Ok, here we go. Had to post that obligatory FedEx photo first! There were some decent gouges on the boxes but when I stuck my finger in, all I could feel was Styrofoam. As heavy as these are (108 lbs each) I expected a few dings here and there. After loading them in the truck and dragging them upstairs, I proceeded to un box them. That was Friday evening and this old man is SORE today! The packing was more than adequate and there was not a mark on them.
The finish is just gorgeous on these. Got them placed, plugged in the cables, did several adjustments and then came time to give them a listen. Wanted to hear a favorite from the 70's first as it is still a song I enjoy immensely. Traffic?s
Low Spark of High Heeled Boys. This is a remastered CD. Wow! Every instrument was so clearly present it was a joy to listen to. I am not going to use the timeless cliches like "I heard things I never heard before" but I'm sure all of you who own these speakers know what I mean. The lows were clean and tight; midrange as well as highs very well defined. The vocals are something to behold!
I wanted to listen to the whole collection but there's plenty of time for that. I listened to CD's SACD's and some DVD-A I burned in 96/24 PCM 2 channel from iTrax and 96/24 FLAC from HDtracks of various artists.
A big surprise was Willie Nelson
Stardust 2 channel SACD that I have had around for a while but never really thought of it as being a reference piece. But I didn't have this system paired with the HT2-TL speakers before either! This may be my favorite C/W album so far. The harmonica and Willie's vocals in
Georgia on my Mind placed me right there in the studio.
Norah Jones'
Come Away With Me was a joy to listen to as well. oneinthepipe , I read your post about how the vocals are so perfectly centered and I couldn't agree more. A lot of speakers accomplish this but not to the extent I have ever heard. My wife was downstairs while this was playing and from down there, she said she was positive that somehow I sneaked Norah in the room!
Other auditions worth noting were Eleanor McEvoy
Early Hours SACD, Kim Pensyl
Pensyl Sketches CD, Daboa's
From the Gekko CD, and all the DVD-A tracks I burned. Jim's sampler CD was great as well. Like I said, I have a lot of listening to do! It is going to be fun.
Another thing that made me take notice was the end of tracks. As they faded to silence I could hear every last note so clearly and concise it was eye opening. Between passages is dead silent as well.
I have a cut from a CD I have from Heart titled
Alone that I have used for years to compare systems as I am very familiar with that cut. It did not disappoint! There is a point in the song where there is a LOT going on and the HT2-TL's just presented all the individual instruments/vocals in an unfettered, crystal clear and strain free manner.
Enough for now, all in all for the price, these are some of the most accurate and pleasant speakers to listen to I have heard to date for bass, mids and highs. The vocals are amazing and highs are presented clearly, realistically and not harsh or bright in any way.
