Looking For My End Game Loudspeakers - Stenheim Reference Ultime Two vs. AudioNec EVO3 Signature
- Thread starter dcc
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Stenheim is much superior to TAD. Highly inefficient speaker one of the slowest moving, and really requires those awful amps from TAD to work
I’m sure that the Stenheim Ref U2 are amazing speakers, I never had the opportunity to compare it to the TAD R1tx and I let you the conclusion of their superiority if you did the listening test.
I can relate to the inefficiency @90dB and the needs for powerful amps to drive the R1tx even the “awful” TAD power amps but regarding the “one of the slowest moving” I’m not sure that I understand the rationale of this statement… Are you speaking about their beryllium diaphragm? Can you elaborate?
the woofers move slowly. Overall music seems to not flow, and symphonies and chamber music do not flow and sound struggling to move. tone for acoustic music is poor. Have heard the big TAD, the smaller floorstanders, and the stand amount they all have that issue. Have heard with TAD, Gryphon Mephisto, Luxman m900u single and biamped.
I can understand your conclusion if this is what you heard. From my side I have moved from Wilson Audio (WP8 / Alexia) to TAD being impressed by their clarity, dynamics and tonality. I guess that finding a sound that allows us to connect with the emotion of the original performance is the key of our hobby
Wow, very many congratulations Sir for your new purchase. I was seriously considering the Ultime Ref 2 as my long term speakers as well when I was looking for a new pair last year after using the magico q5 for 10 years plus. They are actually in my top 3 contenders by that time and unfortunately, I didn't have the privilege like yourself to get them demoed in my room before making the decision.
I'm still hopeful that one day that I'll have a chance to get those big stenheim here and compare them side by side with my current speakers to see which ones work better in my room and make a final call. It'd be very tricky though because the Sigma Maat Vector Xac is 340kg per side, net, so moving them around on my thick carpets would need 4-5 people to do the job while the Ultime Ref 2 come close in size and weights.
Anyway, congratulations once more for your great decision. Even during show conditions, I was never disappointed by any of the Stenheim models regardless of electronics (mostly Dartzeel) and the rooms they were in. You've got a stellar pair of speakers to enjoy many years to come Sir, well done!
I'm still hopeful that one day that I'll have a chance to get those big stenheim here and compare them side by side with my current speakers to see which ones work better in my room and make a final call. It'd be very tricky though because the Sigma Maat Vector Xac is 340kg per side, net, so moving them around on my thick carpets would need 4-5 people to do the job while the Ultime Ref 2 come close in size and weights.
Anyway, congratulations once more for your great decision. Even during show conditions, I was never disappointed by any of the Stenheim models regardless of electronics (mostly Dartzeel) and the rooms they were in. You've got a stellar pair of speakers to enjoy many years to come Sir, well done!
[please forgive my poor English]
I have been lucky to recently hear Stenheim Reference Ultime 2 (without the X base) and TAD Reference One TX, on two different audio shows in Brussels, in nice respective and very different setups:
- 15th of October 2023: Stenheim Reference Ultime 2 (€187K), bi-amped by a pair of darTZeel NHB-108 MK2 stereo power amps, and NHB-18NS preamplifier. Source: vinyl only, mainly original records, played by the Yuki Seimitsu AP-01 turntable. No digital.
- 11th & 12th of November 2023: TAD Reference One TX (€149K), powered by a pair of brand new Krell i800 monoblocks (Europe's premiere), class A, 800W pc, iBias. Digital source: Aqua (also used as preamp I think); no turntable.
Both sounded gobsmacking, but in a different way. Moreover, not a single common medium, or title, were at our disposal for comparison (Stenheims 100% vinyl vs TAD 100% digital; not a single identical track could be played on both).
Maybe the TAD + Krell pair was a little more "apollinian", poised, full-bodied, "monitoring" (but nicely textured, and definitely not bland or boring; I felt the tonality was right, but admittedly, I had to insist with the exhibitor to be allowed to hear one classical music piece, piano; it sounded great). Great dynamics (the Krell monoblocks...), if not the quickest, the "snappiest" indeed (it did not sounded subjectively "slow" though; just not as fast as the Stenheims). Extremely coherent stereo image. Could instantly switch from one sonic universe to the other.
The easiest fail that mismatched or poorly partnered equipment will deliver, is probably boredom due to a bland rendition. A significant "effort" has to be done to bring them to life, imho.
Maybe the Stenheim + darTZeel pair was a little more "dionysian": snappy, fast, but by no means lightweight, unbalanced or shouty (though on some original vinyls...). On the contrary: very well textured and full-bodied too; the tonality is very good, at least for a listener who is exposed to live, unamplified music. Just that I have been a bit unsettled by some vinyls chosen by the exhibitor. Extremely coherent and precise stereo image too.
Sounded "live" in an exhilarating way (for a cone-based speaker), especially for those who attend acoustic music concerts (= unamplified, AND dynamically uncompressed music)*. Could instantly switch from one sonic universe to the other, too.
The easiest fail that mismatched or poorly partnered equipment will deliver, is probably fatigue if the latter fails to convey the body and balance that the speakers are naturally endowed with (the Stens don't just do speed; it's actually the rightness of their tonality which grabbed my attention, 6 years ago). A significant "effort"/precaution has to be taken to "guide" their expressiveness, imho (and, spot on or not, they can play very loud anyway; be careful with your neighbors, if any).
*(I'm just back home after some Bach cantata's from the Weinachtsoratorio -Christmas oratorio-, conducted tonight by Masaaki Suzuki: even just the timpani and 2 trumpets already set the bar very high for home speakers...)
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The Stenheim Reference Ultime 2 loudspeakers that were demoed on the 15th of October did not include the X base and they were actually bi-amped by a pair of darTZeel NHB-108 MK2 stereo power amps. AMS had loaned their pair of NHB-468 to Audionec for demoing the EVO3 Signature.
It would be cool for you to hear TAD driven by CH Precision electronics. I'm not hearing any of the issues you are describing. That said, I do plan to challenge them with other speakers, and the Stenheim Ultime 2's are on my list. (I run the Alumine 2 SE's in my living room system.)
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