We met Amphion again. However, this time, it is their smallest bookshelf speaker Argon 0.

It is really small and can be picked up by an adult with one hand. However, you have to make more effort to grab it with one hand, Argon 0 is heavier than you think. Small, it is good to place, stuffed anywhere not obtrusive, to put on the desk, placed in the bedroom bedside listening also no problem. But even if the volume is small, it is still necessary to make the cabinet solid to reduce the interference of the cabinet resonance, so that the sound is more clean and direct; it is heavy, precisely for this reason.

Titanium tweeter, aluminum diaphragm bass

When I opened the box, I thought I knew this speaker before. I went back to the equipment review database to look for it, and sure enough, I found it. The Helium 410 and Argon 0 have the same appearance, the same cabinet size, and even the data specifications are similar. The same two-unit, two-way bass reflex design, the same tweeter is a 1" titanium diaphragm tweeter, the same tweeter is surrounded by Amphion's signature U/D/D technology (Uniformly Directive Diffusion), the same unit has a metal mesh shield, and the same bass reflex hole is opened at the back. When the two pairs of speakers are placed together, it is really hard to tell who is who.

Focus on time phasing and diffusion control

What is the difference? The answer is the bass; the Helium series uses a paper cone, while the Argon series uses an aluminum cone, and the Argon 0 uses a 4.5" aluminum bass with a metal grille that is pressed into a three-dimensional geometry based on the undulations of the unit. The treble and bass crossover points are set at 1.6kHz, well away from the sensitive zone of the human ear. The crossover is also specially set for the time phase, which gives the Argon 0 a high degree of 3D sound field restoration, just like other Amphion speakers.

Like all Amphion speakers, the Argon 0 has a square cabinet with clean lines, and the U/D/D conductor circle is cleverly nested in the square of the cabinet. Moreover, the speakers are made in Finland, even the cabinet, which is very rare.

Listening with Homely Design solid wood tripod

The test was conducted in U-Audio's auditorium with a Telos EMP streamer running Roon (Roon Core for Macbook Pro), music from Tidal and Qobuz, USB digital output to the NuPrime DAC-10H, and a NuPrime Evolution STA stereo backend to drive the Argon 0. Argon 0. The audition was conducted in a near-field listening mode, with the speakers spaced between 1.2m and 1.4m, in a square triangle with the listening position, and with a toe-in angle so that the speakers were projected at the outer edge of the shoulders.

Although I think the most suitable place for the Amphion Argon 0 is the low TV cabinet, side table, side cabinet, and desk, because the Argon 0 appeals to the lifestyle, life, and home. However, the company does not have these furniture, so I still have to put it on the speaker tripod. The stand is made of solid walnut wood, and the base has a steel plate to increase the weight to suppress vibration and improve stability. The tripod is much heavier than the speakers, plus it has a height of 70 centimeters, which is quite suitable for setting up a small Argon 0.