Напольная акустика — T+A Solitaire S 430

From the Solitaire S line of T+A, the German manufacturer in Herford, comes the Solitaire S 430, a three-way tower priced at EUR 25,000, GBP 23,500 or USD 29,900 per pair in listings from 2023. It is one of three floorstanders in the line, with the S 530 and S 540, and it uses a magnetostatic tweeter made by hand in Herford, with technology derived from T+A's own planar headphones.

Key specs that matter

At the top of the frequency range works a 50 mm Mag50 magnetostatic driver with a WaveArray conductor. Two 150 mm aluminium midrange drivers with StarStabilizer are arranged around it, and two 220 mm long-throw aluminium woofers handle the bass. The FSR crossover divides the range at 200 Hz and 2,200 Hz. Frequency response is 29 Hz to 45 kHz, sensitivity is 86 dB at 1 W and 1 m, and impedance is 4 ohms, with a measured minimum of 3.2 ohms. Power handling is 200 W nominal and 250 W music power. The speaker measures 118 x 26 x 44 cm (H x W x D) including the base, and T+A gives the weight as 55 kg.

Engineering and use context

A magnetostatic tweeter drives a thin film diaphragm through conductors printed on its surface, placed in a magnetic field, so the whole film moves instead of a dome driven at its edge. The Mag50 is based on the drivers of the TPM 3100 and TPM 2500 headphones. The StarStabilizer on the midrange cones suppresses cone break-up, and placing the two midrange drivers symmetrically around the tweeter forms what T+A calls its Symmetric Directivity system for controlled dispersion. A Draft Control System manages airflow around the magnets. FSR, for Fast Signal Response, is T+A's crossover design, and rear switches give three positions per frequency band. The bass reflex port fires downward. Cabinet walls are 30 mm thick and the baffle 35 mm, reinforced by a recessed aluminium plate, and the cabinet tapers toward the rear in a shape T+A compares to the bow of a boat. Finishes are high-gloss black, Macassar and Arctic Silver, with a black or silver aluminium baffle and matching magnetic grilles. Bi-wire terminals are fitted.

Pairing

The moderate sensitivity and a low minimum impedance call for an amplifier able to supply high current, T+A's own power amplifiers among them. The heavy cabinet suits rooms of 20 m2 and more.

Alternatives

The T+A Solitaire S 530 is a larger floorstander of the same Solitaire S line, above the S 430 in the range.