Julian Hirsh
I am not. Judd Hursh, would probably be more appropriate..
A review on my SS TL-6 Transmission Line speakers:
An accurate assumption; they are sleepers. Who would ever even audition any speaker bearing the Sony brand. If not for this forum, I never would have known of their existence. In fact, based on my lack of much internet data on them, they are not much more then a rumor.
As a faithful lover of Bose 901's, My blank slate in which to reference these somewhat odd speakers, might be a bit biased. but take it for what it is.
Right off the bat, I finally figured out why one searches for the essence of true Hi-Fi. These monitors deliver a sound that I can only describe as thick and consuming. I find myself running for my chair located in the ever changing sweet-spot. Let's start with the mid range.
Unexpectedly smooth would best describe my first and still lasting impression. Mildly colored and somewhat overly damped. but still allowing anticipated crescendo's to push through. Kinda like that lady you've had your eyes on all night, suddenly winking at you. They, as most decent speakers, are very revealing. My peavy mixer must go in place of a real preamp.
when I compare these Sony's to my 901,s, the Sony's beat them hands down except for one thing;
Emotion.
Putting 530 watts of Crown Power through anything that will tolerate them, I promise you, will deliver some serious emotion. The Sony's are not even a condender. They just arent built for that kind of punishment. So I have given up the possibility of ever going home with that chick who winked at me in favor of a delicate flower who over time will probably bore me to death.
The Highs
surprisingly unfatiguing and defined. Much to my amazement, well balanced. There is a unmistaken subdued brightness that can only be described as alluring without drawing much attention to itself.
The Lows.
I haven't done much other then lowering the volume of my 3 Velodyne F1200's. Most likely, because they were set-up with the amps turned on max gain to satisfy the thirst of my 901's. I now understand why there is such a following of Transmission Line design. Lows are delivered with patience and understanding, as if they were awaiting their turn in line. Musical and uncolored. I've auditioned many high end speakers from the likes of Kef, Klipsch, Polk, Thiel, Martin logan, and even high end Bostons. That gives me enough of a baseline to with mild accuracy, make a judgement call. I have never heard bass thrown at me especially from an 8" rear firing woofer, with the kind of authority and transparancy as these Sony's. Uncolored in a way I have never experienced.
The Review
I could go on and on, but in review, I am very impressed with the performance of these consumer level speakers. My only real complaint would be the lack of definition of male vocals. I keep waiting for them to separate from the sweetness of the rest of the music, yet, time and time again, I am let down. I believe, a more defined preamp would aid in rescuing them from obscurity, but it's a trade off for the overall transparency these speakers deliver.
Gone is the involving emotion of force feeding raw power into the best that the late Dr. Amar Bose has to offer, which in my mind, is one experience which will be sadly missed.
Other then that, my $200 investment was a good one. These Sony TL-6's deliver with warmth, clarity and a decent soundstage. If I ever sell them, I would recommend them to anyone wanting hi-fi, at a dollar store price.
My 2 Cents worth...
