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URGENT IMF TLS 50s??--value? orig drivers?

rogerfederer

rogerfederer

determined amateur
Subscriber
i've looked at a lot of pictures on google images and don't see this exact driver complement. are these TLS 50s? TLS 50 version I?

what are they worth, ballpark? how do they sound?

thanks:yes:
 

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well, looks like i'm taking the plunge. trading some speakers i'm not using so a no cash deal.

no doubt will have to recap the x-overs. surrounds look OK.

would still love any thoughts re which model these are, etc:music:
 
captouch,

bet you are right re the "studio." the tweeter looks different and the middle port is filled in with something.

OK, should be interesting!
 
IMFs sound really good. And they're not so common, so if the opportunity arises to pick up a set - especially if you did a trade/no-cash deal, it sounds like a winner for you. :D

The tweeters look a little like the Celestion tweets I had in my RSPM IV's. Not sure if they did a driver change at some point - seems little is known about this guy.

I recapped both my TLS 50 II's and RSPM IV's with Falcon Acoustic caps. If you're not a purist, I don't think you have to really go this route though. It would be much more economical to go with standard non-polar electrolytics, or you could look into film caps as well. In the end, I'm not sure one could really tell the difference between different non-polar electrolytics.

I still have my TLS 50 II's and enjoy them a lot.

Look forward to your thoughts once you get them up and running.
 
the baffle does look a bit messy around those tweets, so there could have been a swap. i did see tweets like that on other IMFs in looking at pictures on google images.

i bet falcon is the way to go. will have to price it out.
 
Hi,I own a pair of tls50 MkI,it have some similar component,but this is an earlier tls you got and probably one of the first,the tweeter is different than mine(peerless rectangular plate) your's is a celestion hf1300 but should have been a Kef tweeter like on IMF studio picture,your super tweeter is a celestion hf2000 but should have been different.These celestion tweeter's and super tweeters are superior to the tls 50 mkI or MkII and usually found in prof.MkIII and tls80MkI.And the back have the same two adjustment for the high 0,1or2db,and the mid 0,1or2db control like my prof.MkIII.I like to see a picture of the X-over who suppose to be behind the woofer.For the sound and the price it is hard to say,Yvan Donald
 
thanks, yvan

i pick them up tomorrow, assuming the deal goes through. thanks for the info on the tweeters. that is very helpful. from some quick googling, they look like excellent drivers and quite rare. i better treat them carefully:yes:
 
hi,on Imf website the studio seem's to have the coles super tweeters and T33 kef tweeter,and what the wire do on top of the middle front port which have been block?
 
hi,the mid is the tls 50 MkI IMF original driver and probably Kef sp1014 IMF original driver,like what I have on my Tls.
 
Hmm these are not the Studio I do not believe.

I have seen a picture of this model before - exact components and all. I don't remember for the life of me the model, though.

It's a very rare bird, and IMFs are uncommon enough as it is.

I would recap them - every single pair of IMFs I have recapped made an improvement afterwards. I didn't go with expensive or boutique caps either - I went with Falcon's Alcaps which are made by the same manufacturer as the original caps. I don't think you can go wrong with that set.. they are an early iteration of the original Pro Monitor (a smaller version of it) and were likely experimenting when they built these.. but I have heard a very early set of IMF PM1s (probably the first t-line they produced commercially) and they sounded wonderful. Different from my RSPM Mk IVs, but very good.
 
I've also seen similar to those, that cutout in the front is weird. The tweeters are different, look like coles and kef similar to a b&w or spendor?

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captouch said:
My best guess is the Studio:
http://www.imf-electronics.com/Home/imf/speaker-range/studios/studio

But the tweeter and supertweeter looks a little different than the picture shown here (see last picture):
http://www.imf-electronics.com/Home/imf/speaker-range/studios

Let us know what you think!
Click to expand...

I agree the driver complement and configuration point to the Studio. The earliest seem to have the Coles (3 mounting screws) 4001 type super tweeter and a GEC style or KEF T15 (1.5 inch) recessed dome tweeter, along with an ELAC mid and KEF woofer.

The early versions also had matte painted baffles. There is no "vent" or port in the middle apparently, but an access panel in some pictures, and I think that was sealed in later versions from behind.

I'd wager that the later production versions subbed the Celestion HF1300 and HF2000 tweeter and super tweeters as similarly used in the Professional and RSPM series, or a previous owner did so, maybe on recommendation from the factory.

Yvan_donald said:
hi,on Imf website the studio seem's to have the coles super tweeters and T33 kef tweeter,and what the wire do on top of the middle front port which have been block?
Click to expand...

T15 Tweeter, not T33, T33 was a much later tweeter used by KEF and is a small 1 inch dome tweeter, usually in a faceplate housing that was square or rectangular. The wiring is likely to be driver cabling to the crossover, sort of like early KEF Concertos that had the wiring coming out of the speaker ports to the crossover.

c-atle-79bay said:
I've also seen similar to those, that cutout in the front is weird. The tweeters are different, look like coles and kef similar to a b&w or spendor?

attachment.php
Click to expand...

Agree.
 
If we could figure out what generation of Celestion tweeters those are, we'd know if they are ahead or behind the Studio.

I am thinking these are pre-Studio only because of the fact they used the same tweeters as the big model. Basically I think they transplanted the Pro Monitor into a smaller cabinet, using the Kef B200 and Elac mid (which makes sense because they wanted drivers with T/S parameters that could fit the smaller cabinet) - then later on decided to go with different drivers (to save costs, perhaps)? I only think this because this is how the Studio, and subsequently TLS 50 series, was built, leaving me to think these are even earlier.

I hope you get these - I would love to investigate the internals of these a little more and find out what the crossover is like and what B200 they used.

Also, when you get these, I would recommend contacting Jerry Bloomfield at Falcon Acoustics with pictures of the crossover. He may be able to identify exactly which model these are (if they have a model designation). At the same time, you could order the caps.
 
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