Floorstanding loudspeakers — Analog Domain The Argus

The Argus is a ported three-way tower by Analog Domain, which the company classes as a mastering reference system. Founder and chief designer Angel Despotov spent more than 25 years building custom monitors for recording studios and high-output club and PA systems before creating it as his own reference for development work. A prototype pair existed in late 2017, and two more years of crossover and cabinet refinement followed before production. The pair lists at GBP 47,950 in the UK and EUR 47,950 in Europe, and Analog Domain covers parts and labour for 10 years.

Key specs that matter

The frequency response spans 25 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 3 dB, and sensitivity is 99 dB at 2.83 V and 1 m. Rated impedance is 4 ohm, dipping to 3.5 ohm between 150 and 400 Hz and staying above 4 ohm elsewhere. Power handling is 1,650 W AES and 2,200 W with program material. Each speaker stands 118 cm tall on a 44 x 44 cm footprint and weighs 65 kg. Finishes are Brushed Black or Brushed Titanium, with custom colours on request, and protective grilles are supplied.

Engineering and use context

All drivers come from professional audio makers. Two customised 12-inch long-throw BMS woofers with neodymium magnets, triple demodulation rings, a ventilated motor and a 3-inch sandwich voice coil work in parallel. The 6-inch midrange from 18 Sound is rated at 103 dB/W/1m, 180 W AES and 480 W peak, so it runs at reduced power relative to the others. Treble comes from a Beyma air motion transformer with a pleated diaphragm, no inductance and a custom waveguide that lifts its sensitivity to 101 dB/W and shapes its dispersion. Rear rotary switches set the midrange and tweeter levels in five steps from minus 1 to plus 1 dB. Heat-producing crossover parts sit in the upper half of the board, which is mounted on a thick metal plate directly over recessed gold-plated binding posts. The cabinet uses 21 mm birch plywood, doubled to 42 mm at the front and rear, with aluminium corner extrusions, a brace linking all panels between the woofers and an aluminium base plate. Two ports fire downward. Locking castors fitted for delivery are swapped for adjustable feet, and a grey glass mirror forms the top.

Pairing

Analog Domain states that the efficiency allows use with modest amplifiers, while the power rating provides headroom up to live levels. The amplifier should be stable at the low impedance minimum. Removable bridges separate the bass and mid/high filters for bi-wiring or bi-amping.

Alternatives

Analog Domain makes no other floorstanding loudspeaker, since the compact Aura on stands is the only other model in its speaker range.