@audiokinesis --
Curiously, these were among the core aspects other I sought addressed when I decided for my current speakers. The speakers I used previously, Simon Mears Audio Uccello's (wonderful speakers, despite some caveats), could feel to emit a slightly "low ceiling" presentation due to the way they're physically designed, and moreover one needed to be centered quite precisely in front of them for the sonic image to snap into place. Once there however and sitting fairly low in the seating position, they soared.
My current, actively driven speakers have a higher acoustic center (when seated my ears are level with the point between the upper edge of the top 15" woofer/mid and bottom edge of the 90 x 40° coverage CD MF/HF horn above it), a wider sweet spot, a more uniform dispersion coverage pattern at the cross-over, and only one cross-over point (@ ~790Hz) vs. two with the Uccello's. A smidgen of extension is subjectively sacrificed at the very top end, but it feels cleaner and better resolved - no doubt also due to the active configuration.
The TAD 2401's are most likely fantastic speakers, and I'd probably have them lifted off the ground some 12-15" perhaps.
@dangerisland --
There are no doubt different schools and pros/cons on the matter of the preferable cross-over point with a 2-way design. As an outset I would go with a XO-point that has the low frequency driver cover the entire "power region," which puts the XO at somewhere between 650-750Hz - perhaps better so nearer the lower end here rather than the higher ditto, or just somewhere in between. From what I can assess the XO-point of your TAD 2402's (congrats) is set around 650Hz, which could be close to ideal with the choice of drivers and horn. At XO at 250Hz might have other advantages, but as a 2-way horn design would be difficult to realize.
Just curious - were the 2401's sitting on the floor? If so, were you aware of the sound source being below ear level? Subjectively, how was the top end extension? Did they seem to have a reasonably wide sweet spot? Did the tonal balance change significantly as you moved off-axis?
Curiously, these were among the core aspects other I sought addressed when I decided for my current speakers. The speakers I used previously, Simon Mears Audio Uccello's (wonderful speakers, despite some caveats), could feel to emit a slightly "low ceiling" presentation due to the way they're physically designed, and moreover one needed to be centered quite precisely in front of them for the sonic image to snap into place. Once there however and sitting fairly low in the seating position, they soared.
My current, actively driven speakers have a higher acoustic center (when seated my ears are level with the point between the upper edge of the top 15" woofer/mid and bottom edge of the 90 x 40° coverage CD MF/HF horn above it), a wider sweet spot, a more uniform dispersion coverage pattern at the cross-over, and only one cross-over point (@ ~790Hz) vs. two with the Uccello's. A smidgen of extension is subjectively sacrificed at the very top end, but it feels cleaner and better resolved - no doubt also due to the active configuration.
The TAD 2401's are most likely fantastic speakers, and I'd probably have them lifted off the ground some 12-15" perhaps.
@dangerisland --
When you realize 2-way is as good as it gets (as you will inevitably do when you become a snotty pants speaker junkie), you know the x-over point needs to be set as far outside the mid-range band as possible, on either end of the spectrum.
There are no doubt different schools and pros/cons on the matter of the preferable cross-over point with a 2-way design. As an outset I would go with a XO-point that has the low frequency driver cover the entire "power region," which puts the XO at somewhere between 650-750Hz - perhaps better so nearer the lower end here rather than the higher ditto, or just somewhere in between. From what I can assess the XO-point of your TAD 2402's (congrats) is set around 650Hz, which could be close to ideal with the choice of drivers and horn. At XO at 250Hz might have other advantages, but as a 2-way horn design would be difficult to realize.