Series 5 TMW Design Features

BESL never has released a passive 3-way speaker, and likely never will. There are just too many performance compromises otherwise. Also, there is a legitimate perception that subwoofer/satellite systems do not sound good because of poor bass integration.

We have overcome this deficiency by properly developing the bass/midrange active crossover. After all, that is our responsibility. The TM-XLS speaker is not a sub/sat system. It is a 3-way bi-amp system that just works right out of the box. It is quick and easy to hook up. All you really need to do is adjust the bass level to your circumstances.

Later, you can finely tune the bass for room gain with the onboard bass EQ switches. Even the treble level is adjustable up or down slightly from flat to provide you with a means to combat unusual room acoustics.

Active bass systems have several performance improvements:
  • Tighter bass due to no passive crossover components between the subwoofer and bass amp, or between the midbass woofer and mains amp.
  • Low sensitivity of the subwoofer becomes a non-issue, since active power has adjustable gain.
  • Bass volume control can be used to compensate for room gain, and allow the owner to set the bass level to his/her personal preference.
  • A more dynamic midrange, again due to the mains amplifier signal not having to pass through additional crossover components.
  • Higher power input and higher maximum output is possible because the midbass woofer cone excursion is reduced from the active high-pass crossover. Feel free to throw a party!
Passive 3-way speakers have significant performance compromises:
  • Low impedance in the low mid / upper bass range. To prevent the speaker from sounding “lethargic” in the power region (where pace and rhythm lie) a very powerful amplifier is required.
  • At least 9 additional passive components are required just for the bass/mid crossover. Due to the low cross frequency, many of these parts have large values. The increased cost is better applied to an active solution.
  • Veiling and distortion is increased since the midrange signal must now pass through a large-value coupling capacitor.
  • The bass sounds “softer” due to the decreased electrical damping between the amplifier and woofer. Series resistance of the coupling coils causes this.

The BESL subwoofer amplifier is not a typical plate amplifier:
  • Once again, we take the responsibility of providing you with a properly developed active crossover between the bass and midrange very seriously. Our plate amplifier is one of the very few available that includes an active 12db/octave high-pass crossover for the midbass woofer. The owner does not need to adjust this crossover; it comes factory adjusted.
  • All active and line-level passive filter components are audiophile grade.
  • The plate and heatsink is a one-piece extrusion that is a full 5mm thick and very rigid. The black anodizing gives that same luxurious appearance of fine amplifiers.
  • A large toroidal transformer, 28000uF filter capacitance, and adequate cooling contribute to the 17 pounds net weight.
  • 245 Watts into 8 ohms, 350W into 4. Low distortion and high damping factor. 107dBA s/n.
    • MOSFETs for better sound. Short circuit and thermal protection.
  • Adjustable phase and frequency (but factory calibrated).
  • Switchable low frequency EQ settings.
  • Easily adjusted volume control.