My first experience with the Aural Ersatz TAD-803 single-driver speaker came during a listening session where I was reviewing a well-known brand-name speaker. To my ears the speaker had many strengths but sometimes it seemed just a little coarse and forward in the lower treble area. I needed another speaker reference for a reality check and the one I had on hand that I felt should work well in the 12 x 14 ft listening room was the TAD-803, still sitting in the box downstairs.
So I dragged my 24-inch stands out of the garage and set the 803s up behind and to the insides of the speakers under review. I changed over the speaker wires, cued up my evaluation CD, and sat back to listen.
I must say I was shocked at how smooth and coherent the 803s sounded stone cold out of the box. The detail and clarity were first rate and the highs were sweet and natural, although somewhat reticent in the extreme highs. Likewise the bass was a bit anemic, though taut, compared to the review speakers. I decided to put on some material with wide dynamic swings and heavy bass and let the 803s cook for a few hours.
When I returned for a listen the bass had filled in a bit. I was feeling confident that I was going to like the 803s more overall than the review speakers, so I moved the review pair out of the way and put the 803s in their place.
Changing the location inproved the soundstaging and the bass extension/dynamics.
To make a long story short, to that point I was quite taken by the speakers I was reviewing and was considering purchasing them. After hearing how the 803s have bloomed in my room the review speakers are now back in their box and will be returned to the manufacturer.
The 803s give up a little extension at both of the frequency extremes compared to larger full-range speakers and that is the worst thing I can say about them. In every other way and within their frequency limits (which are actually quite generous for a speaker system this size) the 803s will be difficult for most other speakers to match. At their price, they are a fantastic bargain. In fact, their bass is so tuneful and articulate that I'm not even going to bother with a sub.
That said, I found positioning critical to maximizing this speaker's performance. I had to fudge around quite a bit to find the exact location and toe-in of the speakers in order to get the best bass along with the best immediacy, imaging, and dynamics. Be patient, once you find that magic spot, the work will pay off big time.
I think my reaction is possibly more positive and enthusiastic than the first poster because I did not use a pc-based front end as a source or put the signal through any digital signal processor other than a Monarchy Audio M24 tube DAC. I put the speakers in a dedicated listening room with acoustical treatments and hooked them up to very competent electronics and front-end gear with high-quality audio cables. Or perhaps I was just luckier in extracting a little higher performance from my pair due to somewhat better system synergy and my compulsion to find the optimum speaker positioning.
BTW, the TAD-60 is a great sounding tube amp, but so far I have only listened to the 803s through the Kavent A210 tube-hybrid integrated amp. The Kavent sounds so good with the TAD-803s that I hesitate to change it, but I'm sure I'll try the TAD-60 and other amps at some point.
Regardless, the TAD-803s are like a breath of fresh air. They're a pleasure to listen to and they're staying put for however long it takes me to find something I like better. I have a feeling it could take a while.
Just so you know, I have no affiliation with Paul or Bizzy Bee Audio either -- other than being a satisfied customer. And I have paid the same prices for Paul's gear as any other customer does, although I admit to having taken advantage of Paul's great sales promotions.
So I dragged my 24-inch stands out of the garage and set the 803s up behind and to the insides of the speakers under review. I changed over the speaker wires, cued up my evaluation CD, and sat back to listen.
I must say I was shocked at how smooth and coherent the 803s sounded stone cold out of the box. The detail and clarity were first rate and the highs were sweet and natural, although somewhat reticent in the extreme highs. Likewise the bass was a bit anemic, though taut, compared to the review speakers. I decided to put on some material with wide dynamic swings and heavy bass and let the 803s cook for a few hours.
When I returned for a listen the bass had filled in a bit. I was feeling confident that I was going to like the 803s more overall than the review speakers, so I moved the review pair out of the way and put the 803s in their place.
Changing the location inproved the soundstaging and the bass extension/dynamics.
To make a long story short, to that point I was quite taken by the speakers I was reviewing and was considering purchasing them. After hearing how the 803s have bloomed in my room the review speakers are now back in their box and will be returned to the manufacturer.
The 803s give up a little extension at both of the frequency extremes compared to larger full-range speakers and that is the worst thing I can say about them. In every other way and within their frequency limits (which are actually quite generous for a speaker system this size) the 803s will be difficult for most other speakers to match. At their price, they are a fantastic bargain. In fact, their bass is so tuneful and articulate that I'm not even going to bother with a sub.
That said, I found positioning critical to maximizing this speaker's performance. I had to fudge around quite a bit to find the exact location and toe-in of the speakers in order to get the best bass along with the best immediacy, imaging, and dynamics. Be patient, once you find that magic spot, the work will pay off big time.
I think my reaction is possibly more positive and enthusiastic than the first poster because I did not use a pc-based front end as a source or put the signal through any digital signal processor other than a Monarchy Audio M24 tube DAC. I put the speakers in a dedicated listening room with acoustical treatments and hooked them up to very competent electronics and front-end gear with high-quality audio cables. Or perhaps I was just luckier in extracting a little higher performance from my pair due to somewhat better system synergy and my compulsion to find the optimum speaker positioning.
BTW, the TAD-60 is a great sounding tube amp, but so far I have only listened to the 803s through the Kavent A210 tube-hybrid integrated amp. The Kavent sounds so good with the TAD-803s that I hesitate to change it, but I'm sure I'll try the TAD-60 and other amps at some point.
Regardless, the TAD-803s are like a breath of fresh air. They're a pleasure to listen to and they're staying put for however long it takes me to find something I like better. I have a feeling it could take a while.
Just so you know, I have no affiliation with Paul or Bizzy Bee Audio either -- other than being a satisfied customer. And I have paid the same prices for Paul's gear as any other customer does, although I admit to having taken advantage of Paul's great sales promotions.