I've been wanting to get some Spicas for some time and recently found the TC-60 for sale in the local CL. I got them and noticed right away the tweeter was cutting out and not working right. I replaced it and still it cut out. I then had both crossovers rebuilt and upgraded and everything worked properly - SCORE! At first the units sounded just so-so comparing to my JBL-112s and Vandersteen 2CI. The secret with these speakers is to place them properly and insure you got the ultimate location. It takes a bit of trial and error but once you find the sweet spot these babies are awesome! The real difference was when I angled them in and from there I tuned in the perfect spot. The sound is amazing to the point where they kept up with my other speakers. Once you find the Nirvana spot life is grand! These babies can sing for their age.

On the negative side these speakers are not meant to blast out your Led Zeppelin. They are great sounding speakers on the low and mid volume areas. I would recommend using Subwoofer with these speakers. Gave it the full effect once tuned in. Overall I'm very pleased with these speakers and the sound quality at times is better than the Vandys. If you can find some Spica's floating around - grab them! John Bau knew what he was doing when he designed these speakers. Glad these babies stayed in New Mexico! I was using Emotiva PreAmp/Yamaha MX-800 Amps Bi-Wired. Compared with JBL L-112 and Vandersteen 2CI.

When it comes to sitting back and listening to your CD collection, the SPICA speakers will give you all you want. The sound stage is all there. Close your eyes and you are in the room. That is all there is to it. Spica with the precise and well configured cross over is so far superior that it compensates for the oft mentioned low bass response. Having said that, they may not be for everyone, but, hey, that's all right too. Once you get on the Spica train it is real hard to get off. I have been enjoying Spica's since my first pair in 1991 purchased at Stereo Exchange and have gone to Ebay to continue the love affair. Tonight enjoying tremendously a -for me - new set of TC50's. Ryan Adams never knew he could sound so good!

The Spica TC-50 is perhaps the best imaging speaker ever made regardless of cost. Despite being produced in the late 80's it still creates an amazing soundstage and imagery that can't be beat. They are warm sounding speakers designed for music at moderate levels. They do not handle deep bass very well and therefore do not work well in home theatre. They also have limited volume and while producing a jazz club or orchestra amazingly, they are unable to reproduce concert level volumes.

Because of their incredible (almost magical) transparency, they are very hard to pair with a subwoofer with maybe the exception of the Kinergetics which were designed around the TC-50s subtly extending the TC-50s into lower octaves. The Kinergeics are also subtlely transparent to a point you have to check they are even on some times.

Nice speakers for the musical audiophile interested in reference quality sound.

Open, non-boxy, sound. Decent bass and even freq. response right up to 20Khz (far surpassing even later series -50's which are rolling-off @ 17K). Attractive cabinetry with real-wood veneer. That unique baffle design that helps eliminate diffraction and (almost) makes them sonically disappear. More output that you might expect from a speaker its size. Reputedly better parts inside than other SPICAs.

Headbangers need not apply. Grille material can get tatty with old age. Limited support from Parasound as far as driver replacement. Not too easy to mate with subwoofers as they are ported (in the back) though they don't huff-and-chuff like some reflex speakers do...

First off, I'm going to have to disagree with a prior reviewer. Either he's listening to TC-50's (which I have owned) or his pair of -60's aren't up to par. I figure my TC's are putting out their full-spec frequency range of from 48hz to 20Khz with more than enough (medium sized) room-filling sound. Also, once up on properly positioned stands, TC-60's do good at their famous "disappearing act"; though not as good as the TC-50's do (which present the most 'boxless' sound of any enclosed speaker IMHO). That they don't totally disappear is a function of their going lower than -50's wherein they become more directional due to their greater Bass output. Well - that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it :)

Similar Products Used:

LS3/5a, TC-50s (both old and later versions); Fried; Boston Acoustics; Phase Tech.

One of the most transparent box speakers ever made...phase correct design...1st and 4th order crossover network

Highs are rolled off at 12-14khz which results in muted sound...limited bass

I have owned these for 6 months and feel they would be a good investment for anyone building a starter system or vintage system. However, they are by no means the last word in detail so I have decided to upgrade. A groundbreaking product back in the day but easily surpassed by modern technology. On par with the likes of dq10s but not as price inflated. Imaging, soundstage depth, and incredible transparency are still in tact. However, with digital technology and ever increasing high frequency output these come up a little short. Dont buy these unless they come with the custom stands. If you listen to vinyl these would make a good match...although as stated they are a bit rolled off...which produces a "dark" tonal character. They are a 4ohm load.

Similar Products Used:

dq10s,maggie mmg,monitor audio studio 2,vandersteen 1c

Imaging and soundstaging that have to be heard to be believed, beautifully transparent midband, truth of timbre

Bass speed/integration, highs roll off prematurely, one of the greatest set-up challenges extant

I picked up my TC-60s at a closeout sale at Audio Advisor, and have been dealing with that decision ever sine; in my 10+ years as an audiophile, I have never owned a more infuriating, recalcitrant, thoroughly unsettling piece of equipment. When I first set them up, I was not only unimpressed with their sound, I was afraid they were broken. After several weeks, I was still confused; in some ways they sounded good, but, overall, they still sounded decidedly mediocre. I had them sitting on an extremely heavy pair of sand-filled Target stands, but I couldn't get them to sound very good no matter what I put between the speakers and the tops of the stands, or how much I tilted and/or toed them in. I spent the next several weeks trying every possible combination of stand/positioning/ancillary equipment I could come up with. Finally, very late one night, after having spent the previous 3 or 4 hours cursing and fuming, I GOT EVERYTHING RIGHT. The arrangement I ended up with could barely have looked more ridiculous -- the speakers were waaaaaaaaaaaay out into the room, toed in so that I could just barely see the inside edges of the cabinets, and sitting on two pairs of other speakers! (One pair of Boston Acoustics towers, lying on their sides, and one pair of original PSB Alphas). The speakers were angled upwards a bit as well, perhaps 15 degrees or so. Once I had the speakers set up this way, I couldn't BELIEVE what I was hearing. The soundstage was UNREAL, completely filling the 12-14 feet of space behind the speakers AND the nearly 30 feet to the cathedral ceiling! Not only that, but voices were rendered with astonishing realism, instrumental timbres were absolutely beautiful, and the speakers went louder without strain than I would have imagined possible. But, and here's the kicker, I could never, no matter what I tried, get the bass to integrate very well with the rest of the frequency spectrum. It also sounded somewhat 'slow', making the entire presentation sound a bit syrupy and removed from reality. So the TC-60 is a truly great speaker with an achilles heel (actually two, if you count the rolled-off highs). I've since moved on to a full-blown home theater rig, but I still keep my Spicas around. I set them up once in a while, invite a few friends over, and watch their jaws drop. I still love the TC-60s, flaws and all.

Similar Products Used:

Vandy 2Ci (nice but unremarkable), PSB 500 and Alpha, ProAc Tablette (another fascinating, flawed design)

Holographic midrange and fluid highs. Bass can hold its own for most music. Distinctive design and looks.

Deepest bass needs augmentation by subwoofer (using an M&K for this purpose. Hard to match a center channel with it (currently using a Signet LCR...works pretty well. And of course...the company and John Bau are no longer in the business.

It really is a shame that John Bau has left the business (read an interview and he has left the business completely and does not appear to be interested in returning to speaker design and manufacture). The TC-60 (and arguably the Angelus) are a fitting tribute to his skill as a designer. The midrange continues to be glorious...smooth, focused with a wide soundstage. Currently driving it with a Sonic Frontiers SFC-1 tube integrated (50 watts per side). Have also tried solid state (Citation series from H/K...yields a bit tighter bass but gives up some imaging). Subwoofer pairing helps from home theatre applications and music at higher levels. (I have an older M&K VA-1 12" subwoofer being used with the TC-60's). Would love to see more reviews from current TC-60 owners and suggestions on parts/mods etc... Maybe with enough fans expressing their views, John will come back to the art of speaker design.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity Overture 1. Jamo Concert series.

Midrange, highs, soundstage

Low bass output

I replaced the full size Near 50Mes with these Spicas. The Nears had great sound, including low bass extension, but the drivers were constantly failing. I had them repaired 4 times in two years. I traded them back to the dealer for the TC-60s w/ stands. I am VERY happy. They don't have the bottom end of a large floor standing speaker, but they do pretty damn well for their size. I run them with a Hafler 9300 Trans Nova 150wpc. I can't crank them too loud on anything with heavy bass, but I think a subwoofer with a 80hz high pass would solve that problem. I would be interested in hearing from any other TC-60 owners who have found a good sub.

Similar Products Used:

Near 50me, Energy Take 2

Near field listening, image placement, musicality

Lower octaves

I have owned 3 different sets of these speakers, the first upon initial introduction by John Bau in the late 80's. For their time and PRICE, NOTHING beat them and they are still damn good in their own right today. The Audax drivers are not capable of extreme dynamics, and power handling is something to be careful about. At one point, I had replaced these with Celestion 600's , only to return to the Spicas, which lacked the high end, but were much better in the midrange. and fuller sounding. I recently planned to use 5 of these for HT with a powered subwoofer, but felt they lacked the dynamics and strength to handle the transients of DVD material. I chose to spend a lot of money to upgrade to Dynaudio Geminis which really embarrass these, but hey, considering the Spicas' price and vintage they are great. I DO find these speakers (I have the TC-50 not the 60 models) VERY musical, although today's newer tweeters are much more revealing than the earlier Audax models used here. Crossover design is VERY complicated on these, and mine used Bennic caps, which could be replaced with Solens, but would probably cost a fortune due to the number used in the design. The cabinets also could be less resonant, and should have internal bracing,but again, for the cost they are fine. I see these on eBay regularly for $250 - $300 and for that price, there is little out there that can touch them and CERTAINLY nothing new for that money. A GREAT speaker in the realm of the Dahlquist DQ-10's or Rogers SL 3/5a meaning that for their time and place, they were terriffic and STILL a pretty good listen today.

Similar Products Used:

Moved on to Dynaudio Geminis