Who has heard the new Proac Tablette 10?
- Thread starter Jodet
- Start date
Vocals, at least in my setup, are spookily good, these speakers can resolve very high end sources and amps far beyond their price. They do need some space around them, then they will just disappear and music will come from all over the place.
Jodet
pfm Member
How did you get along with the Vanilla and Signature Tab 10's Sir?
I would say yes, the Sigs have a hair more detail. But are they that much more enjoyable than the vanilla's? Not really. They're both really good. Either of them with a subwoofer and a Rega Elex-R is a really wonderful system. I have about six setups in my house now. If I were moving to a smaller place and wanted only one system I think it would be Tablette's with a sub.
Jezzer
Unspecified
By thunder those Tab 10's look amazing- what finish is that Sir?
That’s walnut. The veneer up close is of fine feel and quality too.
A few general comments; I had the Tab 10s for a couple of week’s in home audition. Enjoyed them very much, for reasons well canvassed on this thread. A fine balance of verve, mid-range rivalling the best of the BBC design influenced speakers, exceptional imaging and sound staging even compared to a strong field of good small monitors. Small speakers that could do convincing rock, compared to the LS3/5 influenced designs. A small reservation; it sometimes seemed to me that the vocals could be stretched a little thin across that expansive soundstage. For me, what filled in any gaps, enhanced the scale, added depth and weight to the bass, and a physical, robust quality to vocals, was the step up to the Proac DB1s. They really don’t take up more room, just greater depth to the cabinet, and fill a medium-small room with music to great effect. (My room about 3 1/2 metres by 5 1/2 metres. Listened only via my resident Naim Nait XS 2 and ND5xs streamer, plus CDP.).
As always, FWIW, and IMHO...
As always, FWIW, and IMHO...
Jezzer
Unspecified
Interesting comments. My room is a tad wider and longer than yours. I used to have the excellent Response 1sc ages ago but with different amplification and in a different home/room. In this room, I’ve also had P3ESRs. The P3s were great but didn’t rock as much as I would like and the jury’s still out with the LS50s. I spent much of yesterday and some of today listening to the 10 Signatures and I’m mightily impressed with their resolution and sense of rhythm.
BTW, I’m using all these small speakers with a bk subwoofer (not much gain and crossover at about 55hz).
Jodet
pfm Member
That’s walnut. The veneer up close is of fine feel and quality too.
That walnut is gorgeous. My pairs are ebony (amazing) and cherry (which is really beautiful, especially after a few years of seasoning. Proac makes nice looking speakers.
Jezzer
Unspecified
Do the DB1s have that same speed and agility of the Tablettes? I know the DB1s are ported so I’d like to understand more about the differences here. Such as weight, agility, any bass boom issues. Your comments have piqued my interest in the DB1s!
Curtis
pfm Member
They look almost sexual!
I have a pair on loan and they’re fantastic.
Jezzer
Unspecified
Good questions. I am still assessing; it is early days with the DB1s, and I must rely on memory of months past for the Tab 10s. I can say, the Tab 10s were less fussy about placement. Their bass response had all the advantage of the well-executed sealed box - never excessive, never overwhelming the mid-range. I’m still sorting placement of the DB-1s. They are rear-ported of course, and seem to do best pulled out about 16 - 18 inches from the wall. Generally the bass is very well proportioned in most of the music I listen to. However, with much modern pop music, which employs some heavy bass mix, the impact on the room and my rib cage can exceed my comfort zone. I wouldn’t say that’s a fault of the speaker; just a reality of modern sound engineering. Sticking to smaller standmounts, recent experience would be similar, for me in this room, with Neat Ministras, Golden Ear BRX, or even Graham LS5/9s. Without getting into hip-hop or heavy metal, recordings such as Robert Plant and Alison Kraus ‘Raising Sand’, or Cowboy Junkies ‘Helpless’ have weighty bass mix. Where that wouldn’t get carried away in this room with Tab 10s, or my Harbeth P3ES-2s, or my Rogers/Stirling V2 hybrids, it could get carried away by the DB-1s. At least, to my limited tolerance for bass bloom... On the other hand, you may find, (as I generally do) in the right room, for given music, the DB-1s just get you to the sweet spot where you don’t hanker for a subwoofer.
I haven’t quite answered your question about speed and agility. Subject to the foregoing, I don’t notice any compromise of speed and agility, not that I recognize as such. The DB-1s simply have more body through mid range and upper bass, in a good way... Naturally, YMMV.
Jezzer
Unspecified
Thanks for that write up Panderos. I would imagine the DB1s to be exactly as you describe as a result of their dimensions and having that port. I had a rather hefty pair of Usher Be-718s in this room and they were far easier to position than the Kef LS50's which needed to have at least 70cm from the front wall to reduce (and not completely omit) bass bloom, and even with part of the bung in the port. Now, the Tab 10 Sigs are a different kettle of fish! These are now placed 40cm from the wall with toe-in towards my seating position 2.5m away. If they're placed too far from the wall they can sound a bit thin so they actually benefit from some wall reinforcement. Placing them closer to the wall adds warmth to the midrange and bass and seems to reduce what I felt initially was a slightly enthusiastic treble. Right now, they're sounding fantastic. 'Raising Sand' sounds great! I've been listening to these and doing a/b comparison with the LS50 Metas since Saturday with a wide variety of genres and I prefer the Tablettes. I listened to the Tablettes late into last night and even at low volume, about 55db, they sounded fantastic (Jazz at the Pawnshop). I'm keeping these for sure.
I like the tab 10, I foolishly sold mine and now have bought a pair of LS50 meta as a stop gap. In many ways the metas are way better than the tabs except for the bass, just can’t get it to sound right even with the port bungs.
There is definitely more imaging from the metas compared to the tabs, but the tabs somehow sounded more right than the metas.
There is definitely more imaging from the metas compared to the tabs, but the tabs somehow sounded more right than the metas.
Goat
pfm Member
It can be a tricky game with bass.
I know it’s slightly different, but I had a similar experience with wanting to jump up the Spendor line, to a pair of Classic 3/1’s (rear port – down to 40hz). I assumed they’d have all the virtues of the sealed, Classic 4/5’s (down to 55hz) that I own, but have that extra heft and weight, i.e. win win. But actually, other than on older, thinner recordings where the extra bass was welcome, I actually preferred the sealed 4/5’s in most other respects. Bass was faster, better integrated, no boom etc. And they also imaged slightly better and were slightly quicker and more engaging.
Obviously the proacs are a different speaker line entirely, but I suspect there are similarities with the Tablette and DB1.
My room isn’t tiny at 4m x 4.5m, but whenever I have tried ported speakers, even well out into the room, they have had greater impact, but it wasn’t until I tried sealed speakers by ATC and Spendor that I realised how fast and engaging bass could sound, without ever being wince-inducing from boom. For electronica or hip hop (surprisingly), they are great, as overblown bass is controlled so well.
The flip side is of course, thinner albums sound less impactful. But I suppose that is where a well-integrated sub can come in. If you have the patience, then actually it can be switched on and off as desired, depending on track choice or genre. Whereas with a speaker that has too much bass, you’re sort of stuck, unless bungs are inserted.
It’s funny you mention the Raising Sand album. I have that on CD from many years ago, and have always used it as a demo test. You’re right, it’s quite bassy for country/folk style music. Through sealed speakers it just sounds concise but impactful.
I’d say other great test tracks for checking for boom, integration, speed etc are:
I know it’s slightly different, but I had a similar experience with wanting to jump up the Spendor line, to a pair of Classic 3/1’s (rear port – down to 40hz). I assumed they’d have all the virtues of the sealed, Classic 4/5’s (down to 55hz) that I own, but have that extra heft and weight, i.e. win win. But actually, other than on older, thinner recordings where the extra bass was welcome, I actually preferred the sealed 4/5’s in most other respects. Bass was faster, better integrated, no boom etc. And they also imaged slightly better and were slightly quicker and more engaging.
Obviously the proacs are a different speaker line entirely, but I suspect there are similarities with the Tablette and DB1.
My room isn’t tiny at 4m x 4.5m, but whenever I have tried ported speakers, even well out into the room, they have had greater impact, but it wasn’t until I tried sealed speakers by ATC and Spendor that I realised how fast and engaging bass could sound, without ever being wince-inducing from boom. For electronica or hip hop (surprisingly), they are great, as overblown bass is controlled so well.
The flip side is of course, thinner albums sound less impactful. But I suppose that is where a well-integrated sub can come in. If you have the patience, then actually it can be switched on and off as desired, depending on track choice or genre. Whereas with a speaker that has too much bass, you’re sort of stuck, unless bungs are inserted.
It’s funny you mention the Raising Sand album. I have that on CD from many years ago, and have always used it as a demo test. You’re right, it’s quite bassy for country/folk style music. Through sealed speakers it just sounds concise but impactful.
I’d say other great test tracks for checking for boom, integration, speed etc are:
- In Your House by The Cure (has a wonderful walking bass line)
- Money by Pink Floyd
- Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (that has some serious bass!)
- Limit to your love by James Blake
- Manwomanboogie by Q-Tip
- Paradise Circus – Massive Attack
- Flim – Aphex Twin
Jezzer
Unspecified
There are many things that the Kefs do well, such as scale and weight (for a stand mount). I think the treble is particularly sweet and betters the Tab Sigs but I think the Sigs have better resolution and tighter, more controlled, bass (I am using a BK XLS 200 sub too and this integrates nicely). Goat, great choice of tracks. I also listened to Aphex Twin, Massive Attack and Pink Floyd - and also - The Bad Plus, Air, Boards of Canada, The XX, Daft Punk, Dave Brubeck, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Laura Marling, Lisa Ekdahl, Keith Jarrett, Gregory Porter, Hans Zimmer, HVOB, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin, Jon Hopkins, Moderat, Paul Weller, Kiasmos, Kraftwerk....
Goat
pfm Member
We share a lot of the same music tastes! Good list.
Goat
pfm Member
How were the Neat Ministras by the way? So little out there on user's reports.