Here are the actual mods to the TL-R2 - RioTubes - Speaker Asylum

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General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

Here are the actual mods to the TL-R2

In Reply to: Re: Cost of raw materials = Value??? posted by michaelavorgna on April 17, 2007 at 05:34:10:

I've chosen to post this reply under Mr. Lavorgna's post for his benefit as a reviewer and for the benefit of Tonian Labs' current and prospective customers.
First off, anyone is free to question the value of a product and decide for oneself whether to buy or not. So I cannot fault Greg for expressing his personal opinion on value. He is free to do so.
I have heard positive feedback on Fountek ribbon tweeters, particularly at their pricepoint. Dick Olsher has used them for some time, and now recommends that users send their Fountek's to Tonian Labs for rudimentary upgrades at very little cost. Dick Olsher: â€œI have auditioned both mods relative to the stock tweeter, and have found the Tonian Labs version to offer a much sweeter and more nuanced treble range.â€
However, Greg made some cavalier statements that are flat out false and misleading, and certainly harmful to the manufacturer. Greg's math is also wrong. The Fountek tweeters are $119/ea and the TL-R2 is $625/ea, or $1,250/pair.
Here are the actual modifications:
- 8 pieces of modified magnets
- Replacement ribbons made in Switzerland (much lighter than orig)
- Enclosure modifications
- Crossover parts
- Enclosure with high quality matte-black finish
- Supra binding posts from Sweden
These are the hard costs. The cost of the binding posts nearly add up to one Fountek tweeter alone. Of course, there is R&D, outsourced machine work, shipping to and from, labor and advertising to name some other cost involved in manufacturing and sales.
Of course, all of this is freely available to anyone who takes the time to call Tony Minasian, proprietor and designer of Tonian Acoustics. That's actually the great thing about boutique manufacturers, you can actually speak to the person who designs the products. This option was and is of course available to Greg and others.
The Tonian TL-R2 provides variable sensitivity from 85-98db and includes a crossover (which Fountek does not).
Anyone who is in the market for Fountek, is not in the market for Tonian Acoustics TL-R2. There will be a difference in sound, and a difference in price, and each prospective customer will judge for himself whether it is worth it.
In addition to Michael Lavorgna's favorable review, a 6Moons review of the MuRata ES103A was written by John Potis in which he compares it to the Tonian Acoustics TL-R1 (Retail $950) under a few different applications. The MuRata retails for $2,495. The Tonian TL-R1 received a very positive review, and John actually preferred it to the MuRata in certain applications; for example, when matched with a single-driver speaker. In this case, the TL-R1 is 38% of the price of the MuRata. I'm not sure if we will see a review anytime soon that compares the MuRata against the Fountek.
On one level, I am sympathetic to a point Greg was trying to make: that there are outstanding values in audio. I am a value oriented audio customer. Brand means very little to me. I seek performance and value. I suspect I share this in common with Greg. This is why I wrote the review about the Tonian Acoustics TL-D1. To my ears, this speaker does a lot of things better than speakers that cost 5-10X. Furthermore, I seriously considered several proven DIY designs that would cost me less than the $1,750 I paid. But after hearing the TL-D1s on several occasions, and having DIY'd audio products of my own, I appreciate how much time and effort goes into R&D, and I was far from confident that I could produce a better speaker. What made the decision easy for me is that the TL-D1 is much better (to my ears) than speakers costing several times its price. I gladly paid the asking price for the TL-D1s, and I am a very happy customer!

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - REVIEW: Tonian Acoustics TL-D1 Speakers - RioTubes 19:23:37 04/14/07 (11)

Photo - RioTubes 19:46:47 04/18/07 (0)

Tonian Acoustics TL-D1 Speakers - greg 19:22:22 04/15/07 (8)

Cost of raw materials = Value??? - Quiet Earth 21:58:01 04/15/07 (7)

Re: Cost of raw materials = Value??? - michaelavorgna 08:57:13 04/16/07 (6)

Re: Cost of raw materials = Value??? - tubevibb 18:30:11 04/16/07 (2)

Re: Cost of raw materials = Value??? - michaelavorgna 05:34:10 04/17/07 (1)

Here are the actual mods to the TL-R2 - RioTubes 20:35:15 04/17/07 (0)

Thanks for the clarification! - Quiet Earth 09:36:59 04/16/07 (2)

Re: Thanks for the clarification! - Patster 10:27:58 04/16/07 (0)

Re: Thanks for the clarification! - michaelavorgna 10:21:53 04/16/07 (0)

Tonian Acoustics TL-D1 Speakers - Patster 09:55:43 04/15/07 (0)

Follow Ups

Here are the actual mods to the TL-R2 - RioTubes 20:35:15 04/17/07 (0)

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