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In our small video system the Terra III replaced a pair of rear-ported 5.25" 2-way Amphion Argon1. Augmented by a 10" downfiring Amphion Impact 400 subwoofer, the Bulgarian replacement for the Finns played the game at a slightly higher level. On driver integration aka xover intelligence, fine detail and absence of overt voicing, the Bulgarian was thus at least as sophisticated. In this context where attention for sound is dominated by sight, the speaker swap was mostly a wash save for a small uptick of resolving power.
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2-channel video system with Cambridge Audio/Oppo DVD players, Wyred4Sound STP-SE preamp,
Lavardin IT integrated amplifier and Amphion subwoofer
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Time to move into the main downstairs system.
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With ModWright KWA-100SE, Amphion Impact 400 and Track Audio Precision 600 stands with big top plates
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A most excellent reminder. Without the subwoofer, the Terra III's very good top end and lack of upper bass bulge made the sound in the big room a bit too whitish. This meant cubits of air and gossamer refinement, wall-to-wall space, very precise placement and great articulation for dimensional scale. What lacked—duh!—was equivalent scale of gravitas. It's always surprising how short a twist on a superior music subwoofer's throttle is needed to properly anchor the sound. That injects the missing black. Here it acted as quasi counterweight to the obvious speed and liberated energy of the not-there Terra III. In pure augmentation mode to not subject the monitors to an external high-pass filter, the subwoofer contributions were small in quantity but most relevant in gestalt.
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Ported monitors with forced alignments often are too paunchy and ringy to properly mate with a sealed subwoofer. The Terra III's port contributions were subtle. The designer's focus was clearly on linearity and integration over maximizing bandwidth and output. Integration with a subwoofer of Amphion quality thus is 'built in'. Given EBTB's own infrasonic solutions, that's a second 'duh!' moment of course. The Terra III's design genetics also point at intended studio use where accuracy, speed and low coloration are king.
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A most excellent reminder of a happy 3-piece speaker system is a special persuasiveness. Big-speaker safaris over many years routinely forget about it. Psychology factors into it too. Small speakers steal less virtual real estate. No longer do our ears place lateral performers where our eyes see broad-shouldered floorstanders. Less sensory conflict feels like grander and more liberated staging. Does it matter if it's actually not? Nobody can extricate psychology from listening. Then there's lower box talk. With the Terra III, this subtraction goes farther than most. It and proper timing make for exactitude. As a result there's less correlation between the music and from where it's originating. Subjectively in fact there's none. The music exists, the speakers seem merely decorative. One shouldn't underestimate the implications.
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Returning to the €22.000/pr Aries Cerat Gladius 3-way with sealed 12-inch woofers to stay honest showed how excellent big speakers have undeniable advantages of gravitas. Expanded that word for our purposes contains grandeur, substance, gutsiness, fuller embodiment. A parallel attempt at describing it invokes electrostatic vs. dynamic sound. The Terra III solo has distinct electrostatic traits - very quick, very transparent. Adding just one subwoofer as I did turns it into a more fullrange electrostatic sound but doesn't shift the milieu. Two subs might but I didn't have a pair on hand. A third attempt at a core description would talk of a very visual sound where image localization, layering, soundstage breadth and such dominate. The Gladius shifted focus from the eyes on the heart. Now feeling dominated as triggered perhaps by greater dynamic contrast, deeper colors, lower stronger bass and greater overall heft.
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Desktop with Peachtree Audio iNova
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Back on the desktop—and minus the far superior staging—the sensation wasn't unlike that of a premium headfi experience. The degree of fine needle-work articulation on crisp starched linen and the impression of hearing everything was similar. Now the absence of a subwoofer was far less critical and most should perhaps say irrelevant. Here I'd peg bass solid to about 55Hz with some boundary reinforcement below. Perhaps because the drivers are angled upwards and in close proximity, the ultra-short distances of nearfield listening didn't become problematic. I still didn't hear two speakers. The stereo illusion worked at some 60cm away. And despite the psychological and actual reflective barrier of the HP2710m monitor, I had surprising stage depth (admittedly easier to appreciate with the eyes closed).
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Self-congratulatory closure. I bought these speakers unheard. I love everything about them for my application. This brings in psychology. Honest compliments feel nearly gratuitous now. Writing a gushing review first, buying the speakers second would have been the ticket. Hindsight. But it wouldn't have gotten me into the desired custom colors. Foresight.
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Aries Cerat Gladius in background to make a point
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But even with deliberate restraint on the gush valves there's still an obvious upshot. The Terra III performs very much like the very linear and brilliantly integrated Amphion Argon1 for a known quantity, albeit with even superior low-level resolution. And as much as I appreciate the understated Finnish cosmetics, I love the Bulgarian finish and form factor more. These are ultra-modern sculptures with a high degree of customization options. But they're art second, ear gear first. Those aspects are simply inextricably intertwined. It means that shoppers of serious sound who do not feel too old or conservative to get hung up on the aesthetics must treat the EBTB Terra III like other high-performance small monitors below €4K. This one simply costs €2.200 due to origins. Even so it goes about enclosure craft in ways most 5 x costlier competitors who pride themselves on exotic aluminum work won't match.
Was Everything But The Box crazy to pursue their industrial design fancy and perhaps scare away serious listeners? Does the market really need another small box speaker? Not. I simply didn't realize that the EBTB team had their acoustic engineering act this together. Other than looking decidely different and being a small two-way with all that implies, the Terra III has to make no apologies. Truth be told, I feel quite smug now. And that's still wondering what the Bulgarian's own mondo subwoofer might add to the equation. Bang & Olufsen for thinking folks? Something like that...
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Quality of packing: Very good.
Reusability of packing: Many times.
Ease of unpacking/repacking: A cinch.
Condition of component received: Flawless.
Completeness of delivery: Perfect.
Human interactions: Very good.
Pricing: Being a design statement with nearly unlimited custom color options, good value.
Final comments & suggestions: None. This is a mature very finely calibrated 2nd-gen product.
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