Anybody hear the Tonian Labs Montior

Tonian may give you a 7 day in-home trial but it doesn't seem to be a company policy at this point. It'd be worth calling them to discuss as I think the owner/designer usually answers the phone. I also find them interesting and am checking out the super tweeters.

Bluemike,
I don't know anything about the speakers but a pair of the super tweeters are being delivered tomorrow and I'll keep you posted. Tonian was excellent to deal with.

Bluemike,
I received just one of my super tweeters today as Tonian sent both by USPS, the other tweeter was mistakenly sent back to Tonian by the post office. Tony at Tonian told me he shipped by post office, 2 day, thinking I'd have them yesterday. However, the one box only arrived today (three days) and the other came to my city and then the wonderful postal service decided to misdeliver back to the shipper!

The good thing is that Tony from Tonian always answers the phone and jumped right in to assist. He personally drove the speaker to the post office today and paid for overnight shipping - I should have it tomorrow. Tony said he will not be using USPS anymore but he did think they were reliable from past experience. But it looks like he's another high end designer who cares about his products and customers.

I'll let you know what they sound like as soon as having two of 'em!

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.).

Model TL-R1. I've now used them with three different speakers (Harbeths, Spendors, and Pinnacles) and they simply add a delightful extension of high frequency air and harmonics. Absolutely no glare, etch, harshness, etc. They do what the man from Merlin says his speakers do - help "light up a room" and only in a good way. Sometimes I'll shut them off (most often late at night) when in the mood for a more burnished, darker tone. But they get turned back on soon, at least by the next morning. Kind of like having two amps or different sets of tubes to swap.

I have to say this again as it can't be stressed too much - there is absolutely no tension, etch, tizz, harshness, hardness, glare, distortion or anything like that caused by the Tonians. They are actually on the slightly sweet side of neutral and seem to my ears to be voiced as properly as possible. If number 1 is hard, glarey, and etched, and 100 is soft, plump, and dark (and 50 is dead neutral), the Tonians are 52. I think this is a brilliant design choice but then I'm deadly allergic to any kind of glare, etch, hardness, or tizz. They make drum sets sound awesome. I just love listening to Art Blakey music with the Tonians in line.

Did I mention they also open up and illuminate the soundstage in a musical and interesting way? Some speakers do it by hyper-detailing the presentation, the Tonians do it by releasing high frequency musical sounds that help put the musicians (and recording venue) right in front of you.

Bluemike,

I'm pretty well set with the Harbeths now. If I'm ever in the market for new speakers again I'll definitely check out his other offerings.

Tickfight,

Check out the new review on 6moons.com of the TL-R1. The reviewer finally gets it right in middle of article by adjusting output level. Tonian set mine specifically for the Harbeth C7-2s and I haven't felt the need to play with the other two resisters Tonian mailed to me. Let us know what happens.