Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Tonian Acoustics TL-D1 Speakers by Paul Folbrecht

Model:	TL-D1
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$1,750 with Shellac Finish
Description:	Wideband + Ribbon Supertweeter Floorstander
Manufacturer URL:	Tonian Acoustics
Model Picture:	View

Review by Paul Folbrecht on September 14, 2009 at 17:45:38
IP Address: 69.23.44.84 Add Your Review
for the TL-D1

The Tonian Labs TL-D1 loudspeaker is described as a "semi-open-baffle"
design by its manufacturer. It's a mid-sized floorstander with an 8"
Fostex wideband driver coupled to a ribbon tweeter. (Tonian does not
reveal the details of the crossover and I do not know if the Fostex is
run wide-open or not, but I suspect not, as I've never heard an
unfiltered Fostex driver of any sort sound as neutral as this one does!)

This is a truly a remarkable speaker and I think almost anyone would
acknowledge that. Why? I can think of several reasons:

1) It is the first speaker I have ever heard employing a wideband
driver that is both very sensitive and yet not the *least* bit
"shouty". There are no peaks and no uneven frequency response of any
sort, and that was verified by me with measurements. This alone is a
pretty remarkable achievement - in a speaker of any cost, must less
one costing $2500.

2) It is *astonishingly* dynamic, in both the micro and macro sense,
and with very little power as well.

3) It blends a cone with a ribbon in a way that is absolutely
sonically transparent. The speaker, like several other very good two-
ways, is perfectly coherent and sounds like a point-source. Is is the
fact that this is done with a ribbon that is noteworthy.

I listen mostly to jazz, and the speaker is truly remarkable in this
genre. Bass reach is entirely adequate and bass articulation and
detail absolutely second to none (save perhaps a front-loaded bass
horn!). This is really *the* speaker for jazz percussion. Horns have
just the right amount of bite, vocals are very natural, and nuance and
detail are exemplary. The delicacy and reach of the ribbon tweeter
make the symbols come alive extremely well.

The speaker is perhaps less stellar on rock but still very good.
Here, the lack of complete bass extension is noticeable, and some
whizzer anomalies or cone break-up occasionally make themselves
known. However, this speaker does a much better job on rock than any
of a number of single-driver high-efficiency models I've had, mostly
back-loaded horns.

The speaker is indeed very revealing, with changes in sources and
amplification very readily audible. I have been rotating two amps,
both of them stellar in their own right: a Korneff 45 SET amp and a
First Watt F3. Even the 45, with under two watts, is entirely
adequate power-wise, but, as owners of such amps and speakers will be
aware, the speaker does come alive dynamically a bit more with more
power.

[The F3, at 15 watts, fills that bill. This single-ended (and thus
class A), single-stage JFET amplifier is quite remarkable; I never,
ever thought I would find a solid-state amp that really holds its own
against the best SETs but this one does.]

So, to close out this short review, if you have been seduced by the
immediacy and clean bass of single-driver horn designs, but turned off
by their bite (or at least a frequency response far from flat), you
really need to hear this speaker. Again, I was totally astonished to
find a speaker under $10,000, at least, that can do what it can do.
It is an amazing product and true giant-killer.

Product Weakness:	Perhaps none; does not handle very bass-heavy music as well as some speakers
Product Strengths:	See review

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: First Watt F3, Korneff 45 SET
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Audio Note Kits L3
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Audio Note Kits 2.1C DAC, Acoustic Solid TT
Speakers: Tonian TL-D1, Audio Note AN/E
Cables/Interconnects: Various
Music Used (Genre/Selections): jazz & rock
Room Size (LxWxH): 25 x 25 x 15
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	First Watt F3, Korneff 45 SET
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Audio Note Kits L3
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Audio Note Kits 2.1C DAC, Acoustic Solid TT
Speakers:	Tonian TL-D1, Audio Note AN/E
Cables/Interconnects:	Various
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	jazz & rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	25 x 25 x 15
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner