Review: Tyler Acoustics Decade 1 (D1) Speaker


Category: Speakers

I should prefix my review to note that I have only owned these speakers for a little more than a week and at this point they are in the break in process with 125 hours on them.

What did these speakers replace? Most recently I owned Tyler Acoustics D2 Loudspeakers and before the Tyler D2’s, I had the following: Von Schweikert VR4-Jr, Von Schweikert VR4-Sr, Von Schweikert VR-1, Dynaudio Contour S5.4, Dynaudio Contour 3.3. Other brands owned included Klipsch, Triangle, Polk, Monitor, JBL, and JVC.

The Most Important Component-The Room? I have the loudspeakers in my living room which measures at 11 feet by 23 feet with 8 foot ceilings. I have solid oak flooring that is partially covered with 2 rugs to dampen the room. I have the speakers on the short 11 foot wall and each speaker is between 1.5 -2.5 feet from the side walls. The speakers are into the room with 4 feet 8 inches behind them to the wall. I have 5 windows so a fair amount of glass ( 2 in front, 2 on a side , and one in the back of the room).

The System- Bel Canto S500 Amp (250 X 2)

Jeff Rowland Capri Pre Amp

Ayon Cd-2

Arcam DVD Player

Cardas Golden Reference Cable- Speaker, IC, and Power Cords

Tyler Acoustics D1 Loudspeakers

Running Springs Haley Power Conditioner

Herbies Audio Lab Big Fat Gliders (4 Under each speaker)

GIK Bass Treatments (3 on wall behind speakers)

Bass Room Corners (4 Triangles)

The Review- I am not a professional reviewer nor a expert on sound so I will put my comments in the form of impressions that are mostly based on my audio history and experience with the equiptment and rooms I have dealt with.

General Impressions- So Far, these are the characteristics of the speakers I have experienced. They have a very transparent sound. They soundstage very strongly behind the speakers directly and to the sides. I only have them about seven feet apart and I sit about nine feet away. There is a fullness to the sound that is prevalent to large floorstanders but unlike many of them, these speakers are very involving and make you want to get up and dance. They have a lively, engaging personality.

Bass- Very smooth delivery, each speaker has four bass drivers and the benefit is a bass that is present but not overwhelming to the rest of the sound range. I believe that as the speakers break in, the bass will be stronger.

Highs- Very clean and articulate. I find this to be an element to both pairs of Tyler Acoustics speakers that I have owned. Whether you are listening to classical or heavy metal or anything in between, you get a very easy to listen set of highs without the harshness that I have heard with other speakers.

Mids-This is my favorite area to discuss and to me the most important zone for the sound. The D1’s excel in their presentation through the midrange. It is full and smooth and clean. The speaker allows you to listen to it for hours without speaker fatigue and headaches.

Other Impressions- The D1’s are very open sounding and very dynamic. You find yourself hearing sounds in your cd’s that you had not experienced. You feel engaged with the music which is really important to me. I have had speakers in the past that were flat and just did not convey the intensity to the music. Lets talk about the volume level you listen at. The D1’s are wonderful from the lower volumes all the way to ear splitting levels. You get that same full sweet sound. With other speakers, I needed to crank them very loud to really get them to give you the sound but not with the D1’s. They sound just as good at moderate and low volume levels. The D1’s do not need massive amounts of power to perform. Some audio folks have ss amplifiers with about 100 wpc . I had a Bel canto Integrated with 100 and it can push either the D2’s or D1’s. Make it about 200wpc ss and the D1’s will really sing. You get all that headroom and it really benefits the sound . I cannot comment on tube amps but I know other audiophiles that use tubes with Tylers speakers and they work well.

As I mentioned earlier, I have very limited hours on the speakers. Based on my experience with Tyler Acoustics D2’s the speakers continue to give you more certainly till 500 hours. I actually believe that you hear subtle difference up to the 1000 hour mark. The speakers continue to sound more and more smooth through the sonic range and the bass reaches its ultimate fullness. In terms of the room handeling the speakers, it was very interesting. I had some fears about the D1’s fitting into my room and worried if the bass would overload the room. They have done nothing even approaching that. In fact, the added bass drivers in the D1’s give the bass a faster more tuneful sound than the D2’s in the same room.

Tyler Acoustics D1’s Vs D2’s. Both speakers offer the same qualities in terms of transparency, soundstaging , and quality of sound from the highs to the bass. I think it depends on the room as to which are a better fit. For me , in my room, I like the fullness of sound that the extra two bass drivers and extra mid range driver give me. It is a bigger sound than the D2’s but that is not for everyone. In some rooms, the D2’s would be a better fit and still would plenty of sound.

Summary comments- The best thing I can say about my system with the Tyler Acoustics D1’s is that I am really enjoying the music and not analyzing how it sounds as I listen to each cd. I continued to be amazed at the sound but I am involved with the music. I work in a people intense position and when I come home, the music is my salvation. The D1’s give me that pleasure. Whether I am in my serious listening chair or off axis or doing something in a different room, they are musically satisfying. I think that they are a lot of speaker for the money. The buying experience is also unlike anything else you will experience. Since there is no dealer network, you are engaging with Tyler directly through the purchasing process. He is most helpful and not pushy. He can help to accertain what speakers will be the best for your room. In addition, you can customize the speakers in many ways. He has many finishes (80 I Believe) and you can choose to have different colors around the tweeters as well as some parts of the speakers veneered vs being in black. The most important thing is that Tyler treats his customers really well. He also has trade in programs and tries to be as flexible as possible with his customers. Buying from Tyler is very different from some of the deals I have made with some of the audio dealers in the past.





Associated gear
Bel Canto S500 Amp (250 X 2)

Jeff Rowland Capri Pre Amp

Ayon Cd-2

Arcam DVD Player

Cardas Golden Reference Cable- Speaker, IC, and Power Cords

Running Springs Haley Power Conditioner

Herbies Audio Lab Big Fat Gliders (4 Under each speaker)

GIK Bass Treatments (3 on wall behind speakers)

Bass Room Corners (4 Triangles)



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pettyfeversk
Nice review Stephen. I'd like to upgrade to these speakers.

I've had my Tyler Acoustics Linbrook Signature System speakers for a couple years now and just love them. I can only imagine what these D1's would sound like. They look very tall in the photo.
Those are two very different loudspeakers. Call me if you would like to speak about Tylers speakers . Stephen 978 877-9123
I've been considering the Tylers for some time now. The only speaker you had before the Tylers that I'm familiar with are the Dyn S5.4. How would you describe the differences between that and the D1?
Thanks,
Dave
Just bought 8 for under my speakers stands. I have a pair of Merlin TSMX end have them on 24 inch Osiris stands. Do they work? Are they better than using spikes only. Thanks for any info.
Thanks for the reply Holley.

I ordered the D1's yesterday. We're still deciding on finish but I did request outboard crossovers in a biamp configuration. Haven't decided on caps yet. May stick with the stock caps and play with the crossovers later. It'll nice having them outside the box.

It's nice dealing with a down to earth audio guy like Ty. Just visited the dealer who sold me 5k worth of turntable and preamp 2 weeks ago which "oh by the way" doesn't work, and he just didn't have time for me. Not to mention the $30 warped album he sold me but since I don't have anything to play it on...

I'm learning as I age to simply stay with companies that take care of you, internet or not.

Sorry for the rant. Just got back from the 120 mile trip to the dealer with a screaming 8 mo. old. He was unhappy as I was.
Desalvo55,

I have owned the D1s for over a year now, and I have to agree with Pettyfeversk -- I have stopped 'analyzing' the music and simply sit back and enjoy them (I have a review of the D1s as well you might be interested in). I do not think you will have any problems with the speakers 2-3' from the rear wall, especially since your room is pretty dead. In my setup, I have them about 36" from the rear wall and I have no problems with overloading the room. Member Stltrains has these speakers as well, and from the picture of his setup, you can see that he has them fairly close to the rear wall.

If you have any concerns, I would give Ty a call and tell him your setup -- he is a super guy to deal with.
I'm not understanding why there are no follow-ups to your thread. Are these speakers a secret or what?

I'm looking for at some full range speakers possibly to replace my MBL 121's. A hard act to follow as I am not dissatisfied with the sound of my MBL's, rather, room placement has become a problem which brings me to this question.

Can I go close to the rear wall, say, 2 to 3 feet without overloading the room? I know, impossible to answer because you don't know my room. I have bass traps on all 4 corners. It's a pretty dead room with lots of furniture and room treatments. I'm hopeful to lose the MBL's which need a fair amount of space and the sub JL Audio F113 which wants a Siamese twin to operate effectively ;)

I'm thinking Revel Studio 2's or the Eggleston Andra's but the price is scary high. Not very much press on these but the owners seem to know what good sound is from what I gleaned from the forums.

Thanks for the review!