[Bill Baker]

and it was 10 more years before I could find italian food that got close to right (my mom came over on the boat, so i'm a bit spoiled).

 My whole family (mother's side) is off the boat as well and I live in one of the largest Italian areas of upstate NY. So as we both know, southerners have know idea of what "real" Italian food is like!!

[hometheaterdoc]

About the TacT, we never really talked price, but can there be that much difference between the 2.0 and the 2.2 that you wouldn't choose the latter, just in case?  Or even the TCS for that matter.

Some pricing for you.  This is all MSRP pricing:

Model                   MSRP
TacT 2.0S DD     $2,690.00
2.0S AD Module    $569.00
2.0S DA Module    $479.00
2.0S AA                    $3,738.00

TacT 2.2X D.DD    $3,990.00
2.2X AD Module    $549.00
2.2X DA Module    $449.00
2.2X A.AA                    $5,437.00

TCSmk2 10 ch.    $9,900.00
TCS ADC6     $2,500.00

M 2150                     $3,490.00
S 2150                     $2,990.00
AD Module    $490.00

I haven't included pricing for the new BOZ products, or the new, upgraded S2150 that will be available soon.

B,

If you are only doing a 2.0 setup and never need to integrate subs, then the 2.0 is definitely the way to go and saves some cash...  the 2.0S is on par and in many cases significantly cheaper than a high end pre.... but it offers room correction as a bonus

If you want to take it for a spin in your system, as I said, just let me know and I'll set it up...  I need to order a few more preamps for my other systems.  I am a complete convert now.  Does anyone know who makes a true sine wave, somewhat audiophile approved DC-AC inverter?  I'm putting one of these Tacts in my truck system with Butler car amps

As I stated on another thread, the price of the TCS MKII isn't cheap... but comparing it with the price of a lexicon or halcro, it's on par and offers individual speaker room correction as a bonus.

As to Italian food, I've only been here ~8 years... and very shortly after arriving I got adopted by a wonderful Italian family.  Their heritage is more sicilian, so it's right up my alley  The mom has taught me how to make the gravy, how to make her meatballs from scratch and how to make her chicken parm from scratch.  We were last working on a pollo francaise recipe that is really really good...mmmmm... I'm hungry now!!

[zybar]

Guys,

As happy as you were with the TacT, you really MUST hear it with Aberdeen's upgraded power supply:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accstwek&1120967134

I just put this in today and WOW!!

Background got midnight black and there is a lot more clarity and dynamics.

I will write something up after it runs for 24-48 hrs, but you will know what I mean 30 seconds into the first song.

I am not affiliated with Abderdeen in any way other than being a happy customer.

George

[ekovalsky]

Guys,

As happy as you were with the TacT, you really MUST hear it with Aberdeen's upgraded power supply:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accstwek&1120967134

I just put this in today and WOW!!

Background got midnight black and there is a lot more clarity and dynamics.

I will write something up after it runs for 24-48 hrs, but you will know what I mean 30 seconds into the first song.

I am not affiliated with Abderdeen in any way other than being a happy customer.

George

I have one on the way too, along with a DAC module for a Crown K2.  Seems that everyone who has tried this PSU is very happy with the results.  Anthony offers money back if not satisfied, so risk in trying it is minimal.

Shane, could you post a screencap of the Ushers measured with the TacT ?  You said these measured incredibly flat and I'd love to see it.  The Dancer is on my very short list for surrounds, the other option being a Salk HT3.

[hometheaterdoc]

Shane, could you post a screencap of the Ushers measured with the TacT ?  You said these measured incredibly flat and I'd love to see it.  The Dancer is on my very short list for surrounds, the other option being a Salk HT3.

I'll be happy to... I need to break out another microphone and  re-measure them.  Hantra borrowed my 2.2X and all the associated goodies to try out in his system.  Since I haven't bothered to save measurements under different projects files, the last measurements were of a pair of Phase Technology PC 3.1 MKII speakers..... not quite the same measurements as the Ushers

I've got the TCS MKII moved back into the main room.  I'll measure in the morning and get something posted for you...  bear with me

[hometheaterdoc]

Shane, could you post a screencap of the Ushers measured with the TacT ?  You said these measured incredibly flat and I'd love to see it.  The Dancer is on my very short list for surrounds, the other option being a Salk HT3.

Grrr...  I got my Tact 2.2X back from an in home demo last night and the last thing I did before putting the VR-4Srs into the main system this evening was to remeasure the Ushers so that I could get you your screen cap.  I even created a seperate project so that I wouldn't lose them (I'm notoriously forgetful and as afraid I would measure the VR-4Srs without thinking and lose the measurements again).... for whatever reason, I locked up the Tact app trying to do a screen grab and now the measurement files are corrupt.... GRR!!  

Give me until tomorrow and I'll move the 8571s back into the main rig and re-measure AGAIN...  The 4Srs are going to go into the second room for a week or two of 24/7 break in on the Stereophile Test CD break in track....  but I'm listening to them this evening ...

I'm terribly sorry for the delay....  the screen cap is coming though....

[ekovalsky]

Take your time.  I'll be posting some of the Alon screen caps soon.  After moving them around some, I'm getting extremely flat in-room response above 200hz.

Using the TACS software I had completely flat measured response in the bass region too, but just switched out the S2150 driving the bass towers for a Crown K2.  Much better !  The K2 must be the ultimate sub amp.

[BrunoB]

Hi everyone,


I missed this meeting and have question for you.

I heard the most realistic and palpable sound with stellar imaging I've ever heard today. I'll let Shane go into the details of the system but it was as perfect as I've ever heard... and musical... enjoyable, etc.  ...

Is the stellar imaging due to the Tact? If yes, I wonder how it can do this magic.

Thanks,

Bruno

[ekovalsky]

Hi everyone,


I missed this meeting and have question for you.

I heard the most realistic and palpable sound with stellar imaging I've ever heard today. I'll let Shane go into the details of the system but it was as perfect as I've ever heard... and musical... enjoyable, etc.  ...

Is the stellar imaging due to the Tact? If yes, I wonder how it can do this magic.

Thanks,

Bruno

Here is one way the TacT improves imaging:

If the room is not perfectly symmetrical, the speakers are not positioned exactly mirror image to each other, or the listening position is not exactly center -- and almost always one or more of these conditions apply -- there will be differences in the frequency response of each channel.  Little dips or bumps (or big dips and bumps for some speakers  ) will vary from one channel to the other at different frequencies.  Because of this, some of the imaging cues are pulled to one side or another at different frequencies which diffuses/blurs the soundstage.

With the TacT correction, the output of both channels will be exactly the same, normalized to the target curve, so all imaging cues are properly balanced from both channels.  The result is imaging the way the recording engineer and mixer intended  

Depending on your speakers, you may or may not want the TacT to "fix" the frequency response bumps and dips it measures.  If you follow one of the stock target curves, you are using room correction.  You can modify the stock curve to follow the natural dips and peaks in loudspeaker response.  This basically bypasses room correction but still normalizes output from the left and channels to a single target, performing what  basically is "imaging correction."

After spending some time with the TacT and Alons, I am using room correction from 200hz down but NOT from 200hz up.  Above 200hz I have drawn the target curve to roughly follow the speakers' natural frequency response.  To my ears this gives the best tonal balance while clarifying the soundstage and fixing the room-induced bass problems.

I had used full correction with a slightly modified stock curve over the 35-20k range (they cut off a little below 35hz) with the VMPS speakers which, at least in my room , benefited greatly from it.

[NealH]

Using the TACS software I had completely flat measured response in the bass region too, but just switched out the S2150 driving the bass towers for a Crown K2. Much better ! The K2 must be the ultimate sub amp.

This surprises me as I would expect the 2150 to be a better bass amp unless it's quantity that is the issue.  So why are you preferring the Crown here?

[zybar]

Using the TACS software I had completely flat measured response in the bass region too, but just switched out the S2150 driving the bass towers for a Crown K2. Much better ! The K2 must be the ultimate sub amp.

This surprises me as I would expect the 2150 to be a better bass amp unless it's quantity that is the issue.  So why are you preferring the Crown here?

First off, the bass towers go below 2 ohms, so the 2150 isn't really the right piece of gear.

Secondly, why do you assume the 2150 would be better?

I own a K2 and it makes a tremendous bass amp.  It has an extremely high dampening factor and really controls the woofers.  

George

[ekovalsky]

Below 50hz at very low impedances, output power and damping factor become a lot more important than ultimate refinement.  At higher impedances I would expect the TacT S2150 to be the better amp at any frequency, but I can't say that I've given the Crown the opportunity to perform as a full range amplifier.  It isn't marketed as an audiophile amp, but it probably would do justice to any speakers with very low impedance or sensitivity.  Owners of classic Apogees and MBLs should give the Crown amps a try, if they want power on the cheap.

The 2150 is a great amp, at least when driven via the digital inputs.  I think the Toccatta / TI modules are at least as good as ICEpower.  But it is only rated down to 4 ohms, and at 1-2 ohms the power output will drop and damping factor is probably in single digits.  The damping factor of the Crown is rated >3000 (likely at 8 ohms) so even at 1-2 ohms it is probably in the 375-750 range.  Plus it will output 1250 watts per channel into two ohms continuously.  No I don't need that much power with sub towers rated at 99dB/2.83v.  But, the overall result is authoritative control over eight paralleled 12" drivers, each with massive magnet structures, that suck huge amounts of current.  And SPLs are unlimited, with over 120dB output available at 20hz if needed/wanted.

Regarding power, extension, speed, and pitch definition -- I have zero misgivings about the K2 & Alon combination.  If driving passive subs is the task at hand, consider the K2 the HAMMER.  It is a bargain at its price and I would expect it to be much, much higher quality over any bandwidth than the ubiquitous plate amps mounted directly into powered subs.  Plus, being external it isn't subject to high amplitude vibrations which surely affect sound quality as well as long term reliability.

The S2150s sound superb on the main channels which have a very kind 7-8 ohm and nearly resistive impedance.  Since adding the K2 freed up one S2150, I now am using two of them to passive biamp the main chanels with good results.  At some point I may pick up a third S2150 (if I can find a black one at a good price on the used market) and then I can try active tri-amping of the mains with DSP crossovers, via TACS software from Dirac.  I'd still use the RCS 2.2X to integrate the subs and mains, a difficult task that it performs extremely well once you master the software and learn how to overcome a few design quirks.  The TacT Audio Users Group on Yahoo has been an exceptional resource for me.

For owners of the RCS 2.2X, you can improve your sound greatly by adding additional delay to the mains (CORR menu, front panel via remote control) using this graph, made by Tony Knight using two RCS 2.2X units together.  The added delay compensates for the longer delay introduced by low pass compared with high pass filters, since the RCS software conveniently ignores this issue.  As you can see, added delays can be quite long at lower frequencies.  Long enough so that if you don't do this, your subs and mains may be well out of phase at the crossover frequency !!!   The graph does assume filters are symmetrical (i.e. equal slope and frequency).

[hometheaterdoc]

the Absolute Sound review is out...

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/154/usher.html

In being completely honest, I have to say that this is the first time I've ever agreed this much with a reviewer.  I usually don't read reviews because, with all due respect, I often am left wondering about the aural capabilities of the person doing the review.  I think Chris and Robert may hear similarly to myself.... scary

Eric,

Thanks for posting the graph.  I need to join the tact groups to learn even more about the products...

your measurements are coming.... I haven't been able to pull the VR-4SRs out of the main room system long enough to do the measurements... it's startling what another 10 hours of break-in did to the 4SRs as far as opening them up...  they sound nothing like the Ushers, but I like both sets of speakers...

[Carlman]

the Absolute Sound review is out...

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/154/usher.html

In being completely honest, I have to say that this is the first time I've ever agreed this much with a reviewer. .....

Wow... I too agree with this review... This comment in particular summed up what I heard and how I felt:

"For me, the Dancer’s most impressive characteristic was its sense of transparency through the midband. There was the distinct impression of a lack of veiling between the musicians and me, which fostered a remarkable sense of tangibility without sounding forward or forced."

Or put even more simply, transparent and musical... a tough combo to achieve in my experience.  Right now I have the music, emotion, and texture I enjoy hearing but with the color that comes from applying that in a 1-2,k speaker design.  Once you get into the 7-8,k range the compromise should really be dwindling...