Amphion Argon 3S Speaker Review 

Particularly appreciated this review because 3s are my speakers. Interesting validation on the things I love about the Amphions and the limitations. What I really appreciate about your reviews is that they are balanced and honest. So many reviews on RU-vid read to me uncritical promotional pieces. Keep it coming!

Not only do you have us itching for this type of setup and equipment balance, but you’re also immensely informative. Learn so much at every vid! 🙏🏼👍🏼

Your presentation is getting more polished with each video and your confidence growing - go get them!

Wow another great content, even someone not planning buying anything still prefer to consume info from your videos , thanks Tarun .

Thank you so much for adding imperial units. Your extra effort doesn't go unnoticed.

What a well presented and clear review. Thanks Tarun. I have the Amphion Helium in the equivalent size to the Argon Ones, and when it comes to my next upgrade I’d love to try these out.

Thanks, as always a very enjoyable review. Good to see the subs increasing.

Thanks for another great review. I’ve been running these with the Nad T778 and work very well for both music and film (although I do have 2 subs). What really sold me was their clarity, they have made me really appreciate music again while film now takes the back seat. Also a bonus they look lovely in the flesh.

Thank you Tarun, I was waiting for this review. I didn't hear all of what I wanted to hear but that's why I value your reviews so highly (if you get my meaning). Now you've got me anticipating the Hegel H 190 review. Through you and other reviewers I am pretty clear on what the H 95 is all about but that is not the case with the H 190. Your reviews are simply the best and I value them, not to mention, anticipate their arrival.

Excellent review. I am proud that Amphions are made in Finland. Hopefully we will get more similar reviews from lesser known speakers.

Wow Tarun, the videos are coming thick and fast. Thanks. And comparing these speakers to your Proacs is high praise. Not surprised the Proacs won out though. New and better aren't synonymous.

It looks like your search for a superior speaker continues. The old faithful Proacs continue to hold their own, up against more modern competition. Excellent review and thanks for sharing it Tarun.

I really enjoy your channel. I have learned a lot!

This delightful revelation, even for me with over 40 Years of experiance in this field, was most engaging and educational as well. It makes my day! Bravo Tarun! Best regards

It is interesting to see you comparing speakers in this pricepoint. Looking forward to the next review!

I recently invested in a pair of the 3LS . They are sublime. Very clean sound and impressive clarity. Sensitive sound stage though. So much of an improvement on my previous speakers

As always great review Tarun.

Haven't yet managed to hear Amphions LS (passive radiator) models, but i think that 3L and 7L models were/are more warm sounding, least my 3L sounds quite neutral. Two things that i found to be superior features of Amphion speakers, are how nice those sound even on modest sound levels and how well they are protected from pets and little fingers. Truly highend speakers for normal household. Btw those separetly bought speaker grills fits passive radiators too. Anyway nice review. Thanks!

Another speaker I will have to think about. Great review.

Fantastic insights, Tarun!

Great review, Tarun. My Monitor Audio Gold GR20s have been with me for a similar period as your Proacs have with you. Like you, I love the sound and it will take a lot to persuade me to part with them. For this reason I hatched a plan to replaced the stock crossover components with significantly better ones from Mills, Mundorf and Hoveland. I am happy to report that as they are running in I am delighted with the results. I remember you having a firtle inside your Proacs not so long ago and what you showed was significantly below the standard components that were inside my GR20s, never mind my new ones. I can’t recommend highly enough carrying out this upgrade. It’s not hard, but neither is it particularly cheap. Oh so worth it though! Cheers, Mark

Hi tarun, another great review. I've always liked sealed box speakers and passive radiator speakers, especially in the bass department, your views on how they sound concur with my own findings, looking forward to another review soon.

Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful review. Neither the Proac nor the Amphions are easily found here in the USA (I have a pair of the Amphion Argon 3Ss, bought from a dealer in Tunbridge Wells) and have them in a 20x25 foot room with a REL T9i sub and a Peachtree 300W class D amplifier. I am pleased with the performance of this pair of speakers, and would expect to have to spend significantly more for better performance.

Designing is compromising. Apparently they did a good job with these Argons. Very interesting. Thanks. It is an interesting quest you have put yourself on - finding speakers that better your Proacs. I was looking at Proac Response D2-s a year ago, but took a good deal on something a little different. As I watch your reviews, I get to thinking I should have stuck with my decision to buy Proac.

Excellent, insightful reviews--- keep going, you will be at 100k subs very soon-- am a touch biased - 80% + of our main system is made in the UK--- Audion, SME, Audionote, ,etc-love your channel--TY

Bought the bigger version of this speaker 7LS week ago. Paired with Hegel H190 i'm actually blown away. IT has everything i dreamed of base, soundstage, image, clarity and fast responsive to dynamic tracks. Main point why i got them is forgiving room placement. Very very few homes have perfect room or even sound bounces unless you treat your room and have special listening place only for that purpose. Probably next step would be separate DAC in future but for now i'm settled for years.

Thanks for another fantastic review.

Excellent review. My Energy Pro 22 were my first speakers ($1000 back in 1982). They had a low crossover at 1500 Hz and a 6 inch stitched polypropylene woofer. I can confirm that this design is close to the best sound you can get from a two way. They had 1.5 inch tweeter. That said the reason I moved on to ATC is the 3 inch dome - the size just seems perfect for mid range. The other issue is that a 1.5inch tweeter can’t play very loud at 1500 HZ - blown tweeters are rather a common issue with designs like this and blown tweeters means hassle for manufacturers with many returns (Energy had this issue and I suspect manufacturers avoid these great sounding designs because of the hassle of too many returns). The best way to deal with the issue is a 250 watt amp as any clipping tends to heat up and burn up a tweeter fairly quickly. I burnt my Energy Tweeters in one week with an 80 watt amp but with 220 watts they still work well 40 years on... So I can confirm as long as you don’t play too loud or clip them - this type two way design is very natural sounding and has great imaging and dies a great disappearing act.

Nice review, Amphion is a great company and the owner is a very nice guy, always ready to answer questions, I have the Amphion Xenon ( unfortunately not made today ) they are not as good as my Graham Audio LS 5/9, but one thing they have in common is coherence in their sound and one big advantage and probably the best thing about the Amphions is their big sweet spot, in daily life that is very nice to have, one can even sit to the side and the Amphion will put the scene in front of the speakers, it’s like being at a concert, sitting a bit of to the side and still get a great sound, quite remarkable. I agree with their cool Scandinavian sound, but with a warm sounding amp, maybe tubes, that can be worked around if one so chooses. I wish they would upgrade the Xenon’s probably their best speakers.

I've tried a fair few speakers in my time, but still come back to my Spendor SP1, old school I know, but just love them.

Great review as always Tarun. Waiting for your H190 review.

👍👍💪💪Well I’ve been watching your reviews recently I am from New York City I think you are a great reviewer very trustworthy I believe every word you say👍👍

Great review Tarun, and plenty of technical detail. I demoed the S3s recently, with both the H120 and H390 and they were simply gorgeous. Such a sweet, clean sound. I was very impressed. The H390 added a touch more depth and airiness to the sound but it was very close. If I had £2k to spend, these would definitely be on my shortlist.

Thank you Tarun for this review, I really appreciate your thoughts on audio gear! This review really suits my situation, as I've been looking these speakers some time, and thought what they would bring over their tinier cousins. As much as I like the argon 1's, I would prefer a little bit more presence and punch in the midbass section and feel of scale in the sound. The gap in the price between the two speakers, as you also mentioned, has been holding me back as argon 3s seems a bit pricy, IMO.

Thank you for the review of the Argon 3S. I will now arrange for a home trial to see whether there is synergy with my Atoll IN 200 Amplifier. As usual your review is detailed and dare I say it, educational. Regards Daniel

Hi Tarun, first of all: thank you for the review of this speaker! There are not many of them on the internet. I bought a pair of these last year, replacing their predecessor, the Argon 2, and was surprised by the difference in clarity. Not that the Argon 2 was bad, in contrary! But the 3S is a clear step higher. Overall, your analysis resembles my experience with the 3S's.They're honest, but not always in a beautiful way (as Amphion somewhere states), especially with 'cheap' mixed vocal music. Luckily I stream my music via Roon, which has the option of parametric equalization. With that most of the somewhat weaker points of the speakers and the room they're placed in are controllable in a way my ears like the most without falling short of the quality of the music and the speakers :)

Thank You. I will have to dig deeper into these Looking to replace a set of Dynaudios

As someone who lived with the 1sc's for years and always regrets selling them, I'll say it would be awesome if you could review any of the current production Proac speakers. The RDB1 or 3, or even a tablette. Thank you! Excellent and spot on videos and reviews, man.

Ik like your style and the way you give a review. Ludo

Another great video Tarun always look forward to hearing your thoughts on different audio ,the speakers are food for thought for sure ,still your speakers still give some new speakers a run for there money ,Ps going to try bridging my power amps Tarun biamping did not work out for me ,neighbors are getting worried ,😂😂😂

Great review Tarun! But , if you like the midrange magic which ProAc ‘s are famous for it would be a hard choice to pass on .One speaker at this price point which I think would be an intriguing comparison would be the absolutely gorgeous Sonus Faber Sonetto 2’s . The midrange on this speaker is its strength ; if you like a warm romantic sound this speaker has it in spades ! It’s a much more laid back speaker compared to the Argon . I’ve listened to these numerous times (through the Hegel 190) and I think they might just replace my Pro Ac ‘s ! Not to mention again they are beautiful pieces of furniture ; I’ve never seen build quality at this price! Cheers , Nigel

Great review 🎉

Hello,i like your honest opinion about the gear that you reviewed over the time, as a former owner of Proac Tablet \Amphion Argon 3\Triangle Genese Trio\Pmc Twenty 24 any many others in this price range i can relate to anything you said, and also i would like you to try Xaxian Xn 270 Evo, you will literaly will be blown away from the outstanding performance,and your search will be by far ended for a long time!Best regards from Romania

I’ve auditioned these with the Hegel H190. Very impressive.

Another fantastic review Tarun. But damn, I though you were finally going to find those Proac killers. So wanting you to find those!

Still got my mission 731 bought 25 years ago when I was 16 👀. They still surprise me when I give them a run 🔊👍

Terrific review

Looking forward to that H190 review. My finger is on the trigger, and I need just one good reason. Your review would definitely do it. 🙂

Just keep the ProAcs they look pure class and we all like particular aspects of speakers and after all I have some original Acoustic Energy AE2’s bought in 1989 and still going strong.

Together with your reviews I love reading the comments from others. One mans meat is another’s poison, the variations in opinions just makes your reviews even more valid. Continue your sojourn to find your next speaker upgrade, or maybe not. Old gear doesn’t necessarily mean it has become redundant. As usual great review and comments from others 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Another great review, I stay with the Pylon Diamond Monitor, even cheaper..maybe not so easy to get for review but you can always ask Pylon Audio 🙂

Nice review, thanks. Maybe something I will be looking for if the Epos Elan 10s ever begin to tire...

I will look forward to hearing your review on the Hegel H190!

Thanks! Finally got to the Computer so I can like and comment. Much more fun to watch in the theater across the house.

Thanks, Tarun, for the great review. I’m wondering if you’ve looked at any of the higher end offerings from DALI - Epicon 2 would probably be out, but maybe the Rubicon 2 or the new Opticon 2 mkII. In the states we have a couple interesting internet direct bookshelf speakers that are on my audition list - Studio Electric M4 and Living Sound Audio 10 Statement. Looking forward to the H190 review and how it compares with the 95.

Tarun, thanks for another proper review. The 3S seem to have a lot of SQ characteristics in common with the PMC T5.21i's you reviewed a while ago, and they were on my shortlist for new speakers too. How do they compare in your opinion?

The ProAcs hail from a time when building loudspeakers was cheaper - there were widespread price increases around 10 years ago, which saw many brands going up by 15/20%, and they’ve probably also gone up a few times since then too. It’s a bit like trying to find floorstanders to challenge KEF 104.2s for less than £1,000! I myself tend to not compare compact bookshelf speakers to larger ones - their set of strengths tend to be a little bit different to larger, more full range standmounts, which usually tend to lose out in a couple of areas compared to smaller ones unless enough money is thrown at them. They’re also usually different customers with different needs.

ProAc 1sc still hard to beat ,cash here waiting for as and when it does 👏

Great one Tarun 👍We don't expect anything less 😉. Making speakers isn't just all math's. A speaker also interacts with the room which make it complicated to make it "PERFECT". Sometimes a desgn just hits that magic , often by accident otherwise there will be more speakers like that. I don't think you will find a replacement for your 1SC's in that price range. Those speakers have around 300-500 euro drivers. I guess you need to go DIY where you can go 1000+ euro drivers for that budget. Many DIY designs out there which are top notch.

Tarun thanks for another great review. You know, your comment about the combination with the Exposure amps, that's what we all strive for as audiophiles, isn't it? What is the minimum price of entry into that world? That's what i would like to know.

if i'd known we had the option of a good boy being included in the setup photos, i would have demanded it for all your future photos sooner. you know what to do.

Hi Tarun, another open, honest and well substantiated, comparative review. I would be interested to learn how you think the ProAc Response DB1's compare, any plans in that department? Andrew.

Killer review

Tarun, since your Proacs are 23 years old, I would suggest that you change all the capacitors of the cross-over networks within your speaker.

Must say I have been using ProAc Response D1 for 9 years in my 2nd system now and failed to find a better speaker at this size/price. Very detailed and disappear if a little bass light. From your reviews looks like I need to just settle down and enjoy their music! Keep up the with reviews as I like your approach. Thank you.

The search continues... Glad to hear the ProAc's are still holding up. ProAc's have a level of musicality that's hard to beat. I still need to hear the 1SC's. It would be interesting to compare them with the LS8's I have. There was a pair of 1SC's going for a good price that I would have bought unfortunately the seller was too far away.

Great work as always,keep the good work up. Can you at sometime do a review on spendoraudio speakers,thanks

Its testimony really to the quality of the ProAcs

Thanks Tarun, another fine review. BTW I own an original HMV Gramophone from 1929 and if ever you're near to Munich you're welcome to come and review it :-)

A very informativ and well thought out review once again, goof job! Did you get to check out some Aurelia speakers yet :)?

Well done review, as always, Tarun. I’d have liked to hear a bit more comparison with the Buchardt S400’s as the Amphions look like an upside-down version of the 400’s - or maybe it’s the other way round?

I have had the Proac D2R’s for about 7 years paired with a Sonneteer Orton & more recently a Matrix Audio element x. Endgame for me until something fails. If you love the Proac signature, the D2R’s are an obvious step up in presence & body. Newer models have an option for ribbon tweeter, although i have not heard what they are like. Slightly more than £2k, but worth saving for.

Hello Tarun, thank you again for the serious review and description. Supposedly the design of passive two way dynamic speakers has its limits and you have explored and exhausted them. And may be the development of decent speakers for decent folks who listen to decent music with moderate levels has come to kind of an end. The same goes for other technical devices with a circumscript task, as the 1000£ wristwatch and the fork. Now, one can only look for different design principles like concentric drivers (KEF et.al.), active, dsp controlled competitors, two way stand mounted. Or take the difficult road of comparing them with more or less expensive speakers . But that has to be done blind or else these tests are without value for you. Let alone your followers here. There is a reason why you’re faithful to your Pro Ac.

Great channel. Would be interested to see a naim amp review and how it compares to your hegel. Currently looking for a new amp for my proac d2’s.

Hi Tarun, best technical insight and audio gear reviews! I would be really interested in your views of Audio Physic speakers, in particular the Spark.

Those speakers look eerily smooth... still as long as they work great :P

omg the cute dog in the picture, I love it!!!!!! :D

Thank you

Good sensible, balanced review as ever, Tarun. What are your 1SCs like if closer to the back wall please? I'm moving to house with smaller lounge soon and will be after some new, smaller speakers, but previously found ProAc D2s really needed some space around them. Thanks.

Thank you for this review. I have heard some people say that the tweeters sound strained given the low crossover frequency causing the tweeter to have to do a lot of work. Did you find this to be the case? Did you find this speaker in anyway to be harsh sounding? I am considering purchasing without an audition as it's not possible at the moment as I like the concepts upon which these were created. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Tarun.

Hi Tarun, congrats on the channel, great content and very insightful videos. Wanted to ask for your feedback on the following: I recently bought a Naim NAP 200 + NAC 202 preamp. Currently have a pair of KEF R3s. How do you think the Argon 3 would pair with the naim system, and if they would be a tangible improvement over the R3s? Thanks for any comment from your end. Cheers

I wonder how they compare to the Dynaudio Contour 20i ? They seem to be Buchardt S400 clones, which I found rolled off in the highs . Thanks for a great review!

Hi Tarun, thank you for another great review. Very interested to hear your thoughts on the Hegel 190, this is a amp I would love to own! Have you tried to get any Graham Audio or Harbeth speakers in to review?

Great review Tarun , as always, one thing I’d love to know about but was absent in this video, do they perform well with moderate to less than ideal recordings? As an ATC owner im pretty fed up with being punished when playing poorly recorded mediums, im starting to look for less revealing and more forgiving speakers.

It's interesting to mention that the ATC SCM 19 is in principal been around since the late '80 in the ATC SCM 20. Same driver, box enclosure. Do it's nog exactly a 'new speaker', only tweeter is new came out in 2014. Buy fare to say in comparison speakers for 20 - 22 years old.

Thanks Tarun. Another job well done. The voice of reason and moderation in a crowd of rave reviewers. You might try the JBL HDI 1600 for review. I like mine. Might be 1400-1500 Pounds in UK?

What music did you play as you reviewed? Would the outcome (ProAc vs. Amphion) be the same with bass heavy electronic music such as 'Lorn', 'Calyx & Teebee' etcetera? I believe the larger Amphions with the PR have quite a dynamic reserve in the bass region, and when heavier stuff gets played, they put it out there without a problem. That's when you hear a larger difference between the large and the small one, too.

Sir you should review vintage stuff too!Try some Epos ES14 speakers!

Hey Tarun, that’s a nice speaker and a great review. I just picked up a pair of B&W 705s2. I’m wondering if you could opine on how the Amphion’s would compare to the B&Ws.

You should review some Magnepans. Very different to what you've been reviewing. Curious what you'll think of them.

As you say, they are a similar design to the Buchardt S400 mk2, in terms of waveguide, passive rad, size and price. Which one would you say has the edge Tarun? I've auditioned the Argon 3S but the Buchardt would be a different story (albeit one with a returns policy).

Ok, I was with you all of the way until you said the the extra distortion makes it sound more neutral. 🤔 That sounds like it got warmer which made me feel colder. Other than that great review. I am always a sucker for a speaker with a wave guide tweeter. For all of the reasons you stated as well as time alignment as you eluded to with you transparent and midrange clarity comments. Thx again as always.

Is ATC SCM19 more natural because of the more full presentation? Or are there other factors? Thanks, I still haven't made my mind up as to which to buy.

I owned two Amphions. The first one and the third. The third one which is rather neutral basically showed me how bad lots of music is and because of it listening to speakers is no longer a priority to me. The sound coming out of Amphion Argon 3 is unreal and it is hard to believe what is coming out of these little boxes. If you cannot handle ''truth'' don't buy em. The 3S is the successor of the 3 and not everybody agrees it is a improvement.

Would love to hear your thoughts about the dynaudio evoke 20. Roughly at the 2k £ mark.

Reviewing speakers referring back to your ref. speakers is a good idea but, since you have reviewed so many other speakers, you might as well bring up the comparisons with other popular speakers you have reviewed. For example, you have mentioned both Argon 3s and S400 Mkii have more agile, extended bass performance than your Proac (in fact that is expected given the size of the speaker) BUT how is the bass performance compared between Argon 3s and S400 Mkii that many of us are curious. Thank you for the consideration.

Love your room !! Do you have any room acoustic treatments ?

Hi Tarun. Thank you for all your thoughtful and considered reviews. How did you find the Argon S3s at low listening volumes (60-75dB)? I am hoping to get a new system soon, replacing my 25 year old AVI models. Do you think a Sugden A21SE amplifier would be a reasonable match with the Argon S3. Thank you once again. John

Mr. Tarun….l am the proud owner of a pair of Triangle trios, augmented by a Carver subwoofer. Couldn’t be happier with the sound. Have QED silver-clad cabling. Would you suggest another type of cable to enhance the sound further?

Just a question about price: When you quote prices, do you mean that is the price per speaker, or rather per pair?