I missed this thread yesterday, but Milan emailed me. I thought I would put up a precis of what I told him by email, in case it's of use to anyone else.
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The one place where my experience falls short is in the TV II. I haven't heard those, though I have used the original TVs and now have a pair of Fab 1's.
Here's my take on the general differences between the speaker lines.
The Fabs resolve more information than the TV, and are a faster speaker. They are more transparent, with better dynamics on small amps. They are also significantly more sensitive. However, in order for them to be a real full-range solution they need subs. No question, without subs the TVs have a fuller and richer tone.
However, offsetting that is that the TVs need a bigger room than the Fabs. My listening room is 12x19, and is very good - solid, symmetrical and well-treated. In it the Fabs sound, well, fab. The TVs sounded "pretty damn good", but not amazing.
But, I loaned the TVs to a potential buyer for audition. His room was bigger, about 20x25, and he sat about 4 feet further from the speakers than I did. He drove them with a big-ass Classe Delta amp, and they sounded glorious. Resolution, soundstaging and bass to die for, all in heaping helpings.
Now I think two things were happening here. One was the room, the other was the amp. I believe Israel overstates the sensitivity on those speakers by 3 to 4 dB. In addition, their complex crossover needs more current than you'd think to make the speakers get up and boogie. BMy Fabs really jump with 6 watts, while the TVs needed the Canary CA-339, 50 wpc of 300B push-pull, in order to shine.
So, here's the executive summary. If you have a smallish room, and/or prefer near(er) field listening, want to use low-power SETs to full advantage and are prepared to eventually buy at least one sub if required, the Fabs get my nod.
If you have a larger room (I'd say at least 15x22 feet), prefer listening further from the speakers (say a minimum of 10 feet to let them integrate), and want a full sound without subs, get the TV II. They'll run fine with your current Coincident amps, but believe me they will reward better electronics.
For an opinion on the TV vs. the TV II, you could talk to Arthur Salvatore. He's a friend of Izzy's who has heard them both extensively. FWIW, he thinks the TV II are head and shoulders above the TV.
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Given that Milan has described his room as having identical dimensions to mine, and saying that ultimate bass extension isn't a top priority, I unequivocally recommend the Fab Model 1. They really are a very special speaker, superior to the TVs in everything except bass weight, and are much better suited to a 12x19 foot room.
