Tidal Speakers owners

It's the second day with Contriva Diacera SE, they are full of surprise!!
They are very sensitive to positioning, I make a bigger toe-in, around 15 degree today, sound image becomes much better. And I take one inch apart to each end, WOW, I couldn't believe the transformation!!! Only one inch, sound stage is way much wider and brighter.

My friend who has Marten Design Coltrane, thought they would sound similar since both use Accuton units, after he heard Contriva, he told me "no, it is completely different" Contriva is very full in mid-range, the density is close to ATC kind of level. Coltrane is in different school of sounding, clean and airy, I will go to his house to hear them again by myself.

To me, I always miss the mid-range of ATC, but they are difficult to deal with in some aspects. But the mid-range of ATC melt me in if the recording quality is right. Contriva bring me the level of mid-range density again, with more balanced way. ATC is more like studio monitor type of speaker, direct and accurate, but make me fatigue to digest for long hours.

I still don't know how Tidal achieve this, I got all information from the music, very detailed, but the music just flow out nicely, even in high volume, I can still feel calm and comfortable, I can talk to someone without shouting. Not like my all previous speakers. So far, this is the most respectable achievement to me on Tidal/ Contriva.

Quanmer, I am concerned about where you are attempting to install the shorting wires. They do not go between the binding posts!!! You will see two small holes below the binding posts. You would short your amp were you to put them across the binding posts.

Calloway, with mine I prefer :
Tweeter shorting wires 'attached' : For highest resolution with this full open treble setting. Maximizing on the diamond tweeters.
Bass ports 'both unplugged' : Although bass not as extended nor as tightly controlled (fell a little short) as when plugged, it produces a slight boost in output at around 30-35Hz which helps to pressurize bigger rooms. Slightly airier and fuller sounding this way too.

*Plugs ON top ports : Most linear and deepest bass, sealed-box like response, but the feeling of effortlessness in the mid and high could at times feel a tad restrained.
*Plugs ON lower ports : Sounded somewhere in between the two above with more articulate midbass.
*Tweeter shorting wires un-attached : Attenuate tweeter output by 2db, easier listening at some expense in transparency and resolution. Helps tame if you have excessive brightness in system.

As to which set of combinations ultimately work best for one would largely be room and system dependent. But certainly nice tools to have being able to tailor and fine tune sound to our room and liking.

Bvdiman, personally I think the shorting wires rob the realism that caused me to buy the Tidals. I must say also that I use a Zu Method super fast subwoofer with my system along with a Synergistic Research Base Station in front of it as well as the two Contrivas. This made the bass the best I have ever heard, at least in my large room.

I know full well that these adjustments are provided to adjust to individual rooms and that personal experiences cannot really be shared.

I went to audit Marten Coltrane today, my friend is right, Coltrane and Contriva are two completely different animals even they use similar Accuton units and diamond tweeter. And they are in same price range. Physically, Coltrane is much smaller than Contriva, about 2/3 the size.

My friend use ASR Emitter I integrated amp for Coltrane, I heard Emitter once with other speakers, I don't know how much the electronics affect the sound, what I heard base on the combination, Coltrane is vivd, airy, EXCELLENT image. Contriva has been discuss enough in this thread, high density, a bit conservative in treble, yet all details are there, in its own understated way to interpret musician / singers' elaborations. Maybe sacrifice a bit of pinpointing capability.

If you asked me which one I would choose, haha , you know the answer, Coltrane is an amazing speaker, but it lacks some qualities I considered the most important -- involvement, maybe ASR is not a proper match to Coltrane, or maybe wires are not right, violin sounds awful and piano sounds artificial to me. The vocal and soundstage are defiantly in very high class category, but something is missing,,,..intimacy, yes, it is the word I want to use.