The TRIO G3 is a three-way horn system made by Avantgarde Acoustic in Germany. It was launched at AXPONA in 2022 and brings the EvolutionAA driver generation together with the XT3 tweeter and its long throw horn. The XT3 unit extends the super tweeter range further than before. It can be used as a passive horn system or expanded with iTRON fully active modules, which Avantgarde calls its patented Game Changer technology, and Avantgarde pairs it with separate bass units.
Key specs that matter
The horn system covers 100 Hz to 28 kHz, with sensitivity above 109 dB at 1 W and 1 m. Nominal impedance is 19 ohm, and the midrange driver has an impedance of 27 ohm through its Omega voice coil. The recommended amplifier power starts at 2 W, and power handling is 150 W. Crossover points are placed at 100 Hz, 600 Hz and 4,000 Hz. Each unit measures 950 mm wide, 986 mm deep and 1,694 mm high, and weighs 140 kg. Avantgarde recommends a room larger than 25 m2.
Engineering and use context
All three horns are spherical with a 180 degree aperture. The bass-midrange horn is 950 mm across, 650 mm long and has a 100 mm throat and is fed by a 200 mm driver. The midrange horn measures 570 mm with a 50 mm driver, and the 200 mm tweeter horn carries a 25 mm driver. Drivers are mounted in coplanar alignment, and the design uses OmegaDrive voice coils, AirGate frequency filtering, NatureCap super capacitors and PolarizationPlus circuitry. In the active version, iTRON electronics supply 3 x 100 W from a patented voltage to current converter, with fully balanced and single-ended circuits and no negative feedback, so the diaphragm acceleration is set directly by current flow. The electronics sit in modules that can be replaced. Twelve colours are available across high gloss, metallic high gloss and ultra matte finishes.
Pairing
Since the horn system leaves out the deepest bass, Avantgarde completes it with dedicated bass units, naming the SpaceHorn as the reference choice and the Twin Sub as a more compact option. In passive form, the very high efficiency and high impedance bring even small single-ended triode amplifiers into range. With the iTRON modules fitted, the speaker instead becomes fully active and the external power amplifier is no longer part of the chain.
Alternatives
The Avantgarde MEZZO G3 is a smaller floorstanding horn design with integrated bass drivers, sensitivity above 107 dB and a 1,000 W bass amplifier.