T+A Elektroakustik Solitaire S 540 Floorstanding Loudspeakers

A three-way bass reflex with 33" magnetostat tweeter, seven 3.5" x 2.4" oval mids, and four 8.5" bass drivers.

Both the Solitaire S 530 and S 540 incorporate an unprecedented array of custom high-end technologies. The Mag850 magnetostat is fully developed in-house in Hereford, Germany, and uses 64 high-performance magnets. It extends 33" down the cabinet alongside seven elliptical StarStabilizer midrange units that handle the frequency range from 150 to 2,000 Hz.

T+A calls this system Cylinder Wave Technology: a revolutionary concept that generates a homogeneous sound field between the loudspeakers, and effectively minimizes the disturbing influences of the listening room. Between the long ribbon and the oval drivers, they created flat sound waves with most of the energy directed towards the listener. Sound radiation towards the ceiling and floor, the biggest cause of unwanted reflections is vastly reduced compared with other driver designs.

The Mag850 Driver

With a system length of 33" and a rear volume of more than three liters, the Mag850 uses 64 magnets in a single line to offer unhindered performance.T+A's Draft Control System eliminates sonic disturbances. The magnetic field is a constant, even, powerful force at each individual point of the diaphragm, with its area of more than 79 square inches. The diaphragm also operates permanently in the linear part of the field, which means that the Mag850 constitutes a classic line source. Alternative designs are susceptible to partial oscillations and excess travel at particular points, which are harmful to sound quality, but the Mag850 avoids these effects both effectively and efficiently. The result is speed and precision comparable with electrostatic treble units, without having to accept the drawbacks of such systems, such as high operating and power supply voltages.

The Bass Drivers

The S 540 has four high-performance bass drivers in a bass reflex system that are side-firing instead of front-firing. The better a bass driver performs, the more it moves and tends to transfer vibration to the cabinet. By having two drivers on each side, T+A is able to couple the cabinet sides and use the opposing forces of each driver to cancel out harmful vibration and resonance. Thanks to this design, the speakers form a harmonious unit, delivering an unbelievably dry, clean, high-pressure bass combined with mids and highs that are utterly devoid of frequency interference.

Fast Crossovers

Solitaire S speakers come with sophisticated, double-sided Fast Signal Response (FSR) three-way crossover units. These play a crucial part in the outstanding imaging and dispersion characteristics of the system as a whole. Accurately calculated and optimized for superb transient and transmission behavior, they effortlessly process even extremely high levels, and ensure that all three frequency ranges are correctly driven. The filter stages and bandpasses are optimized for phase and group timing.

T+A even employs special cable for the internal speaker drive unit connections. Since the magnetostats are capable of handling more than 50 kHz, T+A uses its own coaxial cable which can reproduce even the highest frequencies without losses. Bass, mid and treble ranges can be fine-tuned by means of switches. Since the circuit boards for the bass and midrange areas are completely separate from each other, the Solitaire S is ideal for use in bi-amping arrangements.

Specifications

Type: 3-way bass reflex

Drivers
Bass: 4 x 8.5" (220 mm)
Mid: 7 x 3.5"/2.4" (90/60 mm) oval
High: 1 x 33" (850 mm) magnetostat

Impedance: 4 ohm

Frequency Range: 20 - 45000 Hz

Sensitivity: 88 dB

Crossover Frequencies: 180 Hz, 1800 Hz

Dimensions (HWD): 58" x 12.6" x 20" (148 x 32 x 52 cm)

Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)