Avantgarde Opus 1 – Avantgarde Horn Loudspeakers Become More Accessible

Avantgarde Acoustic has introduced the Avantgarde Opus 1 loudspeaker system. The new model is conceived as a more accessible entry point into the brand’s signature horn-loaded concept, while retaining the key Avantgarde traits: expressive design, high efficiency, active architecture and the company’s characteristic dynamic presentation.

The Opus 1 is hand-assembled in Germany’s Odenwald region. According to the manufacturer, this loudspeaker is aimed at listeners who appreciate the speed, scale and immediacy of horn sound, but are not ready to move up to Avantgarde’s larger and more expensive systems. The company stresses that the Opus 1 remains a full-fledged High End solution, but is housed in a relatively compact cabinet better suited to domestic interiors.

The central element of the design is a 13.8-inch spherical horn. It operates from 700 Hz to 20 kHz and is fitted with a 1-inch compression driver with a ring diaphragm. This approach allows a significant part of the musical range to be reproduced by a single transducer, minimizing the influence of the crossover in the frequency region most sensitive to human hearing.

Low frequencies are handled by the 10-inch OBM10 paper-cone driver. It is mounted in a bass-reflex enclosure with a large port on the rear panel. The bass section has its own 350 W amplifier, while the mid/high-frequency range is powered by a separate 10 W Class A/B amplifier. At output levels of up to 1 W, this amplifier operates in pure Class A.

The Avantgarde Opus 1 uses digital signal processing. DSP is responsible for crossover operation and bass-section tuning, which should provide more precise alignment between the sections and a more predictable result compared with traditional passive systems. Thanks to its active architecture, amplification and loudspeaker tuning are already optimized by the manufacturer.

The claimed frequency range of the Opus 1 is 35 Hz to 22 kHz. The crossover point is set at 700 Hz, while the horn section reaches an efficiency of 103 dB/W/m. Driver impedance is specified at 8 ohms. The cabinet measures approximately 110 × 35 × 36 cm, making the model noticeably more compact than many of Avantgarde’s larger systems.

For connection, a balanced XLR line input is provided. The rear panel also carries an antenna intended for future wireless updates. As a result, the Opus 1 is designed not only for conventional connection within a Hi-Fi system, but also for further functional development.

n terms of positioning, the Avantgarde Opus 1 loudspeaker systems are intended to broaden the brand’s audience. They are priced significantly below the company’s senior models, while preserving its key advantages: horn efficiency, active amplification and a distinctive visual style. The loudspeakers will be available in white/silver and black/black finishes, with additional horn colours to follow later as an option. The recommended retail price in Europe starts at €10,500 per pair.