Classic Audio T1 and T3 field coil loudspeakers


Has anyone had the opportunity to listen to the latest versions of the Classic Audio T1 or T3 loudspeakers? The latest versions offer optional field coil woofer, midrange, and tweeter. I know they were on demo at the RMAF, but I was not present. Any opinions would be welcome. Thanks,
lewm

Showing 3 responses by atmasphere

From https://www.avshowrooms.com/florida-audio-expo-2020-awards-show-report.html

Classic Audio, Purist Audio Design: John Wolff gives us a room walk-around naming the components including the Classic Audio T3 loudspeakers. Also, something new from Purist Audio Design, Jim Aud talks about the Corvus Diamond A/C chord connected to the preamplifier and the Corvus Diamond balanced cable for the reel to reel. We debuted “Killing me Softly” from Anne Bisson’s latest album “Keys to my Heart” on LP. The system delivered a huge soundstage with detailed and delicate vocals along with excellent tone. No shout, whatsoever. Amplification by Atma-Sphere.

The Hartsfield is very nice but lacks the bottom octave that you have with the T3 and T1, although the Classic Audio Loudspeakers version of the Hartsfield its making considerably deeper and better bass than the originals! Its the usual trade- more efficiency, less bass. To really hear what the Hartsfield does it should be placed in a corner.
Jtimothya, I have T-3s at home. The T-3 as an all-alnico unit is $15,500. You can add the field-coil drivers as options. The midrange is the most important (that's what I have right now- next step is the super tweeters), that puts the cost at $18,000/pair. To add the tweeter makes it $21,000 and finally with the field coil woofers $28,500/pair.

The T-3 uses the same drivers and crossovers as the T-1 and has similar cabinet volume. It differs in being narrower and taller, on account of its use of a JBL horn which is not as wide as the one on the T-1. That is why I have the T-3 at home- the wider dimension of the T-1 would not have worked in my space. In sound and measurement the two horns using the same driver seem to behave nearly the same.

The speaker is easy to set up in smaller rooms as long as you can have a listening chair at least 8-10' from the speaker- they aren't so great near-field. We've set them up in some smaller hotel rooms with good success- you can back them up against the wall (mine are 6 inches from the rear wall) without loss of air or soundstage effect.

You could set them up easily in a room that was only 10 feet wide as long as you could get at least that far from them. If you have your listening chair against the rear wall there would probably be too much deep bass reinforcement, so for a 10 foot wide room one would hope that it was at least 13-17 feet in length. Of course big rooms are easy and the speaker is so easy to drive that a 50 foot long room could be filled with ease.