CSS Criton 3TD-X Kit Speaker Review

[Fledermaus]

Thank you Amir for reviewing this. Nice to see some adult-sized speakers tested from time to time, despite logistics and handling inconvenience.

 

[daniboun]

Link to datasheet :

https://doc.soundimports.nl/pdf/brands/CSS/Criton-3TD-X/Criton-3TD-X-datasheet.pdf

 

[Astoneroad]

Nice build, for that price however, I've purchased a couple pairs used of F208's in perfect condition, built and ready to go. The motivation to build a kit comes at a premium when comparing performance imo. That's not an apples to apples comparison with used gear and a kit, but I think it is when considering value.

 

[solderdude]

Manufacturer states 35Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB but plots show 60Hz -20kHz +/-3dB. That is almost an octave higher.
Amir's plots says 'bass extension to 35Hz' but this is at -10dB.

Manufacturer states: in room response 20Hz-20kHz but estimated in room response shows 20Hz to be at -20dB.

I wish manufacturers showed more accurate specs. It appears that Amir just quoted manufacturer specs for bass extension while it isn't what's measured or... -10dB is the norm here but in that case it would help if it was specified somewhere.

Or... is the port output somehow not shown in the estimated in room response.
How can the port output be at 0dB at 20Hz but not add to the total frequency response (or just at -20dB)

 

[amirm]

Manufacturer states 35Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB but plots show 60Hz -20kHz +/-3dB. That is almost an octave higher.

There may be some underreporting of bass extension in my measurements due to spread out port and woofers. I thought about optimizing it but takes a lot of manual effort so I left it be.

 

[amirm]

I wish manufacturers showed more accurate specs. It appears that Amir just quoted manufacturer specs for bass extension while it isn't what's measured or... -10dB is the norm here but in that case it would help if it was specified somewhere.

I actually didn't know what the spec is. I use F10 which is what Dr. Toole promotes as the bass extension.

 

[amirm]

How can the port output be at 0dB at 20Hz but not add to the total frequency response (or just at -20dB)

Actual levels of drivers/port is NOT accurate. I actually manually align each graph to stitch them together. In this case, I should have pulled the port way lower. In near-field measurements, slight distance difference to each radiating device can make a big difference and I have no way to dialing that out.

 

[AudioSceptic]

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of the CSS Criton 3TD-X Kit tower speaker. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $2499 with a flatpack (pair). I received a fully built one:
View attachment 405979
Fit and finish is excellent, rivalling commercial speakers at this or higher costs. This is a 3-way configuration. The dual woofers should provide low distortion compared to bookshelf speakers with one.

Let's put it on the Klippel Near-field Scanner and see how it performs objectively.

CSS Audio Criton 3TD-X Speaker Measurements
Let's start with our family of anechoic frequency response measurements:
View attachment 405980
High level alignment of on-axis response is good. Zooming in we see some disturbances in midrange area and some boosting of treble above 10 kHz. We can figure out the sources of these in near-field measurements:
View attachment 405981

The resonances are tamed but still contribute slightly to on-axis response. Fortunately, off-axis is smoother:
View attachment 405982
As a result, predicted in-room response looks quite reasonable:
View attachment 405983
Speaker likely has a bit more "zing" which some folks may like. That is countered by deep bass reproduction (for its size) so in balance, it may sound fine.

Beamwidth is 20 degrees wider than average speakers I test so should project a wider, more diffused image (assuming you don't absorb side reflections):
View attachment 405984
View attachment 405985

Vertical directivity as usual is not as good but still allows some movement above tweeter axis:
View attachment 405986

The narrowing of the high frequency directivity likely counters some of the on-axis resonant peaking we saw earlier.

For distortion tests, I added a new range at 101 dBSPL:
View attachment 405987View attachment 405988
View attachment 405989

As you see, response is quite good until we get to 101 dBSPL. Listening to that sweep, it still sounded pretty good. I initially tried 106 dBSPL and then there were some howls of discomfort from the speaker so the limit is somewhere between 101 and 106 dBSPL.

Impedance drops quite low so best to have a decent amplifier to drive it:
View attachment 405990

Waterfall display naturally shows the resonances we have seen:
View attachment 405991

Here is the step response for fans of that graph:
View attachment 405992

CSS Criton 3TD-X Speaker Listening Tests and EQ
In my large and reflective space, the 3TD-X filled the space with comfort producing deep bass and an "exciting" sound for lack of a better word. That extra excitement as I had predicted from measurements, came from slight boost in higher frequencies. I dialed those down and got to a more neutral stance:
View attachment 405993
I also dialed out a bit of that bass boost initially based on on-axis response. That was a mistake as speaker lost some of that excitement. So I followed the predicted-in-room response and got nicer results. That said, I am not sure in a blind AB test, whether someone would prefer the EQ or the stock sound.

I was impressed with the ability of the speaker to produce deep sub-bass. It attenuated it a bit and had a touch of distortion but perfectly serviceable and hugely better than any bookshelf speaker.

I then listened to my long list of reference tracks. There was not a single one that did not sound good! The sound was gorgeous, with clean bass and treble response. Spatial aspects were impressive, making you forget I was listening to just one speaker!

Conclusions
Objectively, the 3TD-X comes close to our target for frequency response and aces distortion measurements. A touch of EQ corrects former errors although some may not need it as out of box performance is still excellent. Subjective listening tests impressed me more than objective data, putting a smile on my face on track after track. I can easily say that this is the best KIT speaker I have tested.

I am happy to recommend the CSS Criton 3TD-X speaker.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/

Pretty good and it looks like a simple DIY build too. I have a question I've been meaning to ask for a while, though: we all know what a perfect FR looks like, but what would perfect directivity plots look like?

 

[olieb]

Prob not from cabinet resonances, more likely just diffraction from the tall baffle.

Diffraction effects would by all chances change peak frequency with angle. The peaks @Beave marked are independent of radiation direction, so I would guess these are more likely resonant effects (from panels).

 

[DanielT]

Thank you for your review Amir. Nice that you tested a floorstanding speakers this time!

They seem to be good speakers but it is relative, relation to price, as pointed out by:

Nice build, for that price however, I've purchased a couple pairs used of F208's in perfect condition, built and ready to go. The motivation to build a kit comes at a premium when comparing performance imo. That's not an apples to apples comparison with used gear and a kit, but I think it is when considering value.

Regarding bass:

Manufacturer states 35Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB but plots show 60Hz -20kHz +/-3dB. That is almost an octave higher.
Amir's plots says 'bass extension to 35Hz' but this is at -10dB.

Manufacturer states: in room response 20Hz-20kHz but estimated in room response shows 20Hz to be at -20dB.

I wish manufacturers showed more accurate specs. It appears that Amir just quoted manufacturer specs for bass extension while it isn't what's measured or... -10dB is the norm here but in that case it would help if it was specified somewhere.

Or... is the port output somehow not shown in the estimated in room response.
How can the port output be at 0dB at 20Hz but not add to the total frequency response (or just at -20dB)

I suspect the trend for slim floorstanding speakers is why they don't have larger bass woofers in them? They would be too wide in that case. What is the size of the mid driver? Hard to tell just by looking at the pictures, 5-6.5 inches? In any case, such a mid together with 12-15 inch bass drives, then it is given the opportunity to get lower in frequency. Even larger boxes in terms of volume might then be needed but maybe people don't want such large lumps in their combined living room, listening room these days?
What speaks against that, or which shows that there is a certain market demand, is for example Cerwin Vega. Here a three-way speaker from them with 15 inch bass driver.
Cerwin Vega XLS-15:

Then we have the vintage, retro trend regarding looks and such speakers are not exactly slim. I don't really know if I can generalize and draw any conclusions.

 

[Dennis_FL]

Reminds me of my first speakers - Heathkit (which were cheap but pretty bad)

 

[Multicore]

The impedance curve and discussion of amp requirements and capacitor upgrades made me think that crossovers in big passive boxes like this is old fashioned. I wondered what active arrangement we could compare it with? Let's say we add $750 for a stereo power amp, that makes $3250.

For fair comparison I think we would need two powered book shelf speakers (monitors) plus two subwoofers. What can you get for $3250?

 

[anphex]

Large case, 2 woofers, even ported, and then a rolloff starting at 100 Hz? Is something wrong here?
Even more so because it says "32 Hz -+ 3dB", which is clearly wrong.

 

[Gorgonzola]

Looks to me that these CSS speaker are, above all, excellent speakers for the price. I rate them as 'Great' for that reason.

In my ratings I try to take price into consideration. It is pointless (for most of us) to compare on a strictly objective basis against components costing 2X, 5X, 10X the price.

 

[Wesseling Audio Lab]

"Beamwidth is 20 degrees wider than average speakers I test so should project a wider, more diffused image (assuming you don't absorb side reflections):"

Absorb first reflections, then improve on the following:
"Spatial aspects were impressive, making you forget I was listening to just one speaker!"

IME, this is a function of no waveguide!

Excellent speaker, thanks for the review

Adjusting the treble level in tweeter circuit is possible by changing first resistor and second voltage divider values - end user adjustability

 

[DanielT]

Reminds me of my first speakers - Heathkit (which were cheap but pretty bad)

Do you mean CSS Criton 3TD-X or Cerwin Vega in my post above yours?

In my teenage years, there were hopelessly bad budget, or super budget, speakers on the market whose customer group was young men, or boys with small wallets. That to satisfy their need for speakers with big bass woofers. The sound quality was of secondary importance. These speakers most likely had a crazy FR with a lot of distortion when played at high volume. It's not the kind I mean, but well designed, good sounding floorstanding speakers with large bass drivers.
I know there are such, but to be fair, they can cost quite a lot of money.

I mean, if I'm going to have floorstanding speakers, I want an f3 about 30-35 Hz to avoid having subwoofers. Otherwise, what's the point of floorstanding speakers?

 

[beagleman]

Large case, 2 woofers, even ported, and then a rolloff starting at 100 Hz? Is something wrong here?
Even more so because it says "32 Hz -+ 3dB", which is clearly wrong.

I think in some way, Amirs measurement does not show contribution by the Port, which in most cases is a good bit of the actual deep bass in a ported speaker.

If you look at his close up driver measurements, you will see the woofer reduced motion point (Box turning frequency) in the mid 20 hz area, and the resultant port bass contribution filling in the deep bass end.
It is normal for a ported speaker woofer to not really contribute a lot to the deep bass.

I think Amir could explain it better as to the measurement part, but HIGHLY doubt these lack in deep bass, from reviews I have seen on them.

 

[DanielT]

I think in some way, Amirs measurement does not show contribution by the Port, which in most cases is a good bit of the actual deep bass in a ported speaker.

If you look at his close up driver measurements, you will see the woofer reduced motion point (Box turning frequency) in the mid 20 hz area, and the resultant port bass contribution filling in the deep bass end.
It is normal for a ported speaker woofer to not really contribute a lot to the deep bass.

I think Amir could explain it better as to the measurement part, but HIGHLY doubt these lack in deep bass, from reviews I have seen on them.

Could be so.

I wonder if the floor provides support for a little extra bass boost considering the port's location?
Is it possible to simulate, measure that via the Klippel measuring system? Or do you have to place a microphone near the port when the speakers are on the floor to test, measure and see what the FR looks like?

 

[Power Pop 23]

Thank you Amir for reviewing this. Nice to see some adult-sized speakers tested from time to time, despite logistics and handling inconvenience.

I heartily agree.

I think headphones, loudspeakers, and particularly floor-standing loudspeakers in the queue for measuring should qualify for the ASR equivalent of the Disneyland Lighting Lane Premier Pass - which permits some line skipping for $400 a day

 

[Wesseling Audio Lab]

I always listen to an online frequency generator and listen to the levels from 300hz and below. Its easy to hear frequency amplitude and drop in level from floor bounce and the roll off. I get general sense of the levels