Very refined, non-fatiguing, huge soundstage, excellent components, wonderful craftmanship and second-to-none customer service.

At this point, absolutely none.

I am like many people who have purchased these speakers - site unheard. For months I have read the glowing reviews for these monitors and finally decided to replace my B&W N805's with the Ref Monitors. As a side note, Ty accepted the N805's as a trade in on the Ref Monitors. As stated many times previously, Ty is great to work with and I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in the Tyler line to give him a call. Now back to the review. The first thing I noticed was all the music I was missing with the B&W's. At upper levels, the Ref Monitors are much more refined as compared to the 805's, which sounded very conjested. Although the speakers are similar in physical size and driver size, the Ref Monitors sound substantially larger with a wider soundstage. The 805's are a bit brighter, but this was at the expense of the rest of the music. Don't get me wrong about the 805's. They are a very good speaker with many good qualities, but the Ref Monitors are more refined and allow for longer non-fatiguing listening periods. Remember also that the Ref Monitors are only a week old and Ty said after about a month of listening (about 2 hours per day), they will even sound better.

Similar Products Used:

B&W N805

Mids, Highs, Bass roll of is very good and you do not miss any bass if you have not heard the same music through a good full range speaker.

None really the bass is about as low as it cna go in a monitor so I would not consider it a negative.

I came across these speakers when browsing through audiogon and then checked the reviews here on audio review and the rest is history. My previous speakers were legacy classics that I sold for reasons unknown. Speakers are of excellent build quailty and the stands are very good sand fillable pushing 70lbs when filled. The soundstaging is wide and deep and the mids are right on with the highs almost untouchable as far as I'm concerned. My next purchase will be tylers subwoofer when I find enough funds. Bass response is very good but I am used to the legacy classics so I am addicted to full range bass so I do miss that. However the Tylers image amd disapear much better then the legacy classics as with all speakers there are trade offs. I have emailed Ty at tyler acoustics and he has been quick to email back and a a very nice guy he runs a busniess the way they should be run.

Fit and finish, value, sound that competes with other makes and models costing substantially more.

I can't think of any for $1,375. Give them a listen!

This is an update for the Taylo Reference Monitor that I wrote in August below. Recent upgrades to the system include a Parasound P/H-850 preamp, Audioquest Copperhead Interconnects, overhauled and upgraded 1962 Harmon Kardon Citation II tube amp using Electro-Harmonix 6550 tubes, and Music Hall 2.1 turntable. I began listening to these speakers with a Denon receiver, then moved to a Creek A4330SE integrated, and just recently to the pre-amp / amp combo. I must say that these speakers have just come to life. Sound was good but thin with the Denon (duh!!!) The sound filled out a little with the Creek but did not have dynamics at reasonable volume levels. Since upgrading the power plant, the sound has opened up and become far more natural. The bass is full and great for a 7' driver. The tweeter has softened up with the introduction of tube power into the system. My reference shop to audition various equipment is Decibel Audio right here in Chicago. I have heard Meadowlark, Egglestone, B&W, Thiel, etc... I must say that these speakers sound as good as any of these within 2 or 3 times the price. Also, the finish and appearance look easily as good. Not flashy, but understated elegance with fit and finish. Plus, the drivers in other mid to high end speakers in the under $4,000 price range look cheap in comparison. I have a stereo set-up for $3,500 centered around these speakers that suits my needs and competes with others costing more. I have no regrets with these speakers and will go back to Ty when the fiance agrees to use some of our pooled income for a stereo we both will enjoy for many years to come.

Excellent bass (40kHz is very low; I don't miss anything now that my components deliver good bass to the Taylos); smooth, clear, open midrange (very natural and musical; vocals are palpable); extended and crisp treble (not in any way harsh, brash, or out of balance: with good upstream components will be wonderful). Imaging is precise and soundstaging is immense (depending on the recording). Very very musical, detailed, and perfectly non-fatiguing. And the drivers and wood veneer look terrific.

None. If I had to change anything about the speaker, I would upgrade to WBT binding posts. The stock posts are good quality and perform well, but I do like the overbuilt luxury of the more expensive posts. This is not a criticism, just a personal aesthetic preference.

Outstanding speaker; an open window to the music (and the rest of the system). I purchased the base model Taylo Reference Monitors in ribbon mahogony veneer. The wood finish is beautiful and expertly applied. The monitors are extremely solid, and the stands are also attractive, substantial, and an excellent value. My system: Amp: Marsh A200s (120w/channel; bi-wire posts); Pre-amp: none (DAC has attenuater knob, feeds amp directly--sonic purity); DAC: Benchmark DAC1 ($850, phenomenal, much better than Stereophile Class B rating; www.benchmarkmedia.com); Transport: EAD T1000 (stable platter mechanism; over 20 lbs.; picked up used off of audiogon.com); Interconnects: DH Labs D-75 coaxial Transport to DAC (RCA transport end; BNC DAC end); Analysis Plus Toslink Transport to DAC (still evaluating my preference; Transport has high-quality AT+T optical output, and DAC is completely immune to jitter so optical is viable); Analysis Plus Copper Oval balanced XLR DAC to Amp; Analysis Plus Oval 12 from Amp to Speakers. I cannot improve on the praise already given for the Taylos, but let me review some important points I found in getting the best out of the speakers. 1. Bi-wire them. Do not use the thin piece of metal that comes with the speakers to bridge between the binding posts. The sound is much cleaner and more detailed when they are properly bi-wired. This may be obvious, but if overlooked it could impair your enjoyment of a wonderful monitor. 2. Be prepared to re-evaluate the rest of your system. When I swapped out my amp for a new one, I recovered bass that I didn't know I was missing. I was using an Acurus DIA-100 (100w/channel) and upgraded to a new Marsh A200s (120w/channel). Aside from greater clarity, smoothness, and dynamics, I got taut and musical bass. The Taylo is very responsive to better input. Likewise, I upgraded my Link DAC III to a new Benchmark DAC1. The DAC1 is a professional studio DAC (Lucasfilm uses them) and is immune to jitter. The Taylo again passed on the significant improvement to clarity, lack of grain, detail, and soundstage. I've concluded that my speakers are no longer a limiting factor in my system. 3. Keep an eye on the little switch on the back. The up position is the normal setting. At first I thought that down = off, but down actually engages a brick wall filter that attenuates the upper midrange by 3dB. This coloration of sound is available for people who want it, but I think the far better solution is to improve upstream components or room acoustics if you find an upper midrange harshness. The Taylos are not to blame: they are smooth and flat in their response. 4. Placement is fairly forgiving compared to other speakers, but do pay attention to it. I had the Taylos toed in a little towards my listening position, which is a fairly common practice, but the Taylos sounds more open and natural in my room when facing directly forward. Check this in your own listening space. They work well when placed in an equilateral triangle with the listening position: make sure that you're sitting with your ears just a little below tweeter level. The Taylos are much better than most speakers I've heard in filling the room with good sound when you're not in the sweet spot, but there is a sweet spot nevertheless (although it's fairly forgiving). 5. The Taylos outperform any other monitor that I've seriously listened to. They have better bass and overall clarity and soundstaging than my old Coincident Conquest floor standers. And they have a more extended and accurate treble compared to the B+W Nautilus 805 that I auditioned. Their bass reproduction is also better than the Nautilus, and their midrange is more detailed and equally smooth and accurate. Soundstaging and imaging are the best I've ever experienced both in height and width. Depth is excellent too when it's there in the recording. As others have said, the Taylos can be the end of the road for folks in their search for the perfect speakers. I will consider upgrading to the Linbrook, with outboard crossovers and Analysis Plus internal wiring, but it's not something I actively crave. The Taylos will keep me smiling for years to come.

Similar Products Used:

Coincident Conquest floor standers (ca. $1200 new); B+W Nautilus 805 ($2000 new); older less worthy speakers from Boston Acoustics and Pinnacle (no comparison).

Solidly made, good customer service, beautiful, great sound although my equipment is a limiting factor.

I like monitors, and this one is great, so I really cannot think of any...maybe after I heard them played with quality amplification some weaknesses may become apparent.

This review is for a pair of Taylo Reference Monitors in the Gum finish. The speakers I used previously were Mirage Frx-7's. My equipment is a Denon receiver, NAD C-541I, Better Cables Bi-Wire speaker cable, a pair of silver interconnects, and a Def Tech sub. I plan on upgrading to a Jolida tube amp when I get the money. What I can say though, with the limiting factor of amplification in my set-up, is that these speakers sound very clear and open. They are not fatiguing whatsoever. They sound much better than the other speakers I had used in the past, however, I know that I still have not opened them up because of my amp or lack thereof. They aren't really getting enough juice to have the detail that others here say they have. I expect that to change soon. However, given my modest set-up, the sound is still very enjoyable. Ty provided good service, and I plan to upgrade in the future. The speakers are solidly built, heavy, and beautiful. The wood finish is gorgeous and all my friends have commented on them. You just don't see this quality unless you are spending some real coin; much more than $1375 used for the pair.

Clarity, accuracy, infinitely enjoyable sound.

Not quite full range, but that's what subwoofers are for.

For those of you sitting on the fence, just do it you won't regret it. Believe me I was hesitant to send in my money without first hearing what I'm buying. I've been annoying dealers for months now, auditioning everything in this price range. I had it narrowed down to a couple of finalists when an ad on Audiogon caught my attention. Here was a speaker constructed using nothing but the highest quality parts, a super-rigid cabinet and had positive reviews from owners and professionals alike. Where can I hear them? Catch 22, you have to buy them before listening. There are no dealers that carry them. Well, I suspect that's exactly why Ty can offer these gems at this price. No dealer mark-up. So . . . how do they sound? Suffice it to say that I have a hard time leaving the apartment these days due to separation anxiety. I'm listening my music collection for the first time. My ears are truly open. I could give you a more precise description but explaining the sound is like trying to describe sex. You just have to experience them for yourself. One thing I should mention is that they really benefit from good amplification. I had them running through my NAD T761 receiver and found them to be quite nice but not all that I had hoped for. When I got my Creek 5350SE everything changed. The range was extended and every note was clearly articulated. If you're not a gambler you will still find it difficult to send your hard-earned cash blindly (or deafly) despite my rave review. I recommend speaking with Ty. He'll take the time to explain everything you want to know. Also, because of his upgrade policy he has a pretty steady flow of used models. The ones I got were just barely broken and he'll warrantee them for 2 years. I'm going to stop gushing about my purchase now and listen to them. I hope my review helps you with your decision.

Similar Products Used:

ProAc Response 1sc, Revel M20, Totem, etc.

Transparency Openness Imaging Value (not cheap, but a great value.)

A little forward in the upper mids. But it is still a monitor. I am sure that Ty's bass modules would cancel that perception to some degree.

Normally I like to think of myself as a guy that trusts his ears. I pretty much eschew all of the complicated jargon about specs and frequency response. And yet, here I am, buying a speaker, sight unheard. That's weird for me. But I have rarely read of a product as highly praised as the Tyler Linbrooks so I knew that I had to check them out. After a ton of research and calls to the man himself, I realized that the design principles of the Linbrook were very similar to some of the other speakers that I was already familar with. Okay, I'll bite. My particular pair has a lovely ribbon mahogany veneer but I haven't seen a pair of Tyler speakers that wasn't finished with anything but the utmost care. But let's get to the part that we all came here to read about. How does it sound? I purchased my particular pair used and the gentleman who I got them from said that they had under 50 hours and that they would require at least another 200 hours to start mellowing out. Normally my "yeah right" meter would go off the charts, but I figure, take the guy at face value - maybe they really are that new. Upon arrival, one look at the speakers confirmed that they were indeed that new. One listen of the speakers and it demonstrated that either a.) they really aren't as great sounding as everyone says or, b.) they really needed to break in. Let me say that I am glad that it turned out "b". The Linbrooks weren't "bad" when I plugged them in, just a bit harsh. Unrefined. So I went out for the afternoon and let Radiohead do their thing. I came back home and I don't think it was my imagination, just 5 hours of playing made a difference. They were starting to open up. Hmmmmmm. Interesting. I have had the speakers now for 5 months and I think that they are very nearly broken in. What does that mean? I like tubes and I like monitor speakers and these speakers FAR surpass any other speaker that I have ever owned. The first thing that really did it for me was the fact that I felt like everything was balanced. Not neutral - balanced. Here were speakers that were equally at home with the lyricism Brad Mehldau's piano as with the penetrating pensiveness of John Coltrane's saxophone. And it was no slouch with Radiohead either (my benchmark of assessing most audio equipment. When I first got the speakers, the trebles sounded disjointed and harsh - nothing could be further from that now. The Seas Millenium is still one of the fastest tweeters on the market but it doesn't present violins as an assailment - something that I hear a lot. Sorry to drone on in praise, but to be honest, I really can't say enough wonderful things about this speaker. Ty has really done something special. I have never written an online review, but it was this great audio community that compelled me to try this great product and I would have been remiss if I didn't add my two cents perhaps for someone else's benefit.

Similar Products Used:

Proac Response 2, Totem Model 1, Dynaudio 1.3 mk2.

Accuracy, clairty, perfect tonality, clean clear harmonics, no colorations, excellent bass. Best sound I've ever heard in 37 years of listening to music! Excellent sound and quality for the price!

There are simply NO weaknesses with these speakers.

I recently traded in my wonderful Taylo Reference Monitors for a pair of Linbrook Monitors, also made by Tyler Acoustics. I had owned the Taylo Reference speakers for almost two years and thought I would never "upgrade" again. My wife really loved the Taylos, so I knew it would be very difficult to convince her. But, I suddenly found myself with some extra money, and decided to visit Tyler Acoustics in Owensboro, KY. Ty, the owner and designer, set me down in his listening room. I spent over an hour compairing the Taylo Monitors with the larger Linbrook Monitors. All of the superior traits of the Taylos were evident in the Linbrooks: accuracy, clairity, perfect tonality, clean clear harmonics etc. But what the Linbrooks added was a fullness to bass; they go down to 33-35Hz. I should add that our listening room is about 15' by 30' and the added fullness and bass might not be so noticeable in a smaller listening room. But for me (and even for my music loving but,non audiophile wife) the step up to the Linbrook Signature Monitors was probably the 2nd greatest audio purchase I have ever made. The first was the purchase of the Taylo Reference Monitors. My Linbrooks are finished in a truly stunning rosewood veneer and the drivers are two very high quality Seas 7" mid/woofers with a Seas Millennium tweeter. The linbrooks are 10"x15"x25" tall, and weigh 55 lbs each. Beautiful matching Tyler speakers stands come with each set of Linbrooks. I should note that while the Linbrooks are rated at 4 Ohms, they mate perfectly with my tube amplifer.

Similar Products Used:

Near, Meadowlark, Fried, Mourdant-Short, Reference 3a, Galante, B&W, and others.

Bass quality over quantity. Sweet n' smooth highs and mids. Awesome vocal reproduction. Front Ported. Friendly Service. Can really show off your audio cables.

Makes my car stereo sound like crap. And many other stereos for that matter.

As I came home seeing the two boxes on my front porch I had a grin on my face until I went to sleep, which was a task because I didnt want to stop listening! LMHO. Anyways I'll get to the point. The first thing I noticed when I hooked up my Tyler Acoustics Reference Monitors was how quick the bass was. Every snap, boom, pow, was there. I have read a few reviews regarding the lack of bass.. well folks these are monitors and monitors are meant to be in smaller rooms for deeper bass. I also noticed very quickly how sweet and natural everything sounded. Like they were just breathing all over the room effortlesly. I have had excellent results from anything from environmental ambient music, to Nine Inch Nails. I own a Musical Fidelity A300 Integrate, MF A3CD Player, Sony DVPNS700p dvd player (upgrading soon), Kimber 8tc bi-wire cables, Harmonic Tech Pro-12s, Kimber Select 1011 rca interconnects. And soon expecting some Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cables. :) I have owned Legacy speakers, heard BMW, and Energy and these are in a totally different (better) class. Tyler is very cool and is not afraid to talk to you as a friend in the business. A fine speaker. period.

Similar Products Used:

Legacy, Bmw, Energy.

clean, dynamic, fast, musical, delicious mids and highs, accurate and articulate bass

For me, none

These Speakers have a richness of sound that is amazing. At the same time, imaging and detail from top to bottom is outstanding. Human voices are unbelievably real, and all instruments are presented with excellent timbre. They throw a huge soundstage, waaaaay beyond the speakers themselves, and have accurate and articulate bass. These speakers are so musically satisfying, that it’s hard to put into words. When you see these on Audiogon for auction/sell, DON’T SLEEP!! After owning/auditioning many fine speakers over the past 3 years, I’ve finally found the one that gave me the ticket off the speaker merry-go-round. Happy listening!

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio 1.3MKII, Dynaudio 1.8MKII, Gr-Research Paradox-1, Klipsch RB-3, JmLab Electra 906, Boston Acoustics VR-M50, Krix Equinox,M-1 Ribbon monitors