Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada’s National Research Council can be found through this link.

Growing up in Toronto, one of the most multicultural cities in North America, I’ve had the opportunity to experience foods and flavors from around the world. Of course, I’ve had my fill of cheeseburgers and fries, mac and cheese, and other North American staples, but from time to time I also indulge in Chinese, Middle Eastern, Filipino, and many other cuisines. Being of East Indian heritage, I am well accustomed to the rich variety of curry dishes and adore spicy food in all its forms. Of course, not everybody enjoys spicy foods—one’s palate, after all, is truly one’s own.

Listeners’ auditory palates are all different too, of course, and since loudspeakers, like food, vary in flavor and flavor intensity, different loudspeakers appeal to different listeners. In this article I’ll try to give you a sense of the flavor of the T+A Elektroakustik Criterion S 230 loudspeaker.

T+A was founded by Siegfried “Siggy” Amft in 1978. Amft studied physics at the University of Hanover, specializing in plasma physics and electro-acoustics. But after attending a series of fascinating lectures by Professor Fritz Sennheiser, founder of the acclaimed eponymous headphone brand, Amft decided to pursue a career in designing and building loudspeakers. The name T+A stands for Theorie und Anwendung (Theory and Application), reflecting the brand’s scientific roots. T+A has remained a privately held, family-owned company since its inception. It is headquartered in Herford, Germany, and has a workforce of about 100 employees, including 15 engineers. While initially T+A focused and built its reputation on the design and manufacturing of loudspeakers, it later added electronic audio products to its offerings.

Design and build

T+A’s Criterion series of loudspeakers was launched more than 40 years ago. The latest generation of this series, the Criterion S, was inaugurated in February 2024 with the introduction of the Criterion S 230 loudspeaker ($11,990/pair, all prices in USD).

Criterion-series loudspeaker cabinets are built in Europe and follow an art-deco-inspired design language that T+A calls Classic Modernity. The cabinet is constructed of engineered wood (MDF) and features a long sound guide for the bass (T+A’s Multi-Resonator Transmission Line System, claimed to be more effective than bass reflex) and a chamber system with airtight compartments for the tweeter and midrange drivers. The S 230 measures 41.3″H × 12.2″W × 16.9″D, including base and spikes, and weighs 82.7 pounds. It is available in four satin finishes: black, white, light gray, and Macassar (a streaked variety of ebony).

The Criterion S 230, though traditional in form, is quite handsome. It has rounded edges and a gently curved back that soften its somewhat austere appearance. My sample pair had the rich, luxurious Macassar finish, which was impeccable. The S 230 is not a small speaker, but it is slim and unimposing, at least in my midsize room. The cabinet easily passed the knuckle-rap test, sounding very dense. It is no doubt well braced internally. The outrigger feet seemed solidly built, as did the dual pairs of binding posts. The unique wing-nut design of the terminal shrouds made their tightening a breeze.

Technology

The Criterion S 230 is a three-way design employing two 17cm (6.7″) woofers, two 12cm (4.7″) midrange drivers, and a 25mm (1″) tweeter. It has a nominal power rating of 200W and a 300W music power rating. The nominal impedance is 4 ohms, sensitivity is 87dB (2.83V/m), and the stated frequency range is 29Hz–45kHz. The crossover frequencies are 200Hz and 2000Hz.

The Criterion S series incorporates several technologies trickled down from the flagship Solitaire series:

Symmetric Directivity: The S 230’s two midrange drivers are situated north and south of the single tweeter, a configuration known as a midrange-tweeter-midrange (MTM) arrangement. T+A claims its Symmetric Directivity Design, by optimizing the radiation pattern, minimizes reflections from ceilings and floors. Furthermore, the use of two midrange drivers allows each to bear half the burden a single driver would have to sustain and therefore be less susceptible to distortion.

Multi-Resonator Transmission Line System: Traditional loudspeaker cabinets, whether ported or sealed, must trade off bass extension for a smaller enclosure size. The Multi-Resonator Transmission Line System allows the S 230 to achieve higher bass output and greater bass extension than many conventional speakers of similar size do. The transmission line, a labyrinthine guide of precise dimensions that loads the two bass drivers, maximizes low-frequency sound pressure and optimizes transient and impulse response.

OrganicBaffle: While low bass frequencies subject speaker enclosures to structural stress, midrange and high frequencies pose a challenge too. At this frequency range, where wavelengths are just a few millimeters or centimeters long, small structural irregularities—basket elements, screws, baffle edges—affect the radiation pattern and may impose audible coloration. The OrganicBaffle design is said to address these issues. Most notably, the baffles are devoid of external screws, and their edges are shaped for optimal sound dispersion.

Criterion drivers: The Criterion S 230’s long-excursion bass drivers incorporate aluminum die-cast baskets, strong magnets, and large voice coils. An aluminum die-cast basket, one designed with narrow struts to prevent air turbulence and resonance, is also used in each of the two midrange drivers. A strong magnet and a high-quality suspension system is also in use. Both woofer and midrange drivers utilize a cone diaphragm made of a highly damped material stiffened with amorphous wood and carbon fibers. T+A’s StarStabalizer, a central star-shape cone imprint, adds stiffness to the drivers, preventing breakup modes and the resultant distortion.

The tweeter is a new design employing a lightweight magnesium dome coated with a special damping material that eliminates resonances in the upper-treble region, a distortion metal diaphragms are susceptible to. T+A claims the new tweeter has outstanding impulse response, which allows it to reproduce frequencies up to 50kHz cleanly, without excessive sharpness.

Fast Signal Response (FSR) crossover: The S 230 uses a complex, proprietary double-sided three-way crossover designed to optimize imaging and radiation characteristics, as well as phase and group delay. Special internal connection cables ensure these performance advantages are preserved. Moreover, separate boards are employed for the bass-to-mid and mid-to-high-frequency filters, which is said to improve bi-amping and bi-wiring performance. The five-way terminals are made of high-quality brass and are gold-plated without nickel to maximize performance and longevity.

Setup

I placed the S 230s in my acoustically treated listening room (13′L × 8.5′W × 7.8′H) and connected them to a pair of Bryston 7B³ mono amplifiers, each specified to output 900W into 4 ohms, using Audio Sensibility Statement speaker cables. A Bryston BR-20 streaming preamplifier was feeding the monoblocks. My music sources included Tidal HiFi and Qobuz via Roon (using a Roon Nucleus Core), with the BR-20 as the endpoint. My analog source was a Rega Planar 10 turntable equipped with an Apheta 3 MC cartridge, playing through a Gold Note PH-10 phono stage powered by a Gold Note PSU-10.

T+A suggests placing the S 230s as far apart as either is to the listening position—ideally, a distance of 9.8′. In their final position, the S 230s were just short of this distance and 4′7″ from the front wall, almost exactly where my Dynaudio C2 Signature speakers normally stand. After some experimentation, I settled on an unconventional toe-in, aiming the tweeters directly at my listening position. This increased the S 230s’ treble presence and resulted in what I thought was the most natural tonal balance. I found the provided foam port bungs unnecessary, but I did use the supplied carpet spikes.

Listening

I began my audition with some vinyl, starting with LongGone, a 2022 album by a jazz quartet featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, double bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Brian Blade (Nonesuch 075597910018). Right from the start, on the title track, I was engulfed by a full, dense sound with a solid, dynamic bass. The presentation was at once authoritative and relaxed. Mehldau’s piano bloomed naturally with warm harmonics, though its attack transients—the crisp clanking of the hammer, for example, as it strikes the strings—seemed a little soft. But in not drawing attention to itself, the subdued transient presence allowed my attention to be more fully engaged with the flow of music.

Redman’s sax, sounding melodious and sweet, with no bite or aggression, took a well-defined position on the soundstage just left of center at the front wall; Mehldau’s piano sat on the opposite side; and Blade’s drums took center stage, his cymbals sounding velvety smooth, reserving shimmer to only the harder strikes.

For a hard-bop perspective on the Criterion S 230, I then selected a timeless jazz standard, the title track from John Coltrane’s Giant Steps (LP, Atlantic 1311). Coltrane works the sax keys fiendishly fast on this piece, but the instrument still had warm solidity about it and a fully developed, burnished tone. It was a little less vibrant, however, than through other speakers I’ve heard, sounding somewhat subdued and less forward. The cymbals rang clear with a refined metallic sound that was absent of undue sheen and sharpness, sound that had more of a fine-powder quality to it, not crisp edginess. Rapid, successive cymbal strikes were delineated by the agile S 230s’ magnesium tweeters superbly. I heard nothing ungainly or aggressive in the S 230s’ presentation. Even at a high volume level, with peaks above 95dB, they remained relaxed and composed. Instruments were presented clearly and distinctly, and imaging was precise.

Turning to digital, I next played “House,” from London Grammar’s latest album, The Greatest Love (24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Ministry of Sound / Qobuz), a track I’ve found most illuminating in previous auditions. The opening bass notes were nothing less than concussive but at the same time articulate, textured, and agile. The S 230s presented the various synth effects on an enormous soundstage, unraveling their complex layers with great clarity. The soundscape reached beyond the speaker boundaries, but it didn’t envelop me, as it often does on this recording.

“Norbu,” from the soundtrack to Himalaya: The Rearing of a Chief (16/44.1 FLAC, Peermusic France / Qobuz), is one of my go-to tracks for evaluating bass. Through the S 230s, the opening timpani sounded dense and deep, and I could clearly hear the distinctive shudder in their decay transients. The soundstage was deep and expansive, extending well beyond the front wall and reaching out laterally just beyond the speaker cabinets. As impressed as I was with the S 230s’ bass performance, I was awestruck by their presentation of vocals on this track. Voices were astonishingly lifelike and had no artificial sharpness or excessive detail. They were fluid and smooth and not overly sibilant. It was easy to forget I was hearing reproduced sound, to imagine the singers were right there in the room singing to me. To experience this level of realism, this presence, was spinetingling.

I concluded my critical listening with “Shape of My Heart,” from the 2003 album Shapes (16/44.1 FLAC, Decca Records / Tidal), by British guitarist Domenic Miller. The opening bass guitar was impactful and weighty, exhibiting neither oversaturation nor overhang. Its somber tone juxtaposed and heightened the sweetness of Miller’s classical guitar, which was portrayed vividly and dynamically, with very little fret noise. Sting’s distinctive voice was full-bodied, contoured, and soft-edged. Faithfully conveyed in its fine rasp, it sounded wonderfully warm and natural.

Comparison

My reference floorstanding loudspeakers, as mentioned, are the Dynaudio C2 Signatures (discontinued, $15,000/pair when available), which were reviewed in 2012 on Soundstage! Ultra. The S 230 and the C2 Signature both have deep bass extension, digging down to just below 30Hz. While the S 230s sounded fuller and weightier in the bass and had more authoritative presence, they were a little less nimble and revealed slightly less texture than the C2s did. The S 230s were smoother in the midrange, but the C2s were more revealing of the underlying details. In the high range, the C2s’ excellent Esotar2 silk domes had a greater upper-treble presence and were generally more incisive, transparent, and open. The S 230s’ magnesium domes, however, sounded fuller and richer, and their delivery was smoother and more relaxed.

Conclusion

I spent many hours listening to the Criterion S 230 loudspeakers and was consistently impressed by the confidence, capability, and composure of their presentation. As confirmed by the foregoing comparison with the Dynaudio C2 Signatures, the Criterion S 230s performed well throughout the frequency range: bass was prodigious, when that was called for, and had great articulation and texture; midrange was smooth and natural, particularly in its lifelike presentation of the human voice; treble was silky smooth too, well polished but not dazzling. Given its good-natured sonic disposition, the Criterion S 230 proved an extremely easy speaker to listen to for long periods even at high volumes.

What, then, is the flavor of the Criterion S 230 loudspeaker? It is a natural, neutral flavor that, like good artisan bread, goes with everything, and it brings comfort and aids the listening experience and promotes musical enjoyment.

. . . George de Sa
george@soundstage.com

Associated Equipment

• Loudspeakers: Dynaudio C2 Signature, Focal Electra 1008 Be 2
• Loudspeaker stands: Target MR-24 mass loaded with kiln-dried sand
• Rack: Quadraspire SV3T
• Turntable: Rega Research Planar 10 with Apheta 3 MC cartridge
• Phono stage: Gold Note PH-10 and PSU-10
• CD player: Rega Apollo
• Streaming preamplifier: Bryston BR-20
• Amplifiers: Bryston 7B³ monoblocks, Rega Elex-R Mk3 (integrated)
• Music server: Roon Nucleus
• Headphones: Grado SR325e
• Cables: Audio Sensibility Statement speaker cables, interconnects, and power cables; Pangea AC-9 Mk 2 power cables; Zavfino 1877 Fusion balanced (XLR) interconnects; Furutech ADL Alpha Line Plus (RCA) interconnect

T+A Elektroakustik Criterion S 230 loudspeaker
Price: $11,990 per pair
Warranty: Five years, parts and labor

T+A Elektroakustik GmbH & Co. KG
Planckstrasse 9 - 11
D-32052 Herford
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)5221-7676-0
Fax: +49 (0)5221-7676-76

Email: info@ta-hifi.de
Website: www.ta-hifi.de