June 2025

World Premiere Review!
Defining Audio Excellence: Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review
Experience sonic brilliance — where dreams sometimes do come true.
Review By Paul Schumann

   Let's go back in time a few years ago. It was January 2000, so that's over 25(!) years ago. The world had survived the Y2K crisis. Having recently purchased a couple of issues of Sound Practices, then listening to an amazing DIY system, was starting to catch SET (Singe-Ended Triode) fever. I was also following an audio review website that focused quite heavily on SET gear and high-sensitivity loud speakers to use with it. That website was, of course, Enjoy the Music.com. That January back in 2000 our Creative Director, Steven R Rochlin, posted a review of the Avantgarde Acoustic Uno hornspeakers. They had big blue horns and looked unlike any loud speaker I had ever seen. You could tell from Steven's Avantgarde Acoustic Uno review that they were something very special.

After reading it, I had a bad case of audio envy.

However, there was also family with three young children then, so extra funds were diverted to more noble causes. Realistically, even if I had the funds, the Unos were way too big for my small living room. But we all have our silly little pipe dreams, don't we?

CES 2000: Matthias Ruff and Holger Fromme of Avantgarde Acoustic accept their award for Outstanding Achievement in horn loudspeaker design and engineering from Enjoy the Music.com.

For additional in-depth education about Avantgarde Acoustics expertise in multi-award-earning design and engineering, be sure to read Steven's (Uno follow-up) review of Avantgarde Acoustic's Duo hornspeaker system.

Modest Listening Room Size
Recently, I saw that Avantgarde Acoustic had a new line of speakers designed to fit within a modest listening room like mine. I figured asking Steven if I could review them wouldn't hurt. Being the good soul he is, he said yes. Angie of American Sound, the company's U.S. and Canada distributor, was kind enough to send me a complete set despite them selling so fast that she's having trouble keeping them in stock! After several weeks of impatient waiting, and waiting, a pallet loaded with several boxes ended up in my driveway.

Some Assembly Required
So what goodies were delivered to my doorstep? As I mentioned, Colibri is a new family of speakers from Avantgarde Acoustics. It is a modular system you can mix and match to meet your needs. The C2 is a two-way full-range horn speaker system that covers 70-19.000 Hz. The mids and highs are covered by a spherical horn-loaded driver with a titanium membrane with copper electroplating. The bass is delivered by two 6.5-inch carbon-fiber drivers that are loaded in a flared cabinet.

The overall efficiency of this system is 98 dB/W/m, which makes it suitable for lower-powered amplifiers. The C18 Super Low Bass Module consists of a 460 mm (~18") driver with a 1200-Watt C-AMP1200 power module. It has both balanced and RCA connections. It has a built-in equalizer that you can program via an app. It comes from the factory set up to work with the C2 speaker system, so I left it in that configuration. This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is all the amazing technology utilized in the C2 and C18. If you are a techno geek, please visit their website.

As I said, the pallet arrived with five boxes on it. Two boxes contained the C2s, one for the C18, one for the C2 stands, and one for the C18 stand. Unpacking this stuff was close to a religious experience because of all the thought and detail that went into the packing. The whole process of assembly took several hours, and that was with the help of my younger and stronger son. Thank goodness the instructions provided were extremely clear and kept me from getting frustrated during the task. It turns out that to put the stands on, you need to have the C2 and the C18 upside down. While I could manage that with the C2s by myself, the C18 is just over 92 pounds. Having an unpacking partner is a must.

Helpful Hints From Your Handyman Hi-Fi Audio Reviewer
As I set up the Avantgarde Acoustics Colibri system, I ran into a couple of hiccups. I listen to speakers in my system in a nearfield setting. When I got the C2s in place, I realized that the main horns were aimed too low. To get optimal performance from horns, you should be looking right down the throat from your listening position. With the C2s mounted vertically, you can't adjust the tilt, only the height. That meant I had to pull the C2s back out, invert them, and listen to the entire bracket to change the height. Another lesson learned.

Connecting the C18 to your system takes either balanced or unbalanced stereo inputs. Since my KorgNutube B1 Preamplifier has only one set of outputs, I was going to have to improvise. I was able to scrounge up a pair of I-don't-know-how-old-they-are female-female signal splitters with an extra interconnect thrown in to make it all work, but I noticed a veil over the music with this arrangement. I ended up buying a male-female splitter, and that improved things tremendously. The other adjustment I had to make was the placement of the C18. I had originally intended to put it under the piano in the corner of the room. When I did get the C18 up on its bracket, I realized it was a bit too big for my silly notion, so I placed it on the other side of my electronics. To compensate for this, I boosted the gain, and all was right with the world.

It's The First Watt That Matters Most
One quick note before I delve into the sound of the Colibri speaker system. The Colibri C2 speakers have a rated efficiency of 98 dB/W/m and a flat impedance curve. This makes them perfect for low-powered SET amps. My amp of choice is Mullard 3-3, which for all its wonderful glowing glory produces only 3(three!) Watts per channel. I used it exclusively with the Avantgarde Acoustic Colibris, and I never felt the need for more power or heard any strain at high volume levels.

These Hornspeakers Make Love To Music
I listened to a wide variety of music through the Colibri C2 & C18 system. Most of the time, it left me flabbergasted at how quick and transparent it was. One of my favorite platters is L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande's performance of Stravinsky's Symphony in C and Symphony in 3 Movements [London Records – CS 6190]. This album is a treasure because it's both beautifully recorded and a sensitive performance that strips bare two of Igor's less recognized works.

The Colibri system gave me a front-row seat to the recording session. All of the playing had more urgency than I had noticed before. I could tell every member of the L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande was sitting on the edge of their seats, focused on Ernest Ansermet at the podium. These pieces, like many of Stravinsky's, can fall apart if the musicians aren't in lockstep.

With the Colibri system, I gained new appreciation for Ansermet's direction as the L'Orchestre De La Suisse Romande meshed like a fine Swiss watch. I also had a pleasant surprise during my listening session with this wonderful disc. When I was absorbing the opening movement of the "Symphony in Three Movements", I was treated to several bass drum smacks that shook my living room. I had no idea that my 65-year-old piece of vinyl had that hidden in the grooves.

I'm a huge Tears for Fears fan, and all of their albums are in my regular rotation. The most intriguing one in their catalog is Raul and the Kings of Spain [Cherry Pop – CRPOP29]. This was the second album that Roland Orzabal put out after Curt Smith left the band. While the previous album, Elemental [Mercury – 314 514 875-2], was upbeat and defiant, Raul and the Kings of Spain were more introspective and glum. Being a good Englishman, Roland was never willing to talk about his feelings. Those who made the album with him said he was feeling the weight of carrying on without Curt and the struggles in his marriage. Whatever the reasons, every track of Raul and the Kings of Spain is steeped in melancholy. With the Colibri system, there were moments of sadness in this album that were overwhelming. On the second track, "Falling Down", Roland sings the verses in a light falsetto voice to give it a poppy feel. Even during these passages, I could hear the sorrow in his voice.

On the next track, "Secrets", the chorus was a thing of beauty. As Roland started to sing "I won't keep secrets alive", the arrangement swelled and an aching countermelody took the song to another level. While listening to this disc, I also noticed what an amazing job the Colibris did, keeping the rhythm and pace of the music. The song "Humdrum and Humble" has a great groove that will get parts of your body moving. Here, the C18 kicked in with a tight bass underpinning the entire song. It was that authentic feeling of a band playing together.

Sometimes it's good to listen to a touchstone album to see how you have come in your audio journey. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the big one for me. I've had many versions over the years, but the most recent release [Parlophone – PCS 7027] is my favorite. I played this album so much as a kid, I'm surprised I'm not sick of it. I guess that's the sign of great art: it continues to reveal new things to us. Listening to this album on the Colibri speaker system, I was transported back to the first time I dropped the needle in my bedroom in Wappingers Falls, NY. How can an album from 1967 still sound so fresh? Yet I sat there transfixed from start to finish.

John sounded like he was right there in front of me singing about the girl with kaleidoscope eyes. Paul's bass was deep and powerful. How the hell did George get his guitar to sound like that on "Fixing a Hole"? Did Ringo's drums always sound that big on "Lovely Rita"? I wonder what my nine-year-old self would think if they could hear this album now?

Thanks to the Colibri system, the little boy in my heart was tickled pink.

Reach Out And Touch Me
That last topic I want to discuss is the soundstage presented in my living room by the Colibri speaker system. Because of the arrangement of my living room, I listen in a near-field position with the speakers spaced apart about 45 degrees from center. This gives lots of space between instruments and voices. This also makes them typically slightly recessed. Imagine my surprise when I sat down in the sweet spot to listen to Death Cab for Cutie's Kintsugi [Atlantic – 548366-2], and Ben Gibbard's disembodied voice was hovering three feet before me. But it was more than just that. I was getting the full Cinerama treatment.

On the track "No Room in Frame", the soundstage wrapped around me. Guitars were 180 degrees to the left and right. I had my youngest sit down to listen and make sure I wasn't hallucinating. She said it was like listening with a giant set of headphones. While this wraparound effect wasn't as pronounced on other recordings, the forward presentation of the center voices was consistent. Before the arrival of the Colibri speaker system, I never would have thought that possible.

Defining Audio Excellence
It's difficult to believe that I first read Steven R. Rochlin's review of the Avantgarde Acoustic Uno hornspeaker over 25 years ago. I never would have imagined I'd be writing for Enjoy the Music.com. It would have been even more fantastical to review amazing speakers like the Colibri hornspeakers. This horn-loaded sound system is unlike any other I've had in my home. Avantgarde Acoustic has performed a magic trick by creating speakers that are on par with their big horns and shrinking them down to fit more modest listening spaces.

Every time I sat down to listen to music with the sonically brilliant Avantgarde Acoustic Colibris hornspeakers, the same question would pop into my head: "What will these awesome speakers reveal to me today?"

Sometimes dreams do come true.

Specifications
TType: Active two-way horn loudspeaker system
Colibri C2
Frequency Response: 70Hz to 19kHz
System Efficiency: 98 dB/W/m
Maximum Sound Level: 117 dB
Midrange / Tweeter: 1.5" Ultra-light driver
Midrange/Tweeter Horn: 350 mm spherical horn
Woofer: 6.5" Ultra-light driver
Woofer Horn Configuration: 1.800 cm² bass blades
Crossover Frequencies: 70Hz and 700Hz
Dimensions: 66 x 32 x 52 cm (HxWxD)
Price: $ 10,082/pair with stands

C18 Subwoofer
Type: Deep Bass Module
Frequency Response: 18 Hz to 120 Hz
Diaphragm Diameter: 460 mm
Displacement Capability: +/- 10 mm
Voice Coil Diameter: 150 mm
Cabinet Volume: 70 liters
Cabinet Depth: 32 cm
Amplifier Power: 1,200 Watts
Inputs: Balanced XLR and asymmetrical
Outputs: Balanced XLR daisy-chain outputs
Automatic Activation: Signal detection circuit
Sleep Mode Functionality: Yes
Digital Sound Processor: Yes
Integration Capability: Can be connected to multiple C18 modules
Price: $6,640 each with a stand

Company Information
Avantgarde Acoustic
Nibelungenstrasse 349
64686 Lautertal-Reichenbach
Germany

E-Mail: info-colibri@avantgarde-acoustic.de 
Website: Avantgarde-Acoustic.de

USA Distributor
American Sound of Canada
12261 Yonge Street
Richmond Hill, Ontario
L4E3M7
Canada

Voice: (905) 773-7810
Website: AudioPathways.com