TACT RCS 2.0 Users Group

I agree completely with PLS1. If Tact would add the ability to run an impulse signal (like the SigTech does) through the filter to see if you get the actual corrected measurements you think you should have, it would allow the user to actually get closer to a desired target through an interative process. Since I have a SigTech as well, I can use it for that purpose but most folks are not going to have that luxury (there is some third party software that can be run from a PC that could serve the purpose)

I also agree that it is nowhere near the SigTech in sound quality. The SigTech does a MUCH BETTER job of presenting an even spectral balance and does a much better job of correcting high frequency anamolies. It just sounds much more like live music through the SigTech. To be fair, however, the Tact cost a lot less. For $3000 for the basic unit, you do get a digital preamp and room correction. If the SigTech did not exist, I could be happy with the Tact because it sure beats not having any room correction at all.

I used to think the SigTech user interface for setup was ugly. However, after playng with the Tact (which won't work on my laptop as I can't see the whole screen and there are no scroll bars !!!)I have decided that the SigTech is not so bad after all. It appears to me that the Tact user interface was designed by engineers for engineers and there is a lot of "gobbledygook" that does not need to be there. Maybe the next release of the software will address some of these issues.

Mr Lyngdorf is incorrect.

I have both units and have long term experience in this area.

Fact: With the Tact you have no way of knowing what the end result is after correction. When looking at the actual measurements after correction using industry standard mesurement tools (MLSSA, it will be clearly demonstrated that the end result does NOT look like the target curve. Transalated--you are guessing when you pick a target curve.

Doing the exact same thing with the SigTech, you get what you expect---that is, if you tell the SigTech you want a flat response, you get a flat response (that is flat in the sense that the FFT of the time domain is flat).

In addition, the SigTech does NOT require that you place the speakers where you get the flattest bass response. While there may be some benefits to that approach, I can assure you that most of the SigTech installs I am familiar with (hundred of them) have the speakers where, in no particualr order (a)they fit within the rooms decor (b) the optimization between bass response and image depth (usually determined by the distance from the front wall) is considered and (c) customers personal placement preference.

On a more subjective basis, Mr Lyngdorf's comments notwithstanding, I could argue that the bass correction of the Tact sounds worse that the SigTech. I can demonstrate that from about 300Hz up the SigTech give MUCH BETTER response.

All of that said, I would summarize as follows: (a) for a fully function digital preamp with a good D to A converter and the ability to do your own room correction, you pay about $3500. The equivalnet (almost) SigTech (new) cost 3 times that (b) with some care (and some external measurement software) you can get much better sound (MUCH, MUCH, MUCH BETTER)with the Tact than you will EVER get with out one in 98% of the rooms.

While I can (and will) argue that the SigTech is the superior product in terms of sound quality, the Tact beats the pants off of no room correction and in terms of dollars per unit of sonic gain, the Tact wins against the SigTech.
If you can afford a SigTech, get one. If you can't, run, don't walk to your local Tact dealer.

Drubin--it is not consistent. The one place where it is consistent is in the low end. If you use one of the curves with the boosted base, you actually get flatter base but the problem (as I stated in an ealier post) is that you don't know how much to boost the bass in the target curve (and what slopes to use) to get the correct flat response.

Sorry I can't be more help. There is some stand alone software that you can use with a Tact that by an iterative process you can get the desired result. Try www.ETFacoustics.com.

Mr. mikenificent1......Obvioulsy I had involvement with SigTech or I would not have installed so many. Up until the last few years, the SigTech was the only truly operational digital room correction product available. Other products (not the Tact)were/are digital equalizers (read the various writings on this subject by Robert Greene in TAS). And if you read my previous post, you will note that I am a very big believer in digital room correction of ANY brand. Quote follows: "While I can (and will) argue that the SigTech is the superior product in terms of sound quality, the Tact beats the pants off of no room correction and in terms of dollars per unit of sonic gain, the Tact wins against the SigTech"

While we know a lot about measurements and how they relate to what we hear, we also know we don't know everything---hence personal perception of sonic truth comes into play. My perception of sonic truth leans to the SigTech but that in no way suggests I don't think the Tact is a wonderful product (please re-read the above)