Great review--you did an excellent job of communicating the sound of the speakers without relying on the usual battery of empty audiophile jargon. I'd really love to hear these someday.
Which stands and at what height do you have them? |
Nice review. Sounds much as I have experienced with the Linbrook line. Do you listen to them off the 4 ohm taps or the 8 ohm taps? Have you tried each? Do you listen with the grills on or off? Have you noticed a difference in the uppermid range with the grills on? |
Drubin, Newbee: Thank you for the kind words. I'm using Ty's 20" high stands which I have filled with clay-based kitty litter. I use it straight from the bag as opposed to later! The speakers are blu-tacked on. I'm using the 4 ohm taps on the Lectron integrated and haven't tried the 8 ohm taps. The differences with grills on or off are too subtle for me to be certain about. |
Excellent review. I have had the pleasure of hearing this very system and even though it is in a small listening room, the sound is everything claimed. The combination of the Linbrooks and the Lectron is magical. |
Very nice review... I have these as well, as part of the full Linbrook System... I agree with everything in your review... I would just mention that if you ever have the opportunity to hear the full Linbrook System (pretty much the monitors with their dedicated bass modules), I think it takes the Linbrooks to a new level... and that is saying something. :-)
Also, another family of amps I can recommend for anyone considering the Linbrooks are the Coda amps (or even the Legacy Audio amps made by Coda). These also have a tremendous synergy with the Linbrooks.
Enjoy!
---Dave |
I love my little Tyler Taylo reference monitors. I am thinking of upgrading to linbrrok floorstanding (just the 2 drive model). For those who have heard both, what do you think of Taylo vs Linbrook, ie is upgrade worth it. Interested in any opion to Yes/No to as musch reasoning as possible.
Thanks. Ty is great to work with and a great guy. |
Shaqspack,
If you are referring to the Linbrook floorstanders that have the one mid/bass driver and a tweeter in each enclosure (ie, these are not the Linbrook System speakers), then when compared to the Taylo Reference Monitors (which in addition to the Linbrook System, I also own), I would say the performance is going to be very similar...
You will get a tad more bass with the Linbrook floorstanders, but lose a little bit of soundstaging... Pretty much a wash, IMO. If it were me, I would just keep the Taylos (and maybe invest the money in a high quality musical subwoofer to match them like the ACI Titan, or one of the REL models).
That said, the Tyler 7Us, or the Linbrook Signature Monitors would indeed be a step up over the Taylo Reference Monitors.
---Dave |
Shaqspack, Could you clarify which model of Linbrook floorstander you are talking about? I have the Linbrook Signature system, one piece per side, but I think you may be talking about the rhw new Linbrook System two which has one tweeter, one midrange and one woofer. ??? |
Linbrook System II
and
Linbrook Floorstanding Reference Monitor
are the two I am considering. Or just leaving it alone...
We do hav the small Von Schweikert Sub, which blends nicely and has plent of output for out room....
Thanks, and continued feedback appreciated. Have about a week to decide.
Ed |
The Signature System II is a major step up from the Taylo Reference Monitors (sorry, I thought you were only interested in the Linbrook Floorstanding Reference Monitor)...
I don't own the "II" (I have the regular Linbrook System "I" if you will), but I heard them at THE Show in Vegas this year at great length, and was very impressed. Sounds very much like the "I" with less low bass extension. I find the "II" to be an excellent way of getting most of the performance of the "I" without the same major financial investment.
---Dave |
Great review. I own the 7Us, with the Seas tweeter. Basically, the same thing in a small floor standing model. I also truly love these speakers. I am running them with the CODA amp and a Marsh Tube Pre-amp. I am in the process of building a high end sub to go with them. To assist me in integrating the two, I am purchasing a parametric eq. |
I am blessed to have a matched pair, refurbished minty 225s. I'm thinking of doing a bridge set-up with these speakers for very small 14x15 mountain cabin. That'll be roughly 60 watts into the 4ohms per speaker. What do folks think of this combo? Good synergy likely? Thanks, and Ty IS the man. :) |
60 watts should be just fine in that size room. Do try the 8 ohm taps though. I find my Tylers, even though they are 4ohm speakers, sound better with my tube amps off the 8ohm taps. Much smoother highs(less distortion perhaps?). YMMV. |
Thanks for this. Is that okay to do without harming either speaker or amp? Also, I'm thinking the 24" stands might be a bit high, and Ty says he'll make me some whatever height I wish. Maybe 20-22?
I am also going to audition the speakers with my re-issue 275, and compare them directly in the cabin with Spendor SP100s. And the winner is???? :)
John |
No damage to amp or speakers will occur. Re the Spendors, they are an excellent speaker. Big difference will probably be in the bass. The Tyler monitor won't go as low but what there is will be a lot tighter, and you may think there is less bass as a result. Mids and highs from the Tyler should be much more revealing than the 100's and they should image much better as well. I suspect the image will be higher, deeper and wider at similar volume levels with the 100. What you will like more will depend on the size of your room and the interface of the electronics. The Mac should drive either w/o a problem. Stands should elevate the speaker so that the tweeter is at eye level.
Let us know how your audition turns out. |
A few more words about break in: Since I wrote the above mini review I have purchased another set of Linbrooks from Ty so that I can use one pair as mains in my HT set up. This pair are used trade ins with very few hours on them. As with my first new pair they didn't sound quite right at first: a little too much upper bass, lacking the last bit of air and treble extension, imaging not quite fully focussed. As before,I found that after 100 hours I was getting maybe 90% of the improvement from break in and the final 10% by around 200 hours. After break in bass is more extended and powerful. In my modest sized room it not only shakes the walls but sets items to buzzing (the buzzing showed up at 100 hours). Moral: if you try these guys please give them a good thumping for at least 100 hours before assessing them! |
I have owned both the Taylo monitor/sub system and Linbrooks w/o a sub. I think I enjoyed the Taylo speakers more than the Linbrooks, but this wouldn't be because one was "better" than the other. These speakers simply produce a different sound, as one should expect. In fact, I really liked the Taylo without the sub, though generally I used the sub. As for the Linbrooks, I enjoyed them thoroughly, but I guess I was hoping for the Taylo sound, only on a much grander scale.
Again, this is all so questionable, as I had combined the Taylo with combinations of Musical Fidelity, Audio Research, Mark Levinson, and Classe; with the Linbrooks I used Pass Labs and Wadia.
If I had to buy either again, I think I'd choose the Taylo.
I now enjoy Cain & Cain Super Abbys, one Bailey sub, Pathos amp, and Shanling SACD. Great sound. |
Hey Beem and other Tyler fans. Like to point out my comments posted in the speaker section on my recent session of the Linbrook Signature System (LSS).
Like Beem says, it would be difficult for me to come up with even one weakness of the LSS. I thought my little JOR would not ahve the power to deliver on a 5 driver speaker. To the contrary, bass galore. I see on the Excel specs that they are 87 db driver, but somehow Ty has the xover at a much easier load. There was no issues with my JOR of being over pushed.
The LSS a combination of the Lin Sig Monitirs (LSM) with the addition of dual Excel 8's, 'dedicated bass section" as one guy put it.
I heard the one piece, which has a a slightly smaller Q cabinet than the 2 piece. but from what i've been told the differece is slight to none.
The one piece is slightly lighter and compact.
I prefer the one piece for room intergration of looks, that bottom of the 2 piece "sticks out" a tad. Both are beautiful speakers.
I own the Thor, its basically the LSM in a tall cabinet. I though Ty has his upper MTM crossed with a better tonal character than the D Apoloito design of the Thor. I need further listens at my home to determine that. D Apoloito is the very highly respected designer that works closely with the Seas comapny. Ty may have a slight edge on his xover of the dual 7's/tweet. Both are fine in that dept.
Where Ty really shines with stunning results is the intergration of the dual 8's with the upper MTM. The dual 8's deliver bass with a lush softness yet with authority as well.
I did not realize just how much of the bottom end I was missing with the Thors until I heard the LSS and its dual W22's.
You owe it to yourself to audition the LSS, ck Ty's web for a owner near you, or send a Emial, as TY may know of a recent buyer who is willing to have you over.
In my 30 yrs experience of audio, the LSS was for me the deepest experience I've had with music.
I see someone left feedback in Ty's seller account, says he upgraded from the Linbrook series to the ....WOODMERE. That boasts the dual 10's. Doesn't get much better than that. Don't believe there's anything like it. I hope to visit Ty's studio later next yr. I want to hear those Woodmere's.
Fellow Tyler fan
Kind Regards
Paul
Baton Rouge |
