With the A5 on stands in a midfield position, I expected a rehash of desktop impressions perhaps with slightly reduced bass. But after the first few bars already the sound seemed more balanced and mature, in a positive sense calmer yet more catchy and less superficial. In short, the loudness tuning was less pronounced. This showed what 2.5m instead of 80cm distance and corresponding changes in listening angle can do for coherence and tonal balance. I liked the A5 on my desktop even if I wasn't completely blown away. In the listening room I grew really impressed especially at the price. Fortunately I can keep this short because the earlier descriptions of the A55 transfer almost perfectly except for the bass. Depending on track, the A55 conveys significantly more bass level and depth which in terms of listening psychology perhaps also suggests a little more midrange warmth although my ears don't necessarily call it that. Either way, the A5 sustained decent bass pressure in my 30m² space. Of course we hear that it's no floorstander so the presentation is pleasantly understated unless we're a committed bass head. The A5 doesn't come close to delivering pressure waves that attack us physically. That would ask too much. Nevertheless, electronica and Rock remain sufficiently rich. When setting these up in free space, bear in mind that depending on speaker width, the connecting cable between the A5 will hang significantly higher off the stands than with the A55 whose terminals position quite close to the ground to offer more setup flexibility.
The A4 also performs better in-room than expected given its size and desktop showing. Just so it not only gets more subdued on bass but colour. The reading feels still more presence-emphatic and compressed on impact scale so less emotionally involving. For the price it's definitely a serious product and has nothing in common with those boom'n'sizzle firecracker boxes from the discount shops. But the €100 saved over the A5 doesn't really justify the sonic step-down. The possible exception are rooms smaller than 20m² with the speakers close to the wall. Now reduced LF output could be an actual advantage. Today's three speakers bear a clear family resemblance and at the same time audible differences. The former includes the interfaces, functionality and appearance. On features and quality everything is on par if we ignore the somewhat more advanced mid/woofers of the towers. The streaming tech of the Forte WiFi series currently still has a few teething issues that can be annoying depending on intended use. If you absolutely want to avoid these issues and not wait for Google Cast 2.0, Argon Audio do speakers without WiFi streaming in their MkII range. Those Forte A4, A5 and A55 versions otherwise look identical but each costs €200 less. A €199 Argon Audio Solo Streamer can then retrofit an external well-regarded wireless hub. In terms of sound, all three models are characterized by powerful dynamics, SPL stability and good resolution which only lacks ultimate airs. The Argon Forte WiFi ménage-à-trois aims at listeners who prefer something more lively and involving than particularly romantic, smooth or even soft.
In addition, the A4 WiFi embeds a very noticeable 'loudness curve' that makes voices a little more present. The minorly larger A5 WiFi not only produces slightly more confident bass but closes a good portion of the gap left by the A4's midrange. Voices and guitars sound more balanced and sonorous and the highs integrate better. For just €100 extra over the A4, the A5 becomes a no-brainer yet remains a decent size for the desktop then gets particularly effective in a living room's midfield. Here the A5 sounds even more homogeneous than in the nearfield and casts fantastic spatiality. It's not only a veritable soundbar assassin but will even elicit a satisfied smile from more spoilt audiophiles. This is all the more true when you consider the €799 investment. The A5 offers a great ratio of price to performance. If you want to go one step further on bass and maybe even heat up a still manageable party, the A55 WiFi is a visually graceful acoustically very mature solution. There's no artificial rumble or declassé bloat in the bass. Au contraire, the bass of these slim columns is an absolute highlight. The A55 also packs a great p/p ratio and like the A5 deserves my emphatic audition recommendation.
Facts for the Argon Audio Forte A4 WiFi…
