Proac 50 Tablette vs. Tablette 50 Sigs

Hi I own the Spendor s3/5, the Tablette 50 and the Harbeth P3ESR. I could actually live with any of them if I had to own just one of these pairs. The Spendor has a relaxed sound with the sweetest tweeter and good bass for size. The Harbeth has the widest soundstage and excellent bass and yes they can rock, they'll play anything, but I will always love the Tablettes. They can rock with the best of them. Toe them the way you're supposed to and they will leave you breathless. If you can't find the signatures,go with the standard 50's. Nice refined tweeters. I like them to the 1sc. Right now enjoying the Harbeths with the latest Jeff Beck album. ETM (Enjoy the Music)

@ both "Cardinal" and "Ryder" - Thank you both for your input. I agree with both of your assessments on the 50 Sigs and Ref 8 Sigs in a separate but equal way. I now regret selling my 50 Sigs but had a better system match at the time with a pair of Eggleston Isabel's matched to a pair of Forte Model 7A's with a Joule Electra 100 mkii and an Audio Research CD 2.

Fast forward to present times, I've had the chance to listen to the Ref 8 Sigs in my current setup, but seem to always be a "day late and a dollar short" on purchasing the exact pair I'd want to own.

Because the 50 Sigs are very hard to come by nowadays, I happen to stumble on a mint pair Tablette 50 and curious if you'd consider them a bargain at half the price of a used Ref 8 Sigs.

@ Ryder - I agree with you on the Harbeth. A friend who was once a Proac lover has been trying to convert to Harbeth for years. Perhaps I need to decide if I'm planning on keeping my Electrocompaniet gear before jumping to Harbeth's.

Thank you - Alb24

I've owned the Tablette 50 Sigs and currently own the Ref 8 Sigs and, to my ears, the Ref 8 Sigs blow the former away. I find myself frequently doing double takes, asking myself "Did I just hear that?!?!? That sounds so damned REAL". The Ref 8 Sigs seem to defy the laws of physics. That my two cents (two speakers?) worth. I got my pair on A-gon for only $900.

I have owned the Tablette 50 Signatures. From what I gather from friends who have listened to both, the 50 Signature is said to be more composed and refined and a better speaker all round. It is definitely worthwhile to get the Signature version in the Proac line of speakers if there is an available option. The 50 Signatures are pretty rare to find in the market these days though. The equivalent would be the Reference 8 Signatures but some folks prefer the presentation of the older 50 Sigs more than the ones currently available in the market.

Similarly I was amazed at the imaging qualities and level of detail of the 50 Sigs when I had them. The highs were very airy and extended but after a while I found the presentation to be a little lean and thin for my taste. Since you listen to a lot of classical, jazz and female vocals, you might want to explore the Harbeth P3ESR. In my opinion this speaker excels in these types of music more than the Proacs. Of course, everybody hears things differently sometimes.

Cheers.