Quad ESL 2805 or Avantgarde uno Horn?

Avantgarde sounds very good too but their presentation is very different than QUADs. Horn speakers are very details and it will expose any weakness from your equipment so you must use very good equipments in the whole signal chain. By the way, horn speakers does not produce as much depth in terms of sound stage as other speakers, including ESL. You really should audition the Avantgarde before you spend the money. The good thing is that Avantgarde and QUAD hold their value very well so you can take some risk, just more work to pack and ship the pair if you end up not liking the sound.

Definitely take the time to listen to the Unos...if properly set up and driven, they will do things that no Quad (excellent though they may be) could ever dream of. If you listen to a lot of RnR, electric blues, etc. which benefit from immediacy & macrodynamics, you will likely prefer the Unos.

Either way, you'll have added a vital chapter to your audio journey.

Another consideration is: How much power do you intend to drive them with? The Avantgardes are extremely efficient 100db/1w/1m, and can be driven by low powered amps(ie: SETs) to loud levels. As mentioned: They will act as a magnifying lens toward any shortcomings in the rest of the system. Personally I consider that a plus, since any system shortcoming will distract, color or otherwise hinder my musical experience anyway(even if subliminally). Some prefer to remain in the dark about that(ignorance CAN be bliss). Are Quads excellent speakers? Absolutely!! The Unos have a much wider dynamic range, can play cleanly at VERY low or VERY high SPLs(unlike the Quads), but also as mentioned: horns are never very good at depth of sound stage, or pinpoint imaging. They aren't as sensitive to room placement either. If you enjoy the bottom octave of bass(40 to 20hz), both will need a subwoofer. Avantgarde has a massive, matching horn available, IF you have the room. DO take the time to listen to them. Hopefully- the system(including cables) and room acoustics the owner has will do them justice. Then it's a matter of whether their presentation is your cup of tea. If you enjoy actual concert SPLs, you'll like the UNOs. Chances are good that the room the Quads were auditioned in was treated well acoustically. That might give them an advantage, if the home you will listen to the UNOs in is otherwise. Prepare to do some acoustic treatment in your home, whichever you go with. Much of the above has already been stated. I just wanted to encourage you to give them a listen. I've been a horn-hater for over twenty years. New horn technology has modified my stance, given the wide dynamic range of live music/horn systems. I'm still listening to actively bi-amped planars though(I'm addicted to the sound staging).

So far nobody has mentioned this - but you need to consider your listening room. Both speakers are very sensitive to listening rooms but for different reasons.

You need to sit ideally 3m (9ft) away from the Avantgardes. You can get away with 2m (6ft) but if you get any closer the sound will be incoherent. This is because the horns are spaced very wide apart. You will be able to hear each horn as a seperate source. Also, the woofer module is crossed over at 200Hz, very high for a woofer, and high enough to be directional. Because you are sitting so far from the speaker, you will need to place them far apart otherwise your soundstage will be too narrow.

I have heard the Avantgardes in two systems. I was not impressed with the first (listening room too small) but I was impressed with the second. I agree that the Avantgardes are VERY sensitive to quality amplification. They will sound terrible if you use a second rate amp to drive them.

Forget the Avantgardes if your listening room is small.

The Quads are a different proposition. Being a dipole, the speakers can be placed against the side wall with little ill effect. However, you have to deal with the wave from the back of the speaker. You can't have it too close to the rear wall, they should be pulled out into the room. You can't have glass on the rear wall.

The sound of the speakers is completely different. The Quads are exceedingly coherent, have a beautiful midrange, and have fantastic imaging. It is let down by its lack of extension on both frequency extremes. Also, depending on your room - the Quads may not achieve sufficient SPL's to keep you happy.

The Avantgardes have a much more dynamic sound. In fact, incredible dynamics. You will rarely hear better. But if you don't use the right amps, they can sound honky. The sound is nowhere as coherent as the Quads, and the imaging is so-so.

Both speakers have interesting compromises but sound fantastic in different ways. It is up to your listening preferences and which compromises you are prepared to put up with.

Thanks for all the replies. My listening room is approximately 14' x 30'. Currently I am using a Cayin A100T and
Yamaha CDX 10000 as a cd player, I plan to add a Monarchy NM24(D/A, preamp) shortly and use the Yamaha as a transport.

spyddie