Sorry for the long delay as work has been a bitch but, fortunately, music has been great. I got the supertweeters about 6 weeks ago as Tonian, at their expense, shipped the USPS lost one to me in two days - from California to Michigan.
Even though I had a 7 day trial period I knew after the first night they'd be staying. The effect is not suble but on the other hand it's not startling or "in your face". My Harbeth C7ES2s are just the slightest bit reticent in the highest octave (even more so than the beloved ProAc 2.5s I had for 7 years), and just a tad bit closed in sounding. The Tonians open up the high end in a natural and relaxed way and cause no exageration whatsoever. The soundstage also opens up and you can 'see' into the recording site better. It adds in those little high frequency cues that are otherwise lost which usually draw me into the music better.
Tony set the crossover just right and they blend seamlessly, at least to my ears. I also use a subwoofer and as someone who ran SETs for 7 years, I'm damn suprised that such a complicated system as I now have (essentially a 4 way speaker system powered by a Plinius amp) makes such wonderful music.
Set up was super easy but I would like an actual owner's manual instead of the one piece of printed paper that was supplied. Build quality seems quite high and they look real nice setting on top of the Harbeths.
I've played with them to see if the ribbons make any glare, tizziness, etch, etc. - not one bit. Highs are smooth and extended at the same time. The upper harmonics of cymbals, flutes, etc. are just extended beyond what is usually there and any glare or etch is coming from somewhere else in the system. I had a slight problem with glare on a few recordings (not the best CD transfers I must admit) but switching the supertweeters in and out didn't affect the problem - it had nothing to do with them and was the same with them in system or with just the Harbeths. I got completely rid of the slight glare (on only a few recordings such as "Cheap Thrills" - Big Brother & the Holding Company) by running the Plinius in pure class "A". What a great amp and the first SS I've used in 20 years. Man, they've come a long way! Sure miss those glowing tubes and even looking at the trannies, which gazing can become additctive after a few years.
The Tonian tweeters are as smooth, extended, and naturally sparkling as I could have hoped for. I'd be real curious to see how they'd sound with a number of Spendor, sonus Faber, & ProAc models, and some of those single driver jobs I've always heard so much about (Cain & Cain, Omega, etc.).
