Meet Miguel, and his German horn speakers, Japanese tube amp, and UK digital front-end Part 1

Avantgarde Acoustic Duo Mezzo www.avantgarde-acoustic.de/en...
Correction: The woofers are dual 12 inch, not 15 inchers.
Here are the complete speaker specs:
• 107 dB efficiency
• 18 Ohm drivers with Alnico magnets
• 670 mm spherical midrange horn
• CDC system w/o passive filter
• 100 V CPC crossover design
• subwoofer with DSP control
• 2 x 12 inch bass drivers
• 1000 W bass amplifier
• expo-spherical bass horn
Miguel purchased the speakers and the amp for Bob Visintainer at Rhapsody Audio in NYC. rhapsody.audio
Audio Note Kondo Ongaku, www.audionote.co.jp/en/produc...
dCS Rossini DAC www.dcsltd.co.uk/products/ros...
Follow me on Twitter: / audiophiliacman

[@jlmain5777]

This a wonderful interview Steve. My favorite part is that Miguel said his system “brings him joy everyday.” Beautiful.

[@russellhamner4898]

Exactly! That's what makes it all worth it. Just being obsessed with the hardware for obsession's sake is pretentious and plain weird, but if listening to it brings you joy on a daily basis then it's worth every penny - and I suspect this guy has plenty of pennies.

[@newgunguy4176]

For that price, it better........

[@MP_pov]

Thank you for this Steve. Incredible set up. May I make a suggestion. When you do these reviews please play some music at the end. I know we won't appreciate the sound fully via whatever we use to watch these videos on, but after spending time absorbing the intricacies of the audio equipment, it seems like something important is missing if we don't hear any actual music... Maybe the owner could choose a piece they appreciate the most on their system. It would add another valuable dimension to your content. With thanks.

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

There's a guy on here who played an Eagles song to show off his LRS and got an insta copyright strike. Maybe Steve needs a recording of him talking then play that or better yet maybe singing some Led Zep oh wait maybe not that but you get it

[@derya7603]

Yeah that would be great!!!

[@0zos0]

great point!

[@MP_pov]

@@JohnDoe-np3zk Ah, good point. Perhaps anyone knows a workaround? I sometimes watch the Kenrick Sound yt channel, they play demo tracks all the time. Maybe they pay some kind of license fee etc. Probably not worth the hassle for Steve for the sake of getting his videos out quickly, but this being a channel about audio equipment, it strikes me that we are kind of missing the audio bit...

[@scottyo64]

I also found if you keep the clips short they wont flag you.

[@ks4545]

Love this system. And the apartment is killer. Miguel also seems like a great guy who can articulate what he likes and why in a great way. Must be a pretty bright dude too.

[@weizenobstmusli8232]

Amazing episode. I really like this format. An interesting person with his fantastic system. I could watch this for days.

[@trolabee]

And Steve is a wonderful interviewer. His inquiries are always open and invitive and full of the joy of being an audiophile

[@weizenobstmusli8232]

@WoundrousMindTrick , I bet he works in finance 😆 My dream system as well.. Maybe I sell my house. And my car. And my other belongings 😅

[@bedok77]

@@weizenobstmusli8232 yups .. according to linkedin .. he does :) . Great system and he knows his stuff, isn't buying them just for the looks.

[@mallenbiker]

@@bedok77 good point. Very few ultra high end audiophile owners actually buy this stuff to show off. Most people are not really impressed by ultra high end audio these days. My wife can just barely appreciate it after 20 years of listening to it. It's not like buying a Ferrari or Rolex. At this level, it's a constant pursuit of law of diminishing return audio improvements because we can hear them. Audiophile haters will argue against this to no end, but I would have at least a low six figure higher net worth if I couldn't hear the details and could be satisfied with a typical Best Buy system

[@gpopovi3]

First of all, I want to congrats to You Miguel, because You didnt forget the first rule of listening music...FUN. This is at last, all about ... pure fun. Second...there is allways out there something better sounding, and thats a fact. Dont try having a perfect sound, because that is like chasing the wind. Being close to that is just great achievment, and enjoy in Your listening position, because You deserve that for all efforts in past decades searching and trying to achieve that. Live long and prosper!

[@stephanej.871]

Very elegant way of speaking of ultra high-end hifi. No show off, just the pursuit of old dreams and love of music. Very inspiring ...

[@vinnievictory1186]

He used streaming sources... this was NOWHERE near ultra high-end hifi.

[@stephanej.871]

@@vinnievictory1186 I 've never said he was a "fundamentalist" or an "integrist" audiophile. And your comment confirms my first opinion about the guy in the video : pretty elegant and cool way of speaking of his "investment". He even considers "popular" sources ... Music first !

[@miguelbarrio]

I do streaming and have lots of local albums as well. I listen to Tidal, Qobuz, Soundcloud, and Spotify. I have CDs (~2000) and LPs (~600) but I don’t have a turntable anymore. I will eventually get one. And yes, vinyl can sound better than any digital, but to beat my digital I would have to spend more than $20k on a vinyl setup.

[@stephanej.871]

@@miguelbarrio if i may, do you use headphones sometime ? If yes what are your choice(s) for headphones. And thanks again for the presentation of your system and for the very elegant way you did it !

[@miguelbarrio]

Stéphane J. I do use headphones. These are the combinations I use: 1- AKG K7xx with a Ray Samuels Predator DAC/amp - at my computer 2- Noble Kaiser 10 custom in-ear with a Dragonfly Red - on iPhone XS Max I also have Sennheiser HD600 & HD650 (prefer the 600), Denon AD-2000, AKG K701, and a Headroom Micro amp (with Desktop modules)

[@Michael-xz1nk]

What a great story!! Very engaging!!! Your “on location” video’s are the best to me. Real people talking about their passion in a show & tell format. Wonderful!!! Being a suburbanite, I always marvel at those music lovers who live in high rise apartments in big cities. Thank God for Miguel, his building is all concrete so he can enjoy his systems without fighting with the neighbors above, below and on the sides of him.

[@l.b.stringfellow2413]

What an wonderful chat with a very humble and knowledgeable man. True audiophile !! Thanks for your time steve ! You bring us much joy with your reviews and interviews

[@sc51153826]

thank you Steve for another amazing home visit video! also, thank you to Miguel for letting us into his home and, for sharing his story on his journey of hi-fi and music.

[@SamuelBarrPhotography]

Hi Steve & Miguel. Thank you both for sharing this amazing system with us. Congratulations Miguel, that's a very nice setup.

[@riccitone]

What a wonderful interview! A man after my own heart...just hope I can achieve even half as nice a set up before I’m too too old! Really identify with Miguel’s sensibilities and preferences. My dad was an Argentine physicist! Not that it should matter, but very familiar and heartwarming how he observes and listens. Much to process here in terms of equipment and inspiration. Thank you Steve, and thank you Miguel!

[@cactus00001]

I think it's great that Dr. Miguel's education has not gotten in the way of his learning... 😃😎

[@jokur2630]

Az Usmb Ah, Mr. Twain. How splendid!

[@magic3817]

Can I give this two thumbs up? This was a wonderful interview. Miguel is a very interesting and passionate fan of music. I loved the story about his first record player and the details of tweaking his amps.

[@sidvicious3129]

Great job Steve, he described this beautifully this is exactly what a system is supposed to do bring you joy everyday or at least every time you turn it on.

[@morris7025]

Gorgeous system. beautiful apartment. What can you say? If you have the means go for it! Finding joy anywhere in life is priceless... thanks for sharing Miguel!

[@AudiophileTubes]

"finding joy anywhere in life is priceless".... SO true, and well said, especially since life is relatively short, and death is final oblivion!

[@michaelrubey6155]

Now your talkin'. Holy grail Audio. Thank you Steve.

[@jlc38]

This guy is so chill and cool. How cool would it be to hang out with him for an afternoon.

[@oldestpunkinargentina7766]

Who wouldn't like to befriend him, right ?

[@Ivanophilia]

The best audio related video on youtube yet ! thanks Steve & Miguel

[@paulpavlou9294]

I’ve seen this before but had to watch it again. Miguel is such a cool dude and his system is sublime.

[@joerglemann]

It is very interesting to hear the experiences from non professional audiophiles and see what they use in their audio system 👍🏻😊 keep this going Steve

[@tonyharrison2542]

That was such fun Steve. I really enjoyed watching and listening.

[@motorradmike]

A fantastic interview of an amazing audiophile. Inspiring, Steve!

[@labalo5]

Love this interview. Thx Miguel for sharing your love of music and systems.

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

Really enjoyed Miguel telling us about his passion for his gear and the music he enjoys.

[@Bork0r]

I love the fact that Miguel has some real audiophile taste but is still this system is sort of a mega-highend lifestyle system. The room looks like a proper beautiful livingroom and not a professional studio full of room treatment. He able to combine looks with performance and strive for perfection in an imperfect world. I'm not against room treatment as such but I bet many audiophiles would dismiss the system just because his room has huge windows and from this video it sounds like the room is a bit lively. Miguel does not seem to care and neither should he!

[@clintonyap4150]

I’ve visited many high end systems in my journey from Sydney Australia to Hong Kong, Taiwan, UK and US. Love this guys passion and how he describes music brings him joy and fun. That’s what it’s about. As for power, given his setup, his amp and digital has a lot of power stages already. Having tried many over the years, I like Alan Maher stuff I only use passive conditioners. Keep these coming and come visit San Francisco!

[@jarodreddig63]

Great episode. Peoples audio journeys are all so interesting. Those horns and his apartment are badass!

[@alfredowieneke449]

I’m a big fan of the Avantgarde Duo Mezzo speakers! Thanks for sharing!

[@audiorick841]

Do you know if there is a visual cue to recognize if these are G1, G2 or XD generation?

[@kerisabe]

Beautiful system Miguel, thank you Steve for sharing.

[@mikerichards324]

Fabulous interview Steve, love to hear him say his system brings him such joy! Isn’t that what a love of music and being an audiophile is all about? I’ve heard Avantgarde speakers with Audio Note amplification in The Adelphi Building, Singapore (May, 2023), they were beyond words, gorgeous and stunning to listen to.

[@miguelbarrio]

I’ve been to the Adelphi, and I met the Kondo dealer there, Victor Peh. What an amazing place to see and listen to (almost) everything that exists in high-end hifi!

[@mikerichards324]

@@miguelbarrio Miguel forgive the intrusion, I’m not sure if this is the correct KZbin etiquette? May I ask if you still use the Cambridge CD Transport? I’m thinking of getting one too and I’m comparing it to AudioLab. Best regards, Mike (Perth, Western Australia)

[@miguelbarrio]

@@mikerichards324 Yes I still occasionally use the CXC transport. I doubt there’s much of a difference with the Audiolab frankly. However, there are new transports coming out, especially the Shanling ET3, which offer USB output. This is important/useful because in this case the transport is no longer the clock, so your DAC can reliably “reclock” the signal (this is not strictly possible with SPDIF). One caveat is I am not sure whether the ET3 forces to upsample or can be used without the upsampling (which is what I would prefer).

[@mikerichards324]

@@miguelbarrio That’s really useful, I wasn’t aware of the Shanling. The ET3 is about to be released, I think I’ll hold off until it does, which will be this month in Australia.

[@onesupremelife]

Excellent video Steve. Keep up the outstanding work.

[@crimson391]

Have heard audio note and avant garde and dcs. But not together. I know how they sound separetly, so I can imagine what this combination is. Perfect!!

[@uncola6028]

great system tour and history of miguel's audio setups. I didn't know usenet had audiophile groups back then, very interesting.

[@MrAlvarochahin]

Very interesting and entertaining. Thank you Steve and Miguel

[@jlc38]

A $35 Chromecast plugged into a system with 75 year old tubes. That's something to ponder on. Really cool!

[@Sid0751]

Lovely system. Love the horns. Thank you Miguel. Thank you Steve.

[@francoisdunord7169]

Love to hear and see someone talk about his stereo, grtz from the netherlands

[@fishcommander100]

This is my favorite "meet" video. Miguel is awesome.

[@stratenboek]

Nice clean set-up!! lovely, thanks for the cd tips.

[@talibe801]

Avant Gard speakers are amazing ,congrats for your system and your taste for speakers.

[@peterr.7429]

Very very nice presentation, great video which is personal and warm ....well done

[@jackleonard2088]

Fabulous! Enjoyed the story of the tubes immensely. I agree with the other comment regarding playing a little music on the system.

[@davidstock3242]

What a beautiful half hour this was.

[@audiorick841]

This was very interesting. Thank you both!

[@LeonFleisherFan]

Can't say I'm surprised: I currently live with transistor electronics, don't have anything against tubes in principle (had tubes, still own a tube headphone amp), but Kondo's Ongaku has been my dream amp for decades. That's a cool setup and nice apartment, well done!

[@morris7025]

Steve! give us some video from the listening position! I like seeing how the overall setup looks - and drooling at the same time : )

[@mkfmkf55]

Steve's an equipment junkie, and doesn't care about room aesthetics or acoustics. That's why he never shows his listening room.

[@marcusbronson4105]

STEEEEV!!! I don't care if I'm listening with $50 headphones , I would still like to HEAR something.

[@Sirflatch]

Beautiful System, Great Video, Thanks Steve !!!!

[@groovesick]

Great video! There have been pictures circling online of an older incarnation of this system. It used to have a different digital front end. I am not crazy about Avantgarde speakers, but it would be more than interesting to hear them with Kondo. Keep these videos going Steve. Thank you !!

[@jfbaquero]

Miguel, en Colombia decimos "envidia de la mala". Felicitaciones por tu equipo de audio y por ser un audiofilo que se preocupa por disfrutar de la música.

[@locmanw1583]

I'm envious of his speakers! ☺

[@RogierYou]

He saved a lot of money by being patient and buy his dream system when he was ready for it.

[@rc121crx]

Fantastic story and unbelievable high end equipment

[@vapingwithjames3370]

Love his amp isn’t just sitting on the floor like I see done in so many high end systems. Great video

[@miguelbarrio]

The thing is like 85 lbs! So I can imagine why it lies low in many setups. But Ongaku is a very important part of my system so I like it that way. Thx for the comment.

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

That is a special amp.

[@arthur9472]

Happy to see more lovers of Avantgarde speakers. I won't have anything else at this point.

[@scottkasper6378]

I know right? What’s wrong with people that they don’t have them?

[@leedoddridge4429]

Quite the episode Steve, Thanks!

[@kirlu50]

What a wonderful system - obviously chosen carefully

[@JuanCostanzo]

Miguel, si vuelvo a New York te toco timbre! Espectacular setup

[@tbonez5906]

Another Excellent presentation

[@jeremyhughes6485]

Awesome system and nice guy! Good advice. Good choices. Tubes add some pleasant coloration in the mids but can’t drive the LF well - so semi-active speakers are a really great choice. A tube preamp with SS power amp (or fully active speakers with discrete amps and no passive crossover) seems like the best of both worlds to me. Of course YMMV - as there are no absolutes in this hobby. That said - what an ABSOLUTELY wonderful setup!

[@richardcarmichael8915]

Amazing system. That is a beautiful amp.

[@fabieneldridge3414]

Love it ! Great system and I’m sure it brings many hours , days, years, of Happiness to you. Good Listening !

[@MrRad21]

Fascinating video thanks Miguel and Steve

[@alessandrolucabianchi3433]

Super! Congratulations to both

[@carlitomelon4610]

Thanks for sharing. Beautiful system. Lively room though... ( I'll never worry about the acoustic effect of my windows and TV again ;-)

[@Valerifon1]

I thoroughly enjoyed this interview! It would be so nice if, when you interview these individuals with such fine systems, that you give us at least a taste of how these systems sound? Sixty seconds of an 18 minute interview would have been nice! Not a criticism, simply a request. Thanks Steve - well done! Atb - Luther

[@angusvanhalen2886]

these episodes are my favs

[@bernzeppi]

You know, when I was a kid, we made an amp using power tubes extracted from scanning section of a television set... Blow me down, if memory serves me correctly, still the best sound I’ve ever encountered. Maybe it’s the romance of youth and memory, maybe it is real, but I still yearn for that emotion created at the time. Maybe it’s time to drop the specs and go back for the sound.

[@R3Cat]

@TheRoswellCrash let people enjoy things you prick

[@audiofun999]

When I first read about Ongaku in the 90s it was described as the most expensive amplifier in the world. Back then I just started discovering high-end audio and was shocked to learn that it costs 1000x higher than what I thought was a good hifi amp :) Fantastic system, thank you for sharing!

[@laurentzduba1298]

Weird fact - Audionote Japan ages the silver used in the Ongau for at least 30 years - their raison d'etre is that silver from the US treasury that they had bought in bulk had been used in the first A Bomb test due to the WWII copper shortage. And it is widely known that isotope contamination of the silver might emit enough alpha particles to "degrade" the optimum operation of the Ongaku amps. And hence the 30 year aging to reduce those unstable isotopes.

[@miguelbarrio]

Laurentz Duba Fantastic!!! I had no idea, thank you. My awe when listening will be greater now. What an amazingly crazy and beautiful world we live in... Thank you.

[@MrSparc]

Wincofon! Yo soy de Argentina y también tuve un Winco y después un Barret con pick-up Winco... jajaja aún hoy recuerdo ese Barret, nunca volví a escuchar un vinyl con esa claridad! Felicitaciones compatriota por el excelente setup.

[@dougg1075]

Ah money.. what a wonderful thing. Thanks for inviting us in Miguel.

[@raulayrala5991]

Grande Miguel! I grew up in Argentina and my first record player was a Wincofón...

[@CVO_MAN]

Awesome set-up and home.

[@eugeneswanepoel877]

The Nelson Pass anecdote was just great.

[@pesto9]

Incredible system

[@lynnpoole7830]

Very interesting video. Lovely system.

[@ricknelsonm]

Great video Steve, and he's a Great Guy, funs stuff

[@KT88gs]

You got it all dude,the house and the gear,im not so fund on the digital front end you got.

[@ZenModLabs]

I like Miguel's attitude ...... music is what's important, everything else comes second :)

[@TomScholfield]

"I play CDs and I love CDs" I just started listening to CDs again too and am totally loving it! Picked up an older Pioneer Elite SACD player and have been totally enjoying it.

[@miguelbarrio]

There’s a lot to be said for the physicality of discs (CDs or LPs)

[@TomScholfield]

Miguel Barrio totally agree! Love your system and the fact that it seems like it truly brings you much joy.

[@xfilesfoxisdead7979]

So great to see someone listens cds. KZbin kinda is repetitive with all these vinyl channels. Myself i dont like listens cracks, pops and hum while listening music. CD on good digital system sound great

[@WiLDCATZ]

He obviously made it! Great system and amazing apartment. Seems a lot of these NYC audiophiles love their horn speakers. Im nearby in NJ and love my 3 channel Khorn/Heresy setup! Infact you were in my neck or the woods Steve when you were at SkyFi.

[@dougg1075]

Emil Serafino they hear horns all day long :)

[@paulpeace6455]

Stunning gear....Kondo ongaku.

[@TimPointon]

Love the T-shirt Miguel 😄

[@alwaysexpandinghorizons6173]

Great Video, very nice guy....Lovely speakers (Listened to the smaller ones (Uno XD) recently and really enjoyed them )

[@kentcroy1609]

I’ve heard those speakers, best I’ve ever heard

[@frankmcguckin4572]

Nice system worth more than my new car great video

[@jimminychristmas8100]

Wow, nice setup with a view, not much reason to venture outside!! Great vid dudes🤙🤙

[@veniceog]

I love these audiophile profiles. Especially that Steve doesnt pressure them on metrics, but on their enjoyment. Congrats Steve. Bravo!

[@gdwlaw5549]

More of this please ....please ...

[@saturdayboy4454]

Thanks for the tour of system Miguel! But can we hear how it sounds?

[@yaniv-nos-tubes]

great video! i would love to hear this system. these tubes from the 40's were the best ever made they will last more than 10000 hours in that setup(clever choice of ultra efficient horn speakers so the amp is relaxed and not pushed but can still get to it's sweet spot on the volume since it's less than 30w) . a great point he mentions about power upgrades is that at some point it can get too bright this is something no one who sells this stuff will tell you , ive found the same thing with other cable upgrades ... silver instaed of copper has better conductivity (but it's not like using a shorter copper cable)and sounds brighter like the hd 700's original headphone cable(which is only silver plated copper but sounds so bright you need kevlar for your ears) sometimes downgrading(not the best word) can be good for tone . once audiophiles get to power upgrades it's very difficult to get an idea of the affect on tone before spending 300$ on something that can make the sound worst. i think we need more guidance it's not so simple and too many good people are throwing money away.

[@mallenbiker]

Miguel Barrio - Great to see your system again and enjoyed hearing the history of your audiophile journey. My winter 2013 visit to your loft inspired me to help fund an Avantgarde dealership on the West Coast a year later with our first order to AV being two sets of Zeros and an identical Duo Mezzo pair to yours. Couldn't afford Ongaku, but that system turned out pretty well with Nagra VPA Mono Blocks, CJ Gat preamp and Esoteric Digital. If you're ever in SoCal, you're welcome to have a listen.

[@miguelbarrio]

Fabulous! Thx Mark for this comment. I actually have your contact info from your visit with Bob Visintainer.

[@RonaldRol]

Really nice. Thanks

[@scottengh1175]

Absolutely beautiful and over the top stereo. Great that proud owner has responded about observation about non-optimal acoustic setting; that is true of most systems Steve has shown. I just had expert recommend $2k design and $10k materials if I do all the work for treatment. Enjoyment most important, not approaching perfection. Also after moving to USA successful and uber wealth. Many lessons in this video. I paid $2k for my system in 1978, half of my take home pay on submarine.

[@sphaera3809]

Amazing system!! WOW!! Regarding PCs, I’m with you Miguel, the only one I use and those add more fun to the music IMO, are balanced transformers, and nothing else. No caps, nothing else than transformers outputting balanced power. One per source component. The amps are connected to the wall directly.

[@sinclabs]

Great video! Thanks....

[@18000rpm]

Please have it play some music even though KZbin won't do it justice. Maybe some old jazz records that won't trigger KZbin's copyright claim.

[@andrewgillis8572]

Paradigms to these in one move - Canada never looked so good

[@miguelbarrio]

Getting the speakers took longer than the amp, so I actually paired the Ongaku with the Paradigms (5seMk3 ... IIRC). The efficiency of those is about 86dBm/W, which is low, but I didn’t play it loud. The Ongaku made the Paradigms sound magical.

[@andrewgillis8572]

@@miguelbarrio and what a lovely space, in which to listen! Senor well done and I will look up the Paradigms - only know of the bookshelf, 6 in woofer two-way, which was good - Energy 22 was a fun CDN-made loudspeaker and I think we made those lovely Oracle turntables

[@ElectroSwingable]

Nice one the phonograph Gramophone horn has come on a long way

[@JEG6919]

Nice set up 👍🏻. Maybe some copyright free sound cloud music to be played through these installs for the audiences enjoyment?

[@alansenzaki4148]

Miguel, great system. How about a great turntable to go with the great tube amp!

[@miguelbarrio]

Alan Senzaki I’ve been thinking about it but it’s a little daunting