ole sorensen

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
a solid speaker, that sounds. I bought these used about 6 years ago (when they were about 9 years old) from my friend who is an audiophile for a $1000, great at a very reasonable price- I have heard speakers that cost more than $4500 than do not come close. When I eventually needed customer service after the speaker was $15years old and I needed a re-foaming for my midrange, the owner stewart himself called me back and took care of me. For people shopping for a new speaker system get a chance to listen to these there will be no choice. Newer models have improved materials and sound even better than what I already love.

douglas_schroeder

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Private deal

Summary:
The Chapman speakers are excellent! The T-7 has an amazing amount of bottom end for a speaker of its size. I am having a custom pair of T-77's made for me by Stuart Jones, the owner of Chapman Audio Systems. He has a genuine passion for good audio. Currently he's testing my Harmonic Technology Pro-9 cables to see how they sound, and can take that into consideration in the manufacture of the T-77's. Champman speakers are primo quality; the drivers are calibrated to +/- .5db; the crossover components are matched ; the Air core coil has +/- 1% tolerance, time aligned similar to Vandersteens (However, having owned Vandy 2CE's in two different systems, I much prefer the Chapman sound. I understand that Vandersteen also matches drivers, but I do not know to what point they match other components like caps and coils)... In the end, all this perfectionist work on the speakers yields a stunning result. I am guessing that anyone who has heard them will concur. I first heard the T-7 more than ten years ago, and I remembered its sound for more than a decade. Truly a work of art in electronics. The Eminent Technology LFT-8A's are wonderful planars, and the Chapman T-7's are wonderful box speakers. Both give the buyer WAY more than expected for the price point. I have really struggled with selling my last set of E.T.'s since they are so good. But, in order to pursue my quest for the absolute best imaging I can afford, I'm letting go of them. In a word, the E.T's are awesome at soundstage, and the T-7's are awesome at imaging. I used to say that if someone could combine the best qualities of the Vandersteen 2CE and the Magnepan 1.6 (both of which I've owned) it would make a great speaker. Well, personally in my systems, I feel that the ET-8 and the Chapman T-7 are clearly superior products to the aforementioned speakers. If someone could combine the best attributes of the ET and chapman, WOW! That would be a mind-blowing speaker for the price level! I am hoping that the T-77 approaches that goal.

Strengths:
Build Quality, drivers/crossovers, cabinet inertness, imaging, detail, etc.

Weaknesses:
Simple looks (similar to Vandersteen) may have lower WAF

Similar Products Used:
Magnepan 1.6, Vandersteen 2CE, Eminent Technology LFT-8A

Price Paid:  $2200.00 from Audio Connection

Summary:
Spent almost a year looking and listening. Having enjoyed the Janszen electrostatics for over 20 years I wanted something lively but pretty tight. I tried the Chapman model T-7 system after reading the great reviews in Sensible Sound and Bound for Sound. I invited a group over to do a side by side comparison with $4500 Proacs and everyone agreed that there was no difference in the mids & uppers (the T-7s held their own easily with the Proacs but in the base there was no comparison. The Chapman T-7 killed the Proacs. Fuller, tighter, deeper. They go down to the mid 20's with only a 3db loss. Ditto with the Martin Logans (although in fairness to the latter I was only driving them with about 50 wpc and they need far more -this could have been part of the problem with the Proacs too - that is another thing that made the Chapman's such a good buy they are 90db efficient and can be used with smaller amps). The speakers are well crafted and use some of the best drivers and tweeters that were available in the mid 90's. They have a switch to tone down the treble if you prefer something less They use the finest crossover components available as well. I felt I couldn't get better sound for more double or triple the price when I purchased them and am still a happy camper. This isn't a $20,000 speaker by any means but it sure beats the competition and then some.

Strengths:
Surprisingly good base, Scanspeak driver & titanium tweeter.
Well balanced

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Comparison with Proac at double the price, Janszen electrostatics (former speaker) & Martin Logans.

Price Paid:  $500.00 from private party, Portland, Oregon

Summary:
My first true audiophile purchase, about ten or so years ago. Paid $500.00 from a private party. Deal of a lifetime. The T-7s have a strong, fairly quick bass (no subwoofer needed), and the mids and treble are good. None of it is truly world class, but not weak in any way. Like any good piece of gear, its sound reflects and changes in relation to the gear ahead of it. Now, with connie j and proceed electronics, the sound is punchy, taut in the bass, and transparent. Very listenable, an attractive sound. A good speaker for house and trance music. It is part of my bedroom sytem, and while not in the same league as my main system (connie j, audio research, theta, aerial) I have never been so well served, for so long, for so little spent. Last year a woofer gave up the ghost. I called Stu Jones and drove up to have him replace the woofers at his shop. Nice fellow, nice repair. The T-7 is out of production (Stu does custom work now, as I recall), but if you can find one, don't hestitate to buy it. Wonderful speaker.

Strengths:
dynamic range, strong bass, quality construction

Weaknesses:
slightly rough mid-range, treble, in absolute terms

Similar Products Used:
Snell C-IV, Aerial 10-T

Summary:
I agree with Bob Bottman in his thinking. I have owned and have auditioned many speakers. The T7's have pretty much all I want in a speaker. They are 90DB effecient so it does not take a "killer" amp to drive them, the have a mid range that is as good or better than speakers that are double the price, IE Pro Acs' and Dunlavy's. Or at any price for that matter. The base response has been called "slow"; my thinking is that might be because of the electroncis used in driving them. If one wants a full range highly effecient, dynamic speaker, look no farther. And what other company would send out it's president to fix a minor flaw in the "sock" that covers and acts as its "skin". the president arrives tomorrow. Five stars from this guy. PS I use a Nait 3 to drive em.

Strengths:
transparent
great mid range
very good base
good ability to disapear, for a large speaker

Weaknesses:
size could be an issue
WAF because of the above