, and value, along with very acurate production of music and movies.

None that my ears can detect.

These speakers are made by a small, husband and wife owned company in Canada. I spent a great deal of time auditioning speakers, before making them my choice. Everything about them is just done right. After all my listening tests, it became my opinion that higher price, does not necessarily mean higher quality, or better sound. Many of the speakers I reviewed were much more expensive than the Gershmans. Although my quest was for excellent sound, value was always a focal point. To some people, bragging rights are just as important(if not more so), than what the speakers produce. There is nothing wrong with that approach. We all want a cetain type of satisfaction from what we buy. If you on the other hand are a value oriented person, then I suggest you give these a try.

My Avant Guarde's have about 150 hours of play on them now. They are actually a 2001 model although, nothing has changed. The clarity and soundstage never cease to amaze me, and friends. The sound can truly be goosebump inducing at times. Some of the hardest critics to impress, have dropped their jaws in awe at what comes out of these (not too big) speakers. Someone with a more sophisticated ear than mine may come to a different conclusion. To me, there isn't much out there that you will find as cosmetically and musically appealing (for the money),in the
$3000-7500 retail price range.

I also suggest you take a look at their center channel, and the X-1's. I use the the X-1'S for my rear channels. All are driven by a B&K reference 7250, along with a reference 30 pre-amp, and velodyne HGS -15 SUB, with Harmonic technolgy cables, interconnects and power chords.

My speakers were purchased from Steve at Sound Video. For anyone interested in purchasing these, or others from a very knowledgeable person, with an honest straight forward approach, I suggest you send him an e-mail (herra001@tc.umn.edu)

Similar Products Used:

Dyna Audio, Sonus Faber, PSB, KEF, B&W, Aerial, Vienna Acoustics, Monitor Audio, Revel, Thiel etc.