Atkinson is off on a few things in his T8 review but he did nail how they do voices almost perfectly. I wouldn't classify them as on the cold side of neutral but rather slightly cool which is much more accurate than the false midbass warmth so many speakers have. I purchased the C4 and M2s last night so have the full setup now. I was hoping to get another set of the T8s for rears but none were available. I had the Paradigm S8 when they first came out and have heard them many times and the T8, to my ears, are in a completely different league in terms of accuracy, imaging and transparency.
Wes Philips has an interesting review on the T6 at Soundstage where he preferred it to the Aerial 20T. in my mind he nailed the sound much better than JA .
Wasn't looking for speakers as I am pretty happy with my Magnepan 3.6R, 1.6QR and CC3 and in the stereo rig Revel Ultimas but yesterday I was confronted with a deal on a set of PSB Platinum T8 speakers. Now PSB has never really been on my radar I'd heard them plenty of times and always found the Stratus Gold to be warmer than neutral and not my thing. Figuring the Maggies and Revel were pretty much untouchable we unpacked them and hooked them up for what we thought was a brief time and then they'd be listed on Audiogon. Boy we couldn't have been more wrong. What started as, we thought, a five minute audition lasted all night. These speakers reproduce vocals in a way I have never heard in 30 years of being into high end. The clarity and sense of a well recorded performer being in the room was literally off the map. Both the Maggies and the Revel are superb in the midrange and I thought they couldn't be surpassed but these unassuming BIG boxes are revelatory in the midband. Voices are beyond reproach, horns have just that right amount of blat as they do in real life and violins and strings are seductive when need be and piercing when called for. At this point I cannot find any discernable colouration. They are as neutral, or moreso, a transducer as I have yet to hear.
The soundstage is huge, when it's on the recording, with exceptional delineation of all layers and no truncation of the stage even to the very rear. Imaging is beyond reproach.
The bass is something I think many wouldn't expect. It first of all is deep, extending to 25 hz in my room and with NO overhang, doubling and a distinct lack of distortion. Basically a stand up bass sounds as it should and tympanis and kick drums are superb with a great sense of skin.
The highs are more accurate and musical than the Maggie's ribbon tweeter, yes I actually said that. I never, never expected that out of a dome but cymbals have that natural sparkle, that sound of wood or metal to metal and the most natural decay I have heard.
This has been the biggest surprise to me in all my audiophile "career". The only downside is their looks. Nobody will mistake these for $30,000 by their looks but they would by their sound. This speaker seems to have flown under the radar for many people and it's a shame as I have never heard anything near their price that comes close. I strongly urge you to audition these if you're looking for speaker at their $7000 list price or much higher. I have a feeling many will end up with these in their houses.
Wes Philips has an interesting review on the T6 at Soundstage where he preferred it to the Aerial 20T. in my mind he nailed the sound much better than JA .
Wasn't looking for speakers as I am pretty happy with my Magnepan 3.6R, 1.6QR and CC3 and in the stereo rig Revel Ultimas but yesterday I was confronted with a deal on a set of PSB Platinum T8 speakers. Now PSB has never really been on my radar I'd heard them plenty of times and always found the Stratus Gold to be warmer than neutral and not my thing. Figuring the Maggies and Revel were pretty much untouchable we unpacked them and hooked them up for what we thought was a brief time and then they'd be listed on Audiogon. Boy we couldn't have been more wrong. What started as, we thought, a five minute audition lasted all night. These speakers reproduce vocals in a way I have never heard in 30 years of being into high end. The clarity and sense of a well recorded performer being in the room was literally off the map. Both the Maggies and the Revel are superb in the midrange and I thought they couldn't be surpassed but these unassuming BIG boxes are revelatory in the midband. Voices are beyond reproach, horns have just that right amount of blat as they do in real life and violins and strings are seductive when need be and piercing when called for. At this point I cannot find any discernable colouration. They are as neutral, or moreso, a transducer as I have yet to hear.
The soundstage is huge, when it's on the recording, with exceptional delineation of all layers and no truncation of the stage even to the very rear. Imaging is beyond reproach.
The bass is something I think many wouldn't expect. It first of all is deep, extending to 25 hz in my room and with NO overhang, doubling and a distinct lack of distortion. Basically a stand up bass sounds as it should and tympanis and kick drums are superb with a great sense of skin.
The highs are more accurate and musical than the Maggie's ribbon tweeter, yes I actually said that. I never, never expected that out of a dome but cymbals have that natural sparkle, that sound of wood or metal to metal and the most natural decay I have heard.
This has been the biggest surprise to me in all my audiophile "career". The only downside is their looks. Nobody will mistake these for $30,000 by their looks but they would by their sound. This speaker seems to have flown under the radar for many people and it's a shame as I have never heard anything near their price that comes close. I strongly urge you to audition these if you're looking for speaker at their $7000 list price or much higher. I have a feeling many will end up with these in their houses.
Sigurdur,
