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Tyler and Acoustic Zen reviews in TAS

Current issue of TAS has Sallie R(?) reviewing Tyler Linbrook II and Acoustic Zen Adagios. Both get glowing reviews. What I found really odd is that while the speakers are priced similarly and the reviews are by the same person in the the same issue, there is not a single sentence of comparison in either review. I find that baffling. Frankly, this diminishes my trust in the reviewer as well as the editor who should not have let this pass.

In the Tyler review she makes a few comparative remarks against her reference Spendor S8e. The gist is something like this: If you divide up the sound spectrum into parts (lower mid range, mid bass, etc) then Spendor gets more of these right. However, in toto, she finds the Tylers more magical or special or whatever the adjective is. Still, she does seem to prefer the Spendors. Make of it whatever you will.

Everyone is entitled to personal taste without being able to rationally explain it all. So I don't mind that. But I thought a serious reviewer should have compared Adagios to the other two.

I am curious what others thought of this in case you saw the reviews, and how you think the three speakers (Tyler Linbrook II, AZ Adagio, Spendor S8e) compare.
aktchi
aktchi OP
274 posts
 
Bartokfan:

I decided to start an independent thread on these particular issues (TAS reviews, the Adagio review, etc), so people who are not following the other thread may also share their thoughts and experience.

BTW, while I am sure that advertising affects a magazine's slant, it may well be that Sallie personally is fond of that one Spendor model. Personal likes and dislikes are fine and have their place, so I a ok with that as long as everything else added up.

I still found it odd that no mention of either Tylers or her "reference" Spendors was made in the Adagio review. I had to read it fast (Wife waiting by the door!) so could have missed a breezy mention.

However, as they say, never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidiity or incompetence...
bartokfan
664 posts
 
No you were spot on about the pecularity of Sallie not bringing up the 'reference' spendors and the '2nd place reference" the Tylers, in her "stunning" impression of the Zen.
btw I only made it through the place where she starts into her praise for the Zen. I felt I heard that somewhere before on another spaeker...same issue...same author.
As I say I did respect her comments on the Tyler, at times. As I;m a fan of the Seas', but open minded, I felt no need to read through a review on a speaker i have no intentions of buying and no doubt will never hear for myself.

I amde an attempt to read the article where TAS editors/writers get together and talk discuss, just what is absolute sound, does it exsist, is it for real. Got rather bored quickly and made little sesne out of what they were attempting to say.
I'm sure they are on the same page though. I know I would not be welcomed in their circle, neither would I want to join in.
joeabrams
132 posts
 
Your question assumes that Sallie had both the Tyler and Acoustic Zen speakers in her listening room at the same time, which may or may not be the case. Even though the two reviews appear in the same issue, they may have been written months apart. If that's the case, then it's a reasonable choice not to compare speaker "A" to your _memory_ of speaker "B."
ATB,
Joe
Post removed 
mitch2
3,968 posts
 
I found it interesting TAS chose to review the Linbrook System II and not the heart of Tyler's lineup, the Linbrook Signature Monitor or the Linbrook Signature System, which are still reasonably priced and by reports from others do not have the "compromised lower middle range and midbass" discussed in the TAS review. From her glowing review of the Adagio, it is probably better for Tyler a comparison was not made. However, IMO Tyler needs to look at their pricing scheme which is getting long in the tooth. The System II is a $3,600 speaker, not a $4,800 speaker since they are sold factory direct and nobody sells them for the pseudo "list" price. The Linbrook Signature System is more representative of a $4,800 speaker, which is what it sells for new/factory direct. People no longer need to see the artificially bumped up "list" price to feel good about their purchase of Tyler speakers.
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