Its stereo performance was very good for the price. The sounds were not localized at the speaker positions, and image width was impressive. Interestingly, when compared with similarly sized direct-facing speakers, the TC-50 center image, though well focused, seemed quieter—as if…
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It would be a mistake to say that the bass was missing, however; indeed, when the program scoring omitted upper-mid and treble sounds, the bass section sounded quite even and extended; the problem was simply that its level was slightly subdued, overshadowed by the stronger output higher up the frequency range.
Sidebar: 1988 Measurements
Anechoic data were available for the review, providing a foundation on which to base the technical analysis. The LF system resonance was noted at 65Hz, with a -6dB free-field response at 48Hz, indicating a desirably slow, well-damped rolloff. In-room, well sited within the boundaries, the response extended down to 35Hz, provided that excessively loud demonstration levels were not demanded.
Although the speaker is rated at 4 ohms, the impedance curve (fig.1) related to a 6 ohm nominal rating with minima at 4 ohms and above, while the peaks remained…
John Atkinson reviewed the Spica TC-50 in October 1989 (Vol.12 No.10):
"Why does John Atkinson devote so much of his time to loudspeakers selling for under a [sic] $1000?" wrote a correspondent to The Audiophile Network bulletin board in August, there being a clear implication in this question that "more expensive" always equates with "better" when it comes to loudspeakers. While it is true that the best-sounding, most neutral loudspeakers possessing the most extended low-frequency responses are always expensive, in my experience this most definitely does not mean that there is an…
A boost above 8kHz or so will not be perceived as "brightness" per se, but adds a lispiness to sibilants and almost a whistle to recorded hiss that makes the TC-50 sound very thin. If you were to walk into a room where a pair were playing and listen standing up, as you might at a show, you would come away with a very poor idea of the speaker's true tonal balance. I am sure that it was this off-axis emphasis of the high treble that led the venerable J. Gordon Holt (in whose ears we trust) to characterize the TC-50s as having rather a "cold," analytical balance (footnote 2). Even on the…
Sidebar 1: 1989 Review context
With small speakers, the first and most important consideration is what stands to use. Often treated as an afterthought, a good pair of stands is fundamental to getting optimum performance from even inexpensive loudspeakers. With my listening chairs placing my ears 36" from the ground, 24"-high stands were appropriate to use with both the Celestions and the Spicas (Spica actually makes a point of recommending Chicago Speaker Stands Hercules stands), but I used a $300 pair of Celestion SLSi models which were handy (footnote 1). These are single-pillar…
Sidebar 2: 1989 Measurements
Fig.1 shows the way in which the TC-50's impedance changes in amplitude (solid line) and phase (dotted line) from 10Hz to 50kHz. [Note that the phase scale is the opposite way around from what the magazine adopted in 1991, with negative (capacitive) angles at the top.—Ed.] Although its magnitude drops to a hair under 4 ohms in the low bass, lower midband, and mid-treble, the speaker shouldn't present any drive problems. It would be unwise, however, to connect more than one pair in parallel with a typical low-powered receiver. The single LF resonant peak due…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.5" pulp-cone woofer. Low-frequency alignment: sealed-box with Q=0.78. Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Crossover: high-pass slope, approximately first-order, 6dB/octave; low-pass slope, fourth-order, 24dB/octave, Bessel; both drivers connected with the same polarity. Frequency response: 60Hz-17kHz -3dB. Sensitivity: 84dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3.6 ohms minimum at 4kHz). Amplifier requirements: 25-100W. Maximum power handling: 50W continuous, 100W peak.
Dimensions: 15.5" (…
Nirvana Audio's cables have long been fixtures in my audio system: first the SL interconnects and speaker cables, and, after their debut in 1998, the S-X Ltd. interconnect. In 2002, after a long development process, designer Stephen Creamer introduced the companion S-X Ltd. speaker cable ($2780/2.5m pair, add $50/pair for biwire configuration). He explored a wide range of options, including dramatically different structures and materials, but always returned to the elements he'd used before—and ended up with a design that combined elements of his two existing speaker cables, the SL and the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single or biwired loudspeaker cable.
Price: $2780/2.5m pair, add $50/pair for biwire configuration. Approximate number of dealers: 18. Warranty: limited, lifetime, transferable.
Manufacturer: Nirvana Audio, P.O. Box 448, Lynbrook, NY 11563. Tel: (516) 593-4700. Fax: (516) 593-1997. Web: www.nirvanaaudio.com.
Sidebar 2: Associated Components
Analog Source: VPI HR-X turntable & tonearm, Lyra Titan cartridge.
Digital Source: Burmester 001 CD player.
Preamplification: Ensemble Fonobrio phono, Sutherland PhD phono stages; Placette Remote Volume Control; VTL TL-7.5, Burmester 011 preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: Simaudio Moon Rock, VTL S-400.
Loudspeakers: Thiel CS6.
Cables: Interconnect: Nordost Valhalla, Audience Au24, Silversmith Silver, Nirvana S-X Ltd. Speaker: Nirvana SL. AC: Audience PowerChord, Synergistic Research Designers' Reference.
Accessories: Finite Elemente…