Andy'

Andy's W15 monitors:

Hi Troels,
How are you? Well, I just want to let you know that I recently completed the mini monitor you designed and as you said in your website, they really sound fabulous. Thanks for the design.

For the xovers, I use ClarityCap SA (their top-of-the-line) and combined with the Hiquphon, the treble is one of the best I've heard. Overall they seems to have a warmness but transparent at the same time. After listening a few of the Seas magnesium drivers, I am very impressed with how the human voice is reproduced.

I also built the TJL and while they are very good, I think the Hiquphon tweeter + ClarityCap combination is better than that of the Aurum Cantus ribbon tweeter in the TJL. Overall they have a similar sound but the treble of the mini monitor is quite sweeter imho. And I may say that the mini monitor may have a more treble and midrange balance. Compared to the monitor, I feel the midrange of the TJL may be a bit recessed. I wish someday you would build another version of the TJL with
a soft dome tweeter such as the Hiquphon. I know that you and others have very high opinion of these ribbon tweeters but I feel that they do not have the presence and sparkle of a good softdome tweeter and have a harsher sound.

By the way, in your original xover of the TJL which uses the Foundtek JP3, you mention that the Aurum Cantus G2si is interchangeable with the Fountek but I had to change the 5.6ohm in series at the input to 2.2ohm (just like that of the AcapellaSE tweeter xover) otherwise I found that the treble is just too attenuated. I attached a few picture of the monitor in this email.
Thanks for your time.
Andy

My comments:
Thanks to Andy for the report and pictures on the "W15" and comments on the TJL loudspeakers.
It's been a long time since I heard the W15 monitor and I always worry whether they still sound good. The W15 monitor was voiced to have a very flat frequency response and I would probably have done it differently today. The SEAS W15CY001 ended up in the Point75 loudspeaker and the HIQUPHON OWIs has been on the shelf ever since.
Regarding the attenuation of the Aurum Cantus G2Si and the JP3 I'm not too surprised. Quality control and ISO certification may not be the prime concern of new Chinese companies and there may be differences in sensitivity that counts for the low price of the G2Si. Another thing is that I think AC had to launch a cheap alternative due to competition from Fountek JP3. But your guess is as good as mine.

The TJL midrange:
Well, the W15 made a magnificent midrange in the W15 monitor and the Point75 and as discussed in a number of places on my website, getting it all from two drivers has its problems: http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Design_criteria.htm
Making a 15 grams cone of 126 cm^2 mate with a tiny ribbon or dome ain't easy! A problem that the TJL shares with all 2-ways based on a 6-7" midbass drivers.
And it's funny you should point out the possibility of a TJL 3-way exactly a few hours after I have taken the W18E001, W12CY001 and the OWI down from the shelf preparing for such a set-up. This option was also discussed at http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Design_criteria.htm. The first test set-up will be with the OWI tweeter but a version with the Fountek tweeter will also be tried.
The shortcomings of the (probably) upper midrange from the TJL may not be derived from the use of a ribbon tweeter as such, but rather from the W18 itself not having the dispersion of smaller drivers. The experience gained from the last two speakers projects: http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Ekta.htm and http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/8543.htm has left no doubt in my mind about the benefits of adding a smaller driver to cope with the upper midrange/lower treble. Speed and dispersion is significantly improved - and so it will be tried in the TJL3W. I still think the ribbons offer a speed and lack of colouration that domes simply cannot match.
Also read Kevin's comments on the TJL: http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/TJL_Kevin.htm.