Proac Tablette 10 Signature - how bright are they really?

[Goat]

Never listened to any Proacs, and they definitely intrigue me, particularly given the more reasonable price point.

I’m currently in the market (I think) for another pair of mini monitors. Had the P3ESR XD on home demo and I think it would be sensible to consider the Proacs and Graham LS3/5 too.

I know a home demo is the only way to be sure, but it would be useful all the same to get some opinions.

It comes up fairly often, but they seem to be referred to as bright. Whereas others seem to think they are more ‘open and sweet’. So I presume they are perhaps airy and tipped up a bit in the presence region, but remaining smooth? By way of reference, ATC SCM11 or Ls50 Meta are about my limit in terms of brightness (depending on how you define that).

As for the bass – are the Proacs notably faster and more rhythmic than some of the later iterations of the P3esr, as Darko suggests?

Are they left a bit wanting in the mids for warmth?

 

[Alex S]

I can only speak for my Ref 8 sigs. I don’t find them bright and nor does the person who’s borrowed them. Nonetheless, any Tablette I’ve heard is on the bright/open side rather than the warm side.

Actually, I’m looking forward to having them back and giving them a near field go with the Leak S20.

 

[EPear]

Yes, to me can feel bright especially at higher volumes or/and in a bigger room (where they need to play louder)
Yes, a bit wanting in the mids if you are after the typical ls3/5a mid range
Very transparent (in this respect way better IMO than P3ESRs and faster, great sense of rhythm)

Enjoy the demo!

 

[Alex S]

I would only ever use something this size near field at relatively low volume. The concept of filling a room at high volume fills me with dread.

 

[eevo1969]

I personally wouldn’t describe them as bright, they sound well balanced to me. I only use them near-field late evenings though so my usage may different to yours.

 

[sideshowbob]

I wouldn't call them bright, but for my taste the Graham LS3/5a is going to be much better balanced.

 

[amazement]

i had the Tab 10, not signature. They were bright, but in a nice way especially if driven hard. I had LS50 Meta and they just didn't sound right to me, ports maybe.
I now have Falcon LS3/5a gold badge, not bright at all, but still detailed.

 

[ryder]

Owned tablette 50 signature and heard the P3ESR several times. This particular Proac model isn't bright but it has a very different sound from the Harbeth. The tonality is totally different. The sound is airy and extended at the top but lean and thin from top to bottom in comparison to the Harbeth. I find acoustic instruments (and human voice) to sound more realistic through the Harbeth.

 

[ryder]

I wanted to try the tablette 10 sigs for the past 5 years but didn't put much effort to listen to them after my previous experience with the Tab 50 sigs.

 

[ryder]

In comparison to the P3ESR, the Tab 50 Sigs are bright in the treble. The Harbeth sounds warmer, fuller and rounder. Proac sounds leaner and thinner.

 

[TLS]

Once you have lived with a tablette of any iteration, one thing become evident. If you get rid of them you will regret. Too bad Mr.Tyler is gone for ever...

 

[amazement]

Once you have lived with a tablette of any iteration, one thing become evident. If you get rid of them you will regret. Too bad Mr.Tyler is gone for ever...

I do regret selling mine, but they would probably be sitting unused as I like my Falcons too.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Owned tablette 50 signature and heard the P3ESR several times. This particular Proac model isn't bright but it has a very different sound from the Harbeth. The tonality is totally different. The sound is airy and extended at the top but lean and thin from top to bottom in comparison to the Harbeth. I find acoustic instruments (and human voice) to sound more realistic through the Harbeth.

It always seemed to me the human voices were more natural with the little Harbeth too so I'm on the same page here obviously.
Nevertheless, it always seemed to me the trumpet was more "lively" on the Proac 10 signature than many other speakers I gave a listen to.
These were on 1/2 to 1 hours listening sessions so can’t juge on the long term.

 

[tenpercenter]

Standard Proac Tablette 10’s are very articulate and lively sounding speakers. They are quite dry in the bass and voiced with a brightly lit mid band / top end.

They need careful system matching.

 

[fim]

I’ve lived many years with Tablette 8 signatures at the end of naim amps and I thought they were very well rounded speakers, very musical and non fatiguing at all.

 

[Jodet]

My 10 Sigs on my tube amp are not bright at all. They sound amazing on tubes, so open. It's like 'the best LS3/5a sound' I've heard since 1981.

They sound great on a good solid state amp, too. Hegel, for example.

 

[Martyn Miles]

I wonder what the Celef LS8, made by ProAc, sounds like.
More like a Tablette 10 than an LS3/5a, I suspect.
There is a pair of LS8s on eBay.
I’m a little tempted to put in an offer...

 

[cruster]

It's funny to read such varying descriptions of the same speaker. It's almost as if different people have different tastes.

During COVID lockdown we move some things around in our house and I ended up moving my main system to a much smaller room. My Rega RS5s - on the end of Rega amplification - were just too big for the space, so I bought some Tablette 10s (which I'd always wanted to try). I really enjoyed them - surprisingly well balanced, more bass than expected (though certainly not enough to rattle the windows); I listen mostly to indie/shoegaze/rock stuff and I never really felt myself longing for a bottom-end that wasn't there. I had heard that they could be "bright" but that was not my experience. They did some things better than my RS5s (which I find to be great all-arounders).

Fast-forward a year or so and we decided to move things around again, with me moving my main system back to its previous - much larger - location. The Tablette 10s, while still not bright, just could not fill the space, not even at low volume. Physics cannot be overcome. They still didn't sound bright to me, but they were awfully thin. I ended up selling them a few months later.

I do miss them sometimes. Nights in that smaller space, listening to quieter music, were absolutely wonderful. I remain a fan of them even if they no longer suit my needs.

 

[Jezzer]

I’ve had the original P3ESR, the Tab 10 Sigs and the Kef LS50 Meta. The Tabs were my favourite out of the three. Harbeth treble was too rolled off. The tiny Tablettes do have a slightly lively character but the midrange clarity is way beyond the other two. I can understand why they’re often partnered with Sugden amps. Definitely worth a home demo.

 

[JezmondTutu]

I wonder if they need a bit of grunt?

I had a play with a friends Tablette 2000 Signatures using my NAP250 and I didn’t think they sounded thin or lightweight at all. In fact they held up pretty well to the Dynaudio Contour 1.1’s I had at the time.