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Review 2 of 3
Price Paid:
$3680.00
from HiFi shop online Summary:
This review is for the TacT S2150 XDM Integrated Digital Amplifier with Room Correction
Right out of the box, with no room corrections or other fancy tricks, I thought the sound of the TacT S2150XDM was fine. I'm familiar with Class D amplifiers and already had expectations for extraordinary detail and neutrality. Using the same digital source, I really wasn't expecting it to sound much different from my Bel Canto 300iu.
But it did. The Bel Canto has a warmth to it, a musicality, that feels a little like a tube amp. I'm not sure if that quality is really present in the recordings, but I like it. Maybe it comes from the analog circuitry combined with the digital, or maybe it's because the ICEpower amplification licensed from Bang & Olufsen is designed to make compressed 192kb audio files sound good from the B&O music players. Whatever the explanation, I really enjoy the sound.
The Bel Canto also scores points for elegance of design. The remote has a Mac-like elegance to it. When pressing mute, the volume drops off smoothly instead of abruptly cutting out. The Bel Canto design team has an intuitive sense of the art of interface design.
The TacT is more a work of engineering, more of a PC than a Mac. The box and the remote are not as stylish or elegant. The sound also lacks a little of the warmth that I appreciate about the Bel Canto.
At this point in my listening, my conclusion was that, though the 2150XDM has an excellent neutral sound, I don't think it justifies the extra money compared to the Bel Canto, if used purely as an integrated amplifier. The TacT costs an extra $1300 for the S version or an extra $1800 for the M, compared to $2300 for the Bel Canto. For the extra money, the room correction really has to offer something special.
As a test, I set up room correction and volume level correction. It was relatively painless, though I did have to repeat the measurements several times before I quite figured out the interface and was sure that I'd saved the right configuration.
With the PC software interface, I looked at the frequency response measurements. They were not good. My room sure doesn't measure as well as the speakers in theory can. My room has no particular problems with it, in fact it's better than many, though I don't have wall treatments or quite the optimal furniture arrangement. But there's nothing much I can do about it.
I also saw immediately that my subwoofer wasn't integrated very well with the mains. The level was a little too high, and the crossover caused an even larger bump at about 50 Hz. Before going any further, I lowered the crossover point, turned down the gain, and set the subwoofer at the simplest default parameters. That way I won't have to remeasure the room response next time I accidentally bump the subwoofer adjustments. In 'default' mode, the sub measured a little lower than the main speakers, about 3 db too low. But I decided to let the TacT take care of that.
With the subwoofer settings settled, I went a little crazy with measurements using the included microphone and long cable. I took measurements at each of three listening positions on the sofa, and also on an arm chair much closer to one speaker than the other.
Using the PC interface I loaded level adjustments so that the perceived loudness would be the same across the full frequency range at all volume levels. Then I let the TacT automatically apply room correction based on the measurements and its default reference curve.
What a difference it makes! My low frequency sound matches up nicely with the mains. I've got a preset for each seat in the room so the music sounds better even when I'm not in the sweet spot. Also, I appreciate the effects of the level correction when the volume is turned down low.
The sound has a slightly different quality than tube amps or the Bel Canto, and there's something more to the difference than the frequency response curve alone can explain. It takes a little getting used to. But for me it's well worth it because of the dynamic room correction and listening position settings.
At a list price of $3600, the S2150XDM is not cheap. But for what it is -- an audiophile quality integrated amplifier with the most advanced Class D technology available, including built-in digital-to-analog conversion plus programmable room, level and listening position correction -- it's a tremendous bargain. A solid state Krell or Classe integrated, or an integrated Macintosh tube amp, costs more without the DAC or fancy features.
Only the Bel Canto integrated beats the price. The Bel Canto comes with 4 analog inputs and a built-in DAC for a single digital input from a computer using a USB cable. It has a beautiful design and a marvelous sound. Really, it's up to you if you have the extra money for the 2150XDM or think it's worth it. If not, I certainly can understand. And you might be interested to know that I'm putting up for sale a very well loved Bel Canto... Strengths:
room correction
volume level correction
listening position correction
digital-to-analog converter for digital inputs
reduces the need for ugly acoustic treatments on the walls Weaknesses:
no analog inputs in the XDM version Similar Products Used:
Bel Canto 300iu
Krell KAV400
Classe separates
Bryston, SimAudio, Macintosh, etc
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