CDT PSS-062i

[sandt38 448]

The USPS priority mail package arrived, and I knew what was in it. I had been excited about their arrival, as they were the final piece to my upgrade from a more entry level set of CDTs to one of their very best 2 way component set offerings. The journey took about a month. The heavy box revealed the monster CDT ES-06 midbass drivers. They are pretty beefy drivers, with a big rubber boot over the motor. Jerking the boot off, I discovered a super shiny chrome motor. The basket is a nice cast 4 spoke basket. The quick release spring terminals offer a secure and quick connection. I quickly yanked out the old mids and modified the door to fit the motor, and they were in place about 1 hour later. I fired them up and let them have a little break in time while I e-mailed Mike at Vertex Audio, who was a great help in getting me set up with the units best suited to achieve my goals, and let him know I got the set and I had just carved up my doors to make those puppies fit.

Essentially my upgrades left me owning the CDT Audio ES-062i GOLD 6.5" Component Set which I will review as a complete set .The tweeters are the DRT26A aluminum dome modular tweeter units, which would be an upgrade to the normal set. The tweeters are very attractive, and obviously very well built. You can change the driver itself from the silk dome, to the aluminum dome, to the titanium dome by using the supplied tool, grabbing the base, and turning the tweeter module until it clicks. Then the tweeter slides out of the base and you can insert the new module just as easily. It takes about 20 seconds to swap both tweeter domes. The tweeters have just an awesome amount of options for mounting them. The crossover is the EX550i, which was designed specifically for the ES-06 mids and the DRT26 tweeters, as it brings the crossover point down to rolloff (2.5kHz) of the powerful mid. The crossover is a decent size, not tiny by any means, but not obnoxiously large. It appears to use very good components and has several setting options. There are no jumpers in here, all settings are done with switches, and admittedly the switches could be marked better.

Crossover on the right, with the switches circled)

Mid and tweet installed.

Now, on to the install in question. I wanted to let everyone know the important factors surrounding the set, as they can play a role in their performance. I used 2 different amplifiers while running this set. The first was a solid state Cadence FXA-5100 bridged, running 300 WRMS/ch. The second was a tube amplifier, Butler TDB475 bridged to provide 200 WRMS/ch. The source is a Pioneer Premier FH-P800BT. Everything is set flat unless otherwise indicated in the review, all bass boost and enrichment modes off. I set the HU to highpass at 63Hz. The substage consists of a Cadence ZRS6000D which is ~650@2ohms, and 2 Adire Koda 10” subs in a midsized (1.2 per sub) sealed arrangement, crossed at 80Hz and run in reverse polarity. The mids are in the stock location in the lower front of the doors, decoupled from the sheet metal, spaced out with MDF, in a well damped door in an IB alignment. The tweets are well angled in the kicks, with a desired soundstage in the center of the windshield.

Here is a little speaker porn. This is the ES-06 (the large black driver) compared to the EF-62FG (the red driver)

Now for the review

This set is a very solid offering from CDT for those of us who like a really warm, powerful midbass that can really get down deep. The only shortcoming is that the midrange may be a little soft for some listeners when listened through a mid level solid state amp. The tubes really opened the midrange up tremendously, and I have to say that this set with the tubes is a winner all the way around. I really like the aluminum dome tweeter, as it is crisp and detailed, without evidence of sibilance or ringing at all. It really allows for a broad soundstage and a great image. The soundstage is just huge in the car without much work. My only complaint is, there may be a little too much shimmer with the SS amp, although the tubes really pulled it back and tamed it where it might get a little domineering. Overall, it is a fantastic tweeter, one deserving of it’s reputation. Tonal accuracy is very good, but the midbass of the set is a bit silky to be called perfect, although I like the buttery smooth midbass.

I have always liked Tantric’s self titled album for midbass detail and depth. The mids definitely handled the usual tracks with precision; the drumbeats accompanied by Hugo Ferreira growling voice showed the mids could really handle transients exceptionally well. I love the way they blend acoustic guitar and electric guitar too. It allows us the ability to determine how realistic the differences are between the 2, with particular attention to the decay. The EX550i has them crossed perfectly (I had to make a small tweeter aiming adjustment to compensate for a tiny dip in frequency response), and the DRT26As handle the low crossover point with ease. Tantric does nothing exceptionally fast, but the separation of their instruments in their first release really helps show off how well a set can provide detail and accuracy during reproduction.

Dream Theater’s Train of Thought was next on the list. Mike Portnoy attacks a drum set like it is his enemy… and the ES-o6 handled the attack with ease. Kickdrum separation was precise; the ES-06 almost belittles his speed.

I love Pink Floyd. They got a lot of play on these speakers. I stuck to Dark Side of the Moon (30th Anniversary Remastered SACD Hybrid, original copy), and Wish You Were Here. Dark Side of the Moon really was amazing. My old lady commented “Wow, this sounds amazing, did you buy new speakers or something?” to which I replied, “No way honey!!!” Even she noticed the difference at very modest listening levels. Floyd’s psychedelic trips through both of these albums really presented imaging that is so deep and the stage is so vast it seems to extend beyond the doors and windshield of the car.

The usual suspects played on the system as well. Dave Matthews Band’s 34 showed amazing depth with the set, and the Tenor Sax played so beautifully it was frightening. I love to use Warehouse, and Ants Marching as well, because they provide a ton of detail from the bottom of the audible spectrum to the top, with explosive woodwinds and brass, pounding bass, harmonicas, cymbals (from delicate high hats to huge crashes) guitars, and of course, Dave’s voice. Everything is so accurate, and the image is amazing with so many instruments exploding around you, with amazing depth and clarity. Sarah McLachlan and Norah Jones both maintained composure, and beauty. Their voices didn’t seem to feel strained at all, no ringing on the high notes, and the mids don’t even seem like they are trying. Pianos rolled behind them with amazing precision and detail. The decay is as perfect as we can expect in an imperfect environment like a car.

In conclusion, this set is very accurate, very fast, and finely detailed. The mids’ attack is aggressive, and their decay is natural. They provided more impact than the FG mids, but they are not fatiguing like many aggressive midbasses can be. Their depth is impressive, and they handle their midrange duties in a very mellow, laid back manner. Transient response from the mids is impressive. The tweeters are very precise, and controlled, and delicate. I heard no audible ringing, no sibilance, and harsh isn’t a word that comes to mind. They are critical, without being bright, laid back without being flat. The crossovers handle the mid to tweeter transition smoothly. This truly is one fine component set. They are a well rounded set that really encompasses the whole package audio enthusiasts are searching for.

[Aaron Clinton 2,372]

Very nice in depth review. I am not a CDT fan, but I enjoyed the read.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

I wish I could write a review with that much thought and attention to details.

Thank you Sir, great job.