My quest for a pair of Tonian Labs speakers was finally realized Yesterday


About 3 years ago I started researching Tonian Labs speakers.  I saw an ad for a pair on Audiogon or US Audio Mart and read the description and thought  these sound like something I am looking for.  Most of the ads I saw were on the west coast. I live in the Mid Atlantic area.  So for 3 years I never had a chance to audition a pair.  I decided to place a wanted ad on US Audio Mart. Within a few days a gentleman from Ct. responded and said how excited he was with his model Tonians and was excited for me in my quest to find a pair to listen to and hopefully buy.  He didn't have any for sale because he loved their sound quality and said he would be buried with them.  The next day a guy in Pa. responded saying he had a pair for sale.  They are the model TL-P1 with a Philips driver and a Fountek tweeter.  These speakers are 95 DB sensitivity.  I heard them play with a Line Magnetic 218A  3 wpc  amplifier and the sound was so organic and alive sounding. The speakers completely disappeared.  The are now sitting in my listening room. I am amazed every time I play my music.  I would like to hear from anyone who has listened to Tonians or owns a pair. I would appreciate any comments.

jessie91
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Jessie fantastic outcome and congratulations! I've never heard Tonians but they are right up my alley I love high sensitivity speakers and tubes. Would love to see a pic of them you can post right in this thread.

Congrats on your Tonian Labs speakers. There are still times when I kick myself for selling my Tl-1 speakers. 

All the best,
Nonoise

I heard the Tonian speakers at The Show in Newport a few years back and I can say they were the most realistic sounding speakers I’ve ever heard. He was playing a drum track he recorded and if I closed my eyes I would have thought the drum kit was in the room.

Finally able to post picture of the Tonian TL-P1 thanks to my AudiogoN buddy jond.

This shows the TL-P1 using a NOS Philips 9710 driver with a Fountek ribbon tweeter.

Looking awesome Jessie glad it finally worked out and such great looking speakers I'd love to hear them sometime!

The Tonians are driven with this Line Magnetic 218A  3 wpc integrated amplifier using EL84 output tubes.

I remember Tony telling me about a run of speakers he made with some NOS Philips drivers and those look really nice.

All the best,
Nonoise

I recently purchased a pair of current production Tonian Lab Oriaco G6 speakers and am just delighted.

I heard Tony's speakers at the last two THE Shows in Long Beach, California and was impressed both times with how natural they sounded.  In other words, a clarinet sounded like a clarinet, a trumpet like a trumpet, etc.  In addition, they nicely reproduced space when captured on the recording and transients sounded right.

Volt Lites (Burbank, CA) is now a dealer for Tonian Lab speakers and Grant Dunn brought a pair to an audio friend of mine to audition.  The speakers sounded as great as I remembered from the show, so I asked and got permission to try them out at my home afterwards.

I did.  I loved them.  I bought them.

I don't change speakers often keeping most 5-10 years.  My last pair were single drivers with entrancing coherence, but other short comings.  The Oriaco G6 maintain the single driver-like coherence but extend the frequency range both directions and present much more clarity, nuance, and detail.  

My Tonian Lab Oriaco G6 speakers bring me joy and delight on all styles of music I play through them from any source.  I'm a very happy customer.

Many years ago I was interested in Tonian speakers with ribbon tweeters. I was under the impression they had been discontinued and no longer being made. Maybe I'll have to reconsider. 

An Oriaco G6 EM Edition with a ribbon tweeter was demoed as well at the 2022 THE Show.  Here's a write-up and pictures from ecoustics.

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Hi Guys, the Tonian TL-P1 in picture next to fireplace and in the empty room with the with the LM 218 EL84 Mini Amp were when I delivered it to the guy in Md.  I told him I could not guarantee that the LM 3 W/pc Amp would Drive the Tonians in that room but we were both kinda shocked when it did and sounded glorious. Those Speakers were a design Tony and I came up with after discussing various cabinets and drivers.  Tony is simply a genius at Speaker design.  These Speakers were the First of this design.  He did tell me he made another pair but certainly not mass produced.  Tony has used the finest of Full Range Single Drivers

( PHY /AER ) and also some very reasonably priced Full Range Drivers  ( Fostex Phillips etc) with a tweeter basically running as a Super Tweeter and a perfectly placed simple crossover.  The Cabinets were a lighter Birch Wood with Partial OB.  The Ribbon Tweeter gives the 3D Dimension that a Single Full Range Driver Speaker can’t offer.   Don get me wrong as I’m a fan of well made Full Range Single Driver Speakers but Tony’s Designs are Brilliant.   I do regret selling these but decided to with the knowledge I’d have Tony make me another Pair in the Future.  If you have any questions about these Speakers Tony made or any of his other designs feel to reach out .