Extreme Bass!! Galion TS Voyager TL Review!

[@ThomasAndStereo]

I am so relieved that you got the TS Voyager TL to shine. No need to send you a few packs of instant noodles to bribe you.🤣 People know me as a Focal lover with treble that sparkles like no tomorrow, so weird I brought a speaker out with a smooth treble instead. Once you hear the midrange, you will understand why I voiced it like this. I just wanted to give credit to the designer XRK Audio who is quite well known in the DIY world.

[@MisterJDee]

Hey Thomas, could you please send Nemo your A75 amp? I’d really like him to test it with his Heco Celan Rev 3 speakers.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@MisterJDee Nemo only reviews integrated amp now 😞

[@NemoPropaganda]

Thomas is correct, I don't review power amps.

[@fonkenful]

Dr Viet is a still woefully under appreciated designer.

[@veroman007]

Hi for one I’m glad that you got into this business. People that own stereo dealerships make for some fine designers. In my opinion you get to listen to all of it and you know what you like and what your price points are.

[@louiesipes2257]

I’ve got the round frame version of those woofers in 2 different speakers, the midrange clarity is the same. If you look at Erin’s tests of the SB woofers they are very very low distortion until you get to crazy loud levels. Good on Thomas for picking SB.

[@kenhiett5266]

Why would it bother people that a KZbin content creator is also creating a product line? His products offer A LOT for the money. Seems like a win, win to me.

[@NemoPropaganda]

some people will be upset about anything and many audiophiles seem to have a chip on their shoulder for some reason, I'm happy to see you're not one of them :)

[@knobbshots]

One of my other hobbies is knives, every other YT knife reviewer has their own design out there, or coming soon, just how it is. People can either buy and support them, or not

[@erichudson3307]

Nemo you're the f'n man. I love all of your reviews. Keep on keepin on 🤘🏻

[@NemoPropaganda]

glad you dig the vibe my man! Anytime I get hater comments I tell them "i make vids for the people who enjoy it" :)

[@s.daniel9224]

Great review. Thanks and yes, I’ll take emotional over measurement every day.

[@NeilBlanchard]

I am of the opinion that the midrange of a transmission line speaker is often better because they have lower air pressure inside the cabinet. They also tend to have a bit less sound reflecting back out through the woofer cone.

[@NemoPropaganda]

I possibly, I won't pretend to understand how those things work or the relationship between the style of vent as it relates to midrange but you might be onto something.

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@NemoPropagandaThe main difference between a ported cabinet, and a transmission line is the way the air behaves - in a typical ported box, it acts as a spring (down to the frequency of the port tuning) vs in a TL where it acts close to an open baffle at the upper end of the driver's range, and then progressively more air couples with the back of the cone as the frequency goes down. So in a TL, the air actually moves back and forth all through the "column" of air in the cabinet. The terminus opening is at the end of that "column" of air; whereas the port in a typical speaker in in the middle of the air space. There are "gray" areas of overlap - a ported tower speaker with the port at/near the bottom, can have some of the same air movement as a TL. And some TL's have their terminus opening slightly offset from the very end of the TL - and the terminus opening is round like a typical port. And obviously some ported speakers have slot ports ...

[@jsvbravo]

How does it compare to Wharfedale Linton 85th anniversary or Buchardt S400MKII or Dynaudio Special 40? Thank you, Nemo!

[@gdwlaw5549]

Can you try and review something by French manufacturer Jean Marie Reynaud? They’ve been building transmission line loudspeakers for 40+ years. I have a pair of Cantibile floorstanders and they’re just magic.

[@NemoPropaganda]

it's still pretty challenging for my channel to review obscure brands or brands that are not popular in the US, are their bookshelf speakers also transmission line?

[@gdwlaw5549]

@@NemoPropaganda and you also have PMC. Same story with transmission line too… very very nice designs

[@Pentenfi]

Finally a transmissionline in a consumer hifi speaker!

[@alexmacdonald2644]

Phenomenal review.

[@Audfile]

Thomas likes to make brothers, big brothers. I would totally be into that version of this bookshelf.

[@stephenp5697]

Hey Nemo, love your reviews. I was going to buy the Dynaudio Evoke 20 or the Voyager TL. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I favor acoustic mass that is forgiving and easy to listen to. Thanks

[@NemoPropaganda]

mmm, it's as simple as this, setup right and in the right room the TS Voyager TL should be better than the Evoke 20 tonally but TL speakers are inherently fussy so the less fussy Evoke 20 will sound great in most rooms. Basically it's going to come down to if you can get the best out of the TL design in your space or not. If you can't then the Evoke will be better, if you can then you will like the Voyager better. If loudness matters to you just go for the Evoke 20 though as it can play much louder where as the Voyager is more of a medium volume speaker. Hope that helps.

[@stephenp5697]

That’s helpful. Thanks!

[@Justmakesomenoiz]

Hey so when you say they are fussy what do you mena by that. Are u thinking on placement and room size and so on. Beacuse I'm also looking at the TL speakers and I live in a small apartment so I'm wondering if they might work or not. What do I need to think of. Also I live outside the US so don't want to purchase and then send back that's gonna a real hazzle on my side.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@Justmakesomenoiz hard to say, transmission line speakers are almost like magnepans in the way that they simply may not be compatible with all rooms and may be more sensitive to placement. Maybe your room is perfect, maybe it's terrible, I'm not sure. Try emailing Thomas on the Galion website and have some pictures of your room ready, maybe he can help more with this.

[@crankthetunes7989]

Hey nemo, i have a pair of s400 mk2 and i would like to support thomas and maybe pick up a pair of these speakers. I know your taste in music may differ from mine but like you i am a bass lover and i like some details. Would you say these speakers give you more of an emotional response or a funner sound than the buchardt s? Primarily i listen to electronic music but i dabble in everything else except country. Any info is greatly appreciated. I really like that you haven't tried to change up your reviewing style over the years. Keep up the good work young man!

[@NemoPropaganda]

Nothing makes my day more than being referred to as young man :) so thank you for that! I listen to a lot of EDM too and I'll say this, it's not the strong genre for the Galion TS Voyager, it can do it for sure but its greatness is more present when listening to real music. It's really different than the S400 MK2, honestly it's really different period, I can't think of another speaker that sounds like the Voyager TL so this is a hard question to answer. When setup properly the Voyager TL at reasonable volumes is very emotionally engaging, more than most speakers. I think my easiest recommendation for the Voyager TL is anyone who has extra cash and doesn't mind spending the money just to see what a TL speaker can do in their room. Someone who enjoys trying out different speakers and doesn't mind the financial cost with having that experience. Hope that makes sense.

[@whocares0503]

I have owned transmission line speakers before from IMF and TDL. They were not inexpensive, even decades ago. PMC is well known maker of TL speakers and their bookshelves and lower priced towers are over $2k. So to get a good TL speaker around $1k is an amazing accomplishment. I still really (very surprisingly) love my RP600MIIs as they blew away (imho of course) Dynaudio and Focals costing around 1k! Great review as always!

[@whocares0503]

@@juststuff5216 OH! I Get that! I knew people that thought IMF was trash but I found them sounding outrageously good! But after IMF closed up shop and it was time for something new,TDL just pushed all the right buttons. Nope there isn't a perfect design. My current speakers are Nola Champ S3s. They are partially open baffle and just sound amazing, at least to me!

[@MarkSchifter-o4r]

Very nice review

[@aaronlam2584]

I like the look , if as good as you said , that will be very interesting bookshell speakers for me 😊

[@aaronlam2584]

Because I love speakers with good bass 😊 🔊🎶

[@aaronlam2584]

Cool 👍

[@veroman007]

More bass than the CSS bookshelf that’s quite a statement. I’ve never seen your channel before but you’re excellent. I wish you luck.

[@Audfile]

Which is plenty. I own those too, the supremes. They build subwoofers for a reason. Speakers are for midrange and treble clarity. Especially if you're buying budget bookshelf speakers. Unless you don't care, then bass it up with your bookies!

[@NemoPropaganda]

it terms of sheer bass quantity for sure yes! A TL design will almost always have more bass than a traditional ported design. The downside is TL desings are large which is the reason this spekaer is using a smaller driver. If thomas wanted to use a 7" driver like CSS the overal cabinet of the Voyager would much larger than the CSS Criton so TL designs are not free bass, they come at a cost, and that cost is size. Worth knowing is the CSS does extend lower and has much tighter & articulate bass that can be played much louder.

[@veroman007]

Back in the day, I owned a pair of Meadowlark kestrel, two transmission line floor standers that were absolutely stunning with base reproduction, using a scan speak 6 1/2 inch woofer. It’s too bad he went out of business because he built some extraordinary transmission line speakers for a reasonable price. I miss those speakers all the time, but bought some LRS plus magna pans and a subwoofer and I don’t think you can beat that combo for the price.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@veroman007 that sounds like a great setup!! My room is too small for mags but I've heard them before and they're fantastic!

[@veroman007]

I’ve owned systems that cost three times as much and couldn’t deliver what I’m hearing. I think the fact that the new LRS plus are more diminutive makes them a lot easier for more listeners to place in medium sized rooms. I picked them up place them in their positions and when I’m done, I pick them up and move them against the wall, problem solved

[@cmessi]

Aargh.. still haven't found my perfect speaker. A smooth treble and a natural warm midrange is exactly what I am looking for. But I want not so much bass. Dynaudio Evoke and this TS come close, except for the bass. LS3/5a offers that, but, they have too little bass (75 Hz). I also do not understand why most tone controls only have treble/bass. In my opinion you should have bass/mids/treble, because I don't want to take out midrange warmth and fullnes. What tone controls did you use in this review? From an amp? Or digital from a streamer? Greetings from Holland.

[@ThomasAndStereo]

Just close the port completely. It will then have 'normal' bass. The mids will still be 'smoother'

[@cmessi]

@@ThomasAndStereo Can you make a TS Voyager 2-way variant especially for me? 😉 With extended bass (60 Hz instead of 80), warm and smooth sound and able to listen at high volumes?

[@ThomasAndStereo]

@@cmessi One day!

[@sudd3660]

you can have two knobs and still only adjust the midrange. the third one seem unnecessary. you just need the bass knob to do 200hz and below and tweeter knob affect 3000hz and above. adjusting both is basically adjust the in-between midrange.

[@NemoPropaganda]

maybe try adding a schiit loki to your system?

[@quma001]

Great review of a very tempting speaker. Is this the Pathos Classic One you mentioned and will you review it?

[@NemoPropaganda]

yes and yes!

[@quma001]

Nice! 😊

[@MikeK6046]

Thank you GREAT REVIEW.!!!.. (? - how is the TS Voyager's on/ off axis "listening" abilities, do you need to be seated only in a sweet spot to get the best of them? or can you stand up, walk around a bit, and not miss the overall fullness of the music?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I can't really answer that because my room is very freindly in that regard :) A speaker has to be extremely beamy for it to stand out in my room.

[@RedSinter]

Try them if you get the option with Thomas's TS A75 Integrated Amp reviewers are loving it with a wide variety of Pre Amps. Steve Huff says it's insanely good comparingvto to amps 2-3 times it's cost and all the preamps in combination showed the amps ability to produce that holographic quality sought by many. t

[@NemoPropaganda]

Tempting but I don’t review power amps. Maybe in the future.

[@Sham-84-]

Hey Nemo, how do you feel it comparing to Ascend Acoustics Sierra LX?

[@NemoPropaganda]

I've never heard it :)

[@Sham-84-]

@@NemoPropaganda no worries, thanks

[@Bobuuuuuuuu]

Great review thanks. I currently have the CSS 1tdx and am wondering how these compare. I’m using 45W tube integrated for power.

[@NemoPropaganda]

similar in some ways but the Voyager is darker and more relaxed overall, the 1TDX is not bright by any means but is more open in the treble and has bass that extends lower and is tremendously more controlled, precise, and articulate. If you gave the 1TDX a few beers and told it to relax even more you'd end up with something like the Voyager :)

[@Bobuuuuuuuu]

Love the analogy. Thanks

[@mrmessyjesse]

So I tried Buchardt S400 Mk2 in my bedroom and I’m thinking that they are better louder normal than for low level more near field night time listening. Speakers are placed about two feet from the foot of the bed about 6 feet apart. Would you recommend these over the super mon mini for that setup. Not having a sub in the bedroom makes me wonder if these are a good fit.

[@NemoPropaganda]

Supermon Mini really need a sub in my opinion. S400 MK2 def sound better louder but you can fix that with tone controls at lower volumes if that's an option. +2 on the treble is all they should need.

[@filipviljamaasvensson]

15-20 hours of breakin only?

[@NemoPropaganda]

Buddy, most reviewers do 0 hours of break-in. 15-20 is a lot, some drivers only need 2 hours.

[@filipviljamaasvensson]

@@NemoPropagandaHey Nemo, thanks for the reply :) I appreciate that reviewers don't have time to break in the products they review, and in my opinion it's ridiculous for manufacturers ask this of them. I think A British Audiophile even made a video on this, or at least addressed it, stating that if the company sends him something that isn't ready to be reviewed then it's their fault. It seems the more audiophile oriented companies however do the break-in themselves to ensure the product will perform at its best. In my experience, 15-20 hours is not a lot at all, the manual for my Quad speakers said at least 40h to start sounding like themselves just as an example. But if Thomas believes this is all it takes to break in his speakers then that's on him, you've done your part! I remember him being a bit sceptical on breaking in things in the past, so I'm not entirely surprised. Perhaps this is also about not alienating a part of the community, as the idea of break-in sometimes is deemed just as crazy as cables sounding different (which they do). But with that said, we all have different rooms, different (or no) acoustic treatment, different ears, and different budgets. And perhaps break-in doesn't make an audible difference for most. Have a great day! /Filip from Sweden

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@filipviljamaasvensson Yeah I agree with you bro. As far as break in for the Galtion TS, just to be clear Thomas himself did not suggest any amount of break-in. Break-in is very specific to each driver, no 2 drivers have the same requirements and some drivers may not need any break-in at all. Generally the stiffer the suspension the longer the break-in time, there are other factors but that's the most relevent one imo. In all honestly with speakers I never notice much break-in, sure somtimes yes but most of the time it's such a small change maybe its psychological. Subwoofers on the other hand can break-in significantly. Electronics... I'm not so sure :)

[@Will-N-Christine]

I have emotiva t2+ towers and emotiva c2+ center and 2 rsl 12s subs, but I need surround speakers but emotiva discontinued the line I have this year, so what can I do for surrounds.

[@Casey.S.]

The new emotiva line sounds just the same and what you have. Go with a pair of xb2 bookshelf's.

[@Will-N-Christine]

Not wanting to pay $500 for surrounds.

[@Casey.S.]

@@Will-N-Christine it's worth it, but I get it. You could go for a pair of xa2 for $400 or search for a used pair of b1+, b2+, or e2+.

[@Will-N-Christine]

Not finding anything used in my area. What are the xa2's

[@Casey.S.]

@@Will-N-Christine they are emotiva's large new atmos speakers which they have also labeled as usable for surrounds. They replaced the a2's. 5.25" woofer just like the b1+ but in a sealed cabinet. 75 hz - 27k hz (+/- 3db) which is plenty fine for surround use.

[@joc1016]

Just waiting for Ryu to appear on your TV

[@NemoPropaganda]

wow it kind of does look like a SF2 background lol

[@joc1016]

@@NemoPropaganda big time

[@dollhausenx]

Sounds like a great speaker for a tinnitus sufferer who needs a low volume champion. Sadly, it sounds like my Musical Fidelity A1 wouldn't have enough power to drive them. A shame since they sound like my dream speaker.

[@NemoPropaganda]

hmmm, hard to be sure, while that's a low wattage amp it does seem to have a lot of current driving capability. Listening habits are also a factor. I suggest you email Thomas through the Galion website and see if he has any experience or opinon with that amp.

[@dollhausenx]

@@NemoPropaganda Thanks! That's a good idea. I have hyperacusis with tinnitus so low level listening is all I can stand these days. Maybe at low volumes that amp would be enough. I'll contact him.

[@net_news]

Toe Jam & Earl!

[@NemoPropaganda]

that's the wrong earl! lol

[@net_news]

@@NemoPropaganda hahah you got the reference

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@net_news oh yeah! I think any gamer around my age remembers that one :)

[@net_news]

@@NemoPropaganda 🙌

[@E.T.Persson]

✌🏼👽☮️❤️

[@carlosoliveira-rc2xt]

I think you're confusing Star Trek TNG with Star Trek Voyager.

[@NemoPropaganda]

It was intentional but i appreciate that you know the difference. Reality is Janeway doesn't have any good short quotes like Jean Luc so I had to improvise and I figured trek is trek, lower decks, discovery, ds9, tng, enterprise, etc... a trek reference is a trek reference :)

[@inmyopinion6836]

Tea, Earl Gray, I'm drinking it now... so what ???? The base is as it sounds to the listeners.

[@NemoPropaganda]

omg come on bro, it's a star trek reference.

[@jazzabana]

I bet that voyager is there to stay. Cha ching, cha ching😊