Greetings. Bit the bullet and got the M4 TM's. Same speaker as my M4 Turbo, even the color, red. Transparency is enhanced a little bit, not a dramatic change there. In all other aspects the differences are more notable. The first thing I noticed is that my First Watt F4 amplifier does not get as hot. I guess it has to do with the more benign load it is seeing now, 12 ohms vs. 4 ohms. Output power is in the middle teens, I suppose, not the 25w rated for 8 ohms.
Although having less power output, I have the suspicion that bass is more powerful and goes deeper, and the most noticeable aspect is its sound-staging capability; broader and deeper, there is much more apparent "air" and refinement in its presentation. What the hell, it now has a back firing tweeter also. I listen to them in a near-field setup, though my listening room is fairly small, 12'x11'. Dynamics are also enhanced; really lightning fast now. I used to have a pair of Quad 988's and the TM's really remind me of their sound staging presentation in near field mode, more than with the Turbos. And if you are wondering about a comparison between the Spatials and the Quads, well, the Quads
produced sound with the F4's 25w which was not optimal for these speakers, got away with it because of the small room. The Quad's bass was fuller and there was a little bit more transparency but not that much, I am not missing them.
Obnoxious female sibilance, when present in the recording is also less offensive, though the presentation is smoother. The wiring for the 3 drivers is the 16 GA. Duelund tinned copper which is also impregnated with some kind of oil. Supposedly this wiring is very musical and natural sounding. It looks like this is so. I think these loudspeakers are really special ones that deserve to be with the best out there even at twice or more for their price. KUDOS to Clayton!
