 T+A
M-System DVD820M DVD Player / PT820M Preamplifier-Tuner / DD820M 5.1 Digital
Decoder-Amplifier / PA820M Stereo Amplifier
Sometimes you can be blinded by your prejudices. I realize
that's one of those statements worthy of an eye-rolling "duh!" of irritated
teenager intensity, but that doesn't prevent it from being true.
In the case of the T+A M system, I committed the cardinal
sin of judging it as lightweight, "pretty" gear simply because it was too
compact and stylish to be "serious." Even after Stirling Trayle, T+A's US
importer, walked me through the system's list of features and technologies, I couldn't
shake the sense that it was too good to be true.
I was impressed by Trayle's recitation of sonic virtues and
convenience features -- and the M system did seem packed with intelligent,
high-tech design -- but I wasn't a true believer.
Not until I received my audition samples, that is. The
stuff weighs a ton, which speaks well of both its thick aluminum cabinetry and oversized
power supplies. And, once I flipped open the hinged panels that mask the rear of the
system’s components, the sheer density of connections also spoke of its versatility
and comprehensive design.
T+A gear may have pretty faceplates, but they also have guts,
as a look inside indicates.
You can't judge an apple by looking at a tree
T+A isn't well known in the US -- yet -- but it's not a new
company. Quite the opposite, in fact. It has been around since 1978 -- and wipe that smirk
off your face, the name stands for "Theory + Application."
The multichannel/multifunction M system is an extension of
one of T+A's best-regarded systems, the original stereo M system midi stack, which is now
considered a classic blend of audio performance and industrial design. The new system
maintains the original's clean lines and expands upon its legacy of technological
excellence by integrating circuit topologies, not to mention analog and digital advances
the company had developed in designing its reference-quality R series (duh, I get it -- R
series for "reference" and M for "midi").
The four M components are all the same dimensions
(11.75" wide by 11.75" deep by 3" tall), which means that together they
form a cube approximately 1' per side. The two amp modules have blank faceplates. The
PT820M has a large display and eight control buttons, and the DVD820M has a drawer and
eight buttons laid out in the same pattern. The casework is thick, anodized aluminum, and
the hinged rear panels cover all the wiring, so the M stack is pretty enough to put on a
pedestal.
One thing that separates the M system component stack from
anything else remotely like it is the way that T+A has organized its functions. If you
have no interest in multichannel operation, you can configure the M components as a pure
stereo design -- simply pair the PT820M preamp-tuner with the PA820M power amp. And, since
you won't be watching any movies, substitute the CD820M CD player for the DVD820M. Voilà
-- a three-component stereo.
This division of functions also enables the M system to
establish a brick wall between the analog and digital applications of the multichannel
system. The digital signals don't even occupy the same chassis as the basic stereo analog
functions -- nor does the video signal. That's all contained in the digital-decoding
amplifier: the DD820M.
The DD820M also contains another three channels of
amplification, which means it serves as processor, video switcher, and additional amp.
Further, it contains a subwoofer control system (called the T+A SubLink system), which
handles the bass management for the various input options. (When paired with an
"appropriate" subwoofer, the DD820M assumes management of the bass signal,
switching off any of the sub's internal filters and frequency-response settings for
surround and engaging them for stereo operation. You can even set the sub to play at
different levels for each mode.)
 The M stack also employs
the M bus system, which links the various components with a ribbon cable that carries
power and implements the system's impressive "floating ground" scheme, which
completely separates the ground paths of the analog and digital sections of the system.
Logic commands also travel along this path.
Then there's the system's power management. The component
stack contains two high-performance power supplies: one in the PA820M, the other in the
DD820M. That means that the DVD820M and PT820M don't contain their own power supplies,
which eliminates mains-generated interference, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio.
There is a drawback to this approach, however, which is
that it calls for relatively long connections between the central power supply and the
remote units. T+A gives each component its own voltage-stabilization section, as well as
hefty local reservoir and buffer capacitance. This keeps voltages stiff and free from sag
throughout. T+A claims the total capacitance of the system is "greater than
50,000uF."
Another innovative aspect of the T+A system is its use of
powerful annular-core transformers, which boast carefully optimized windings claimed to
minimize stray magnetic fields. The transformers are clad in three layers of magnetic
shielding.
Because the annular-core transformers have virtually no air
gap, they generate far smaller magnetic fields. However, the smaller gaps can leave the
cores open to severe magnetization if the AC voltage contains DC currents (a fairly common
occurrence). Therefore, T+A developed sophisticated DC filters that strip direct current
from the incoming AC.
Because the compact DD820M is so densely packed with power
supplies, amplification, and processing, things can get hot in there (and in the PA820M,
too). T+A has designed an "intelligent" power supply that includes cooling-fan
control. The system analyzes the signal requirements in the processor and sets the fan
speed and operating voltage accordingly.
You can't judge one by looking at the other
The $2150 PT820M is designed to offer pure analog sound,
without compromise. Signal paths are short, and parts quality is exceptional. The volume
control is a unique two-stage design that puts the first stage at the inputs, while the
second stage is situated at the outputs to insure low noise, good channel separation, and
linearity at low signal levels.
T+A places great importance on "generating absolutely
clean and stable operating voltages." As a result, it packs the PT820M with immense
reservoir capacitance, "of a magnitude generally only found in output stages, while
the finest linear voltage stabilizers located directly at the sensitive analog amplifier
stages supply a level of voltage stability which is usually associated only with
batteries."
Got that?
Another welcome feature in the PT820M is its tuner section,
which is most decidedly not an afterthought. It's a double-regulated,
quadruple-circuit FM front-end, with a dual-gate MOS tetrode input. It boasts dual-band IF
(narrow/wide), hand-selected filters, and a pair of precision, tunable FM demodulator
circuits. Other features include tuned MPX filtering (19kHz and 38kHz) and RDS. This is a
preamp for the serious radio listener.
You can add either an MM or MC phono module -- both of
which have switchable capacitance, impedance, and sensitivity.
The $4595 DD820M’s three amplification channels are
identical to the stereo pair in the $2350 PA820M. Its decoder is completely software-based
and, therefore, upgradeable. The signal processor is a Motorola DSP56367, which performs
750 million 56-bit operations per second. The iteration I reviewed supports Dolby Digital
(AC3), Dolby Pro Logic II (with Cinema, Music and Matrix modes), DTS mono/stereo
(including Downmix), Mono-I/Mono-II (for two-channel TV sound), as well as a few choice
DSP fields (Disco, Church, Jazz Club, Stadium -- the usual motley crew). Digital decoding
is performed by Burr-Brown 20-bit A/Ds and four separate Wolfson 192kHz/24-bit D/A
converters. The op amps are sourced from Burr-Brown and Analog Devices. The capacitors are
WIMA FKP polypropylene jobbies.
T+A includes an automatic calibration program in the
DD820M, which calculates surround-channel levels, channel delays, and loudspeaker
distances. This requires an external microphone (included), and makes the whole procedure
as easy as pie.
The $3350 DVD820M is based on T+A's reference DVD1230R DVD
player, featuring a superb DSP-based oversampling system, a symmetrical double-mono
24-bit/384kHz D/A converter, and an expeditious jitter-reduction circuit. The drive
mechanism is a modified version of the famously smmooooth SD3, which guarantees
"outstandingly low bit-error rates." It's a versatile dual-laser transport that
can read DVD, CD, CD-R, CD/RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, and DVD-RW. In addition to the normal
video and S-video outputs (which are passed through to the TV set via the DD decoder), the
DVD820M features a special high-quality video output for projectors, which supports YUV,
as well as RGB.
Can you believe T+A packed all of that in a cube barely one
foot to a side?
You can't judge honey by looking at the bee
When components are as compact as these and offer the sheer
quantity of connection options they do, the small amount of real estate dictates that
things will get pretty tight on the rear panels -- and when you add a hinged cover, as the
M system does, things get even tighter.
Possessed of bigger-than-average fingers -- and blessed
with a complete lack of hand-eye coordination -- I ended up with bleeding knuckles after
connecting everything together. I assume this is due to the natural bloodthirstiness of
German technology, since I have never managed to work on a German automobile without
sucking a certain amount of gore off my knuckles. I have no idea how T+A can overcome the
basic equation of small rear panels + lots of connections = cramped quarters. I
certainly wouldn't want them to cut back on options, but be prepared to do some sweating
and squirming to get this system up and running.
The M system has to be stacked in a particular sequence
because of the ribbon connector that carries the logic function to all of the components.
The two-channel amp goes on the bottom, the digital decoder-amplifier goes above it,
followed by the preamp-tuner, and the DVD player sits on top of the stack.
Then you need to wire the digital link from the DVD player
to the digital decoder, and analog connections from the DVD player to the preamp-tuner and
from the preamp-tuner to the digital decoder-amplifier. There's also a subwoofer link that
goes between the preamp-tuner and the decoder, as well as an analog subwoofer connection
(and a subwoofer output, of course). Then there are the speaker connections -- two
complete sets on the stereo amp (speakers A and B) and three pairs on the
decoder-amplifier.
Have I left anything out? Of course I have -- analog inputs
for the preamplifier, including a tape loop, for instance. There are also video inputs
(STB composite and S-video) and video outputs (composite, S-video, and component).
There's also that nifty little calibration microphone input of the digital
decoder-amplifier.
Once you get everything connected, however, you can drop
those hinged covers and forget all about that bunch of spaghetti back there. Out of sight,
out of mind.
Literally, the hierarchical menu structure and automated
set-up program mean that you can do pretty much anything you have to do from your comfy
chair, with the frosty drink of your choice close to hand.
You can't judge sugar by looking at the cane
Even after the M system impressed me with its build quality
and intelligent set-up system, I continued to underrate it. When I had finished the set-up
procedure, I grabbed the nearest DVD to my equipment rack, which turned out to be The
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I almost thought about finding something -- shall
we say? -- better, but then I reckoned I could take a few minutes of a good bad movie just
to see if everything was working.
I sat transfixed for nearly an hour before I surfaced from
Alan Moore's fantasy. The picture was eye-popping, and the sound was brash, bold, and big.
Dark scenes (and League is filled with 'em) had detail and an almost weighty
blackness to them. The outdoor scenes in Africa almost had me reaching for my sunglasses.
As for the colors, this is what a comic-book movie is supposed to look like: a
heightened version of reality.
Given that level of DVD performance, perhaps I should not
have been surprised when I switched from HT surround to two-channel music. You'd think
that the way that T+A had separated the digital connection to the decoder and the analog
connection to the stereo preamp might have given me a clue about how seriously the
company took stereo playback, but I still persisted in thinking of the M stack as a home-theater
product (which it is, of course, but a most unusual hybrid sort).
But, no, my ability to be wrong in ever new, creative ways
didn't let me down now. As the first notes of Mozart's clarinet concerto (K 622)
(Antony Michaelson; Michaelangelo Chamber Orchestra [Musical Fidelity MF017 CD]) wafted
out of the speakers, my jaw nearly hit the floor. It was glorious. Mellow, warm,
light as air, and solid as dirt. It was, hands down, the best stereo musical performance I
have ever heard from a "home-theater system."
Part of that is the sound that engineer Tony Faulkner and
producer John Atkinson had coaxed out of the master tapes -- but I've heard many
spectacular recordings that lost something when played back on systems optimized for
multichannel playback. The T+A is a stereo that's also an amazing HT. Is that different
from other high-end HT systems? Possibly not in theory -- and perhaps not even always in
practice -- but it's a rare critter that does both well in my experience, and the M system
does it better than any of the ones I have any experience with.
That may be an important distinction to make. The most
versatile (and costly) processors available tend to offer functions the T+A doesn't, like
video switching, for example, or ostensibly improved forms of multichannel playback such
as ES. The T+A has Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II, as well as DTS, plus a few DSP options
-- and that’s pretty much it. It doesn't have multiroom outputs built in, or numerous
extra inputs. It really does seem to be aimed at a consumer who values stereo music
reproduction most, but wants to enjoy high-quality home theater, as well. Turn those
priorities around and it might prove a tad limited -- but if the T+A is on your
wavelength, it's a killer.
You can't judge a fish by lookin' in the pond
There are many ways in
which the TAG McLaren Audio AV32R DP 7.1 processor and DVD32R
PSM192 DVD player offer better video processing, newer DSP, and greater computational
power. Heck, they ought to, given the price (and you'd still need to buy seven
amplifiers). I'll even grant that the TAG McLaren's picture is sharper than the T+A's and
the surround sound is more enveloping with seven channels (although not three times
better, just better), but the T+A is good enough in those areas.
That sounds grudging, but it isn't. The T+A is really,
really, really good, but the TAG McLaren (and others) are better. However, if I
wanted to sit down and intently listen to music, the T+A would be my system of choice.
This was driven home to me when I received a copy of Susan
Graham's and Pierre Laurent Aimard's new disc, which marries a selection of Ives' songs
with his Concord Sonata [Warner Classics 60297-2 CD]. Concord Sonata is a
devilishly hard piece to pull off -- it teeters on a divine fulcrum between moments of
immense lyrical beauty and intense polytonality. Aimard gives the work its finest
performance to date -- and the T+A delivered that performance with power and propulsion --
even when the score abandons bar lines and ventures off into unexplored territory. If
Aimard's interpretation was convincing, it was in no small part because of the way the
M-stack delivered all of his nuance and mind-expanding eclecticism intact.
Graham, too, was well served by the T+A. She sings 17 of
Ives’ 100-odd songs -- and once again she amazes with her intelligence, wit, and
superb vocal control. Graham's a revelation -- and her Ives is completely convincing.
At least it was through these components.
You can't judge a book by looking at the cover
I went from being a skeptic to a true believer with the T+A
components. They are beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use, but the system really won
me over with its refined musical reproduction combined with its first-rate home-theater
experience.
It's not an inexpensive system -- for real
bang-for-the-buck, it's hard to beat a contemporary A/V receiver-based system. But if you
can afford the T+A's ticket price and you're looking for a system that is compact and
stylish, while being unwilling to compromise on quality, the T+A M system is a real
winner.
No, on second thought, the real winner is anyone
lucky enough to own an M system stack.
...Wes Phillips
wes@onhometheater.com
T+A M-System DVD820M DVD
Player/PT820M Preamp-Tuner/DD820M 5.1 Digital Decoder-Amplifier/PA820M Stereo Amplifier
Prices: DVD820M, $3350 USD; PT820M, $2150; DD820M, $4595; PA820M, $2350.
Warranty: Three years parts and labor.
T+A elektroakustik GmbH & Co. KG
Planckstraße 11
D-32052 Herford
Germany
Phone: 0049 52 21 76 76 0
Fax: 0049 52 21 76 76 76
E-mail: Info@TAelektroakustik.de
Website: www.taelektroakustik.de
US distributor:
Quartet Marketing Group
P.O. Box 751360
Petaluma, CA 94975-1360
Phone: (707) 762-0914
Fax: (707) 762-8473
E-mail: strayle@myquartet.com
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