T+A Talis R330 Speaker Review. Soul & Precision?
By Steve Huff
A few months ago as we neared the end of 2025 I received some small speakers from Germany that are for sure in the higher end realm so small speakers. These shipped to me from T+A, which stands for “Theory & Application” and not what you were thinking, lol. In the world of HiFi T+A is one of the great brands who make high quality reliable gear that looks and sounds out of this world. The speakers that are the subject of this review are the Talis R330.
No, these are not what I could call “budget” speakers as they cost just over $10k USD. These do indeed 100% look and sound like a high end speaker should and are worth every cent of their asking price if small box musical perfection is what you seek. In fact, these small two way speakers are not only gorgeous to look at but the sound is what I would call a mix of precision mixed with a bunch of soul and a little bit of magic dust. I am not one who likes speakers that are only about precision as to me these type can sound lean and sometimes sterile though I admit…it has been a while since I heard a speaker like that. These days most companies that make speakers are understanding that a mix of analytical detail and soulful musical sound is the ticket to aural pleasures.
The big and mighty O Audio Icon 12 are still my all time fave large speaker and in just 3 months time these little T+A Talis R330 have become my all time favorite small two way speaker. The reasons why are plenty but if you want to see my video review of these, check it out right here as I spill the beans after 3 months of listening…
The Silver version of the R330
Another detail about the Talis R330 are that the drivers and crossover are all made in house in Germany by T+A. These are not built from a hodge hodge of parts from various manufactures but instead T+A designs the midrange/bass driver, the tweeter and the crossover. These are constructed of all top tier parts with no expense spared so to speak. To me, this instantly makes the Talis R330 speakers very special as they are 100% T+A and were designed with a purpose and that is to create superb high end sound in small two way cabinets. Sound that is not normally heard from such a size and I can verify this is the case. It really is.
All in all the T+A Talis R330 brought with them a superb first impression though I feel the stands were not to the level of the speaker. I ended up using my own stands as the Talis stands look and feel like the typical small metal stands with metal base plate. These are not high end stands IMO but more basic. I feel a better stand could be made for these but this is just my opinion of course.
The R330 also ship with magnetic grilles in the speaker color and those two options are black or silver. To me, silver is the more striking of the two in the flesh as I now have both here. Many will prefer the black and some will prefer the Silver version. Me? It is silver all the way for my tastes as they pop more in my dim room.
The speakers also ship with spiked feet you can install or not install. To install them you will need to remove the bottom plate with the tool provided and screw the feet in. If you do not want to use the feet you will just keep the nice silver bottom plate on. When you remove it you will see black. I put the feet on the black as these work perfectly with the T+A stands. The spikes fit into the holes on the stands, which is one good thing with the stands. With the silver, I chose to leave the baseplate on and not install the spikes. The choice is yours.
The gorgeous and soulful SoulNote A2 MKII Integrated amp is a “Soulmate” to the Talis R330.
The First Listen
I have tested the R330 now with a few amplifiers including my 2025 product of the year, the Vinshine Dazzle. I also tested with a SoulNote A2 MKII integrated (above) and a couple of 20 WPC 300B amps just for fun. To me, the Talis R330 sounded beautiful with ALL of them and even a new, yet un-announced “exotic” 300B integrated I tested had the R330 sounding haunting at low to mid volume with just 25 watts of power.
Overall, the SoulNote did best with the T+A for air, details and transparency. The Dazzle did best with the speakers if you seek all out slam, bass performance and density/warmth. It’s crazy how different the Talis sounded with each amp yet also similar.
Port on the back with two high end speaker connectors.
What these bring to the table is striking as they are dynamic, they are powerful, they are big in scale when it comes to painting the stage. They have bass slam but the bass is tight and very tuneful meaning I can hear every bass note cleanly. They also have some beauty in the midrange and with the Dazzle amp, which is a 560WPC Class A/B amp into 4 ohms, and these speakers are 4 ohms and 87db efficient.
With the Dazzle (below) I can go into nightclub mode and turn my room into a dance club where electronic music vibrates the wooden floor or I can listen softly at late night and hear warmth, refinement and richness. These image very nicely with the Dazzle as well.
When I listen I do so with my digital streaming front end that I have carefully crafted over several months of auditions and tests. It consists of the Matrix Audio NT-1 Streamer and SC-1 Clock. Also, the Matrix SS1-Pro Switch and an Ethernet purifier. Also, the Audio Mirror Wave Tube DAC (image below). This is a front end that sits in the higher end realm and is perfect for a speaker such as the T+A Talis R330. The sound from this 5 box source is like Analog on Steroids more so than digital.
The Audio Mirror Wave Tube DAC
I stream Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify Premium Lossless. All of these services sound amazing through the Matrix and Audio Mirror.
With the SoulNote A2 MKII Integrated amp the T+A speakers turn into a more transparent set of speakers with a treble that has more sparkle and shine. The imaging with the A2 MKII is also more precise, more spread out in the stage though the Dazzle creates a taller soundstage. I would say the perfect mate to the R330 is the SoulNote if you seek this sound. It is a high end sound oriented towards precision but also has some warmth, though slight. Bass is fantastic and low bass is also thunderous. These are what I would call full range small speakers and I would not want a sub with them.
Placing in the Dazzle again, female vocals get more intense, more soulful and darker. The sound warms up a bit but it’s smoother and more refined sounding. I have this unlimited sense of power here and this is when I can really jam out if I like as the sound stays rich, refined and silky even at high volume. In some ways the Dazzle is my fave with the R330 and in other ways the SoulNote delivers more of the audiophile vibe. Either way this has shown me that the Talis R330 show each change in your audio chain with ease. This is good.
As the weeks, them months rolled on I contacted T+A to order a set for my room. Even though I own a couple of other speakers, the Talis R330 just “have it all” and deliver a sound that leaves me wanting for nothing. Nothing at all. They bring the right amount of detail, air, sparkle and bring with it a bit of musicality, warmth and beauty. The design is gorgeous with the curved shape and being all aluminum they have a sense of luxury as well. My system is really built around the R330 and the Fleetwood Helios I have as well. The Helios sounds delicious with the Dazzle, the T+A is like a window to the world of music with the SoulNote. BTW, site Sponsor Unveiled Audio is a SoulNote dealer. See his A2MKII page HERE for info on this amp.
Have I heard a better small two way? Well, technically I do believe I have in the Marten Parker Duo but those are more than 2X the cost of the $10,990 Talis R330. The differences were that the Marten was tighter still with bass and sounded more audiophile in the way they imaged. The treble was a little more open with the Marten and the style had more “bling”. At the end of the day though, the Talis R330 brought just as much enjoyment and for half the cost. The Marten are more “audiophile” with even more precision than the T+A.
This is why I had to own a set of the R330 in silver. To me, the Talis R330 is just about the perfect two way bookshelf speaker for those who seek a high end sound and build and want to build a system around them that compliments what they do. In my 13X18 space the R330 lack for nothing and I can fill the room with ease. They could probably fill a larger space still, without a sub needed but this will depend on your bass tastes.
T+A is one of my fave companies in audio due to the insanely high quality they provide in their electronics and speakers. Their 3100 HV integrated (above) is the best I have ever heard, just out of my price reach. Maybe one day…yea. The HV would be PERFECT with the R330 and if I could afford one I would buy it right now, hands down. As is, the Dazzle is almost as good really in both build and sound so I cannot complain. I feel blessed to be able to own what I do own.
So at the end of the day the Talis R330 by T+A are extraordinary speakers and not a set that many talk about, probably due to price. I see a ton of affordable speakers reviewed on the internet but less in the way of premium, luxury or exotic speakers. I love doing reviews for all price ranges as I know we can gain a lot by going with the great brands who really know audio. Brands like T+A are legendary for their quality and precision. With the Talis line, they have really made one of the best small speakers I have ever had the pleasure to hear in the R330, and I now proudly own a set of my own. These are special and will stay with me for a long time to come.
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