A compact floorstanding speaker that’s easy to store, the Nel is highly musical and comes in a range of performance levels. As its designer admits, this is a model that is particularly well-suited to upgrading. The three versions offer higher and higher levels of performance, right up to exploiting the full potential of a two-way configuration. The result of the Nel line, the Extreme version pushes the capabilities of this design to the limit. Officially available in the T&T catalogue from the end of 2021, the Nel Extreme represents the quintessence of the compact two-way floorstanding speaker, designed to work in the finest systems. And we’re well placed to tell you all about it…
I’m a bit sad. My Nels will be gone for a good month. After more than two years of loyal service, they’re going back to Valence, to the T&T factory, where they were born, to get the finishing touches that will turn them into ‘official’ Extremes. Why this obscure formula, you ask? Let me explain.
Storytelling
We acquired a pair of Nel Ultime from the editors of VUmètre in the summer of 2019. Totally won over by their potential during the test bench carried out at the time, I was convinced that they had their place alongside our other reference loudspeakers in order to form a homogeneous array with complementary qualities.
The Nel Ultime soon proved indispensable in our arsenal. Capable of bringing out the finesse of the best sources and the flexibility of the best amplifiers with great acuity, they gave us great satisfaction and a great deal of sonic and musical pleasure. At the same time, we had spontaneous and easy discussions with their designer about their behaviour in different contexts. And it was quite naturally during one of these exchanges that everything went wrong!
– This speaker is a real winner.
– …
– But could it be improved to go even further?
– It’s true that on paper it has the potential.
– Would it be possible, for example, to graft the beryllium tweeter of its big sister onto it?
– Technically, it’s possible. But there would be a significant price difference if such a model were produced.
– Yes, but is it worth a try?
– If you like, I can modify your pair.
And that was it, the worm was in the fruit. From then on, I kept thinking that my Nel Ultime with the Nora tweeters would be a kind of acoustic pinnacle.
But changing transducers also meant changing the filtering and optimising the internal load. In short, a further study. But Pierre Faverieux was very willing to play along.
And finally, at the end of February 2020, I received in my auditorium my new Nel, whose name has yet to be found!
Itinerary of a spoilt child
It’s always a great privilege to work closely with equipment manufacturers. This complicity allows us to go further in the exploitation and optimisation of the equipment, but also, if the dialogue works really well, to give birth to products that are a little out of the ordinary.
On the eve of the first lockdown, a magnificent toy arrived in my auditorium. I don’t know what it is yet, but I’m going to have plenty of time to get to know it, understand it, make it my own, and get the very best out of it.
At this stage, these special Nels are a unique model. But not for long… Alain Yzembar, the boss of Absolue Créations, with whom Pierre Faverieux has an excellent relationship, got wind of the project and also asked him for an equivalent modification of his own pair of Nel Ultime! So here we are, two privileged beta-testers.
For my part, I’ll be able to test them with all the sources and electronics imaginable. As for Alain, he’s going to try a very advanced optimisation in terms of internal wiring, to go even further than the Ul-Tim conductors used.
Meanwhile, Pierre is continuing his development work, in particular with the Joy model and its Extreme version. The latter benefits from the infernal tandem of beryllium and new Absolue Créations internal wiring.
Each time he visits Alain and me, Pierre is always surprised by the performance of the Nel ‘XXL’.
And finally, having completed the entire ‘Joy’ programme, he set about building his own pair of Nel Extrême.
Q.E.D.
The Nel Extreme retains exactly the same cabinetry as its smaller brothers, the Nel and Nel Ultimate. The cabinet is 22mm thick MDF, except for the baffle, which is 30mm thick. Plywood reinforcements are strategically placed inside to increase rigidity. The front panel is angled to phase the drivers, and is also designed to smooth the response of the tweeter in the 1 to 2 kHz range.
The internal damping combines several qualities of damping depending on the zone, and quantities finely optimised to curb internal resonances and not restrict dynamics. The decompression port for the bass-reflex load is located underneath the speaker and ‘breathes’ thanks to the three stainless steel feet on which the cabinet rests. The rear spike is positioned directly on the lower end of the rear panel, effectively dissipating any residual vibrations. The vent is large in diameter (68 mm) to release maximum energy without compression or flow noise. It is perfectly sized for the speaker’s internal volume of 18 litres.
The two-way configuration includes a 17cm woofer chosen for its excellent low-frequency extension in a moderate volume. Its aluminium diaphragm is both rigid and lightweight, and guarantees excellent midrange performance thanks to a smooth response curve throughout the useful range.
The tweeter is equipped with a 29 mm beryllium dome and a neodymium magnet. It is very well motorised, but above all it has a large emissive surface (9.6 cm2), which guarantees a low resonance frequency (700 Hz) and excellent linearity right through to the extreme treble. Finally, it descends fairly low in frequency, working as a piston right down to the midrange.
The crossover schematic has been optimised to provide an even smoother overlap between the two loudspeakers. The crossover is wired in the air, isolated from the cabinet, and uses only components from the prestigious Mundorf M Suprême and Jensen Audio Alumen series. The progressive torque screw terminals are from the Furutech catalogue.
The exclusive internal cabling is, of course, developed by Absolue Créations: these totally bespoke conductors ensure very strict temporal respect for the music and eliminate any oscillation.
The set up
We tested a large number of sources, amplifiers and cables with these speakers. What we learned from these tests is that the Nel Extrême do not lend themselves to the game of compensation. They will therefore be at ease with products that get straight to the point without trying to coat or embellish. When it comes to sources, you simply have to look for the best ones for your budget. Turntables, converters, network or CD players will be chosen above all for the widest bandwidth and good linearity.
When it comes to amplifiers, we’ll also be opting for products that are as straightforward and dynamic as possible. Over the months, we’ve had excellent results with Aavik, Bricasti, Copland, Electrocompaniet, Jadis, SPEC and other electronics. The Nel Extreme is an easy load for an amplifier. But because it has no compression or distortion, it encourages loud playing and flirts with the limits of amplifiers. So don’t hesitate to offer them power, but above all a reserve of energy (a good power supply).
When it comes to cabling, there’s a natural fit between T&Ts and Absolue Créations cords. However, this is not a systematic choice, as we were able to test the Nel Extrême with other brands and obtain excellent results, such as with certain selected models from Audioquest or Furutech, for example.
Finally, as far as decoupling is concerned, the original stainless steel feet do the job well. But over time, we’ve identified two even better alternatives. The first is to use Centaure Nessos. The second is to use Hifistay Ballerino 45s. It’s with this latter option that the Nel Extrême give their all. The small Korean mounts allow them to offer the ultimate in precision and bandwidth extension.
The sound of the T&T Nel Extreme
To make this test bench as exhaustive as possible, Pierre Faverieux came to our auditorium with his final pair of Nel Extrême. We were able to compare them at length with the Nel Extrême prototypes we’ve been using for the past two years. The fundamental difference is the internal cabling (Absolue Créations Ul-Tim for us, Absolue Créations latest generation for the definitive model) and the fine optimisation of filtering and loading. On paper, it looks like nothing, but in reality, the difference is very noticeable. In fact, we’re more in the realm of Formula 1 than that of a production ‘vehicle’. And every little touch of fine tuning makes a big difference to the listening experience.
We have to say quite frankly that over the last two years, we’ve been delighted with our prototypes. Everything comes through with disconcerting ease, astonishing speed, and an ability to play very loudly without any compression. However, finding a loudspeaker that will totally satisfy you is no easy task. Of course, the bigger the budget, the easier the quest. But what really counts is the match between the way you listen, what you like, your perception of sound, and what the product can offer you.
Personally, I’ve always liked very dynamic speakers, with a wide bandwidth and as little coloration as possible. The coherence and intelligibility of vocals or piano playing, for example, have very often led me towards excellent two-way configurations. They may have their limits, but the homogeneity they offer is often successful. Because filtering where the human ear is most sensitive is always a compromise. Finally, I like to listen loud. And often, when the sound level is high, annoying phenomena linked to poor acoustic control appear, inducing distortion or compression. Needless to say, with Nel Extrême, none of that has happened in two years. Of course, their natural transparency doesn’t make them particularly forgiving of upstream links. It’s hit or miss. And it’s not always a question of money. We’ve achieved some particularly harmonious marriages with products that weren’t necessarily out of our price range. For example, with the Spec RSA 777 EX amp, the Nel Extrême are already singing with remarkable conviction and can express themselves loudly without compensation. In a large room, of course, you’ll have to opt for the big brother. But this is a top-of-the-range product that needs to be considered very carefully in relation to the context in which it is used.
On a beautiful, purely acoustic piece like the first track on Bojan Z’s album Xenophonia (a benchmark in recording), the listener instantly recaptures the ambience of the room, its colour, the three-dimensional space in which the musicians are moving, and their exact position. The pianist’s playing is reproduced with exceptional acuity. The strike of the hammers on the strings is vigorous, powerful, sometimes violent, as it must be in reality. It’s quite rare to find a hi-fi system that reproduces the sensations you can experience in real life. But here, frankly, we’re not far off.
A large orchestral mass such as Falla’s ‘Siete canciones populares’ is reproduced with all the power required, but also with all the finesse that allows you to appreciate its diversity and subtlety. Of course, the power of the crash on the forte is there to attest to the very fine dynamic behaviour of the Nel Extrême. But that would be pointless if the power of resolution and, above all, the stability of reproduction were not guaranteed. And in this case, the smallest details can be perceived without hesitation, even at fairly high modulation peaks.
Speaking of managing dynamic differences, nothing beats the cover of Björk’s ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’ (originally performed in 1951 by Betty Hutton). On this track, the difference in level between the end of the verse and the chorus is simply explosive. Many systems break their teeth here. You need to be able to cope with a phenomenal ratio between the different parts of the track, which range from ‘calm’ to ‘explosive’. With Nel Extrême, intelligibility remains supreme whatever the level. And even when the level is terribly high, there’s no distortion to impede the clarity of the audio. Everything passes through with serenity.
The last difficult test was Melody Gardot’s live album on vinyl, which is not appreciated for its spectacular side – quite the opposite, in fact – but for its subtlety. A long, elegant track like ‘Lisboa’ is magnified by Nel Extrême, who can instil an atmosphere like no other: serene, limpid, magnificently fluid, with an unsuspected level of grain on the vocals and acoustic instruments. The density is marvellous, and all the more welcome because it serves the presence of the performance without trying to flatter the ear with colour. Nel Extrême always play with nuance and finesse. They never try to force their way through.
Our conclusion
In the end, it all comes down to the same thing. Consumers have the choice of turning to the big, well-known generalist manufacturers, distributed throughout the world, with a wide range covering every conceivable need. On the other hand, there are the small manufacturers whose only chance of standing out from the crowd is to offer the best product, demonstrating a high level of creativity and ingenuity to make up for the massive difference in R&D budgets. To conclude, we can legitimately ask ourselves whether a creation by a single person is not more satisfying than the work of a team made up of several talents, but who have to deal with their respective individualities. Where does the greatest coherence lie?
For our part, we’ve come across some superb creations from major brands and smaller manufacturers. But if there’s one thing we feel is absolutely essential, it’s that this T&T, conceived and designed by a single man, has absolutely nothing to envy most top-of-the-range products at its price level, and sometimes even up to twice as expensive. This loudspeaker is a total success, capable of some quite exceptional sonic prowess for its size. As part of a perfectly optimised system, it will deliver unique musical reproduction.
Author: Laurent Thorin
Technical sheet: T&T Nel Extreme
- Origin: France
- Price: €12.200
- Dimensions: 255 x 1000 x 265 mm
- Weight: 18 kg
- Frequency response: 40 Hz up to 30 kHz
- Sensitivity: 86 dB
