Tbi Hdss Tweeter Review

[Megalomaniac]

TBI HDSS Review

I will try to break this review down so it is easy to read and understand:

Packaging & Shipping

As soon as TBI announced the winners for the TBI HDSS giveaway I emailed TBI with my information. They sent me a shipping quote and a Paypal address very promptly on the next business day. TBI shipped the tweeters the same day I sent payment. I received the tweeters 3 days later. I did not expect UPS to ship that fast. They must have shipped them 3 Day select. When I got the package and opened it, I noticed it was double boxed. When opening the actual packaging of the HDSS, they were sitting in a Styrofoam seat. These babies were well packed! No way could you damage these in that box.

What’s in the Box?

- TBI HDSS Tweeters

- Flush mounting hardware

- Angle mounting hardware

- Tweeter cups

- 3.5khz @ 6db passive X-over with 4’ cable

The tweeters have a bit of weight to them, shows to me that they are solid and well built. I didn’t see any excess glue, and the terminals were different sizes so you know which side is which. But I must say this, these are the ugliest tweeters I have seen ever. They look a lot like Pyle tweeters or the cheap $20 ones you can get off eBay. I can live with the design of the tweeter but it’s the cheesy silk screening that makes me not want to buy the tweeters. I do like how shallow they are, I mean they aren’t Hybrid Audio L1 shallow, but they are shallower than my Vifas for sure.

Cost

The TBI HDSS Tweeters cost $200 for a pair. I won these tweeters free in a giveaway that TBI sponsored on www.DIYMobileaudio.com

Installation

Installation was a breeze for me. I installed them in the A-pillars’ of my 00’ Honda Accord LX sedan. I was using the Vifa D26 prior to these tweeters, so my holes in my pillars were already made, I did have to widen the hole slightly with a Dremel to get them to fit. I made a harness for them. I used Knukonceptz Karma16 awg speaker wire, ¼” Techflex, and some quick disconnects from Home depot.

What Does My System Consist Of?

- Eclipse CD7000 deck with active X-overs

- Elemental Designs NINe.5 Amplifier

- Hertz High Energy 6.5” Mids (50hz-4kHz 12db slopes)

- Second Skin Audio for my deadening needs including a deflex pad

- Kicker wiring

- Custom RCA cables

- Stereo Integrity Mag 12” v3 in a 1.3 cube sealed box stuffed. (40hz 18db slope)

- TBI HDSS Tweeters (4kHz 12db slope)

Initial Listening Impressions

My initial impression from listening to them right away from the D26s to the HDSS is that the HDSS is definitely brighter and louder than the D26s. I mean brighter in a good way. The D26s are known to be mellow and laid back. These aren’t laid back by any means and aren’t screaming in your ears either. I had to turn the Gain down substantially; yes it is that big of a difference. These definitely have a higher sensitivity. My second listening impression is these are more detailed than the D26s in every aspect. They play higher than the D26. The HDSS does not have the 16 kHz roll off like the D26. This initially worried me into thinking my ears would get fatigued listening to them for a long time.

What Songs Did I listen to and Why?

“The Sinister Mister”

By Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

I chose this song for a reason; this track has many instruments playing all at once, from the bass to harmonicas. It has this cool walking bass line at the beginning, and then followed by the drums. A harmonica is added later on too. You can really hear them playing on that harmonic good.

“Stomping Grounds (Live)”

By Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

The use of the banjo is what I love about this track. The picking of the banjo then the use of harmonics on it is phenomenal. The Harmonic pluck is way detailed, no way my other tweeters could play that. Listening to the song with these tweeters made the song even more enjoyable than it already was. .

“Grandmother”

By Rebecca Pidgeon

First thing I noticed with this track on my old tweeters was that her voice was diffused and out of focus. Using the HDSS her voice immediately changed for the better. It’s now well focused and her voice thinned a ton. She sounds more “airy”. If I close my eyes I could swear she was right in front of me in real life.

“Grandma’s Hands”

By Livingston Taylor

I listened to this track to hear if there were any unwanted noises coming from the tweeters, I couldn’t hear any at all. The snapping of the finger was a key part in this song that I had never heard before real well.

“Improvisation”

By Jim Keltner

What is a review without a good drum track? This track really brought the tweeters to life to see how they really are. It played every beat without any hiccups. I cranked this track real loud; I got no breakup at all. I absolutely loved it.

“Knocking at Heavens Door ” (cover song)

By Ladysmith

The lady's voice singing is very airy, you can really hear the air around her voice. Very spacial. When listening to the song you can really hear how wide your stage is and how well it projects. This is a very good song to have reference to. Her voice did not scream in my face at all. My depth is just past my clock then the guitar playing is further back slightly.

“Into the Groove”

By Madonna

At the beginning of the song you will hear a keyboard playing, followed by cowbell sounding instrument, and then the music starts with the synthetic bass playing. The new tweeters really tied the system together in my opinion. My mid bass felt more on the dash the cowbell extend to far side of stage while Madonna's voice right in center(well a little bit to the right of rear mirror, tonal sacrifice I had to make). If you haven't heard this song in a Hifi environment, you must!

Other Notes

I can say this; these tweeters might be too detailed at times. If you listen to music from an artist that doesn’t record their music real well, you are in for a disappointment. The TBI HDSS brings out the worst in recordings that aren’t good. The HDSS is very linear. For instance the Jack Johnson album “Sleep through the Static” was recorded in analog. You can really hear the tape hiss in all of his tracks. Sure it gives the song character but after a while it gets a bit annoying, for me at least it does.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a tweeter that is shallow, low distortion, neutral, and detailed these are what you are looking for! though the non existent 16k rolloff might bother some who aren't use to the extended response, however the average mp3 rip does not even extend that high due to compression, but you are a true audiophile that listens to well recorded material then you wont have an issue. Would I spend $200 on them? No, and that answer is solely based on its cosmetics. If they improve their design aesthetically I might be willing to spend $200 on them. For what they are I would probably spend up to $150 on them. I understand they have Patents on these tweeters so maybe the $200 is justifiable to keep it cost affective to produce.

Pros

- Well packaged

- TBI has excellent Customer Support

- Detailed and smooth tweeters

- Variety of mounting hardware

- Higher sensitivity than most tweeters

- Some what shallow tweeter

Cons

- None really other than Price and Aesthetics

I just want to Thank TBI for having this giveaway. We would not have known how great their tweeters were if nobody was able to "test" them for them.

-Megalo-

Here are some videos, I know it doesnt do justice, but thought id post it anyways

"So much to say"

"Oh Darling"

"Grandmas Hands"

"Into your Groove"

http://www.tbisound.com/dsp_products_auto_tweet1.asp

Edited December 12, 2008 by Megalomaniac

[AI James]

great review, i fixed your youtube links for ya

[Megalomaniac]

Thanks