As a Tree Surgeon Eastbourne employee and an avid audio enthusiast, I had the pleasure of exploring the TACT S2150 digital integrated amplifier from TacT Audio. Drawing on the esteemed technology of their Millennium amplifier, the S2150 offers a promising audio experience. With its potential to deliver high-quality sound and performance, this amplifier captures the attention of discerning music lovers. To gain a comprehensive understanding of its capabilities, I recommend diving into the technical specifications and expert reviews. As both a professional in the tree care industry and a devoted audio aficionado, I find the S2150 to be a compelling choice for those seeking a powerful and refined audio solution.

No issues so far.

You have a nice product! Thanks pre-owned chanel bag

none so far

Looks good at its price. Recommended by the best drywall contractor in Owensboro. I'm satisfied!

None so far.

I’ve never had any trouble with mine and it’s still going strong after all these years. Sounds amazing. Powers my Dynaudio speakers with ease. Sound has an overall smooth feeling to it compared to my other modern amps which I love. Non fatiguing would be the most accurate way of describing it, These amps are going up in price every year. Grab one while you can. You wont regret it. Check our site!

None . .

Sounds good when it works.

Can't be guaranteed that you will ever own a properly working unit.

A Terrible Experience With Tact Audio USA
In chronological order here is an account of my experience after purchasing a Tact 2150 XDM amplifier:
1. Directly out of box the amp was defective. The standby function didn't work and, when I contact Boz (the company owner), he informs me that this is probably a defect in the controller board. He promises to ship to me a replacement board immediately.
2. A month passes and, when I inquire, I find out the board hasn't even been shipped.
3. When the board does arrive it is the WRONG one.
4. I wait another few weeks before the correct board finally arrives (we are now up to six weeks). The replacement turns out to be defective as well (but with a different problem). This time the front panel stops responding to commands a few minutes after each power up (powering down is the only way to reset).
5. While I've been patient up to this point, I'm starting to get concerned about the support and integrity of the company so I request a refund. This is refused by both Tact and the dealer (Jeff Stake).
6. I am forced to pay for shipping back to the company for repair.
7. Despite Boz's promise that this problem will be looked after immediately the amp isn't returned for a month.
8. When the amp does arrive it is COD and I have to shell out another $80 to UPS. While this is beyond outrageous it gets worse... much worse.
9. Upon opening the box I discover that the amp had been dropped or terribly mishandled in some way. ONE CORNER OF THE ALUMINUM FRONT PANEL HAD BEEN BADLY DAMAGED. Even though this kind of damage is completely impossible to do during shipment (with each corner of the amp encased in 2 of very thick heavy plastic foam that would be impossible to penetrate even with a hammer), Boz lies and claims that the amp was received in damaged condition. Here is a link to a picture of the damage: Tact Audio amplifier damage
10. When I attempt to take measurements I get bizarre and completely unacceptable readings and am forced to reload the firmware myself before the amp even functions.
11. To add final insult to injury it turns out that initial defect (where the standby function does not work) has NOT even been corrected.
12. In frustration I posted an account of the above events on the Audio Asylum website at Tact Audio post .

The resulting outrage stirred up amongst the audiophile community "appeared" to shame Tact into promising to replace the amp. They made the following public pledge on the Audio Asylum site through their Aberdeen Components sales rep (Anthony Padilla):
"I will personally check the (new) amp over and test its many functions, and condition. Then I will send Gerry his new amp. Upon Gerry approval of his New amp, he will send back the damage/broken amp back to TacT audio. All shipping will be on Tact’s tab."
(That post can be found at Tact Audio response.)
They kept me dangling with promises for another month while the furor died down and then reneged on the promise. No replacement amp was ever delivered.
13. I am now stuck with a $3000 defective and damaged amp that I can't resell.
Suffice to say that I will NEVER do business with Tact USA again and I would caution any new buyers that it appears that the company has deteriorated to a point bordering on criminal.

Customer Service

Read the above.

Similar Products Used:

Tact 2.0s

room correction
volume level correction
listening position correction
digital-to-analog converter for digital inputs
reduces the need for ugly acoustic treatments on the walls

no analog inputs in the XDM version

This review is for the TacT S2150 XDM Integrated Digital Amplifier with Room Correction

Right out of the box, with no room corrections or other fancy tricks, I thought the sound of the TacT S2150XDM was fine. I'm familiar with Class D amplifiers and already had expectations for extraordinary detail and neutrality. Using the same digital source, I really wasn't expecting it to sound much different from my Bel Canto 300iu.

But it did. The Bel Canto has a warmth to it, a musicality, that feels a little like a tube amp. I'm not sure if that quality is really present in the recordings, but I like it. Maybe it comes from the analog circuitry combined with the digital, or maybe it's because the ICEpower amplification licensed from Bang & Olufsen is designed to make compressed 192kb audio files sound good from the B&O music players. Whatever the explanation, I really enjoy the sound.

The Bel Canto also scores points for elegance of design. The remote has a Mac-like elegance to it. When pressing mute, the volume drops off smoothly instead of abruptly cutting out. The Bel Canto design team has an intuitive sense of the art of interface design.

The TacT is more a work of engineering, more of a PC than a Mac. The box and the remote are not as stylish or elegant. The sound also lacks a little of the warmth that I appreciate about the Bel Canto.

At this point in my listening, my conclusion was that, though the 2150XDM has an excellent neutral sound, I don't think it justifies the extra money compared to the Bel Canto, if used purely as an integrated amplifier. The TacT costs an extra $1300 for the S version or an extra $1800 for the M, compared to $2300 for the Bel Canto. For the extra money, the room correction really has to offer something special.

As a test, I set up room correction and volume level correction. It was relatively painless, though I did have to repeat the measurements several times before I quite figured out the interface and was sure that I'd saved the right configuration.

With the PC software interface, I looked at the frequency response measurements. They were not good. My room sure doesn't measure as well as the speakers in theory can. My room has no particular problems with it, in fact it's better than many, though I don't have wall treatments or quite the optimal furniture arrangement. But there's nothing much I can do about it.

I also saw immediately that my subwoofer wasn't integrated very well with the mains. The level was a little too high, and the crossover caused an even larger bump at about 50 Hz. Before going any further, I lowered the crossover point, turned down the gain, and set the subwoofer at the simplest default parameters. That way I won't have to remeasure the room response next time I accidentally bump the subwoofer adjustments. In 'default' mode, the sub measured a little lower than the main speakers, about 3 db too low. But I decided to let the TacT take care of that.

With the subwoofer settings settled, I went a little crazy with measurements using the included microphone and long cable. I took measurements at each of three listening positions on the sofa, and also on an arm chair much closer to one speaker than the other.

Using the PC interface I loaded level adjustments so that the perceived loudness would be the same across the full frequency range at all volume levels. Then I let the TacT automatically apply room correction based on the measurements and its default reference curve.

What a difference it makes! My low frequency sound matches up nicely with the mains. I've got a preset for each seat in the room so the music sounds better even when I'm not in the sweet spot. Also, I appreciate the effects of the level correction when the volume is turned down low.

The sound has a slightly different quality than tube amps or the Bel Canto, and there's something more to the difference than the frequency response curve alone can explain. It takes a little getting used to. But for me it's well worth it because of the dynamic room correction and listening position settings.

At a list price of $3600, the S2150XDM is not cheap. But for what it is -- an audiophile quality integrated amplifier with the most advanced Class D technology available, including built-in digital-to-analog conversion plus programmable room, level and listening position correction -- it's a tremendous bargain. A solid state Krell or Classe integrated, or an integrated Macintosh tube amp, costs more without the DAC or fancy features.

Only the Bel Canto integrated beats the price. The Bel Canto comes with 4 analog inputs and a built-in DAC for a single digital input from a computer using a USB cable. It has a beautiful design and a marvelous sound. Really, it's up to you if you have the extra money for the 2150XDM or think it's worth it. If not, I certainly can understand. And you might be interested to know that I'm putting up for sale a very well loved Bel Canto...

Similar Products Used:

Bel Canto 300iu
Krell KAV400
Classe separates
Bryston, SimAudio, Macintosh, etc

Great and clean sound of all range. Bass control. Modularity. Design.

Absolutely none. Maybe the remote quality (compared to Linn remote)??

I've used a combo Linn Kolektor/LK 140 (I'm a Linn fan) for a few years and I was very happy with. But LK 140 is lacking of bass. Bass are not very deep and detailed then I decided to replace my amplification. I was looking for a famous Linn KLOUT wich is very expensive on second hand market. Chance has driven me to take a look on TacT products and the opportunity to get a S2150. For me, digital amplifier was still far to be in my house and after reading some reviews I finally jumped. I said "Chance" because the result is absolutely fantastic, incredible. I've never expected a so great sound at home. Every time I've heard sound so detailed, controlled and spacious, it was always with system 3 times more expensive. Once you heard a so exceptionnal bass control, you can not U-turn for analogue amp. And another important thing (for me) is that this amp is not fatigue listening. Forget your fears and doubt about digital amps. Only a single cable between the CD drive and TacT. That's all. I highly recommend to give a listen to this amp before purchase. My setup: Linn GENKI (as transport) Tact S2150 Jm Lab Electra 906 Subwoofer Jm Lab SW 700 S Cable : SOBEK digital from Hi-Fi Cable et Cie (Paris) QED X-Tube (loudspeakers)