Tidal Speakers owners

Kclone, your comments about the Tidals are right on target for my experience. I had changed too many things at the same time and decided to get to the bottom of the major improvement I was hearing. My Contriva Discera SEs were placed in my room the same day I got a new version of my H-Cat preamp and a day after I got Synergistic Research Galileo Universal interconnect Cells. I showed some patience but within several days all of the new stuff was in the system and being played with the Tidals. I went through two weeks of daily improvement. Once I had some leveling off of the improvement, I decided to see what was contributing by ultimately removing everything other than the speakers and also using the old version of the preamp. Ultimately I had everything back in but on this older preamp. It sounded very good, until I put the new version in. Once it settled in, I just sat there and listened to disc after disc. There was realism that I thought was unobtainable in home audio reproduction.

Like you, I am very happy, but additional dollars into my system. Thus far, only non-audiophile friends have heard this system, but the look on their face says it all, they are dumbfounded and typically sit down to listen or ask for some specific album. On hearing it they comment that they had never really heard it before.

I have owned 27 prior speakers in a long career in audio, and I have listened to many others including the Magicos and the Marten Coltrane. I have never heard the "magic" that I am getting now. Wow!

Hi Alec, last year I had the occasion to compare quite closely the Marten Coltrane Momento with the Tidal Contriva (with other source and amps, but certainly no slouches on either system), so that is one number higher in the Marten hierarchy against one number lower in the Tidal hierarchy. I had noted my detailed impressions in a thread that was deleted meanwhile, but the key differences were that the less expensive Contrivas showed better homogeneity and Marten couldn't hide traces of ceramic hardness, dare I say "grain". Mind you, Marten makes great speakers. But it is the seamless coherence and see-through capacity that sets Tidal apart: you hear music, understand the musician's emotional state, as opposed to hearing (good) gear reproducing music.

It is indeed the "magic" that Tbg mentioned that makes all the difference, just uncanny!

Karelfd, tonight my system jump another notch in sound quality. The sweetness of the top end, the decay of bass notes, the audibility of the conductor's movements, the clear audibility of the percussionist's movements before striking, etc. You would never hear it as I did unless you were the conductor or sitting front row center and somehow elevated to stage level. The mics have the best seat in the house.

It probably is not entirely the Tidal Contrivas, but they certainly are needed to present it to my ears. Wow!

Wow Karelfd, I better go listen to the Tidal.
Tbg, could you share pics of your new speakers?
Alec

Alectiong, yes, I have been meaning to update my system pictures. I would warn you about hearing these speakers-do so only if you are ready to invest in them. It was the best audio decision I ever made.