Audiophilepure

So you’re trying to build a time machine out of a 1973 AMC Pacer. You want to time travel back to the mid-70s to hear the glorious midrange sound of an original pair of Quad ESL-57 loudspeakers. I hear ya. I get it. I have audiophile dreams like this too.

Then again, maybe you don’t need to risk life, limb, and a whole lot of 88 mile-per-hour speeding tickets to get that midrange sound quality? Today, in the summer of 2025, a current-production bookshelf monitor exists that sounds remarkably similar to a vintage pair of ESL-57s. With decent tube amps driving them, Charisma Audio’s Caprisse bookshelf speakers can deliver the same sonic quality and breathtaking midrange purity as Quad’s legendary electrostats.

Down through the last 40 years, I’ve owned two pairs of Quad ESL-57s and three pairs of ESL-63s. The Caprisse reminds me—fondly—of a vintage pair of ESL-57s. It has lightning-fast transients, lifelike PRaT, and magic in the midrange. The genius of the Caprisse is that it doesn’t need a large room to create the jaw-dropping sound quality of an old-school electrostatic floorstander.

If your listening room is small to mid-sized, do yourself a real favour and audition these speakers. It’s far easier than trying to get a vintage Delorean up to 88 miles an hour.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/system-one/2010-the-original-treble-clef-audio-tca-m-loudspeaker-over-100-000-for-visually-polarizing-precision

Coincidentally, just before finishing this review, I saw Daniel Lanois in concert and later had a chance to speak with him briefly. I would have loved to ask how the bass range on this track is really supposed to sound, which is something only the people behind the recording could know. But this wasn’t the time or place for that conversation, nor would it be fair to ask Lanois to recall the sound of something he recorded 30 years ago. For now, what the most faithful rendition of this recording is remains a mystery. At least in my room, whatever Siig is doing in the bass does result in a rather distinctive sound.

Conclusion and continuation

What’s not a mystery is that Treble Clef Audio’s first (and presently only) loudspeaker is expensive, wild-looking, well-built, and technologically advanced. All that would be for naught if the speaker didn’t sound good. No fear there—it certainly does. Its strengths include true full-range sound, meaning bass down to 20Hz and highs at least up to 20kHz; a free and open sound, which, as I mentioned above, probably has a lot to do with its unique construction; neutrality through the entire audioband, provided you have the bass dialed in correctly; clarity across the whole audioband, meaning details never get obscured; and an articulate, impactful character of the bass region that deserves further investigation by yours truly and, perhaps, you—that’s if you get a chance to hear a pair.

Clearly I’m not done with the TCA‑M yet, since there are many things left to fiddle with. If you’ve read this far, you surely realize that there’s more to come.

However, if you crave the surgical precision of active ATC loudspeakers—with their hand-crafted drive units, in-house made active crossovers and onboard amplifiers—renowned in studios and homes of discerning musicians and audiophiles around the world, if you desire the wondrous magic and powerful delivery of premium active loudspeakers, the ATC SCM40A may be the right fit for you. If you don’t already have a quality, high powered amp or don’t want the extra expense or hassle of setting one up, the ATC SCM40As may be your mainline entry ticket to next-level auditory bliss. 

As such, I highly recommend the ATC SCM40A loudspeakers for your consideration.