Black Transparent One Encore Powered Speakers - Bluetooth, AUX, USB, Optical, Analog - Bookshelf PC Speaker for Home Theater Audio

Bottom line up front: Serious sound quality. Natural sounding, full spectrum sound. Neat, tidy little footprint. Worth every penny, and is a heavy contender if not a clear champion in this price range. Not only against powered speakers, but complete rack-mounted separates as well. These are perfect for a small to mid-size room, and mine are doing double duty as TV speakers and sound system from a PC playing HD digital. The built-in DAC means you can connect a computer with a USB cable (included) and use the Vanatoo instead of your sound card. The optical input makes it easy to connect your TV. Bluetooth means you and your friends can play music from a phone and stream easily.After initial set-up these sounded good, and were about what I would consider from their size. Nice detailed highs, but mids were very slightly lacking and bass was recessed. What would you expect from a 5” woofer? Then I set them to burn-in with my computer music library set to shuffle/repeat and left my house. Twelve hours later, I returned home to hear a completely new set of speakers. The bass, oh my, the bass. Natural, tight, clean, and punchy; no bloat, not muddy… very nicely controlled. These things sound good. Really good. Excellent clarity and detail, with a very natural sound signature. Listening to these is like listening to a really nice pair of Sennheisers for the first time. Imaging and spacing… yes. Yes, please.I tested from the USB out from my PC (fantastic, especially with HD 24bit/192kHz digital tracks), I tested from the TV with optical, and I tested Bluetooth from my phone. Bluetooth is noticeably less quality, because of the limitations of Bluetooth, but it still sounded great. Just playing MP3s from my Amazon library and it was so easy to just forget about comparisons and critical listening and just enjoy the music.I did run into an issue with trying to connect them to my Samsung TV through the optical input; no sound would come out. An online search proved that the TV sound output needs to be set to PCM, as these can’t play dolby 5.1. Simple enough. A quick navigation through the television’s OSD, changed the setting, and bam. Worked.I bought these with the intention of finally having a decent sound system at my girlfriend’s house. This started with the idea of upgrading from her television speakers, quickly ruling out a soundbar (overpriced and not nearly as good as proper bookshelfs) and researching bookshelf speakers, both powered and passive. I almost bought the Edifiers and called it a day. But then I was given a good quality turntable and phono stage, and I started really listening to music again. The one thing about vinyl, is that it really sets you up to just sit down, and focus on the music. So I started really looking into upgrading my stereo system. I got serious, which I hadn’t in a long time.My system is a pair of Definitive Technology bipolar towers BP-30, run by a late 90’s Yamaha receiver, with a Schiit Modi 3 DAC (just added, and it does make a difference with digital music. Probably a solid 15-20% improvement, which is pretty significant in the audiophile world). That also got me converting my CDs again to lossless FLAC files instead of lossy MP3s). Those Def Tech speakers were purchased in the late 90’s for $1400. They sound fantastic, with a clear, natural sound signature and deep bass. Out of my current setup, the receiver is the weakest link, and I had been researching upgrades. Those speakers are better in a larger room, however, and since my listening room is smallish, I started looking at possibly going with bookshelf speakers that could do the job better. To explain that: speaker placement is critical to achieve good quality sound. The speakers need to be so far out from the walls, so far apart from each other, and your listening chair so far back. It creates a triangle, and when done right, with good components, the speakers can literally disappear with an incredible soundstage in between. You can close your eyes, and instead of seeing your living room, you can literally point to where the singer is singing from, the drummer and his kit, the guitarist, the bassist, and so forth. Having a good system that creates that is so much more than just having a full spectrum of sound, it’s something magical. So, to come back to my current system, the tower speakers I’m running make a decent sound stage, but the ideal listening location is about three feet behind my chair even with them being toed in. Smaller speakers can be put closer together, and the magic about a solid pair of bookshelf speakers is they can really nail imaging due to tweeter placement and a more ideal size woofer (5-6”) that won’t distort the midrange. Most bookshelf speakers do require a separate subwoofer, however, because they don’t go low enough to cover the lower frequencies with any real justice. Or if they do, it is artificial and boomy. So after weeks of internet research, I went to the only Best Buy in the city with a Magnolia showroom, in a quest to hear the much lauded ELAC Debut 2.0, and whatever else they had. These have been very well regarded, and run $250-300. I was very impressed at how natural they sounded, but their price was showing in lack of clarity and detail. So I then listened to their selection of Martin Logans. They were terrible. Now, I know that many people love them, but they were very artificial sounding. The midrange is bloated, and the sound spectrum they reproduce is all manipulated and wrong. The only thing in the range they had that sounded decent was their floor standing electrostatics, and while they were interesting, they had a pronounced sibilance I could not forgive. The Bowers and Wilkins line they had fared no better. The 606 series they had were just awful, similar in how wrong the Martin Logans were. Manipulated sound, bloated midrange, not natural at all. The 707 line they had was the only decent one, and it’s clarity and detail were very impressive, but the midrange was still just a little too artificial. They just weren’t quite right. That further proved my research; for as high end a line as B&W is, their sound spectrum is manipulated to be a certain sound on purpose. That’s fine if you like that sort of thing, but it isn’t natural, and it’s not going to play your music the way it was recorded and meant to be heard. It won’t sound the same as going to a concert. The newer lines of definitive technology speakers they had were pretty decent, but none of them sounded as good as my older BP-30s. And that was pretty much all they had on display in the sound room. I was disappointed they didn’t have any KEFs in stock, as I haven’t heard them and am curious on how they compare.I had been really close to putting together a solid bookshelf system, with the ELAC Debut 2.0s ($250) and a NAD 3020 integrated amplifier ($400) on Amazon, but I was so underwhelmed by what I had heard at Magnolia, that I decided to audition some more. I decided to up the ante and try these, the Vanatoo T1E. These have been a bit too new to have much in the way of reviews, but the T1 has been around a little while and been making waves. They’ve had stellar reviews. The graph of their sonic signature was very close to ideal, and they have some really decent electronics put into them. The built in DAC means you don’t have to buy a separate one (and oh yes, it makes a difference, and this one is at least as good as my Schiit Modi 3), and being self-powered means you don’t have to worry about a separate amp and cables. It’s a really neat and tidy package.I was wanting to hear what the ELAC Debut 2.0 sounded with the NAD 3020, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to hear this setup. However, unless the ELACs I heard at Magnolia were setup up really poorly, I’m betting I have a pretty decent grasp on their capabilities and sound. The Vanatoo T1Es that are set up in my living room right now blow away anything I heard in that Magnolia showroom, from the $250 ELACs to the $1200 B&W 707s. In detail, clarity, imaging, and a natural sounding frequency spectrum. They’re not perfect; I think there may be a tiny bit of sibilance in the high frequencies, and the aluminum tweeters are just a little bright, but the exceptional detail and clarity…. I’ve only got about 15 hours burn in and I’m blown away. Time will tell if they smooth out a little more. I’m honestly torn between dropping $1000k on amp separates for my existing setup, or just buying another set of these (remember, these were meant for my girlfriend’s house). As it stands, the T1E against my Def Techs, the Def Techs are a bit more relaxed sounding, but I’m not getting as much detail, and slightly less clarity. Imaging and sound stage is much better on the T1E (a lot of this has to do with optimal positioning and the size of my living room, but I do think the quality of my amp is an issue as well).As far as my perfect (for six digit price figures and under) audiophile system, I would like to get a Schiit Vidar amp ($700) with a Saga preamp ($350) and really hear the difference. And then I’d really like to listen to these head-to-head against the KEF LS50 ($1200) and the DALI Zensor 1 ($350) and Zensor 3. But I’m going to have to spend some more time with these Vanatoo T1Es, because I’m really going to have to re-evaluate whether or not that’s even necessary. These are a steal at $650.

I’ve spent years and years slowly accumulating, selling, trading, and updating my audio setup in order to squeeze the absolute most out of it that I can. Over the years, I’ve had ample opportunity to listen to a broad collection of speakers from all of the bang-for-the-buck usual suspects. Edifier, Audioengine, Dayton, ELAC, Emotiva, (plus all of the amplifier brands you’d expect to be discussed in the same breath with those speaker manufacturers). This process has been somewhat complicated by the fact that I don’t live near any stores where I could audition most of the stuff I’m interested in buying, so I just have to know those return policies by heart and not buy anything that I’ll be locked in to without a chance to really listen first.I’ve either owned or known people who’ve owned pretty much all of the popular entry-level and step-up speakers from these companies. I won’t list them. If you’re on this page, you probably already know what they are.Most of what I’ve owned thus far hasn’t really scratched the audio itch the way I’d like. I’ve gone to audio fests too many times and had my face melted off by stereos I can’t possibly afford. And, while drooling over the really fancy-pants stuff is fun, it also makes your ears a bit snobby in a way that’s hard to reverse. Every time I come home from an audio event, my own stereo sounds a bit worse. Fancy that.For the past couple of years, I’ve focused primarily on putting together a good headphone listening setup because that’s proved the most cost-effective way to acquire satisfying sound. Sadly for me, I like listening to music for hours on end, but I don’t particularly like having headphones on my oversized noggin for hours on end. Even the most comfortable headphones I’ve found get uncomfortable after a couple of hours, although, for what it's worth, the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Open is the closest I have to a headphone that doesn't, and it sounds great.If that seems like the end of an overly long lead-in, that’s because it is. Vanatoo represents the first time I’ve ever heard a full sound system in this price range (IE, $600 all-in, including speakers, DAC, and amplifier) that sounds more like a baby cousin of the sound systems I've been delighted by at the audio fests than like a brother or sister of the value brand offerings we all know and love*. I’m not saying the Vanatoo T1Es sound like Magico towers with $50K of electronics behind them. That kind of hyperbole is absurd and is a popular feature of speaker review sections. The T1Es don’t sound like that. But they DO provide more of the detail, imaging, separation, resolution, and dynamics that I normally expect from higher-end gear than do any of the similarly priced offerings I’ve heard from the brands I mentioned above, specifically when you factor in the cost of amplification. The fact that the T1E accomplishes this in a very compact box with internal electronics that obviate the need to spend a bunch of extra money on a DAC or amp is just pure gravy. I expect the very precise matching of electronics with the drivers has something to do with their beautiful sound.The T1E's bass is very well extended for such a small speaker. The mids push voices a bit forward but in a way that I enjoy. The highs are sparkly and crisp, probably more so than most other speakers in the price range, but they don't sound distorted or harsh. Good rendering of textural detail, for me, is one of the real hallmarks of a good speaker/amp combo, and the T1Es definitely do not disappoint. The microtexture of the rosin on a cello bow gliding across a string, finely-grained rendering of high-frequency fuzz in a synth note, those sorts of details bring music fully to life. I don't believe I've heard such good rendering of texture in this price range (speaker + amp + DAC cost) from anyone other than Vanatoo, headphones excluded. An iFi iDSD Nano BL with one of Massdrop's Sennheiser HD6XXs is, at $400, probably the best sound I've heard available in the mid to low hundreds (as of mid 2019).In summary, I’d recommend getting these over getting a pair of ELAC B6.2s or Emotiva B1s or, frankly, any other famous bang-for-the-buck bookshelf speakers in this general price vicinity. The T1Es sound quite a bit better, to me, than any of the other speakers I've mentioned, and I've only ever heard any of them on DAC/amp setups that cost more than $300 which is the amount you'd have to keep your DAC and amp below in order to match the price of the T1Es. I’d also recommend the Vanatoos over any of the powered speakers in their price bracket as well. The T1E just has better tonal balance, imaging, separation, and resolution than any powered speakers I’ve heard from Edifier, Audioengine, or Klipsch, to name a few. I guess one thing I HAVEN'T done is try the Dayton B652s with a $550 amplifier, a setup which would match the T1Es' $600 price point. Something tells me that it wouldn't outdo the T1E.Finally, here are a couple of thoughts on alternatives. I do have a pair of Vanatoo T0s in my home office, and they're easily the best setup I've experienced at the $300ish price point (again, specifically factoring in amp and DAC). If you're intending to put these speakers in a small room, say, under 150 sq ft, the T0s would probably be great for you, assuming you won't be moving them into a larger room eventually. On the other hand, if you already have a decent DAC and amp, and you're realizing that you don't necessarily need or want powered bookshelf speakers, the Goldenear Aon 2 is a bookshelf speaker that I think sounds pretty darned great for its price. If you look up reviews for them, you'll find that the critical response is a bit divided, but I think they're delightful. Just my 2 cents.I think Schiit Audio's PYST USB cable is a great match for the T1E. Sparkly, tight, and punchy, with good texture detail, separation, and imaging. At $24 (here on Amazon), I thought they were every bit as good as Audioquest's Forest USB, which I use for my headphone setup, and PYST is only about half the price. If you're not sold on the idea of buying schmancier cables, that's totally a-OK. If you do think cables matter, I think PYST is a great USB cable to use with these that doesn't break the bank. I think it easily bests the included USB cable (although it is excellent of Vanatoo to include so many cords with the speakers) as well as Amazon Basics USB cables. So, if you believe in cables, PYST is a very reasonably priced way to make sure that your T1Es aren't being undermined by shoddy connections.*And I DO love them. They’ve provided me with thousands of hours of better-than-Bose listening pleasure at prices for which they ought to be sainted.UPDATE (6/25/2019): I primarily bought the T1Es for use at work. I'm pretty satisfied at the moment with my home office and living room setups, but my work listening situation wasn't ideal. I work in a creative/marketing dept., and we enjoy listening to music in our room which is a good 30 feet down the hall and isolated by several walls from any rooms that anybody else uses or works in. We all have decent desktop headphone setups at the office, but it's more fun to listen to music together while we work. The room we're listening in is about 18' x 24'. The T1Es filled the room reasonably well, and the bass response was impressive for such small speakers, but I thought it'd be fun to see how they perform with a sub, so I brought the Dayton Sub 800 that I use in my home office to work, and I have to say that offboarding the low frequencies (below 80hz) from the T1Es to the sub does allow the the overall sound to become richer and more room-filling. I adjusted the gain setting on the sub to blend the bass to levels that sound about how the Vanatoos sound without a sub. We don't listen at ear-splitting levels, but even at the slightly-above-medium volumes that we've occasionally listened to, I've found that the subwoofer assistance gives the T1Es a sense of ease and composure that they didn't have at higher volumes previously. The mid-bass, mids, and highs coming through the T1Es when the sub's attached seem seem a little more unrestrained. No surprise that the woofer vibrations are much reduced when the sub's attached. The low end on the Vanatoos without the sub is tighter and more detailed, but that's to be expected with a $99 sub.l I have to say that the little $99 Dayton sub is a pretty decent dance partner for the Vanatoos, but if you don't want to sacrifice low-end detail, and you're planning to use this with a sub long-term, I'd recommend investing in something a little nicer than the Dayton. The takeaway for me is that these really sing with a sub. Matched with, say, an RSL Speedwoofer, I think you'd have a compelling, full-range system with tight, deep bass, gorgeous mids, and sparkly highs for only $1000.Update 12/18/2019: I've noticed that the NAD 3020 can be had from some sellers for around $300 as of this writing. That's a pretty sweet little amplifier. I haven't heard it with the ELACs or Emotivas I mentioned above, but I reckon it would sound pretty darn good, and it would cost about the same as the T1E. Much lower power, but it might be worth considering as an alternative if you don't want powered speakers. Just a thought.