tangojim

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I've been enjoying the 2 channel stereo hobby for about 10 yrs and currently have a modest system comprising Sim Audio I-5 integrated amp, Sony ES CD changer, Channel Island DAC, MIT 750 CVT spkr cables, Audioquest Jaquar ICs, and Tyler Linbrook Floorstanding Monitors. To provide a sense of reference for this review, I will mention other speakers I've either owned or spent extensive time listening to. They are (in no particular order) Totem Forrest, Totem Hawk, Totem Mani, Totem Model 1, Totem Arro, Paradigm Reference 100 v2, Von Schweikert VR4 SR, JM Lab Electra 3 way, Acoustic Zen Adagio, Magnepan 1.6 and 3.6, Krell Resolution monitor, Energy Veritas 4 way, ALR Jordan 4 way. The source equipment which drove these speakers were more or less reference level (YBA passion, Sim W5/P5, Manley SETs, Macintosh separates, Conrad Johnson separates, Krell separates). Of the speakers above, I really liked the VR4 Sr, Magnepan 3.6, JM Lab Electra, Totem Hawk and ALR Jordan. I didn't care for the Acoustic Zen, Paradigm, and Energy speakers for one reason or another. Now for the Tyler Linbrook Floorstanding Monitors. Overall, the linbrook floorstander monitor speakers are extremely refined and balanced. This refined presentation tends to make me crank the music up considerably louder than I normally would with other speakers. It also makes me sit and listen much longer at a time than I normally do with other speakers (except the Maggies and VR4 SR). The Linbrook Midrange is outstanding and as good as it comes for any speakers I've lstened to. Female vocal sibilance is very well managed, and vocals in general come across very lifelike and natural. These spkrs are not bright in any sense of the word, but the sound of acoustic guitars and pianos come across with very impressive resonances and air. Bass on these 2 way floorstanders is good down to about 45 hz with typical room placement but could go a few hz lower if they were placed close to walls. As many reviewers have described, the Seas Millenium tweeter is an interesting tweeter. It does not have world class details or resolution but it does provide for a very refined presentation of the high freqs. Fans of details and ultra resolutions will probably walk away with a confusing impression of the Millenium. They will think it sounds less capable than other tweeters they've heard but they probably won't be able to say it sounds bad. I read once that Ty Lashbrook (owner of Tyler) said that the Millenium doesn't have all the details of other high end tweeters but it does sound closest to live instruments. I believe his assessment is accurate and well stated. The Millenium is perhaps a purist's tweeter. If I may offer an analogy, it's like a choice between enjoying a hearty portion of tri-tip beef boldly seasoned and barbecued by a southern BBQ chef or a petite portion of aged filet mignon pan fried and seared on a hot iron skillet with a slight marinate of butter, garlic, salt and olive oil. If you are one who prefers the filet mignon, you will probably like the Millenium and the Linbrook Floorstanding Monitors. I think the Tyler Linbrook are great speakers and offer quite a bit of value for the money. They are magnificently well built, they use very high end drivers and, in my opinion, classically tuned and designed. I think the fact these speakers haven't changed in their design for so many years say something about the pedigree of the design and the people who makes them. As far as whether these floorstanding monitor model are the speakers for you, my opinion is that if you like powerful authoritative bass coming from your speakers, these guys are not for you. If you appreciate the capability of monitors along with the monetary value they offer, these speakers are probably godsend. You get all the refinement and accuracy you would normally do from a good set of monitors plus an additional 5 to 10 hz of very clean and natural bass. It should be noted that the current price for these spkrs are about $2600, not $3200 as listed per Audioreview. They're also available now and then on Tyler Acoustic Used Speakers website and Audiogon for under $2000.

Strengths:
Good value considering built quality, very high end components and a time tested design.

Weaknesses:
Not any real weakness outside of some bass limitation due to 2 way design and size of mid/bass drivers.

Similar Products Used:
Mentioned in review.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
These speakers are about as good as they come for the $2500 price range. I got mine used from audiogon for a very reasonable $1500. These speakers do not have any special characteristic per se, but they sound simply lovely. No punchy bass, no extended highs, no outstanding speed, no extreme resolution or details, no outstanding imaging or soundstaging. However, they do all the above well enough to not warrant any dissatisfaction from me. What these speakers do very well is make you want to listen to your music for hours at a time. The music is very nicely presented with superb refinement. Think of the feeling you get when you listen to good old vinyl, it doesn't have the digital capabilities of CD but it sounds great in a way that you can't quite accurately explain. For anyone curious about how much bass these speakers can deliver, I would say they are definitely 45 hz or even lower depending on room placement. The bass are definitely more authoritative than the typical 2 way monitors. The music coming out of these speakers are definitely full bodied. I love the fact that I can play most of my CDs on the loud side with these speakers. I get all the emotion and impact from being exposed to a wave of high volume music BUT with very minimal, if not zero, listening fatique. My speakers are dark wood veneer and they look great with the grill off and the Seas drivers with their gold accent. I definitely recommend these speakers to anyone with a budget but still like to live with audiophile musical taste.

Strengths:
Very refined and balanced in their presentation of music. Even makes crappy recorded CDs sounds decent. A used pair if you can find one would be a very smart buy. The highs are relaxed and very natural sounding. The mids are too die for. The bass is there when its there but it won't slam you back like other larger floorstander.

Weaknesses:
These 2 ways floorstander monitors are not meant to provide full size sound because there is only so much a 2 way speaker can do. The large cabinet size does provide an extra 5 hz of low freq so they are more bass capable than typical monitors. Some may find or describe them as having slightly rolled off trebles but that's really individual taste. Some people like their speakers to leave an impression but those probably listen to their music for a few minutes a day. I like to listen to my music for hours at a time while I'm surfing the web on my couch so I like my music nice and refined rather having it be in your face every second. You can drink your iced tea super sweet like they do in Georgia or just medium sweet like they do in Northern California. It's all personal taste.

Similar Products Used:
JM Lab Cobalt 816 (3 way floorstander)
Totem Arro (Slim 2 way floorstander)
Paradigm Reference LCR (MTM requiring stands)