Vintage 2 Way TLS towers w/ Polydax tweeters - Identification Help Needed

C

crobarr6

Audiophyte
Hey ya'll, new member here but have been a vintage and hifi audio junkie for 2 decades. I have come across a pair of Transmission Line Speaker Towers that I am having some trouble identifying both the builder as well as the woofer (8WM812 CP) being used here which resembles a Klipsch KG4 or Energy 22 woofer. The speaker grills have a CS Emblem on them and are extremely well built. The tweets are Polydax HD 12 x 9 D 25 and still sound fantastic. They do not resemble a TLS kit and look more professionally manufactured. Any help on the cabinet maker or the woofer used would be greatly appreciated. I can send pictures upon request. Thanks
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Pictures are absolutely essential. However I highly doubt they are commercial speakers. They are almost certainly DIY. A lot of DIY builds look highly professional and not all are rough round the edges by any means. Your location would be helpful also as it would indicate what market they were built for.
 
C

crobarr6

Audiophyte
Picked up in the Chicago NW suburb area. They actually sound better than my Infinity RSMs so I’m really trying to get some history.
 

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C

crobarr6

Audiophyte
Also when I say professionally manufactured, I mean these do not resemble a home build at all and have characteristics that closely resemble a Rega 2 or Radford design.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Also when I say professionally manufactured, I mean these do not resemble a home build at all and have characteristics that closely resemble a Rega 2 or Radford design.
I can be 99% certain those are DIY speakers. Apart from speakers that came out of the project at Radford almost all TLs are DIY from that era and still are. I know them well, Radford TDL, IMF and Fried.

One give away is the mount for the tweeter level control. That is from a wall control of that era.

In the US TLs have been very few and none like those.

I think you don't realize that many DIY speakers look a lot better then those.

Are these DIY?









Can you tell which?
 
C

crobarr6

Audiophyte
No definitely can’t tell. Any chance you recognize the driver at all in these or seen any others like them here in the states?
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
No definitely can’t tell. Any chance you recognize the driver at all in these or seen any others like them here in the states?
The correct answer is all of them. They are mine.

That tweeter is an old square frame Polydax before it became Audax. That dates the speakers late 1960s early 70s and I think most likely the 70s for those drivers.
I think the woofer is an old Focal unit from memory, but I am not absolutely certain.

That all fits as there was huge interest in the DIY community in TL designs at that time. The fact they are DIY is of no consequence as you seem to like them.

I know a lot of DIY speakers can look awful and a lot sound that way also. But on the other hand DIY speakers can also be well crafted and among the best on the planet.
 
C

crobarr6

Audiophyte
Thanks so much for the input and information. These are the first pair of TL speakers my ears have auditioned. What impressed me the most is the deep, tight, clean bass these produce without distortion that seems effortless. These drivers love power that is for sure.
 
TLS Guy

TLS Guy

Seriously, I have no life.
Thanks so much for the input and information. These are the first pair of TL speakers my ears have auditioned. What impressed me the most is the deep, tight, clean bass these produce without distortion that seems effortless. These drivers love power that is for sure.
That is what I have been trying to tell people round here for nearly 15 years..

The first speakers I showed you are reflex. The others are TLs. The big speakers are dual TLS, with the lines tuned half an octave apart..

Rear backs dual TLs and sealed surrounds and ceiling speakers.



3.1 in wall system with TL sub.





So I think you need an "attitude adjustment". If you want great speakers build them yourself!

One last point. Be careful to not give them too much power. Older drivers do not take the power of more modern ones usually. That is especially true of the tweeters as ferrofluid had not been invented when those tweeters were made. If you drive them hard you will ruin them.
 
C

crobarr6

Audiophyte
Beautiful setup both in the listening room and your living area. Thanks for the tip on the power, I’m not pushing them real hard. I just meant that both drivers take good clean power to really make them sing even at low volumes. These TLs have replaced my Energy 22 reference connoisseurs as my go too 2 ways in my speaker lineup already. The soundstage with them is just incredible.
 

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