Bass versus size -- the age-old dilemma has been addressed in a
number of ways, some successful and some (usually electronic) not
so successful. And whatever the satellite system designers
produce -- hidden subwoofers, for example -- British hi-fi
enthusiasts seem to prefer one full-range enclosure per channel.

One of the best ways of squeezing a quart out of a pint has been
the transmission line concept, a not-too-distant relative of the
folded horn. Among the pioneers of this system was IMF, which
metamorphosed into TDL, familiar to most readers for a range
crowned by the huge Reference Standard. But TDL rewrote the books
with the diminutive Studio 1, with a footprint and an overall
space requirement matching that of yer garden variety two-way
bookshelf-speaker-on-a-stand.

I have to admit that I was surprised at how well the Studio 1
worked, because I thought that the convoluted folds which make up
a transmission line could be reduced only so far. But TDL has
reduced the speaker even further -- in size and in price -- to
produce a transmission line speaker tiny enough to be called
'cute'.

Before saying any more, I want you to be aware of the two most
relevant specs if this review is to have any meaning. First of
all, the Studio 0.5 has a footprint of only 200x304mm (WxD) and
its height is a mere 620mm. Add to this the dedicated stands and
you increase it by only 70mm plus spikes. Best of all, though, is
the price -- #399, plus #70 for the stands, the latter a perfect
match in both sonic and aesthetic terms.

The Studio 0.5 looks like a junior TDL, a shrunken-down
'minilith' which still looks commanding in the all-black finish.
The grille is black cloth stretched over a rigid frame, the
cut-outs large enough to preclude any edge diffraction. The box
itself is finished in black ash veneer, with the back and baffle
in black paint. With the grille removed, you'll see at the top a
ferro-fluid-controlled 25mm magnesium alloy tweeter, protected by
a mesh dome and featuring a separate rear chamber.

Below this, its bottom edge situated roughly half-way up the
baffle, is a 135mm doped polypropylene-coned woofer, tiny enough
to look like it belongs in a Celestion 3-sized box. It features a
phase plug sprouting from the centre and utilizes a Kapton
former, vented pole magnet and cast alloy chassis. At the very
bottom are the two ports for the transmission line.

The back conatins two pairs of hefty binding posts in a recessed
area near the top; they accept bare wire, spade lugs or banana
plugs, although they're too far apart for 19mm spaced pairs.
Still, access is good and the barrels are large enough to provide
a good grip. The speakers arrive with solid core wire links, but
bi-wiring offered such obvious improvements that I can't imagine
why anyone would be so tight-fisted as to run these in
single-wire mode.

In addition to the clever carpentry, the secret of the 0.5 is the
use of the long-throw woofer, which offers high power handling to
compensate for the efficiency loss associated with trying to
extract deep bass from a small enclosure. The Kapton voice coil
former contributes higher power handling by virtue of its ability
to withstand higher temperatures. The use of this non-metallic
material also increases the electrical 'Q' of the driver. The
phase plug is fitted to improve the transition from the bass/mid
driver to the dome tweeter.

The crossover point for the 0.5 is at 3kHz, accomplished by a
simple 5-element design incorporating the aforementioned
bi-wiring capability. Other 'magic' wrought on this speaker
consists of a nice, safe nominal impedance of 6 ohms and a
reasonable but not high sensitivity of 85dB. I used the speaker
successfully with the Musical Fidelity B1 to see how it would
fare with a budget amp, while I tested its limits with the far
heftier Counterpoint SA-100.

Other products in the review system included the Basis turntable
with SME Series V arm, Lyra Lydian cartridge, California Audio
Labs Tempest II SE CD player, Counterpoint SA-1000 pre-amp and
wire from Lieder, MasterLink, Space & Time, Sony, Audio-Technica,
plus a few I won't name as they sounded unduly awful. The
profusion of cables leads me straight to the primary curse which
plagues this speaker.

Let's not mince words, huh? This speaker is so inordinately fussy
for what should be an easy-to-use, upper-mass-market model that
it will challenge any inveterate tweaker to near-breakdown. Maybe
it's the metal dome tweeter, still an ornery device regardless of
its genuine potential, or maybe it's the strange dispersion
pattern -- whatever, this speaker needs as much fine-tuning as
any megabucks dipole, so don't expect to just slap a pair on the
floor for maximum boogie-ness.

For starters, the 0.5 teeters on the edge of brightness, despite
the copious amounts of bass which prevent it from sounding
lightweight or top-heavy. If you used these in a blindfold test,
I'll guarantee that your buddies will think that they're hearing
something the size of an Isobarik or a KEF 105. But this rich
bottom end doesn't counterbalance a tizz which leads you to an
array of cables for fine-tuning purposes. Unless, of course,
you're lucky enough to have a dozen amplifiers and sources at
your disposal for producing a better match.

Item 1: Solid core and/or thin strand wire -- both of which I've
always though were lousy, desperate solutions of the
two-wrongs-don't-make-a-right variety -- aggravated the situation
so much that I even substituted short lengths of my preferred
multi-strand cable when assessing the speakers in single-wire
form. I didn't want to gut the 0.5s to find out what was inside,
but I wouldn't be surprised if it was solid core and/or
thin-strand.

Item 2: Positioning is hypercritical, and not just in terms of
toe-in, or proximity to the walls. More important than either is
the amount of tilt you settle on, adjustable via the stands which
have spikes long enough to allow you to tilt the 0.5 back by a
few necessary degrees. This is entirely dependent on the distance
between the speaker and your listening seat, and it's as critical
as the tilt factor of the Apogee Stage. The only way to
accomplish this is by enlisting the help of a friend or two, so
you can bark out orders from the hot seat. But it's worth it.

Once you've eliminated the potential for tizz, you're treated to
a remarkably coherent sound, the bass-to-mid-to-treble
transitions matching the Studio 1 for consistency. Don't ask me
why, but the speaker sound smoother when bi-wired, despite
splitting the crossover, which does suggest that the links are
inordinately critical when you're using a bi-wireable speaker in
single-wire mode. That inch or two of solid core...yecchh.

The bass quantity is tuned, as expected, according to the
proximity to the walls. I wouldn't advise raising the speaker
(above the level provided by the dedicated stand) as a substitute
for the tilt, because the height off the floor via the stand is
ideal for bass quality, especially control. The tilting
accomplishes one thing, focussing the image for more accurate and
therefore three-dimensional portrayal; although raising the
speaker so that it fires at ear level would accomplish the same,
it ¬will¬ compromise the bass. So, just as with the legendary
Hadcock arm, addressing one area of set-up is bound to butcher
the perfection you've attained in another. To repeat myself:
persist with the dedicated stand.

Once the ideal postioning has been achieved -- and I'd offer more
advice, but this can only be done by ear and in the actual
listening room -- you can ready yourself for amazement. Now I am
not trying to set you up for an experience akin to listening to a
tower full of Infinity 12in drivers, or a JBL Everest, or a
Duntech. But you'll find that little can touch this baby at #399
when it comes to weight, slam, mass -- whatever you're looking
for if you've embarked on a quest for more bass.

Regardless of what you think makes a speaker sound 'big' -- the
mass provided by deep bass or dispersion which fills the space in
front of the listener -- you'll be pleased to note that a
painstakingly installed pair of 0.5s can mimic some real
monsters. Image height, when gauged from the listening seat with
the tilt just so, isn't quite as convincing as with a pair of
Divas. But the 0.5, positioned with the tweeter some 6in below
the height of my LS3/5As, matches that of my favourite
BBC-approved giant killer. Stage width extends beyond the edges,
as it should; try it with the James Boyk microphone test CD for
proof. And depth? This baby could fool you into thinking it's a
thoroughbred dipole.

But however good the spatial characteristics, the smooth midband
and the clear treble (assuming you've paid heed to what I've
written above), it's the bass quality which lifts this wa-a-ay
above like-priced competition. Given that you'll hear these in a
shop where the staff has taken the time to set them up with the
ludicrous amounts of attention they demand, you'll be staggered
by the extension, the solidity and the control. There's no fat at
all when you're in the hot seat, though -- and I know this sounds
weird -- they sound as flabby as an Isobarik off axis.

What the Studio 0.5 will not do is tempt those who think that
controlled bass must be as tight as a drunk on New Year's Eve.
The Studio 0.5 is rich, not dry, and the harmonics on acoustic
bass are liquid and flowing. What happens when you play bass
derived from a keyboard hooked up via MIDI is that the edge is
softened. I consider that a virtue, because it may even fool you
into thinking that a musician rather than a computer operator
made the recording, but those weaned on MC Hammer won't be
amused. Fine, let them stick their heads in the bass bins down at
the club.

I've gotta say it: my fetishistic love for the LS3/5A
notwithstanding, I feel that the TDL Studio 0.5 is the best
speaker you can buy for under #500. And if you add the stands to
the #399, for a total of #469, you're left with #30 to buy that
extra length of cable for bi-wiring while staying below the
half-grand mark. If this speaker doesn't win some industry kudos,
then the Oscars and the Booker prize won't stand alone as warped
awards.