T+A Criterion S 2200 CTL

Back in 1982 we developed a unique and truly ground-breaking series of transmission line loudspeakers who-se fundamental design principles are as effective today as ever.
We christened this series Criterion (benchmark), and this original range proved to be one of the most successful speaker designs ever produced.

Ever since its introduction Criterion has been a byword for loudspeakers equipped with uniquely superior tech-nology, offering extraordinarily good sound and unu-sually high performance.
The latest incarnation of the range is named CTL and consists of three floor-standing loudspeakers that are more compact but even better and more powerful than their predecessors.

The speakers boast completely new, ultra-modern high-performance drive units and a transmission line design which has undergone further refinement.

Our Criterion series constitutes a very good example of successful evolution. The life cycles of each model range have been remarkably long, because the speakers were fitted with the finest, most sophisticated technologies available.

Only when further development made significant improvements possible have we introduced a new range of models to the market. The CTL series is the latest stage of evolution of the Criterion loudspeaker.

As you would expect, we have kept our faith in the unique transmission-line principle, since it offers major advantages in the reproduction of low frequencies, but we have again succeeded in improving the efficiency of the line with the new, deeper cabinet format. The transmission-line principle offers major advantages over the bass reflex system, but does call for extremely sophisticated cabinet design if the speaker is to exhibit a very low bass cut-off frequency.

In specific terms, this means that the sound guide behind the bass drivers (the transmission-line) must be very long – similar to an organ pipe – otherwise very low frequencies cannot be generated.
The new CTL = Compensated Transmission Line series features a cabinet design which even compensates the acoustical impedance of the system. Each cabinet consists of a sealed internal case into which the transmission line is glued.

This construction not only renders the cabinets very heavy, but also extremely rigid, eliminating all traces of resonance effects. The side and wall panels consist of heavy-duty HDF, finished either with multiple coats of rubbed lacquer, selected, top-quality hardwood veneers or carbon. The baffles feature a newly developed design which we have christened “organic baffle”.

The apertures for the speaker drive units are machined to a three-dimensional shape out of the solid baffle material, and act as carefully calculated sound guides generating outstandingly good dispersion characteristics, especially in the mid / high frequency range. The cabinet material is either HDF – for the lacquered versions – or solid wood for the hardwood versions.

The completely new speaker drive units are our latest development, and incorporate the latest design features such as huge magnets, high-performance voice coils, special embossed cones and professional-standard aluminium baskets. They work together to provide a frequency response, maximum sound pressure and reproduction quality which have never been possible before.

The S 2200 CTL is the top model, and features the largest bass drivers of the three. It demonstrates the basic principles of the CTL series in exemplary form. Each model features two special bass drivers, a “wide-range” mid-range unit and a completely new type of super treble dome tweeter made of specially impregnated textile. The only differences between the three floor-standing speakers are the dimensions of their cabinets and the size of the drive units employed.

The S 2200 CTL is a large, fully developed floor-standing transmission line speaker with a very long transmission line. Its pair of newly developed long-throw woofers, with a diameter of 22 cm, are perfectly matched to the cabinet and the resonant frequency of the transmission line.

Their extremely low resonant frequency ensures that the speaker offers incredibly deep, forceful and accurate bass, while their peak handling capability is faultless even at extreme levels. They are devoid of distortion and offer a full dynamic range.

These characteristics are due to the sophisticated overall design of the system: hard, embossed cones, aluminium baskets with narrow struts and very great maximum texcursion, powerful magnets and large high-performance voice coils.

The 15 cm mid-range driver is also a new development, and forms – in conjunction with the textile treble unit and the subtly sculpted baffle (organic baffle) – an acoustic unit which we have named CD = Constant Directivity. It is responsible for the speaker’s superlative dispersion pattern and astonishingly spacious sound.

The S 2200 CTL is effortlessly capable of processing enormously high levels, yet its refined, carefully developed design also makes it the perfect choice for reproducing the most delicate music with natural sensitivity.