Tidal Speakers owners

Tbg: I’m pleased that you like the Zilplex resonant devices so much.
My audio friend did a nice job here and your review on StereoTimes confirms this. Regards Robert

Quanmer: I do follow you for the full 100%.
You must "undergo" the difference and the right experience and wishes makes you decide to go for that special thing or item....
Regards

Hello, I’m a Tidal Contriva owner and not an active (writing) Audiogonner, but I’m reading this forum for over a year now. English is not my mother language but can read and write Fortran and Pascal very well. I’m a music lover over 40 years and have experience with audio apparatus as well.
I did also play the bedroom guitar (acoustic and electric) and love this instrument and know how is must sound. Here are my findings about the remarkable Tidal Contriva (Not the SE or Diacera):

The speaker has very, very little or no sound made by itself and is one of the very few, which can make a very realistic view of the performers in depth, width and height and get the dynamics right.
This was always a compromise, or there was space and depth and little dynamics or there was great dynamics but no relation to space and depth.
Most speakers with great dynamics do emphasize the first attack and do a bad job with the signal after this first shot. Smash in your face and no real space and depth.
Phase shifts in the signal are responsible for the “Place in Space” and the brain does the calculations with this information and not so much with the relative loudness of the signal. When this is not correct, the brain is working overtime to correct and compensate this (mis) -information. Speakers which are more right in time and space (filters with respect to phase) are less “real life dynamic”, again the brain in uncomfortable with the smoother dynamics and interpreted this as less realistic.
For me this was resulting in buying the Avalon Opus (4-way) (after IMF, B&W, Thiel and more) and feed them with one of the fastest amplifier in the world: the Atma-Sphere MA1. For years this was very involving for me, but then I was beginning to miss the dynamics such as produced by Wilson Audio. Changing cables or amplifiers didn’t add any speed.
I do have two separate (both shielded and balanced) 230 VAC circuits with old fashioned circuit breakers (silver, copper and/or gold fuses) and a dedicated to audio only ground pin, 28 meters (92 feet) in the Dutch clay, and all this doesn’t make the Opus any faster. Yes there is more “gestalt” and the total picture is more life but not live. You can hear all the differences and they worked out very well and makes listening more pleasant. I have done almost anything to the acoustics which is possible in a normal medium sized family living room and end up with 2 large tube traps behind the curtains, carpets on the floor and walls, a air suspended audio rack and the use of Zilplex (a better and less costly alternative for the acoustic system resonators). And to make a long story a little shorter: I found all this “wanted audio aspects” in a speaker from the “unknown” TIDAL company.
I contacted Jörn for just over a year ago and this did result in buying the Contriva in 2011. Jörn and his right-hand Felix personally delivered and installed the Contriva’s in my living room. The Contriva’s are revealing, fast and spacious and oh so naturally sounding. No sound of there own, real dynamics (at low and high volumes). No ceramic sound, but it differs of course from the less stiffer paper cones. The result of using Accuton (Thiel & Partner) is Imo that you can hear more micro information while the cone is doing the macro dynamics and that (with a well engineered filter network) the phase relationship is not corrupted. This means that you can hear a cymbal in space like in the real world: explosive and with all that beautiful “tingle”, “tangle” and “shimmering” and staying on the same position. Not so perfect (engineered) speakers can’t do that and throws the sound (for a short while) in front of the speakers, moving back to the original position after the pulse (attack) is gone and giving the space related micro information again, not disturbed by the large scaled dynamics.
My brain is not working in overload anymore, at least a lot less then before the Tidal Contriva’s.
Sometimes it just appears if the music is going a little bit slower then before, I mean that a second is lasting a fraction longer then before. It’s more relaxing, involving and not tracking attention to itself or it should be the perfect piano lacquer and the beautiful lines of the mighty Contriva.

Regards
Robert (Maceear)

Hello All,

With the slower sounding music I do not mean a slow sounding speaker (It is extremely fast like I did explain) but the lifelike relaxed presentation and the fact that the speakers are invisible soundwise, makes you more relaxed. It is perhaps a bit of a strange explanation but it feels like that in a positive way….

Robert

Hello Quanmer,
Nice that you feel the same thing about this. My system is digital only now (my brother is the analogue side of the family). My player is the Wadia 381i GNSC Statement replacing the dCS Elgar Plus and Purcell. My amplifier is the mentioned Atma Sphere MA1 (1989 with the most important updates). Cabling is from the young company Zu Audio (Ibis loudspeakercable, Varial xlr and Mother / Bok Powercables). My most important acoustic treatment is the ZILPLEX resonator. I do play mostly blues, jazz and guitar rock but always looking for something new. I did sell about all my guitars, my latest was the Taylor W15

Regards
Robert

Hello Quanmer,
The Zilplex are resonators from a very small company. Audiogon member Wiebe can tell you more about this.
They are dealing with different artefacts in the listening room. I can't tell you why, but you can hear the difference.
Regards
Robert

Hello All, Sorry for the late answer (work and time-difference)
Zilplex consist off:
Three leg’s (a reversed tripod) holding a silver cup (about 0.5 inch 12.5 mm). This all is fitted on a Plexiglas triangle (0.8 * 0.8 inch – 20*20 mm) which you can stick to the wall. There is also a possibility to stick this to the ceiling and or floor. The benefits are that they are small and immediately working. Only for the bass modules the thickness of the reversed tripod legs are different, the silver cups are all the same. I do use 11 of them: 7 behind the speakers, 2 left and right aside the listening position, 1 behind the listening position and 1 on the ceiling. The main effect is that the walls are disappearing. We think that the cups are triggered by the sound and resonating in a higher frequency and interfering again with the lower audible frequencies and this time delay creates a feeling of… what? Space perhaps? The brain is fooled I guess in a positive way, the room becomes bigger and easier with sound. Articulation with voices (real humans and television etc.) is much better and the room is more silence. I use this for two years now and was very skeptical in the beginning. But after many demonstrations I was convinced and did try it by myself. The sound situation (without the resonators) must be in good order…. the Zilplex can’t do wonders. The effort with zilplex and the Avalon’s was bigger then with the Contriva’s, that’s perhaps because I did use the same position. When the Contriva’s arrived, the cups where not placed and I just want to get used to the Contriva’s before I try different positions. There are many people (individuals and dealers, at home and at shows) who use them here in Europe, but the audiogon member Wiebe does not have a website and makes them all by hand.
Further: Contriva’s are a real easy load for the Atma Sphere: I did try them with only half of the tubes installed (MA1 to MA50 ( MA60 ).
Halving the output and doubling the impedance and there was no real difference, except for the smaller macro dynamics and bass stability and then only when playing loud…..
Regards
Robert

Hi Tidal listeners, and want to be’s. Go to the Tidal site and see the news: read about the Piano Cera, “Product of the year 2011” award , and the black ceramic drivers. Looks really good….
Regards
Robert

Hello Roysen,

I didn’t hear the Rockports, so I do not have any right to push you in one direction. But….....
If I had the means to do such a fantastic buy, I would go for the Tidal with the electronics and the active filters.
I do like the performance the Contriva does and the Sunray should go far over this. The Magico’s are different from the Tidals. I like the free presentation (in space) of the Tidals (Contriva), there explosive naturally dynamics and they are easy to listening to. No bombastic bass and/or forced mid/high, but a speedy bass reaching very deep but not asking all the attention to itself, a fantastic mid (voices) and a sparkling treble… The diamond tweeter in the Sunray and the Contriva diacera’s can even do better treble. The Sunray should do even much better in the right and proper setting. If you are Europe, visit Jörn (Tidal) in the neighbourhood of Köln or visit the coming show in Múnchen. This personally preference can differ from yours of course but at the end the most engaging performance should come from the musicians and not from (colouring of ) the speakers, they should do nothing more (or less) to the sound.

Regards
Robert

Tbg, Yes, they do those little Zilplex bowls. They are amazing and flexible. You must know what you are doing but there is almost a positive effect. When I got my (All Ceramic) Contriva’s, I didn’t install them to get used to the Tidals. Later I reported that the results are lesser then with the Avalon Opus. But now with little readjustments of the ceiling Zilpex, I got the disappearing walls again in the same way as with the Opussen (4-way). The setup must be in order, the Zilpexes can’t do wonders but then they “connect” with the music and the musicians are surrounded with air and space. Listen to Eva Cassidy’s: “Autumn Leaves” (Live At Blues Alley) and she is there… Not a perfect album in the audiophile sense but very very involving. Like the Tidal’s slogan “We Build Emotions” you became emotional connected with the music.
Another “hit” is Patricia Barber’s “Yesterday” and also her interpretation of “Autumn Leaves” from “Nightclub”.
There is something else what I sense with the Contriva’s more then with other speakers: There is a specific volume (plus or minus a few db’s) that is perfect for a specific song or title. Sure it has to do with your room and what’s in it. But when you reach this level then PLOP, you’re transported to the musicians or they are transported to your room, depending on the recording and or mix. All these thing happens also without the Zilpexes, but they make everything much more easy. The do a little bass control, lift the height of the voices, makes your podium wider without loosing dept and many more.. It’s Magic and it’s NOT.

Regards Robert

Argyro, can you say something about the Argento Serenity and Organic cables, since you have heard them both I think?
What is the main difference between the Silver and the Copper cable on the Tidal? I did use the Zu Ibis and now the Argento Serenity and there is much difference..
Thanks
Robert

Hello Audioblazer. I’m familiar with the Watt/Puppies and Sasha and I own the TIDAL Contriva (all ceramic).
Believe me, they have a very fine and deep bass. You even can make some corrections related to your room.
They do not emphasize bass but give a very realistic deep en speedy bass and in line with the (for me) perfect mid and highs. I do play jazz, blues, rock all the time at loud levels with a 120 watt tube amp. I can imagine that a solid state amp is more beefy, but I’m very, very pleased with my bass from my Contriva’s.
Hope this helps.
Regards Robert

Audioblazer, My living room is about
Length 26.3 feet(8 mtr),
Width is 16.4 feet (5 mtr) and the
Height is 10.2 feet (3.1 mtr).
The bass goes very deep without the hill which some speakers have at around 80 to 100 Hz. It is fast and sounds natural and in phase with the music. I don’t have the idea that the impedance of the Contriva is going very low so the bass isn’t drawing too much juice from the amplifier. I did try a 2.5 watt SET and you can make music with it, but not at very loud levels…..
Regards Robert

Calloway - Chalice Audio Grail. If I had the opportunity. 50 Watt’s SET…

Calloway.. Yes, these 50 watts SET must be a fantastic match with your Contriva's.

Hello guys,

Is there already some news from the CES show in Las Vegas?

I have the FLOW loudspeaker cable from Argento for some weeks now and I'm very very content with it. It needs some heavy juice for 50 hours or more but then it settles and improves in smaller margins. It replace the Zu Ibis Cable and then the Serenity on my Tidal Contriva's AC (All Ceramic). It is a speechless match with the Tidals; Neutral and spooky real. Not pushing anything forward literally and figurally as some other contenders do.
Like to hear from you...
Robert

The Sunray has the same Efficiency as the Contriva. It differs, according to the guys from Tidal at; Deep Bass and Bass Precision, Mid-Range, High-Range, Neutrality, Resolution, Precision, Sovereignty and Max. SPL.
And No I didn’t hear to Sunray (I own the Contriva All Ceramic) but Jörn said to me that everything is a step further with the Sunray. Hope this helps, Robert

Hello Tidalists and Wannabees,
Did you read this passionate visit/blog from Part Time Audiophile?

http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2012/08/03/caf12-the-voice-that-is-presents-tidal-dcs-aurender-argento/

Regards Robert

Thanks Linkster.

Hi Rohitmalh,

What is/was wrong with the Devialet D Premier you mentioned earlier? I do read a lot

about this device and many owners do lose their enthusiasm after a while. Can you

describe (in short) what went wrong (tone character emotion)?
Would be nice to know because I was thinking about the NAD M2 driving my Contriva’s,

connected to a mediaplayer......

Thanks
Robert

Rohitmalh: Thanks for your comment on the Class D amp.
And I wish you many many listening hours with the Tidals (like I do).

Hello Calloway,

Do you have a wooden floor?

Hello Calloway,

Do you have a wooden floor?

Contriva G2. Any listeners on the Munich show? ..

Hey Linkster,
I'm thinking of upgrading my All Ceramic Contriva to the Contriva Diacera (diamond tweeters). What are your feelings about this. Can you describe the differences. You are (to my knowledge) the only one that have done this. Regards Robert

Thanks Linkster, I did contact Jörn and know about the hardware. But can you describe what diamond update does for your Piano?
I did own the Avalon Opus (4-way) for 9 years and heard the Eidolon with that amazing diamond tweeters..
Is it a major step forward? I'm very pleased with the Contriva's with the ceramic tweeters and can't imagine that there is a step upwards.
Regards Robert

Thanks Linkster and Bostonbean for your advice.
I will think it all over.... Let you know what I decide to do. Regards Robert

Well done Linkster,

Let us know..