The 100 Euro Sound
Contents
So what does such a duo sound like? We can look at this in two ways. Objectively and in relation to the amount invested. And that would yield two extremely different conclusions in this case.
Just the reproduction
If we start listening dry without looking at the ratio, the whole is just very restless, flat and not refined. We really miss calmness. It is particularly “in your face” and the balance between low and high is not right: the treble is far too prominent. And that is also almost impossible to get right, because the tone control seems to make haphazard adjustments as soon as you turn the knobs. There’s no telling how much you adjust.
Is this outcome due to the composition? Nope… we honestly don’t think so. The Phantom, as mentioned, is not a difficult speaker. And we know the character of the Phantom very well: it is quite mild and really lets you hear enough to make an assessment. Really pleasant in-wall speaker that can also put down a big picture with remarkable depth.
Of course, you get used to everything. Our brains just recalibrate so at some point we are no longer bothered by the imbalance. The bizarre thing is that when we shift back to the other side of the room for a moment, we find the TAD system sounding a bit dull. Right. that’s how powerful our brains are. After another 10 minutes or so, everything in our heads straightens out and we are shocked at how powerful this biological processor is. Watch out for that!
In proportion
The price / quality ratio is just excellent of course. After all, what can you expect for just over 100 euros? Not that much… and frankly, this system does deliver more than “not that much”. It may not be refined and it lacks balance, but it plays well above what you should expect for 100 euros. With some nice 2nd hand speakers and a PC as a source, this is certainly not bad.
