The Gauss 7 studio monitor, introduced by Avantone Pro in 2021, looks at first glance like a well-known old-school classic from Japan because of the white 7" woofer and a similar housing design. At the same time, the product name is reminiscent of the long-gone speaker manufacturer "Gauss Speaker Company". However, anyone who thinks they are being served a speaker with outdated technology is greatly mistaken. Although the US manufacturer Avantone Pro relies on a classic look, it has equipped the Gauss 7 with modern features, including a Class D bi-amplifier - 180W per speaker - and a high-quality Air Motion tweeter for high-frequency reproduction. By the way, the Gauss 7 can be set up vertically as well.
The Gauss 7 housing is made of MDF, which is refined with black real wood veneer for an appealing look. The front is slanted on the sides to improve acoustics. On the back of the housing are a level adjustment control (±6dB), two switches for adjustment to the control room, a power switch, and a power supply connection in addition to the rear-firing bass reflex port. Furthermore, the Gauss 7 offers two options for balanced audio cabling in the form of an XLR and a TRS input. An RCA connection, on the other hand, is not present, which clearly indicates that the unit is intended for a professional working environment. On the front, a small two-colour LED provides information on the operating status. Blue indicates operational readiness, while red indicates standby mode.
All Avantone Pro Gauss 7 deliver a natural, well-balanced sound with minimal limitations in terms of linearity. Especially in the high frequencies, the transients are well reproduced by the Air Motion tweeter. The stereo imaging as well as the tone depth leave nothing left to complain about. This also facilitates the localisation of individual instruments, which makes their placement in the stereo panorama much easier. In summary, the Gauss 7 is a very promising monitoring tool that can be used by mixing engineers, musicians, and producers.
Avantone Pro is a US company based in New York State that specialises in the development of studio monitors, amplifiers for passive studio monitors, headphones, and microphones. The Avantone Pro team is dedicated to offering high-quality products at a reasonable price. Performance is always paramount, but a lot of time is also spent on design to create visually appealing products. Within the audio industry, Avantone Pro is particularly known for its widely used mini reference monitors, which aptly bear the name “Mixcube”. Other well-known products include the CLA-10 studio monitors, which are available in passive and active versions.
There is a crucial reason why the Gauss 7 studio monitors are designed for vertical operation: The Air Motion tweeter has a highly vertical dispersion to reduce unwanted reverberation from the walls, which in turn helps to keep phase problems to a minimum. Users can make frequency adjustments depending on the positioning of the monitors in the control room. The range below 800Hz can be lowered by 2dB or 4dB, whereas the treble can be either lowered or raised by 2dB. For instance, if the user wishes to place the monitors in the corners of the room, it is recommended that the frequency range below 800Hz be lowered by 4dB.