[davidross]

Has anyone been able to audition the Ref 3A monitors (de Capo, Dulcet) together with ProAc's monitors (any Tablette or Response 1S or SC) or the Merlin TSM? If so, I'd love to know your impressions.

[prelude2hifi]

I'll give this a go. These are just my experiences so others may vary obviously depending on taste and gear. I'll talk in a general sense because I've either demo'd the gear or owned them with different components running them at any given time.

DCi  - made me a believer, so much that I'll always have some model of 3A throughout this hobby. Excellent with instruments and vocals. When people say lack of listening fatigue, they were right. I could play music for hours and really enjoy it. I found positioning was very difficult but when you hit the mark, it's bliss. I've yet to run it with tubes but from what I hear, it's supposed to be that much better. Overall, a big and loud presentation with control to match.

Dulcets - I passed by these at last year's montreal show and again, really amazing musicality. I found the flow of music was much easier than the little ProAcs (less efficient).

1SC - this is what got me into this hobby. I'm a huge fan of ProAc (1.5, 2.5,etc..). It's remarkable what these small boxes can do. Of all the models, the 1SCs are my favourite. I've heard them in big (23x14) and small (10x10)rooms and they sound great. Very accurate and tight in bass but it won't shake any walls. I found the more wattage you gave them, the better they performed. Some say tubes are the way to go. That's cool too.

Tablette 50 Sig - compared to 1SCs, these couldn't keep up. There's still that wonderful proac sound but it was outmatched in all aspects. Again, just IMO.

Merlin TSM - spent only a little time with these so I can't say too much other than they were pretty nice. I think I'm biased after listening to the 3As. I'm also not crazy about the design or appearance of it. I know it shouldn't matter but it does.

Hope this helps.

[davidross]

Thank you very much, that helps a lot. I recently became a Ref 3A convert myself and like you have been a long time fan of the 1SC.

[dspringham]

Hello prelude2hifi

As per your quote regarding the de Capo "I found positioning was very difficult but when you hit the mark, it's bliss."

As I own de Capo-i's as well, based on your experience do you have any setup tips or recommendations you might share to maximize the performance of these excellent speakers.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[prelude2hifi]

Cheers David. Sorry that it took a while before I responded but I needed a bit of time to critically listen (running through all of my cds) to the 3As before I wrote anything. I'm a relative newbie to this hobby compared to some who have been doing this for 3 or 4 decades but the period of time I've spent comparing gear has been intense (feels like decades). Whenever I get a chance to hit the local audioshops or shows, I make an effort.

Dspringham:
In response to positioning the speakers, I actually prefer to have more space without a backwall to let the music travel rather than bouncing off of it. Having said that, given my 11' x 13' dimensions and a pretty odd layout (free space in the back, it’s hard to explain so I won’t try), I found that no toe-in worked best, 30" from backwall, 20" from sidewalls with about 7-8feet seating away from the speakers. I have them on 24" 4-pillar stands with sand/lead shot and seated slightly at woofer level. As frustrated as I was in playing around with the placement, I found it amazing how much of a difference it made. This also applied to the 50 Sigs and 1SCs.

Happy listening!

[WEEZ]

davidross,

the (3) brands you mention sound nothing alike...what are you driving them with?

WEEZ

[davidross]

Weez, when I posted this question, I was planning to use a medium powered (40 watts) push-pull tube integrated. My current plan, a 300B SET amp (8-10 watts), is probably only well-suited to the de Capo but I'm still very interested in hearing your impression of the differences between these ProAc, Ref 3A, and Merlin monitors. I've still not been able to hear them all under similar listening conditions.

[WEEZ]

you have a PM..

[prelude2hifi]

Weez,

Can you elaborate your experiences as I'm sure others would appreciate different views.

thanks,
Prelude

[mattybumpkin]

I own the Merlins with  p/p triode 50 watt tube monos, beautiful sound.  never heard the others.

[TomS]

I have the Merlin TSM-MX's in my HT, but unfortunately haven't heard the others either.  I keep trying to move them out because they're just too good for HT duty, but my family loves them due to the pristine clarity of dialog on them.  They're very easy to drive, and extract real music from modest components (I'm using Arcam separates).  Fed with the best sources, they also hold their own quite well.  Phenomenal imaging as you might expect from small 2-ways.  Bobby at Merlin often drives them with an SET amp as well as the little ARS EL34 integrated he imports from Spain.

I'm not sure what you don't like about the design or appearance, understanding that's totally personal taste.   Maybe you're talking about the standard studio type finish, but to the last person, everyone who sees my gloss Ruby Red TSM's wants a pair for themselves, spouses included.  They're simply gorgeous to look at and superbly constructed.  They exude quality and sound the part too.

[prelude2hifi]

Thanks both for your comments.

Toms: To clarify, I thought they were nice sounding speakers for the limited time I spent with them and yeah, it was just personal taste on aesthetics. I'm certain it's the same way for some people on the 3As.

[WEEZ]

prelude2hifi,

I PM'd davidross with my comments. This is a Ref 3a forum, and I don't like to comment on the competition here.....

WEEZ

[TomS]

WEEZ - You're so right, so sorry about that, I should have checked which circle first - duh.  My apologies.  Moderators feel free to kill or move my comment.

Tom

[panderso]

There is a system review in the current issue of Hi Fi + (Issue #48) that features the Proac Signature 8s
and the Dulcets partnered with Ayre electronics. Might be of interest...

cheers,
           -paul-