[SwanSong]

I am auditioning the A5x's now, and a sub is not needed at this point. Im looking for a nice tube DAC, cabling and power cables first. I like what I've heard about the grant tubedac 11, any thoughts? The a5x's have a very tight bass and eventhough my heart was set on subs I don't think they are a priority after listening to these monitors in my 8x13 listening room. There are a couple of tracks where I know the LF goes deeper but that's only about 10% of my listening. I was just reminiscing in my planning stage because my former setup in a larger room also, was ifinity 4.2 setup with carver amps and carver hologram CD deck with a vinyl sound.

I've lost more great audiophile setups in my life. My all time favorite was audiophile technic turntable with 8 in rosewood cabinet, $500 Shure, carver preamp and amps driving bi-amped ADS towers, with my dragon nakamichi tape deck at the center. I can still remember going to that place we all dream about while listening to music over and over. Well back to 2012, starting from scratch with MBP with a few mp3's on a external HD. But the A5x's have a great sound with excellent detail now I just need to select a DAC that can warm them up without losing detail.

Thinking about:
Tubedac 11
JK-ubsspdif mk lll
Pangea power cords for a5's + dac
Cardas clear USB
Kimber coaxial
I am using some monoprice coaxials for now from my MBP to the A5's via a 3.5 RCA adapter. I may have to stay with them since 25ft is pricy for better RCA cabling.

I feel better now this has been good therapy

 

[valtopps]

man im ready to buy the swan m200mklll's at auido insider , is there a cheaper price then $439.00 at some where else?

 

[alexsj]

Quote:

you seriously need a bigger desk

Agreed that the reviewer needs a bigger desk.  Great review but the speakers seem to swallow the desk up.  I've checked out the swans before and decided against buying them.  They look great and nicely spec'ed but I'm skeptical of using large monitors for a nearfield set-up.  In my experience, I've had 2 problems: one is that they do eat up a lot of desk space that I need for work; the other is that I have found that large speakers don't image as well as smaller ones.  These swans might just do the trick, though, because they are apparently built for nearfield listening.  I know when I tried out my audioengine A-5s on my desktop I thought that they didn't image right.  The audioengine P-4s that I am using now work great on my desktop.  I need a pair of active (or powered) speakers for my work office and I'm thinking of picking up the airmotiv 4s.  But I'm really glad to see a review of the swan T-200; there is not much on the web about them.

 

[Herky151]

Quote:

man im ready to buy the swan m200mklll's at auido insider , is there a cheaper price then $439.00 at some where else?

They are actually that much plus a ton of shipping. (My shipping brought it up to 498.) 

 And i looked all over, but if you live in the us, thats just about the only place to get them through. 

 

[hubsand]

I know the T200B and the M200 II + III very well, and have some A5X, too. To me, there's a big jump up from the M200III to the T200B, relative to a small improvement in power and finesse moving from the M200 II > III.  The A5X has laser-insightful treble, but the T200B is such a complete all-rounder - for general non-studio purpose, it's a much sweeter and not much less truthful device than the Adams.

 

[valtopps]

hey hubsand, is the 200mklll worth thr money for the sound you get out of them and would you need s sub with them

 

[Herky151]

Well the sub is up to personal opinion, and it also depends on the music that you plan to use them for. Just in terms of my opinion, I love them. The one issue I do have with them is they are a little bit on the big side, but they are pretty enough that I don't mind that they are the center-piece on my desk. 

 

[HxCKhaos]

Couldn't resist....
 

 
Custom built win7 comp. Using foobar, wasapi output.
 

 
Audio Processor: Emotiva UMC-1
Amplifier: Emotiva XPA-2
Computer: i5 2500k, nvidia gtx 660 ti
 

 
Speakers: Swan T900F
Subwoofer: Emotiva Ultra 12 x 1
 

 
No eq is applied except for the subwoofer to counter nodes and nulls.
 
I originally wrote the T200b review last year. My writing skills were subpar and my perception of audio as a whole was lackluster. Since then, I am much more knowledgeable on audio related matters and can provide better accuracy and description for any questions you guys might have. I no longer have the T200b's, I sold them off and upgraded to the T900F's. I sought after a more immersive sound, something that provided an extra level of realism. My musical preferences have also adapted to this new found fidelity. I find myself looking for the highest quality music I can find. OSTs really bring out the magic ingrained in these speakers. Guilty Crown's OST is a benchmark album I'd recommend to anyone testing the fidelity of their new speakers.
 
There are a couple of things I have discovered and I feel that anyone looking into the T200b's should consult me now if they require an updated view. Mind you, I base everything off of a faded auditory memory. I will say that the review's final score of 5 stars is still accurate but instead I may be able to explain a couple things in a different light.
 
- Kh[a]os

 

[hubsand]

I think the M200 Mk II is better value, but the Mark III does add power and finesse. A lightweight Fostex sub works well with them, but they're not conspicuously LF-shy.

 

[HxCKhaos]

I had the MKII's and whole heartily recommend the MKIII's.
 
The MKIII's are a much more "fun" speaker while the T200b's are a much more "accurate" speaker.
 
MKII's felt lacking to my ears. The MKIII's beefier amplifier allows a smoother bass response and an overall fuller sound.
 
If you like to listen to music critically and every nuance of detail matters, the T200b's are the speaker to get.
 
If you like to listen to music as a background thing, just to enjoy it and not focus on fidelity, then the MKIII's are beyond a doubt a better choice.
 
I'd also recommend the MKIII's>T200b's if you are a rock fan. The T200b's have better separation and clearer sound, which works well for classical, vocal, electronic, and other non-distorted music where as the MKIII's have a superior bass response and a more forward sound signature approach, which is much better for rock/metal.
 
- Kh[a]os

 

[analogue 3]

Great review. I'm actually considering getting a pair of these and this review was really helpful. Since my aim is to go straight from my DAC (XLR out) to the speakers, powered/active speakers look the way to go. Having said that, considering that these speakers have been out for 3 years or so, I was wondering if there's anything else (active) which is a viable, similarly priced ($700 in US and £700 in the UK) competitor.
Cheers

 

[dclaz]

How good does a DAC or soundcard have to be to make the most out of speakers like this? Will something like a Audioengine D1 or a Schiit Modi do the trick or will you benefit much more from something like a Cambridge Audio DAC magic plus or Xonar Essence One?

 

[valtopps]

I don't think you need the latest and greatest dac, but a good dac is a must for good sound. ive got the mkiii with a musicstream ii+ and just love the way they sound.

 

[dclaz]

  I don't think you need the latest and greatest dac, but a good dac is a must for good sound. ive got the mkiii with a musicstream ii+ and just love the way they sound.

 
Cool cool, I'm thinking of grabbing the ODAC.
 
What is the remote for the T200B like?