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ProAc Tablette History

hearhead

hearhead

Active Member
Just purchased a 1980's ProAc Super Tablette to complement my vintage Marantz 2252B.

Wonderful little monitors that complement the warmth of the Marantz.

So I actually emailed ProAc the serial and asked about how I can come across parts and such, they were helpful with the parts issue but haven't responded if they know of any site or document that details the history of these wonderful mini monitors. The web has been very lean on a definitive history but from what little I scoured I think it's like this:

late 70s = Original Tablette
early 80s = Super Tablette
late 90s = Tablette 2000
2000s = Tablette Anniversary

Changes were primarily materials to the woofer and tweets I think (I know, incomplete data, but that's why I;m asking)

I'm sure there are a lot of changes and corrections to the data and I'm hoping you guys can pitch in some info just to scratch my curiosity itch on why these speakers aren't as popular and the development of the model.

There seems to be scant data on Stewart Tyler and ProAc too. (again, I may just be a keyword away on google)

These speakers seem to address the classic "apartment" volume (low level listening) issue of people with not enough space and I wonder why they aren't massively popular and documented (well at least in my limited knowledge).

Thanks!
 
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Found this on the net.

Original Tablette
Super Tablette
Extended Bass Tablette
Tablette 2
Tablette 3
Tablette 50
Tablette 2000
 
tablette 3, 50, 2000 inc. signatures use seas woofers and seas or scanspeak tweeters...2010 on signatures.

tablette ref. 8 still using seas bass unit, but treble is changed to vifa tweeter.

xover is still the std proac seas type, 2nd order on bass, with rlc across woofer, between the inductor and cap.
cabinets do not feel as substantial, terminals are cheaper too, but it is true to say after listening to the 3s, 50s, and ref. 8s, that in every incarnation, they have subsequently sounded more open, better bass and clearer mid, so it would appear they get better with every new model, and its not hype.
 
I do not have the Tabelttes but I do have a pair of Pro Response 1S and they are terrific little monitors. Have never read anything bad about ProAc speakers.
Congrats on your new toys :D
 
I am a big fan, I used to sell them. I turned a lot of people on to high end sound with them. I took music lovers who were shopping for mi-fi systems because they did not know anything better existed, convinced them to forget about the double tape deck and other things they did not need. This allowed me to set them up with a decent source, a little NAD or Cyrus amp and a pair of Super Tablettes. Changed quite a few lives with that!

I owned a pair myself, then Response One and finally the Response Two, one of the best all around speakers ever made.
 
I remember hearing my first set of Tablettes in the late 80's or early 90's. Those speakers had fantastic imaging abilities. They literally disappeared and left a panorama of music. No bass response, but a remarkable sound. Perhaps a bit lean, and on the verge of being analytical, but still memorizing.

It is one of the view "vintage" components I would like to try again. If I could get a pair of Tablettes for a reasonable cost, I would buy them.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
Thanks for the responses. I've heard nothing but praise for ProAcs but I find the info on the internet about them are a bit on the slim side. Wonder why though? As for the Tablettes I still can't figure out how they can image well for such a small speaker. Is it the crossover, the build or the cabinet? That's why I'm interested in the history of the line.
 
Any of you guys try a sub with these? Any recommended subs and components that can make these sing? Not really a bass head just want to round its sound to at least 45hz so I can hear a decent kick drum :-)
 
Find I do not need a sub. Now I am not a big bass junky but I like accurate tight bass and the Response 1S makes a surprising amount of bass for a little speaker. I have them on sand filled metal stands and I find that helped a lot too.

Build quality is outstanding. Compared these to my friends LS35a's and being honest I would take the ProAc's any day of the week.
 
Some added info floating in the web:

  • tablette 3, 50, 2000 inc. signatures use seas woofers and seas or scanspeak tweeters...2010 on signatures.

  • further info added: tablette ref. 8 still using seas bass unit, but treble is now changed to vifa tweeter, these appear to be oem units.

  • xover is still the std proac seas type, 2nd order on bass, with rlc across woofer, between the inductor and cap.

  • cabinets do not feel as substantial, terminals are cheaper too, but it is true to say after listening to the 3s, 50s, and ref. 8s, that in every incarnation, they have subsequently sounded more open, better bass and clearer mid, so it would appear they get better with every new model, and its not hype.

  • Speaker cabinets are made by the castle factory, and I have heard the xover boards are by bk electronics, who used to make the amplifiers for rel subwoofers.
Again open to corrections

Thanks!
 
I was not wild about the early versions, when the Super Tablette changed to the tweeter with the foam disc surround is when the magic for me.

Hard to match with a sub as the only ones that mated well were VERY expensive.

It is not a case of imaging well despite the small cabinet, they image well BECAUSE of the small cabinet. Less box to resonate, drivers close to the ideal point source.
 
Raynald said:
I was not wild about the early versions, when the Super Tablette changed to the tweeter with the foam disc surround is when the magic for me.

Hard to match with a sub as the only ones that mated well were VERY expensive.

It is not a case of imaging well despite the small cabinet, they image well BECAUSE of the small cabinet. Less box to resonate, drivers close to the ideal point source.
Click to expand...

Nice insight on the box design! Care to share the very expensive subs that mate with them well?
 
Some of the less expensive, smaller "T" series REL's work great with the Proacs too. Wonderful little speakers the Tablettes are, and agree, I like the newer models a bit better. More refined and maybe a bit smoother up top. Some of the older series could sound a bit bright depending on source etc.
 
hearhead said:
Hmmmm.... not much Tablette fans here huh.
Click to expand...
Big Tablette fan here. My first Proacs were Tablette 50 Signatures which replaced my Magnepan 2.5's. I loved them. After a few years I upgraded (or so I thought) to a pair of Proac 2.5's. Sounded good with more bass but the midrange magic was gone. Have since sold the 2.5's and moved on to Harbeth, B&W, various vintage Altecs, JBL's, Rectilinears, Infinity's, etc. Some of these have come and gone, but the Tablette 50 Sigs are still with me. With tubes, the 50's midrange, tonal balance, timbre, speed, and ability to disappear match the abilities of my B&W 800 Matrix but at roughly 1/10 of the original price. Even after 15 years I am amazed at how these little boxes perform. Plus my wife likes them because of the size (she is not a fan of the big 800 Matrix).
 
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