T+A Elektroakustik Solitaire S 430 Floorstanding Loudspeakers

A three-way bass reflex with 2″ magnetostat tweeter, two 6″ aluminum mids, and two 8.5″ aluminum bass drivers.

The Solitaire S 430 is the entry point into T+A’s world of reference loudspeakers, a range that effortlessly solves for the differing, often contradictory, demands among appearance, construction, and maximum audiophile performance.

The S 430 uses the Symmetric Directivity midrange system and T+A’s new magnetostatic treble driver. The design considerably reduces the influences of the listening room.

The core of the Solitaire S 430 is the handmade Mag50 magnetostat, which has been developed and produced entirely in Herford, Germany. It uses a WaveArray conductor, developed specifically for this application, whose conductive aluminum is etched onto a carrier film using a photochemical process. The slightly undulating course of the conductors is carefully calculated to prevent harmful linear modes.

The Drivers

A Draft Control System ensures that the flow characteristics in the Mag50 are efficient, and turbulence at the magnets is minimized so that even the tiniest negative influences are eliminated. In spite of its length of just 50 mm, the ten magnets deliver ample drive power for impressive sound levels. Harmful distortion normally generated by small magnetostats is prevented by the deliberate modulation of the magnetic field and refined damping and absorber measures. In terms of sound quality the Mag50 offers the precision, speed and resolution of an electrostat, but without the need for a supplementary power supply.

Bass is handled by two newly developed long-throw 8.6″ aluminum drivers. They are protected by T+A’s StarStabilizer technology against natural frequencies and diaphragm break-up even at extremely high travels. All the moving components and magnet systems are of such sophisticated construction that they remain stable against non-linearities even at the absolute extremes. A large cross-section bass reflex system, precisely calculated to match the cabinet volume and chassis parameters, ensures outstandingly good low bass reproduction, which is remarkable for this size of cabinet. 

Symmetric Directivity

The two aluminum midrange drivers and a concentric magnetostatic tweeter form a system T+A calls Symmetric Directivity, which combines dynamic advantages with a well-defined sound dispersion behavior. By using two 6″ Star Stabilizer midrange drivers, the excursion of each individual chassis is halved, the distortion factor is reduced, and the linearity is increased. The precisely calculated control of the mid-range drivers and the Mag50 tweeter by the FSR crossovers significantly reduces disruptive room influences caused by indirect sound and reflection. As a result, the Symmetric Directivity System ensures a large sound stage, real depth, perfect signal response, and precise localization of all voices and instruments.

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: 2 x 8.5″ (220 mm)
Mid: 2 x 6″ (150 mm)
High: 1 x 2″ (50 mm) magnetostat

Impedance: 4 ohm

Frequency Range: 29 – 45000 Hz

Sensitivity: 86 dB

Crossover Frequencies: 200 Hz, 2200 Hz

Dimensions (HWD): 46″ x 10″ x 17″ (118 x 26 x 44 cm)

Weight: 106 lb (48 kg)