T1 Review

[craigl59]

Have been reading the posts about the new T1s with interest because they have been wending their way from TN to me this last week. The mixed information had me somewhat worried.

My set just arrived and, in a word, they sound superb.

This is the sound chain: HP Computer running JRiver 22 to a RME UCX converter with balanced cables to two Emotiva XPA1L monoblocks then to the T1s.

Have a studio in this same place and have been refining my setups with REW and ApQualizr. Using these tools you can check for the frequency response of speakers in their room and then adjust the EQ pliugin yo create a flat line response. Am doing this with a Stealth 8 setup and the result is stunningly accurate.

SO...it was easy to do the same REW checks on the new T1s and they are nicely flat above 1K. Lower frequencies are heavily room dependent and for this reason I am not posting results (yet). The first set of REW graphs suggests the crossovers are doing just what they should.

But the bottom line is that these can be EQ'd close to flat line in my great room. Have only just begun to listen to my favorite high end sources: Nickel Creek, Natalie Merchant, the Punch Brothers and my own studio takes. The AMT high end is familiar to me through Stealth monitors (8s and 6s) and it is accurate with no fatigue.

Again, am surprised at the earlier posts about this product. To me, it is the same high end quality Emotiva is known for -- at a very low price. Here is my disclaimer: I have no relations at all with the company and my sole contact with them is to purchase their gear and to ask Keith technical questions -- about which he has been very  helpful.

Suggest you listen to these speakers. Have the C1 and E1 set as well and will be adding these to a 5.1 setup in September. Will be using a Hsu research subwoofer and expect a controlled, flat line response from 15 to 25k.

[Axis]

Great first post Craig. You are going to be popular here !

A lot of great gear mentioned and you sound like you know your stuff.

Cheers

Mike

[paintedklown]

Aug 26, 2016 20:49:22 GMT -5 craigl59 said:

Have been reading the posts about the new T1s with interest because they have been wending their way from TN to me this last week. The mixed information had me somewhat worried.

My set just arrived and, in a word, they sound superb.

This is the sound chain: HP Computer running JRiver 22 to a RME UCX converter with balanced cables to two Emotiva XPA1L monoblocks then to the T1s.

Have a studio in this same place and have been refining my setups with REW and ApQualizr. Using these tools you can check for the frequency response of speakers in their room and then adjust the EQ pliugin yo create a flat line response. Am doing this with a Stealth 8 setup and the result is stunningly accurate.

SO...it was easy to do the same REW checks on the new T1s and they are nicely flat above 1K. Lower frequencies are heavily room dependent and for this reason I am not posting results (yet). The first set of REW graphs suggests the crossovers are doing just what they should.

But the bottom line is that these can be EQ'd close to flat line in my great room. Have only just begun to listen to my favorite high end sources: Nickel Creek, Natalie Merchant, the Punch Brothers and my own studio takes. The AMT high end is familiar to me through Stealth monitors (8s and 6s) and it is accurate with no fatigue.

Again, am surprised at the earlier posts about this product. To me, it is the same high end quality Emotiva is known for -- at a very low price. Here is my disclaimer: I have no relations at all with the company and my sole contact with them is to purchase their gear and to ask Keith technical questions -- about which he has been very  helpful.

Suggest you listen to these speakers. Have the C1 and E1 set as well and will be adding these to a 5.1 setup in September. Will be using a Hsu research subwoofer and expect a controlled, flat line response from 15 to 25k.

First of all, welcome to the lounge and congrats on the new speakers.

Thanks for the impressions!

Please keep us updated on your thoughts as you live with them and continue to listen. I have these on my "short list" of speakers to look at when it comes time to upgrade.

[craigl59]

Have now been able to run the T1s through a number of preamp and setup options and here are the results.
The RME UCX converter was tested in two versions: 1) clean, out of the box, and 2) with custom EQ by REW and ApQualizr as a plugin in JRiver. Secondly, a UMC-200 (=Emotiva) preamp was compared 1) in its flat mode and 2) with the EMO-Q option (using Emotiva's mic setup).
The pieces previewed were "Tarnation" from the Thile/Meyer album "Bass and Mandolin" for bass and treble response, "Over the Edge" by Sarah Jarosz for vocal presence and plucked string qualities and "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele 21 for vocal, attacks, and mix separation.
In general, both of the RME options sounded clearer, tighter, and had significantly more timbral accuracy. The clean RME version sounded the best for openness and bass volume and did not suffer from any boominess -- even though the room is fairly live. The EQ'd RME version was incredibly accurate for timbral accuracy and Meyer's double bass sounded the best of all versions in that you could hear the string attacks changing the bass's timbre. Overall, this EQ'd version is the one I preferred the most although many listeners would, I suspect, find it lacking in bass volume, or, too dry.
Both of the UMC 200 options, by comparison, lacked some presence and detail. The UMC200 Flat version was noticeably "boomy" and this would explain some of the comments made by others concerning the T1's bass response. This version was clearly the least attractive of the four. The EMO-Q version, by contrast, removed most of the boominess AND sounded to my ears the best for vocal presence, location, and soundstage. Would suggest that for general pop listening, this is the best of the four tested options.
Since the T1s are so responsive to these preamp options, it is clear that 1) their sound is dependent upon the associated sound chain and room acoustics and 2) they have the capability of sounding as good as high end equipment. One of the earlier posts suggested these were startup speakers for a first-time buyer. My experience (and the above description) suggests otherwise.
Am moving on to other projects but will answer any questions supplied in the next couple of days.

[Deleted]

In my experience, the T1s have a natural bass character (tight and impactful, musical, and extended, not 'dry') but do benefit from 1-2 feet of distance between the speaker and the back wall. Insufficient distance between the speaker and the back wall could cause the bass character to change from what was intended, since the back wall acts as an acoustic boundary that can lift the LF response of the speaker. I have never noticed 'boomy' or over-blown bass from the T1s in any of our listening environments, though our smallest room does produce some lift. When I brought the speakers home to audition in my own living room, their bass quantity and character was 'just right'. But all of our setups do provide 1-2 feet of clearance between the speaker and the back wall. If you don't have any flexibility in placing the speakers, then equalization can usually take care of things in the bass range.

[jmasterj]

Thanks for the feedback.

[cohibajoe]

I have there outside speakers and Really Nice sound. Would like to hear of what other's say about these.

My current setup is Vandersteen 2C and Monitor Audio Silver RS6. I would like a review from Stereophile, Audioholics.

[khurram]

Aug 31, 2016 17:12:39 GMT -5 cohibajoe said:

I have there outside speakers and Really Nice sound. Would like to hear of what other's say about these.

My current setup is Vandersteen 2C and Monitor Audio Silver RS6. I would like a review from Stereophile, Audioholics.

Yes, it would be nice to see a review from professional publications. Us home users lack the necessary equipment to bring the true potential of speakers out.

[miata57]

Finally got my T1 speakers and just started to listen to them. It is a real change for me because I am changing from MMG's. I will write a review later this evening.
What would the brealk in time be for these speakers?

Thx
Howie

[khurram]

Sept 6, 2016 9:51:37 GMT -5 miata57 said:

Finally got my T1 speakers and just started to listen to them. It is a real change for me because I am changing from MMG's. I will write a review later this evening.
What would the brealk in time be for these speakers?

Thx
Howie

Give about a 100 hours of break in. I haven't been able to sit down and listen to mine property since I got them.

[mercury]

miata57., congrats on your new speakers! Looking forward to your review of the T1 and your observation/comparison from the MMG's.

[miata57]

Short T1 Review
Fit and finish is excellent although I would have preferred a wood finish.
Not surprisingly, there is a big difference between the MMG’s and the T1's.
I am still getting use to the “box” sound of the T1’s but in a good way.
Nice soundstage and superb clarity. With the MMG’s, I sometimes had problems
hearing all the vocals properly. With the T1’s they just jump right out into the room.
Perhaps it is because the T1’s are most efficient. I do find the highs a little harsh, especially at high volumes. Maybe things will smooth out over time?
For the price I think they are a steal. I live in Canada so they cost me over $1000 but even so I feel I got a bargain.

I still love the MMG’s but the T1’s have now taken their place, with no regrets.
Howie

[craigl59]

Sept 6, 2016 13:04:43 GMT -5 miata57 said:

Short T1 Review
Fit and finish is excellent although I would have preferred a wood finish.
Not surprisingly, there is a big difference between the MMG’s and the T1's.
I am still getting use to the “box” sound of the T1’s but in a good way.
Nice soundstage and superb clarity. With the MMG’s, I sometimes had problems
hearing all the vocals properly. With the T1’s they just jump right out into the room.
Perhaps it is because the T1’s are most efficient. I do find the highs a little harsh, especially at high volumes. Maybe things will smooth out over time?
For the price I think they are a steal. I live in Canada so they cost me over $1000 but even so I feel I got a bargain.

I still love the MMG’s but the T1’s have now taken their place, with no regrets.
Howie

Howie:
My set of T1s opened up after the 4th day and there was a substantial difference. In my case, it happened "all at once" and the sound was markedly more open and full. I, too, am replacing MMGs with them and will be installing them in a 5.1 system later this month; until now have been using them in a stereo configuration. Never found the highs harsh myself but am used to AMTs.

Be careful with the finish; the cabinets do not respond well to dings and dogs.

[miata57]

Thanks craig59 for you reply. I am still playing around with speaker placement. At the moment they are around 7 feet apart and 20" from the rear wall and 26" from side walls.
Lots of fun looking for the best placement. Thanks for the heads up about the finish. No dogs here just 2 cats (which luckily left my MMG's alone)
Sure am enjoying the T1's
Howie

[craigl59]

Sept 6, 2016 14:06:54 GMT -5 miata57 said:

Thanks craig59 for you reply. I am still playing around with speaker placement. At the moment they are around 7 feet apart and 20" from the rear wall and 26" from side walls.
Lots of fun looking for the best placement. Thanks for the heads up about the finish. No dogs here just 2 cats (which luckily left my MMG's alone)
Sure am enjoying the T1's
Howie

The same, Howie.

I too have enjoyed the T1s and like, especially, the accurate timbres it presents and the clean and tight way in which all instruments are shown. Tried adding a Hsu research sub (12 inch) to the pair to flesh out the bottom octaves. At a crossover of 80 hz, it caused problems with stereo imaging. Tried it at 60 and 40 hz and finally decided I liked the overall sound of music alone without it. Am boosting the lower region from 30 to 50hz and finding there is plenty of bass from the 2 six inch speakers. Suspect if you were mainly were interested in movies, the sub would be preferred.

Would be interested in your comparison of the soundstages produced by the MMGs and the T1s. Have never felt my MMGs were ideal in presenting instruments and voices in their mixed positions even though I have used them in conjunction with the Magnepan center channel (a forgettable device). By contrast, a pair of new and well adjusted Bose 901s I use in one room are superb in opening up a wide and accurate soundstage that presents each voice in 3D realism -- this is, of course, their claim to fame. Although the overall sound is very pleasant to listen to, it suffers from a lack of tightness and tonal accuracy.

By contrast, the T1s are much more accurate speakers and do a great job of what I would term "timbral independence" -- each instrument sits in a specific place and can be heard solidly by itself without interference from other voices. This quality is hard to achieve. I had the T1s setup about 8.5 feet apart and some 20 inches from the back walls. This position was not bad, but not great for creating accurate soundstage positioning.

Let me know if you find a great alignment. Your setup seems to have both of the T1s equidistant from the back and side walls; this is better than my first setup that had one speaker by a wall corner and the other unimpeded. The wall corner will, of course, boost your bass response artificially. REW and a good measurement mic will tell you how much.

[miata57]

Well, I totally agree with everything you posted. My MMGs were not ideal at positioning voice and instruments well. I do have to say, there is something about the MMGs that I miss when listening to the T1s. The T1s can sound a bit harsh with my favorite vinyl and cds at high volumes, esp vocals. It could be my room acoustics or me getting used to the folded ribbon tweeter. When I switched back to the MMGs, I noticed a lack of clean, precise instrument location and the music did tend to sound a little bit muddy. Still there is a warmth from the MMGs that I miss. Overall however, there is not doubt that the T1 is doing a better job at playing my music accurately with an awesome soundstage. I do not have a great sub (NHT) but I have been trying different setting and for the moment seem happy with 50-70 hz crossover. I will be interested to how they sound with no sub.
I have not bi-wired the T1s. I keep reading there is no benefit, but I will still give it a try and let my ears decide.

[adaboy]

Sept 10, 2016 11:39:21 GMT -5 miata57 said:

Well, I totally agree with everything you posted. My MMGs were not ideal at positioning voice and instruments well. I do have to say, there is something about the MMGs that I miss when listening to the T1s. The T1s can sound a bit harsh with my favorite vinyl and cds at high volumes, esp vocals. It could be my room acoustics or me getting used to the folded ribbon tweeter. When I switched back to the MMGs, I noticed a lack of clean, precise instrument location and the music did tend to sound a little bit muddy. Still there is a warmth from the MMGs that I miss. Overall however, there is not doubt that the T1 is doing a better job at playing my music accurately with an awesome soundstage. I do not have a great sub (NHT) but I have been trying different setting and for the moment seem happy with 50-70 hz crossover. I will be interested to how they sound with no sub.
I have not bi-wired the T1s. I keep reading there is no benefit, but I will still give it a try and let my ears decide.

1st time I've ever heard the term muddy with mmg's. When comparing planners to dynamic drivers punch and feel are missing from maggies without subs for sure. To rate these better than mmg's for clarity and sound stage makea me want to bring a pair of these in right away.

The Tekton Lore impulse, remind me of mmgs plus all the goodness of dynamic drivers so thanks for the insight now I have to try these to hear.

[miata57]

For speaker placement, I have found 20" from the rear wall works well. They sound amazing a little further out but there is a trade-off, as the bass is less prominent. If I could go 8-9 feet apart I would however my room does not allow it. I keep forgetting we are talking about $699 a pair for the T1s. It is a heck of a speaker for the price.

[frenchyfranky]

Sept 10, 2016 11:39:21 GMT -5 miata57 said:

Well, I totally agree with everything you posted. My MMGs were not ideal at positioning voice and instruments well. I do have to say, there is something about the MMGs that I miss when listening to the T1s. The T1s can sound a bit harsh with my favorite vinyl and cds at high volumes, esp vocals. It could be my room acoustics or me getting used to the folded ribbon tweeter. When I switched back to the MMGs, I noticed a lack of clean, precise instrument location and the music did tend to sound a little bit muddy. Still there is a warmth from the MMGs that I miss. Overall however, there is not doubt that the T1 is doing a better job at playing my music accurately with an awesome soundstage. I do not have a great sub (NHT) but I have been trying different setting and for the moment seem happy with 50-70 hz crossover. I will be interested to how they sound with no sub.
I have not bi-wired the T1s. I keep reading there is no benefit, but I will still give it a try and let my ears decide.

I see in your avatar picture the living room listening environment floor is completely uncovered hardwood, it must be part of your harsh feeling, just my two cents.

[craigl59]

Sept 10, 2016 11:50:02 GMT -5 adaboy said:

Sept 10, 2016 11:39:21 GMT -5 miata57 said:

Well, I totally agree with everything you posted. My MMGs were not ideal at positioning voice and instruments well. I do have to say, there is something about the MMGs that I miss when listening to the T1s. The T1s can sound a bit harsh with my favorite vinyl and cds at high volumes, esp vocals. It could be my room acoustics or me getting used to the folded ribbon tweeter. When I switched back to the MMGs, I noticed a lack of clean, precise instrument location and the music did tend to sound a little bit muddy. Still there is a warmth from the MMGs that I miss. Overall however, there is not doubt that the T1 is doing a better job at playing my music accurately with an awesome soundstage. I do not have a great sub (NHT) but I have been trying different setting and for the moment seem happy with 50-70 hz crossover. I will be interested to how they sound with no sub.
I have not bi-wired the T1s. I keep reading there is no benefit, but I will still give it a try and let my ears decide.

1st time I've ever heard the term muddy with mmg's. When comparing planners to dynamic drivers punch and feel are missing from maggies without subs for sure. To rate these better than mmg's for clarity and sound stage makea me want to bring a pair of these in right away.

The Tekton Lore impulse, remind me of mmgs plus all the goodness of dynamic drivers so thanks for the insight now I have to try these to hear.

Howie:

Have had the same, light harshness from the right speaker in my T1 stereo setup -- only on peaks at high volume levels and never very prominent. Do wonder if the AMTs wear in and remove this after a while. This right speaker is the one that is on an unimpeded wall (= no corner) and sits on a hard, wood tile floor.

Another place to check is your level feeds. If either the preamp or amplifier are being pushed much higher than 0 DB they will produce this kind of sound with an AMT quickly. Have found it is best to keep the preamp feed well under the 0DB level and adjust volume with the amplifier if you have enough headroom/horsepower there.

ALSO, would suggest that if you apply any EQ you do so as negative values rather than positive ones. Have become accustomed to adding this in the virtual realm with JRiver and apQaulizr. Done this way, it keeps from stressing the rest of the hardware chain. So, if you want to boost the bass, lower the rest of the spectrum instead.

Would also second my comments made above about not needing a sub with the T1s for music reproduction and hope you try this after your T1s have opened up. Got plenty of bass without the sub and found that the spatial clarity was well worth any downside coming from the added punch of a sub addition. Movies are another story.

Have been comparing Studio monitors (in treated rooms that are adjusted to tight, flat-line  specs), Bose 901s, and MMGs for some years as they are in the rooms I regularly listen at. Have always felt that the MMGs were brilliant in presenting the attack portion of the tone, but were vanilla-like in presenting the sustained portion. Consequently, it is easier to distinguish certain acoustical differences, say, between wood and metal flutes on the Bose 901s, studio monitors, and T1s than it is with MMGs. On the other side of the equation, attack-oriented instruments such as percussion ones, sound to me more realistic with the MMGs, monitors and T1s. Although the Bose 901s are roundly critiqued (in every way) these days, they still provide the best soundstage to my ears of any two speakers I have heard.

Can also second your comments concerning "muddiness" and the MMGs. Would suggest this is the result of damping issues in the longer MMG ribbons that cause ringing at the end of the tone. Have noted this particularly in my winter home where the MMGs are in a large and very live room. Here, studio takes that I preview are not at all like the sound recorded and cannot, therefore, be assessed because of the muddiness. Could "muddiness" and "warmth" be a pair?

Am moving the stereo T1s that have been reported on here to the winter home this next week and adding them to the C1 and E1s to complete a 5.1 setup that will replace MMGs and Bose rear wall speakers (not a successful combination). Will provide as much hard data as possible about a week and a half from now including specifics from REW measurements.

Adaboy:

Suggest you do listen to the T1s and see if their greater damping (by comparison to MMGs) allows for a cleaner presentation of all instruments within the mix. When I first setup the T1s they provided such a clear, clean sound that I initially mistook it for "thin." It is not thin, however, but very open with a great deal of space for dense mixes to stretch out and find their unique place.