Uncovered a older set of speakers that are real gems (T+A Criterion 160)

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Freo-1


A few years ago, I came across a rather unique set of speakers that were very intriguing for sale.  The price was right, so I bought them, and had them stored away until I could move into a home that allowed me to take advantage of their attributes.   I reckon their size likely scared off potential buyers, as they are rather large tower speakers.   They need to be in a larger room to take advantage of the design. 


So, that time has finally arrived, and was able to set them up with my equipment. I wasn't sure how they would sound, but I figured that if they didn't work out, it was worth giving these speakers a try.   I've always liked big tower speakers, as I owned Legacy Signature III's for a long time before moving on.  Not having to deal with subwoofers is a positive if one can make it work.


I tried looking up the information online regarding these speakers, and found very little data available.  From what I could gather, they were made in the late 80's through the mid to late 90's?  They are a combination of a transmission line and bass reflex design, with 2 10 inch drivers.  The speakers provide a very deep and powerful bass delivery, so there is no need for subwoofers.  The midrange and tweeter are a D'Appoltio configuration, with the midrange drivers from Dynaudio, and the tweeter from vifa.  They are rated at 4 ohms, and seem to be efficient (90 db/w or slightly higher).  They weight around 120 pounds each.  They were not sold in the USA, so the speakers were shipped from Europe.  It's rare to find them in North America. 


So, how do they sound?  In a word, GREAT!  I was shocked when set them up listened to them.  I am using a Mcintosh D150 preamp, and a MC152 power amp.  The speakers easily fill the room with sound that easily approaches what one experiences with live music of most types with not a hint of congestion.  The bass from the speakers is first rate.  Listening to a jazz ensemble or symphonic music, one can easily hear the variations within the lower registers very distinctly.  These speakers reveal information that other speakers I've owned or heard in other systems did not in the lower bass registers.  It's amazing how much fuller and more lifelike the overall sound from a recording can be when the speakers can reproduce bass in the manner such as these speakers provide.
The midrange is slightly on the lush side absolute neutrality, which really draws the listener into the music.  Vocals are among the best I've heard from speakers in a long time.  With some recordings, if one closes their eyes and just listens, it's not hard to get the illusion that the vocalist is in the same space as you.  Instruments are presented with a great presence region.  Be it horns, strings, or woodwinds, the speakers deliver musical bliss in spades.
The treble region also is most extraordinary.  What few reviews/inputs I could find on these speakers suggest that the vifa tweeter is what makes the speakers sound so good.  The treble is very clean, detailed, and has excellent dispersion.
The speakers have a wide and deep soundstage. With a high quality recording, the soundstage fills the room with excellent placement of the various instruments.


The Mcintosh combination seems to be a excellent match with these speakers.  Together, the system should provide many years of musical enjoyment.  Looks like I'll be selling a pair of monitors and subwoofer, as these speakers will replace them. 


In summary, these speakers were an excellent find.  They may be a bit dated, but they more than hold their own against current offerings.



Letitroll98

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From an expired Agon listing:

T+A (Theory + Application) Elektroakustik Criterion TMR 160

Specifications: Model: Criterion TMR 160 Model Manufactured: Mid to late 1980's Color: Black Oak Type: 4-Way Transmission Line Woofer: 2 x 260mm (Extremely Long Throw Coils) Low-Midrange: 160mm Midrange: 38mm Dome Tweeter: 19mm Dome (Vifa) Efficiency: 90db/1m Frequency Response: 18 - 3500 Hz Transition Areas: 300/2500/8000 Hz Impedance: 5 Ohms

This is a Four way true Transmission Line speaker. Very efficient at 90db, the sound is incredible. The highs are detailed and open thanks to the highly regarded Vifa D20TD-6 Tweeter, the bass is tight, dynamic and powerful. No need for a subwoofer.

Another old review from a shop selling them had almost the exact same description as yours, sounds like you got a steal.

Freo-1


Thanks, I believe these were a steal.   8)


It's always a good sign that the system is doing things right when one goes back and pulls out old recordings and hears new/improved sound while enjoying listening.  Spent several hours the last couple of days getting re-acquainted with some old favorites. 


The next thing to try with these speakers is to connect a tube setup to evaluate.  Given the efficiency, the tube gear should sound great as well. 

Freo-1

I was able to try out a tube playback system with these speakers.  The system consisted of the following:


1) Oppo BDP 105 Source
2) Thomas Mayer clone 6AH4 pre-amp
3) Quad 1625 (12V 807) mono-block amps (110 watts @ 4 ohms)


As good as the McIntosh gear sounds with these speakers, the tube gear was even slightly more enjoyable playing music.  The bass registers were surprisingly pretty tight with the tube gear, not much noticeable difference between tube and SS bass with these speakers.  Where the differences become more noticeable is the mid-range and treble regions.  The presence region is more pronounced with the tube gear, which adds to a sense of realism to the playback.  Vocals, strings, brass, and woodwinds all seem a bit more lifelike.  The sound-stage moves a bit forward, and has additional depth and width.  The treble is extremely clean, with no hint of harshness. 


Overall, the speakers work great with both tube and SS gear.  For dedicated listening, will likely use tubes, and SS for normal regular use.


Very fortunate to have found this pair of speakers. 

Freo-1

Decided to post an update on this:


Did a little more digging on the background of the speakers, and found out they were made in the mid to late 90's.  T+A still has drivers available for them should the need arise.


Now for the other update:  Decided to move the Devialet 400's into the main area and see how they did with the speakers.  As soon as I heard music coming from the speakers, I knew this was the right move.  As good as the Mac gear sounds with the speakers, the Devialet is at another level.  The sound stage gained a bit of depth, width, and height.  The low level detail was more noticeable, as more instruments could be heard clearly over the Mac setup.  Vocals are downright spooky in some cases.  Watching/Listening to the Berlin Philharmonic 25 years box set, the singer felt as if she was standing on the stage in front of the listening position.  The bass lost a bit of warmth compared to the Mac, but the bass gained tightness and bit more realism. 


Classical music is where the Devialet excels with the Criterion speakers.  If one closes their eyes and just listens, it's not hard to imagine that you are actually in a concert hall, middle center seating. 


I did not expect this level of improvement when I tried this.  I had thought it would be closer to the Mac sound.  That was not the case with these speakers. 


This is in no way a slight on the Mac setup.  The Mac gear is an excellent sounding playback setup.  I wound up moving the Mac gear into the dedicated listening room, where it is connected to a pair of Dynaudio Focus 360's.   The Mac gear sounds just fine with the Focus 360's.