Listening Tests and Evaluation
I was fortunate enough to be able to do some A/B testing comparisons using an Adcom GFS-3 three set speaker selector box and a pair of Boston Acoustic CR65s I use in my secondary setup, which is designated for mainly TV and limited movie usage. I removed my Boston Acoustic VR3s from my dedicated home theater setup and mounted the TSC and BA speakers on some makeshift stands in the same location as theVR3s. I calibrated the P6-PRs, then checked to see if there were any differences in the levels for the CR65s. Fortunately, both speakers were almost identical in level settings, so I could perform the A/B back and forth to compare the two very closely on each track evaluation without any setting changes.
For my listening tests of the TSC P6-PRs, I used the following based on the clarity of presentation of each recording, diversity in genre and my own familiarity of each piece. They are:
Queen - Keep Yourself Alive (The DVD Collection: Greatest Video Hits 1)
Steely Dan - Chain Lightning (Citizen Steely Dan: 1972-1980 - Disc 2)
Donald Fagen - Snowbound (Kamakiriad)
Michael Penn - This & That (March)
Propellerheads - Better?, Take California (Decksandrumsandrockandroll)
Soundgarden - Fell On Black Days (Superunknown)
Blue Man Group - Time To Start (Complex Rock Tour DVD)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mellowship Slinky In B Major (Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
Stephen Stills - Tree Top Flyer (Stills Alone)
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (Time Out)
Most of the material was CD based and listened to in two-channel mode in order to get a clear image of how these sounded by themselves, although I did use the 5.1 tracks of the DVDs to get a sample presentation of their use as small mains in the event one would like to use these in a budget setup. Though two-channel mode was used, I did incorporate a sub as I (as well as much of Audioholic's review staff has repeatedly noted) would not suggest any speakers of this size and capabilities in a two-channel/home theater environment with the use of one unless light duty was their focus. While some may want to use these w/out a complementary subwoofer, I decided that the vast majority interested in these would do so with.
Based on extensive listening of the material noted above, the P6-PRs seemed to have a good soundstage and separation based on their size and FR. I felt the midrange was somewhat pronounced, quite similar to other Infinity speakers I've owned in the past. The upper frequencies were slightly sibilant (female vocals, cymbals, etc.) at higher volumes, however I believe only during critical listening would this be noticeable. For their size and stated frequency response, I felt the P6-PRs had decent bass response, not as tight as other 6.5"s I've owned and listened to, but not a quibble at this price point. From what I've been able to gather, the P6-PRs seemed to perform best with rock material, doing well on techno also. I chose not to drive the P6-PRs too terribly loud or for extended periods, but for the average louder listening levels (up to ~85dB), they handled the power provided well without much noticeable compression. I also performed some brief testing of these with a few movies (The Incredibles, Master & Commander, Kill Bill, Vol. 1) and the results were similiar to what I've noted for music, though due to the incorporation of 5.1 and the lack of a timbre matched front soundstage, I was less critical in this scenario than I would be in an evaluation of a full 5.1 set.
As for the comparison results, I have had the CR65s for a couple of years now and been satisfied for their use in their setup, I was quite familiar with their performance. In A/B'ing the two speakers during several runs of the same tracks, I found the CR65s did not quite have the same separation and offer as wide a soundstage as the P6-PRs. The bass response from the CR65s were not quite as deep, though the bass produced was tight. Some of this may be due to the size difference in the woofers (5 1/4" for the CR65s, 6 1/2" for the P6-PRs), but the FR for the TSCs are slightly lower at 60Hz whereas the BAs are listed at 65Hz, so this would make sense. I did prefer the higher frequency response of the CR65s as opposed to the P6-PRs as well as the slightly more laidback midrange, but this is more subjective and is my preference, so your mileage may vary.
Those looking for an inexpensive pair of mains, surrounds or light duty stand-alones, I'm relatively positive the TSC P6-PRs should provide as a suitable solution and would feel confident recommending these as such. While aesthetically the P6-PRs aren't works of art, they aren't distracting, either. The fact that TSC offers free shipping and a 30-day money back guarantee on any of their speaker offerings, I can't see why one wouldn't consider, at the very least, evaluating these in their home to see if they're right for your needs.
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Equipment used:
Emotiva MMC-1 Preamplifier/Processor
Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~five Amplifier
Boston Acoustics VR12 (C)
Boston Acoustics VRXs (SS)
Yamaha DVD-C750 Universal DVD Changer
Phillips BDP9000 Blu-ray DVD Player
(2) TC12-OEM DIY Subwoofers
Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Console PF31
Tripp Lite HT10DBS Isobar Surge Suppressor
Adcom GFS-3 speaker selector
