Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Audio Physic Tempo 1 Speakers by yoyo

Model:	Tempo 1
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$3750
Description:	Full range, two way floorstanding speakers.
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Physic
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Physic

Review by yoyo on November 01, 2001 at 06:40:08
IP Address: 209.91.250.192

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for the Tempo 1

I have been auditioning these speakers for about one month.
Physical description:
The speakers have a pure aluminum 1â€ tweeter with diamond embossed shape surface, and a 6.5â€ coated kevlar mid-bass driver. The crossover is a very simple first order design and the enclosure is a 43â€ very rigid and low resonance veneered MDF ( I think 1â€ all around). The crossover in in a lower compartment that can be filled to mass load the speakers, this compartment is separate and sealed from the one housing the drivers. Interestingly enough the internal wire is a very thin ( gauge 30 or higher) solid core silver wire. The speaker has bi-wire capabilities via 4 WBT binding posts. Finally the front end is slanted at 7 degrees to time align the drivers and the enclosures are mounted atop metal bars ith adjustable spikes.
Related system components:
Welltempered Classic turntable and aluminum Classic arm. Tweaked with Music Direct armwrap, Dynamat Original applied to the fluid cup diameter, between the cup and the cup-base, under the cup-base, and to the undersurface of the platter.
Sumiko SHO Reference MC cartridge, VDH retiped.
Cardas Hexlinc 5, or XLO Reference, or Custom made interconnects and speakers cables. Have tried the speakers with all of them at diff. Times. The results obtained have been of the same basic character.
Custom made digital coaxial cable. BNC connector at DA end and RCA at transport end.
Creek 4040 s2 as phono section. Not on par with the rest of the system, but its not a bad sound for the moment being. Upgrade to a higher quality phono coming next.
TEAC VRDS T-1 CD transport. Very good sounding, the same mechanism as used in some of Wadiaâ€™s expensive transport. Has a full disc clamping mechanism.
Monarchy Audio 22A dual 20 bit DA. With tweaked power supply. This is not a latest tech unit but it has very good quality components including dual BB PCM63K chips. Same as used by Linn in their Numeric DA.
Adyton Opera Integrated amplifier. 60 watts/ 8 Ohms, class A amplifier. Incredible sounding amplifier made in Norway by the people that make the Statement amplifier for FORSELL. Detailed but sweet sounding unit, very rhythmic sound. Audiophysic used to be the German distributor for Adyton. Both companies used to develop products together, and the Tempo 1 was supposedly voiced with this amplifierd. The amplifier sits on top of three BDR carbon fiber cones.
Room. All concrete, 10.5â€™ by 13.5â€™ with 8â€™ concrete ceiling. The speakers are places in the middle of the room with the seating position against the wall.
The sound:
These speakers are very revealing, if placed according to the manufacturerâ€™s recommendations produce a very wide and detailed soundstage. One thing that might be disconcerting to the listener is that due to their unbiased voicing they produce deep satisfying bass in some recordings ( down to 34 Hz says the manufacturer) but in recordings lacking some, it will be lightweight.
They produce a very nice and tight low bass, a somewhat lightweight mid-low bass, a slightly pronounced mid-high, and a detailed but not strident highs. I filled the crossover enclosures of my speakers with about 30lb. of silica each which helped ameliorate the low mid-bass lightness.
My experience with these speakers can be summarized as follows. They will do the HF with detail but not in a strident way. The mid highs will be a bit forward, so careful in system matching on that, but the sound is not chesty or crude. The mid-low bass will be a little bit recessed, but we all have weaknesses. Finally the low bass will be there and in a tight and controlled fashion, no disco party or rap bass here. To me this is a refined and detailed sound that I like a lot, albeit in some recordings you feel the need for some more mid-low bass.
A Stereophile review of the Audiophysic Virgo their sound was describe as Porsche and not Corvette when compared with the NHT 3.3, I agree, that is in my experience the Audiophysic sound, fast and tight!

Product Weakness: weak mid-low bass
Product Strengths: immaging, detailed sound, deep and controlled bass, relaively easy to drive, nice sense of rythm and pace.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Adyton Opera
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	WTT Classic
Speakers:	Audiophysic Tempo 1
Cables/Interconnects:	Various
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	classical, opera, jazz, tropical, not rap ( sorry if I offend!)
Room Size (LxWxH):	10.5 x 13.5 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	furniture
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1.5 month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	various
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	weak mid-low bass
Product Strengths:	immaging, detailed sound, deep and controlled bass, relaively easy to drive, nice sense of rythm and pace.