AVReviews

In this article, I’m excited to share my personal experience with the new reference loudspeakers I chose to purchase – the YG Acoustics Vantage 3. A review of a product you’ve bought for yourself always carries a slightly different tone: less distant and technical, and more rooted in connection, experience, and personal impressions.
Throughout the article, I’ll explain what led me to this choice and offer a detailed comparison to my previous speakers – the Carmel 2, also from YG Acoustics.

The speakers were purchased through Avi Yaffe, the official distributor of YG Acoustics in Israel.

Bottom Line

About YG Acoustics

If you're a regular reader of the site, you've probably come across the name YG Acoustics more than once. I've been following the company with great interest for years and even published a detailed profile (in Hebrew) about them back in 2020.

The company was founded in Israel in 2002 by Yoav Geva (hence the initials YG), and later relocated to Colorado, USA. In 2017, Geva sold the company, and by 2020 their paths had parted completely.

Since then, YG Acoustics has undergone a deep renewal process. It formed a long-term partnership with Cambridge Acoustic Sciences (CAS), which also led to the appointment of a new CEO – Dr. Matthew Webster. These changes have opened the door to new directions and product lines for the brand.

In 2022, YG launched the Peaks series – a more accessible entry point into the company’s high-end world. Around the same time, they introduced the Vantage Live, an advanced active loudspeaker that eliminates the need for separate amplification. This marked a bold shift for such a traditionally conservative brand and reflects a broader trend among high-end manufacturers embracing more integrated solutions.

In 2023, the company unveiled the next generation of its flagship line – the Reference 3 series – which includes the very model I purchased: the Vantage 3.

In recent years, YG has been pushing the boundaries of what's possible. At Munich High End 2024, they debuted the Sonja XV 3 Signature (see video interview), and in 2025 they launched the Ultimate Gemini (see video interview), which opens a whole new flagship line: Ultimate. While these models are priced well beyond the reach of most, it’s likely we’ll see some of their technologies trickle down into more attainable designs in the coming years.

Why I Chose YG

You could call it love at first sound. The first time I heard YG Acoustics speakers was at the Digitown audio show in 2019. I was just starting out in the world of stereo systems and knew only mainstream brands. I hadn’t yet been exposed to the world of boutique loudspeakers – the kind that are hand-built, meticulously engineered, and priced in a range I didn’t even know existed.

At that show, I met a representative from YG who presented slides and videos that introduced me to the company’s engineering philosophy. Everything — from the drivers, to the cabinets, to the crossovers — is designed and manufactured in-house at their facility in Colorado. Since then, YG has continued to uphold its exacting standards in design, production, and testing. In interviews I’ve conducted with CEO Dr. Matthew Webster, he emphasized the company's extensive use of advanced computational models in their development process — a hallmark of YG’s leadership in high-end audio technology.

Today, after attending more shows and listening to a wide range of top-tier brands through local distributors, I feel more experienced and discerning. And still, when it came time for my next big upgrade, the decision was clear: YG Acoustics. Here’s why.

The Sound Signature

What draws me most to YG’s sound is its balance, precision, and clarity. The speakers aim for a neutral, accurate presentation — but never sound clinical or cold. They manage to retain technical excellence while remaining deeply emotional and engaging.

Paired with system components like the MSB DAC and Nagra amplification, the result is a smooth, slightly sweet character that maintains full transparency — a sound signature that perfectly aligns with my personal taste.

A Design Philosophy I Believe In

One engineering choice I deeply appreciate is YG’s commitment to sealed cabinet designs. It’s a topology that puts the drivers at center stage, without relying on ports. This approach introduces challenges — especially with managing internal pressure — but when done right, it delivers exceptionally natural and accurate results.

Driver placement is equally important to me. In YG’s 3-way speakers, the woofer is positioned at the lower, deeper part of the cabinet, while the midrange and tweeter are mechanically isolated and placed at ear level. The physical separation between them enhances clarity and imaging — part of YG’s meticulous design ethos.

An “End Game” Upgrade

Some audio enthusiasts enjoy frequent equipment changes. I fully understand and appreciate that approach — it can be fun and educational. But financially, it’s not always the wisest path.

As I mentioned in my piece “The Journey Toward Dream System 2.0: Upgrades and the Dark Side of Audio” (in Hebrew), in my current system, every upgrade is a serious investment. That’s why I took a calculated, long-term step: choosing a brand I trust, whose products I know work beautifully with the rest of my system. The idea was for this to be my final speaker upgrade — not just a stop along the way.

Trust Is Part of the Equation

In the high-end world, the person behind the product is as important as the product itself. Many boutique brands in Israel are represented by small, one-person importers. So it matters who you buy from. I’ve known Uri Yaffe from Avi Yaffe Audio for years and trust him completely — and that peace of mind is invaluable when making a purchase at this level. After all, with a product of this caliber, confidence in the relationship matters just as much as confidence in the sound.

Under Test: YG Acoustics Vantage 3

The Vantage model first appeared in the previous generation of YG Acoustics’ prestigious Reference series. The idea behind its creation was to bridge the significant gap in size and price between the Carmel – a compact 2-way speaker – and the larger, more complex Hailey. Unlike the Carmel, the Vantage is a full 3-way loudspeaker, featuring the cabinet design typical of the Reference line.

The enclosure is essentially made of two joined sections, forming a single, seamless unit. At the base of the speaker, within the wider lower portion, sits an 8.75-inch woofer. Above it, in the upper section, are a 7.25-inch midrange driverand YG’s new Lattice Hybrid tweeter, integrated into a computer-optimized waveguide. Both the woofer and midrange use BilletCore technology – meaning their cones are milled from solid aluminum billets using a slow, high-precision CNC process, unlike traditional stamped or pressed cone designs.

The Vantage 3 features YG’s Ultracoherent crossover, engineered to ensure optimal phase alignment between the drivers — a critical element for achieving precision and sonic coherence across the frequency spectrum.

The speaker comes with a single pair of rear binding posts. Personally, I appreciate this choice. Most users don’t actually take advantage of bi-wire or bi-amp configurations, and dual terminals can sometimes be more of a liability — especially if the included jumpers are of subpar quality, potentially compromising the sound.

Key Specifications:
Frequency response: 26Hz–40kHz
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
Minimum impedance: 2.8 ohms
Dimensions: 112 cm (H) × 33 cm (W) × 54 cm (D)
Weight per speaker: 85 kg

Video Interview with Dr. Matthew Webster about the YG Acoustics Vantage 3

I purchased the Vantage 3 speakers about four months ago. Although they weren't yet in my possession during my visit to the Munich High End 2025 show, I took the opportunity to interview Dr. Matthew Webster, CEO of YG Acoustics, about the speakers.

In the interview, Matthew discusses the differences between the Reference 2 and the new Reference 3 series, the distinctions between the Carmel, Vantage, and Hailey models, the cabinet construction, and optimal speaker placement.

It was a true privilege for me to speak with the CEO about what is now my own personal loudspeaker, and I’m deeply grateful to Matthew for his time and willingness to have this conversation.

Refined Design and Build Quality

The design and build quality experience of the YG Acoustics Vantage 3 begins right from the moment of unboxing. The speakers arrive in heavy-duty wooden crates and are meticulously packed to ensure they’re perfectly protected.

An interesting detail: upon arrival, each driver is intentionally missing one screw, accompanied by a printed note of explanation. Because the speakers use a sealed cabinet design, changes in air pressure during air transport could potentially cause damage. For that reason, the final screws are only installed after the speakers are unpacked and placed in the listening space.

The speakers come equipped with high-quality spikes and substantial floor protectors. They can be positioned using either three or four spikes — in my case, after consulting with Uri Yaffe, I opted for the four-spike setup.

Although their size is compact, the spikes feel substantial and solidly built. In fact, it's even possible to carefully slide them over the floor protectors — as long as you avoid the gaps between floor tiles.

At first glance, the exterior design of the Vantage 3 continues the minimalist aesthetic that YG is known for. But up close, clear upgrades become apparent compared to the Carmel 2. The new logo is etched onto a larger, more prominent plate with stronger contrast, giving it a more noticeable visual presence.

There’s also a change in the finish: the Vantage 3 features a slightly glossier appearance — reminiscent of a luxury car’s paint — compared to the more matte look of the Carmel 2.

Another welcome change is the removal of the protective handle over the drivers — a feature that, in my opinion, never really added meaningful functionality.

In addition, the combination of the new tweeter with the redesigned waveguide adds a more advanced technical and aesthetic dimension to the speaker’s front — though the difference is really noticeable only upon very close inspection.

One visual detail I particularly liked is the junction between the two cabinet sections, which breaks up the large body and adds subtle design interest. The overall result is a speaker with a modern, minimalist, and clean aesthetic. It doesn’t demand attention at first glance, but a closer look reveals exceptional build quality and finish — exactly what you'd expect at this price point.

My only design critique is the exposed driver screws on the front baffle. While there’s a clear engineering rationale — easier serviceability in case of failure — I would have appreciated a cleaner solution, perhaps with hidden fasteners, in a speaker of this caliber. That said, one area where visible hardware has been improved is the rear panel, which is now sleek and refined — a noticeable step up from the exposed elements on the Carmel 2.

While the speaker’s height and width aren’t particularly extreme, its depth (54 cm) is certainly noticeable. From a side view, the speaker occupies a significant physical presence in the listening space — something that should definitely be considered when planning placement.
Here’s an attempt to illustrate the difference in depth between the two models:

On the rear panel, you’ll find a single pair of binding posts, of a different type than those found on the Carmel 2. Personally, I found them easier to work with. However, there is a small design trade-off — the terminals are positioned midway up the cabinet, which requires the cables to be lifted quite a bit off the floor, making it slightly more challenging to conceal them neatly.

The Reference 3 series speakers are available by default in either black or silver finishes — both of which are elegant, yet fairly standard and practical.

For those feeling a bit more adventurous and looking to make a bolder visual statement, a range of custom color finishes is available for an additional cost. We saw some of these striking options at the most recent Munich show — for example, the Carmel 3 in a vivid combination of bright orange side and rear panels with a glossy silver front baffle.

The Listening Test

Purchasing an ultra high-end audio product in Israel is no simple matter. On one hand, nearly every international brand — from the most prominent to the most obscure — is available locally, despite the relatively small market. On the other hand, most distributors have only one demo model per brand, if at all, which makes advance listening nearly impossible. Even when you're familiar with the brand, the purchase can still come with some hesitation.

That was certainly the case with my Vantage 3 purchase. Despite my deep familiarity with YG Acoustics, I still had three main concerns — all of which, I’m happy to report, disappeared within the first hour of listening.

Concerns That Quickly Faded

Concern #1: Too much bassֿ

Moving up to a significantly larger speaker with a dedicated woofer raised a real worry for me: overly dominant bass — something I’m particularly sensitive to. To test this, I played two pop-rock tracks with deep bass elements: one with dynamic, punchy lows and the other with a steady, sustained bass line. The first was Lakshmi’s excellent cover of Wicked Game, and the second was A Human Experience by Heather Nova, from her album Breath and Air.

In both cases, the bass was reproduced in a natural, balanced way with outstanding cleanliness, even at moderate-to-high listening volumes. The speakers also created a huge, three-dimensional soundstage that maintained remarkable clarity and separation — not just between bass, mids, and highs, but also between the vocals and the instrumentation.

The clean and deep bass of the YG Acoustics Vantage 3 doesn’t just enhance tracks with prominent low frequencies — it elevates virtually every genre of music. A standout example is REDEFINE by Alma Naidu. This is a gentle, serene album that could easily come across as slightly lifeless on the wrong system — but not through the Vantage 3. Here, it sounds airy, dynamic, and full of contrast. When bass appears, it’s deep and grounding, giving the music weight and presence — almost like a subtle anchor beneath the entire composition. It’s an immensely enjoyable listening experience. To be clear, this isn’t a case of artificial bass boost — rather, a full, uncompressed delivery of the music as it was meant to be heard. This album is a perfect example of how an ultra high-end system can make music not only sound better, but feel more alive.

Another album that delivered a similarly powerful yet refined experience was The Summer Portraits by Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi. A beautiful collection of modern classical pieces, it came to life through the Vantage 3 — rich with energy, dynamics, and emotion. Who knows, maybe this will finally be the system that helps me understand why so many people are passionate about classical and neo-classical music.

Concern #2: Insufficient Power from the Nagra Classic Int

The second concern — one that honestly kept me up at night — was whether the modest output power of my integrated amp, the Nagra Classic Int, would be sufficient for the Vantage 3. After all, this is a large speaker with relatively low sensitivity. I’m happy to report that this fear turned out to be completely unfounded. The speakers play freely and effortlessly, even at levels that are more than adequate for me. As I’ve already noted, the separation is excellent, the dynamics are lively, and the slightly soft, sweet character of the Nagra is faithfully preserved through the Vantage 3.

Often, underpowered amplification reveals itself during low-volume listening, where the sound can become flat or emotionally dull. But when I listened to Get Sunk, the new album by Matt Berninger, at low volume, it turned out to be a wonderful experience: vocals were fully separated and precisely centered, the musical backdrop remained dynamic, and even the bass was punchy. Since I often listen at low levels, this was an important test for me.

Of course, with a more powerful amp and a separate amplification chain, there’s probably even more to gain — tighter bass, greater scale, more control. But even with the current setup, this is by far the best sound I’ve ever achieved in my room. So while an amp upgrade may be nice if the opportunity arises, it’s by no means a necessity.

Concern #3: Not a Big Enough Improvement over the Carmel 2

I’ve always loved the Carmel 2 — both for its sound and for how perfectly it fit my room and the rest of my system. So my third and final concern was that the performance gap between it and the Vantage 3 might not justify the significant price difference. I feared this might end up being just another minor “audiophile upgrade”.

It took just one minute of listening to realize that this wasn’t the case at all.

I decided to start with a country-rock ballad I really love: Crazy Hearts by Wesley Dean. It’s not a typical test track in audio circles, but it makes for an interesting comparison — the first half of the song features no drums at all, so it's a relatively fair match between the Carmel 2, which doesn’t have a dedicated woofer, and the Vantage 3. From the opening notes, the Vantage 3 delivered all the strengths I loved in the Carmel — clean, natural, emotionally engaging sound with excellent separation — but added a noticeable layer of clarity, air, and a wider, more immersive soundstage. For me, that translated to even more emotional connection.

When the drums kick in during the second chorus, the gap widens even further: bass separation is clearly superior, the drums sound tighter and punchier, and the overall presentation gains more contrast and energy — all without losing any of the intimacy or warmth that makes the song so moving.

To deepen the comparison, I also played Optimist by American-Canadian cellist and composer Zoe Keating, from her album Into The Trees. The Carmel 2 impressed me right from the start, delivering deep, tight, and impactful bass — especially remarkable given its compact size — while maintaining impressive balance and clarity in the midrange.

But when I switched to the Vantage 3, the soundscape opened up even further: the bass became deeper, more detailed, and cleaner, the midrange was more distinct and separated, and the highs gained in richness and airiness. The overall impression was one of effortlessness, calm, and natural flow, combined with a strong sense of dynamic energy.

In the end, I found the Vantage 3 to be a true and significant upgrade over the Carmel 2 — in just about every aspect. Given that the Vantage 3 is a larger, newer, and more expensive speaker, that’s perhaps the expected result. But for me, the improvement wasn’t just noticeable — it felt proportional to the price, which isn’t always a given in the ultra high-end market.

That said, I want to emphasize: the Carmel 2 remains one of the best-value speakers I’ve encountered in the ultra high-end space. It’s a speaker with a perfect size for a typical Israeli living room, offering outstanding balance and clarity in a compact and elegant design.

Additional Sound Qualities

To conclude, I want to highlight three additional sonic traits of the YG Acoustics Vantage 3 that consistently impressed me during my listening sessions.

First, its ability to fill the room with a highly three-dimensional and precise soundstage, where instrument placement is crystal clear. The soundstage reaches far above the physical height of the speakers. For example, in the opening of Optimist by Zoe Keating, some of the bass passages felt as if they were coming from the ceiling. A friend who visited even asked in confusion where the sound was coming from — the space, scale, and detachment from the speakers were that convincing.

Second, the Vantage 3 delivers exceptional realism, especially in live recordings. In Sting 3.0 Live, the speakers conveyed the presence, dynamics, and raw energy of the performance so vividly, it genuinely felt as though I was standing right there on stage with the band.

Lastly, the off-axis performance — the quality of the sound when not seated directly in front of the speakers. The Vantage 3 has an impressively wide dispersion. While you won’t get pinpoint imaging from the side of the room, the clarity, dynamics, balance, and separation remain intact, making it fully enjoyable even when listening from another space — like the kitchen — and not just from the sweet spot.

Final Thoughts

In this review, I’ve shared my personal experience with the YG Acoustics Vantage 3, the ultra high end speaker I chose to purchase for my own system. It’s the most expensive audio component I’ve ever bought — and it absolutely earns its place as the foundation of my dream system.

From the very first moment — even before any burn-in — these speakers delivered spectacular performance: transparency, depth, balance, full and accurate bass, and a wide, high, three-dimensional soundstage. Not only did they meet expectations — they exceeded them. Any sense of hesitation I felt about making such a big purchase vanished the moment they began to play.

Beyond audiophile terminology, the Vantage 3 has taken my musical enjoyment to a whole new level. I found myself constantly drawn back to the system for hours of listening — whether it was full albums, curated playlists, or audiophile test tracks. This is a speaker that doesn’t just analyze music — it connects you to it emotionally and makes you want to listen more.

Price: 186,750 NIS
Warranty: 5 years
Importer: Avi Yaffe

The system I used for the review: 
DAC: MSB Technology Discrete DAC with 2 external power supplies
Integrated Amplifier: Nagra Classic Int
Streamer: Nagra Streamer
Speakers for Comparison: YG Acoustics Carmel 2

Cables: 
XLR cable between the DAC and Amp: Nordost Blue Heaven
Coaxial cable between the streamer and DAC: Nordost Blue Heaven
Speaker cables: Nordost Blue Heaven

Power:
Power cables for the Amplifier, Streamer and DAC : Nordost Blue Heaven
Power Distribution Block : QBASE QB8 Mark II (to it the Amplifier, Streamer and DAC were connected)
Power cable for the distribution block: Nordost Red Dawn