M Jarve
Audio Geek and NGE Freak
Well now. I've had a couple weeks to enjoy my newest set of speakers, and have grown to appreciate their qualities and nuances, as well as to learn some of their quirks. I'll let the low points out of the way first, as they are somewhat trivial and not deserving of the place of honor at the end.
One of the first observations I made, after my fever delirium was done, was that despite their low efficiency, I don't think these speakers are solid-state friendly. Let me explain. I initially hooked them up to my Yaqin, which outputs an honest 40 watts per channel, which is apparently the minimum recommended for these speakers. I decided to connect up the only other amp I currently own, a Kenwood KA-7100, to see what 60WPC could do. Quite a difference, and not necessarily for the better. They suddenly sounded a little thin and empty, much like when speakers are far too small for the room they're in, but it was subtle enough that I dismissed it as just my mind playing tricks on me. The big surprise was later that day- I took the set over to Boy Wonder's and connected them to his Adcom GFA-6000 (100-watts x2), which in turn was fed by an SAE mk IB. With the same program material I played at home through both the Yaqin and Kenwood, the speakers were bordering hard and thin. Bob asked if there was some weird peak at 1500Hz or something, and we both agreed that they just did not sound right. I brought them back home and reconnected the Yaqin and they sounded infinitely better. Last weekend, Bob made it over to listen to them with my Yaqin and he agreed that they were entirely different. Perhaps I'm missing something here, but it was the biggest difference I had ever heard when it came to amps. When I get a chance, I think I'm going to do some amp rolling with some of Bob's gear, if he'll let me. I definitely want to try them with the Kenwood L-07M.
Anyways, the important thing is that they perform rather brilliantly with the equipment I actually use.
The other issue is that because of their low efficiency and somewhat small window for power, they do not possess the sort of dynamic range that I am used to. Although uncommon for me, I do occasionally like to get wild with something like the 1812 Overture, and the TLS-50II falls short of the mark. That said, they do have excellent dynamics within their range and have a quality that allows me to resist the urge to turn it up just to bring out more detail.
With that out of the way...
Something interesting I noticed almost immediately is that it almost feels as though there is a change in pressure in the room when playing bass-drum or double bass through these. It is something felt almost more than heard. Same for the pedal notes on an organ. Its actually one of the most realistic reproductions of bass I have ever experienced. I think they do edge out the zero9's in this area at my usual listening levels. Again, the energy and detail of the bass response draw comparisons with the Magneplanars I have heard, but with the added benefit of truly deep extension.
I've also gotten to know the midrange more intimately, playing some choral music as well as Norah Jones. Compared to the other ranges this speaker can produce, the mids can be a little underwhelming. Not bad by any stretch, just not stellar. Slightly recessed, but very smooth. Maybe a little dark. Actually, now that I think about it, it sounds more like a proper British speaker- more like the Diamond 7.2. Perhaps I've become so accustomed to the midrange capability of the zero9 that I will have to readjust to a speaker with a dryer character. One thing I can really appreciate from the midrange is how it tames the rather rustic recording quality of one CD I own. It's a Norah Jones disc, and apparently they went for more of a demo-cut quality, and indeed, her voice at times becomes a little grating as it clearly peaked the mixer. There is not a loss of detail, however, which is much appreciated.
I can also reconfirm their excellent imaging and positioning capability. They project an almost holographic sound field. You can nearly wander through the band, choir, or hall. the only thing that breaks the illusion is the tendency for the speakers (or amp) to compress during exceptionally dynamic passages. This is, of course, approaching obscene levels, but I am finding that listening to certain pieces (Beethoven's 9th, for instance) the hall shrinks during the crescendo.
The 50's are, of course, the little guys of the bunch, and I'm really wanting to track down a set of the 80's or one of the Professional Monitors to get into the big leagues. But for now, the 50's are making music, which is making me smile. And the zero9's are sitting in the corner for now, if that's any indication.
One of the first observations I made, after my fever delirium was done, was that despite their low efficiency, I don't think these speakers are solid-state friendly. Let me explain. I initially hooked them up to my Yaqin, which outputs an honest 40 watts per channel, which is apparently the minimum recommended for these speakers. I decided to connect up the only other amp I currently own, a Kenwood KA-7100, to see what 60WPC could do. Quite a difference, and not necessarily for the better. They suddenly sounded a little thin and empty, much like when speakers are far too small for the room they're in, but it was subtle enough that I dismissed it as just my mind playing tricks on me. The big surprise was later that day- I took the set over to Boy Wonder's and connected them to his Adcom GFA-6000 (100-watts x2), which in turn was fed by an SAE mk IB. With the same program material I played at home through both the Yaqin and Kenwood, the speakers were bordering hard and thin. Bob asked if there was some weird peak at 1500Hz or something, and we both agreed that they just did not sound right. I brought them back home and reconnected the Yaqin and they sounded infinitely better. Last weekend, Bob made it over to listen to them with my Yaqin and he agreed that they were entirely different. Perhaps I'm missing something here, but it was the biggest difference I had ever heard when it came to amps. When I get a chance, I think I'm going to do some amp rolling with some of Bob's gear, if he'll let me. I definitely want to try them with the Kenwood L-07M.
Anyways, the important thing is that they perform rather brilliantly with the equipment I actually use.
The other issue is that because of their low efficiency and somewhat small window for power, they do not possess the sort of dynamic range that I am used to. Although uncommon for me, I do occasionally like to get wild with something like the 1812 Overture, and the TLS-50II falls short of the mark. That said, they do have excellent dynamics within their range and have a quality that allows me to resist the urge to turn it up just to bring out more detail.
With that out of the way...
Something interesting I noticed almost immediately is that it almost feels as though there is a change in pressure in the room when playing bass-drum or double bass through these. It is something felt almost more than heard. Same for the pedal notes on an organ. Its actually one of the most realistic reproductions of bass I have ever experienced. I think they do edge out the zero9's in this area at my usual listening levels. Again, the energy and detail of the bass response draw comparisons with the Magneplanars I have heard, but with the added benefit of truly deep extension.
I've also gotten to know the midrange more intimately, playing some choral music as well as Norah Jones. Compared to the other ranges this speaker can produce, the mids can be a little underwhelming. Not bad by any stretch, just not stellar. Slightly recessed, but very smooth. Maybe a little dark. Actually, now that I think about it, it sounds more like a proper British speaker- more like the Diamond 7.2. Perhaps I've become so accustomed to the midrange capability of the zero9 that I will have to readjust to a speaker with a dryer character. One thing I can really appreciate from the midrange is how it tames the rather rustic recording quality of one CD I own. It's a Norah Jones disc, and apparently they went for more of a demo-cut quality, and indeed, her voice at times becomes a little grating as it clearly peaked the mixer. There is not a loss of detail, however, which is much appreciated.
I can also reconfirm their excellent imaging and positioning capability. They project an almost holographic sound field. You can nearly wander through the band, choir, or hall. the only thing that breaks the illusion is the tendency for the speakers (or amp) to compress during exceptionally dynamic passages. This is, of course, approaching obscene levels, but I am finding that listening to certain pieces (Beethoven's 9th, for instance) the hall shrinks during the crescendo.
The 50's are, of course, the little guys of the bunch, and I'm really wanting to track down a set of the 80's or one of the Professional Monitors to get into the big leagues. But for now, the 50's are making music, which is making me smile. And the zero9's are sitting in the corner for now, if that's any indication.
