December 2025

World Premiere Review!
Stunning Design And Mind-Blowing Bass: MC Audiotech TL-8 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
This sculptural speaker is a must-hear conversation starter for true music lovers.
Review By Bob Grossman

   I have had the MC Audiotech TL-8 floorstanding loudspeakers within my home for the past two months, allowing me to experience them thoroughly, given my experience with many recordings in a variety of genres, as well as comparisons between CD and LP sources. As I sat in my living room writing for Enjoy the Music.com, I felt like I was out on the lawn enjoying a concert under the stars in Saratoga Springs, the Mann Music Center, or Bravo Vail outdoor theaters. Few people look for speakers that capture the unique sound of an outdoor performance. But my brother Michael pointed out that the Grateful Dead hated studio recording and rarely did it, instead preferring that fans enjoy live outdoor performances.

Then Michael was captivated by the sound of the TL-8s speakers and said he felt transported back to San Francisco in the 1970s. My point is that the sound and range of these luxurious loudspeakers have very realistic and natural results. They can also handle all your daily routine sound needs, which I will discuss later.

I appreciate a manufacturer with flexibility and confidence in letting their equipment be used for long-term evaluation. This enables hearing various combinations with substituting the reference cables I have available from Synergistic Research and Kubala-Sosna, along with alternative amplifiers and Ortofon cartridges on the turntable setups for mono and stereo records. As a reviewer and retired musician, I like to settle in and listen to a lot of music to understand how new equipment sounds and interacts with my other references and long-term gear.

The MC Audiotech TL-8 loudspeaker delivers much of the company's flagship performance of the larger TL-12 in a more compact, accessible form. I recently heard the TL-12 at the home of PAAG (Philadelphia Area Audio Group) member and president, James Baum. The TR-8 combines its unique Wide Band Line Source bending wave driver with a transmission-line woofer, offering a wide frequency range and excellent efficiency, with options for a glossy contemporary finish or a traditional wood look. While priced around half that of their TL-12 model, it is smaller by design, while trying not to sacrifice much sound quality. The speakers have a clear, natural midrange and treble with controlled bass, which is excellent for small and medium-large rooms without overwhelming them with a large speaker cabinet array. I found their sound remarkable for filling the room and for sustaining well into the 90s dB range without a sense of compression or distortion. The speakers have a speedy, dynamic response, and the listener has a keen sense of natural musical reproduction.

That Sound
The TL-8 speakers sounded great from the moment Mark Conti delivered them and assisted in setting their placement in my music listening room. They temporarily replaced my Quad 63 speakers that are set with a pair of REL Carbon Special subwoofers. The slightly diminutive, attractive, and rounded rear backside of the modestly TL-8 cabinets looked right at home. It took minimal effort to adjust locations for listening and finding the optimum room placement. The TL-8 front lacks a typical cloth grill. Instead, it features an open series of closely spaced, rounded, tubular bars that form a grid that can protect the drivers while remaining open and transparent. The tweeter is covered with a light-colored foam, and the small side ports have felt covers behind the wood-slotted openings.

Mc Audiotech's TL-8 floorstander is beautiful, with a distinctive, sculptural, curved design that stands out from conventional box speakers, blending art with engineering. We know many longtime enthusiasts of Enjoy the Music.com desire the very best in home décor, and it brings me joy to say these loudspeakers come in a variety of finishes /  veneers—walnut, chestnut, hickory, and ash—with premium upgrades like gloss black, gloss white, rosewood, and ribbon makore. If you want something custom to match your McLaren or Bugatti, Mc Audiotech can fulfill your custom home décor dreams.

At 37" tall, 13.25" wide, and 19.25" deep, the TL-8 makes its presence known visually yet blends into the room furnishings and space quite easily. They weigh 55 pounds each (85 pounds boxed), making them manageable compared to many large audiophile speakers.

The Look
The design is described as an open-baffle speaker by Mark Conti and the MC Audiotech designer Paul Paddock. However, my experience with other brands of open-baffle speakers has been seeing and hearing a series of drivers directly mounted onto a wood slab. To my eyes, those large board-type speakers have a techno-industrial DIY aesthetic, with exposed drivers on both sides. The unusual wide-band line-source (WBLS) tweeter, coupled to a transmission-line woofer, necessitated placing the drivers in the contoured cabinet, while creating the extra side ports allows the speaker to function as an open baffle.

A casual look at the speakers might lead one to think they are a typical two-way design with a dome tweeter and woofer; however, they would be quickly surprised by the big, open sound that is full of energy and dynamics. So, calling them open-baffle speakers is accurate, at least for the tweeter, since they are matched with a transmission-line woofer at the bottom of the cabinet. Although the drivers are hidden from view, the grills are obviously very transparent to sound waves, so there is no need for an audiophile to remove them to enhance the image and projection into the room. The WBLS tweeters have a narrow vertical dispersal, yet they produce a very wide 120-degree horizontal sound of +/- 2.5dB.

For those of you who are into technical specs, the tweeter is handling everything from 475 Hz upward. A transmission-line loaded 8" woofer does the lower frequency duties. The crossover first-order network is at 475 Hz with a frequency response: 32 Hz to 22 kHz, efficiency of 91dB/W/m, and nominal impedance of 8 Ohms (minimum 6.8 Ohms).

The Philadelphia Orchestra Sound
With my career background as the principal librarian of The Philadelphia Orchestra, the sound of these speakers made me reminisce as if I were listening to a concert from the back of the hall. The tweeters have an uncanny ability to sound incredibly open and transparent, distant, and diffused, yet articulate enough to reveal what is happening in the layers and tapestry of a recorded musical sound. The image and soundscape from the speakers always felt deep, wide, and distant.

The impression of spaciousness and clarity was especially apparent during orchestral passages, where strings and woodwinds seemed to float effortlessly above the stage, like live performances in concert halls. Switching among different recordings, the TL-8 speakers consistently revealed subtle nuances, presenting vocals with warmth and instruments with good placement in the soundstage. This engaging presentation encourages deeper listening, making familiar tracks feel refreshed and vibrant, and the combination of thoughtful design, quality components, and versatile finish options ensures the TL-8 will appeal to both discerning audiophiles and those seeking aesthetic harmony in their listening space.

I tested out the speakers with Strauss's Death and Transfiguration conducted by Eugene Ormandy with The Philadelphia Orchestra. I know the sound and musicians on this recording [Columbia stereo MS 6324 or mono ML 5724] were made back at the old Academy of Music in 1963. It dates from the era when recordings were issued in overlapping mono and stereo versions. I own both Columbia records and appreciate each version, especially where the mono sounds so realistically like the old, dry acoustics of the Academy. I heard many concerts at the Academy while growing up in Philadelphia, had my high school graduation ceremonies there, and worked in the historical theater for over twenty years. What struck me was the clarity and realism of these speakers' presentations. For example, demonstrating the portrayal of the timbre and balance for the woodwind and brass players was what I knew from when I had studied the bassoon and trumpet with retired orchestra players of that era.

The speakers' use of their unique WBLS driver, which delivers a coherent, natural midrange and treble, with a sense of effortless detail, along with the supporting low end created by the transmission line woofer had me feeling as if I was sitting in the wood benches in the amphitheater when I was a kid and got student tickets in the rafters of the peanut gallery. I was especially impressed by their bass performance, as I was concerned that, given the smaller size, that's what would be sacrificed sound-wise. The transmission-line woofer extends the low sounds with dynamic control and speed, giving the TL-8 a surprising authority for its size.

Classical
One of my favorite CDs is the Shostakovich Symphony 4 [DG Stereo 447 759-2] with The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. I was at the Shostakovich concert performances and recording sessions in 1994. The speakers seized the drama of the music with startling immediacy. The strings surged with urgency, the brass punched through like a declaration of fate, and the timpani and bass drum rumbled with a weight that made your chest tighten. You could almost feel the conductor's baton slicing through the air. Every crescendo felt like a wave crashing against a cliff, and the silence between movements was just as powerfully charged. Although the rendition of these speakers in my home did not remind me of the studio monitors and the intensity of the converted gymnasium recording studio in Centennial Hall, I did feel as if I could close my eyes and be at the back of the Academy. The character of the MC Audiotech TL-8 floorstanding speakers is not an in-your-face, detailed, and hyped-up analytical presentation and image. It is more about letting the music flow and be engaging, as if the listener is attending a live concert.

Piano
I listen to a lot of piano records, especially Chopin. I have dozens of mono records by many artists from older historical times along with many newer stereo records. What I find fascinating and musically interesting is hearing the many performing styles and interpretations of the same mazurkas, etudes, and sonatas. Regardless of who was playing— Eschenbach, Argerich, Pollini, or Zimmerman — as the first notes unfurled, the speakers captured the intimacy of Chopin's melancholy with breathtaking nuance. Older mono records by Gieseking, Rubinstein, Malcuzynski, and Ivan Moravec were all marvelously presented. The piano's left-hand murmurs felt like distant thunder, while the right-hand melody floated above like candlelight in a quiet room. Each rubato phrase was rendered with such sensitivity, especially in my favorite RCA recording by Fou Ts'ong Chopin Nocturnes [VIC -9009]. You could hear the pianist's hesitation and stretching of the dynamics and tempo, reflecting an emotional weight behind his interpretation and performance.

Jazz
I listened to Miles Davis's performances on Seven Steps To Heaven [Columbia mono CL 2051 and stereo CS 8851].In this case, I was able to hear and distinguish the different perspectives and presentations of the album played on the Ortofon Cadenza mono cartridge and the Ortofon Per Winfeld Ti or Verismo stereo cartridges. This is a transitional album as Miles was forming the second great quintet. The speakers revealed his sense of space, the breath behind the trumpet, the brassy and raspy tone of the Harmon mute, and a perceivable sense of tension in the silence between phrases. The first track, "Basin Street Blues," was recorded in Hollywood with Victor Feldman on piano. The second track, "Seven Steps to Heaven", was recorded in New York with Herbie Hancock on piano. The temperament and technique of these two pianists' playing were easily exposed and heard. The speakers handled the dynamic shifts and different acoustical settings of the recording studios, as well as the various players' personalities and styles. Frank Butler was on drums in California while Tony Williams played on the NY sessions. George Coleman on tenor sax and Ron Carter on bass traveled with Miles as part of the new evolving band that was formed in California and added other musicians in New York.

Classic Rock
I personally am not a major fan of classic rock, but I do have some well-known rock group vinyl LPs to use as demos for friends with varying musical tastes. They often visit to hear their favorite music on the latest equipment I am reviewing. My friend Stan Brown likes to hear the vocal balances between the voice of Maria Muldaur singing with a simple guitar accompaniment on the German pressing of Richland Woman Blues [Grooveland GLS 108]. It seems that each of our demo sessions ends with a rousing run-through of songs from The Doors' L.A. Woman. We compared the original 1971 release on Elektra EKS-75011 to a German reissue in 1980 made by Kinney Music GmbH as Exulta 42 090, the Steve Hoffman 1998 remaster release on DCC LPZ-2050, the 2012 twin 45rpm from Analogue Productions APP 75011-45, and the latest 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition that come with three CDs of the recording as released plus two CDs of outtakes [Elektra / Rhino R2 659055].

Stan commented on the presentations that changed with the various record issues and engineering. We could hear, assess, and identify the various versions. The vocals were great, along with the instrumental balances and details. Stan found the bass to be very firm and controlled without any sense of compression during wide dynamic peaks.

My friend Justin is a DAC designer and long-time audiophile who has owned a wide variety of equipment over the decades. I shared some ideas with him about my experiences with the speakers, which piqued his interest in visiting and hearing them in person. Justin reacted immediately and afterwards sent his informal thoughts to add to my review. I thought sharing his impromptu impressions from a trusted and reliable audiophile would be of interest to all of us.

Hey Bob, thanks for accommodating a 'last-minute' listen to the MC Audiotech TL-8's. Here are some initial thoughts. Surely, given more time to delve deeper into a variety of program material, other interesting sonic subtleties would have presented themselves. Still, in my experience, the first impression usually holds up over time.

These are certainly beguiling speakers with a reasonable, 'room-friendly' footprint, unique design elements, and what appears to be very good build quality. Personally, the 'hybrid' (your term, and it fits) side-venting/dispersion system for the unusual tweeter was of most significant interest. They stand apart from the traditional monopole and bi/dipole designs available today. In a crowded market, it's ultimately tough to truly break the mold.

Sonics: rather than raising a flailing arm when first entering the room, screaming in the direction of a prospective listener, 'Hey...look at me...over here!' like some speakers, the TL-8's whisper: 'what are you in the mood for? Ahh, nice choice -- don't worry, "I've got you covered'. They are not necessarily exciting at first listen, but rather beckon a listener to dig a bit deeper, peel back the onion a few layers, forget the electronics... how about we just listen to some convincingly real music today? I found them uncommonly smooth across the audible frequency band with nice integration (helped for certain by the low crossover point) between dissimilar driver technologies. While reading a bit on the TL-8's, it turns out I've owned a set of speakers utilizing this very technology, albeit a much older version. Linaeum tweeters were a prominent feature in a set of bookshelf speakers I had not long ago. The sonic similarities are now obvious, although the implementation (360-degree radiation pattern) was a bit different, and clearly the modern MC's are a highly refined, much improved version.

When switching between LP and CD sources, it was immediately evident that the TL-8 offers sufficient transparency to allow the character of a recording — such as microphone techniques, hall space, and performer positioning — to shine through. They do not image with pinpoint precision most of the time, but then you mentioned an excellent point: neither does live music, at least not from most seats in the hall. I've done plenty of listening at concerts with my eyes intentionally closed for that very reason (to aid and build sonic memory of real instruments in real space), and you're correct.

I cannot imagine ever finding the MC Audiotech speakers fatiguing to listen to, even after extended listening sessions. On some recordings, it would be easy to point a finger and perhaps even refer to them as 'soft', but I believe that likely has more to do with decades of listening to conventional, forward-facing driver arrays than any shortcoming in the TL-8's -- it's simply a differing presentation from what many may be accustomed to. No one would likely ever call them bright, tizzy, or harsh, and that is actually quite a compliment. We have all heard systems that delivered thunderous fireworks... and the throbbing headache to match. Even with such a brief introduction period, it was clear that, provided the right program material, they could sound spectacular. No, they won't make your pants flap or do 25Hz with authority (perhaps their big brother TL-12's will?), and also don't seem to stretch out into the stratosphere, but where real humans live... the oh-so-critical midrange... they seem to do an awful lot of things right. For someone with a budget of around $15k, looking to step off the seemingly endless audio merry-go-round with a pair of uniquely attractive, easy-to-listen-to speakers, I could certainly envision the MC Audiotech TL-8's providing a listener with many years of enchanting musical pleasure.

A Chat With The Designer Mark Conti
I enjoy getting to know company designers and finding their backgrounds with musical experiences to provide insightful ideas about how their products are made and continue to develop and evolve. I asked Mark a few questions about the work he has done with his business partner, Paul Paddock. He kindly granted permission for me to share his responses about how many years they have been designing speakers, what inspired this approach to creating sound with the unique tweeter and open-type cabinet. I figured that living near Philadelphia, he has attended concerts and musical events, so I asked what influenced him to play music at home.

I knew my colleague Rick Becker had previously reviewed the Forty 10 speaker back in July 2021, and Steven R. Rochlin was impressed upon hearing the TL-12 Speakers at the Florida International Audio Expo 2023. I wondered how many of those design ideas have enabled the success of this smaller speaker.

This is the first speaker review I have done with a transmission line type of loading design for the woofer. I asked Mark about the sound quality for that type of woofer performance since it was part of why the tweeter integrated so well with the bass output.

I grew up with tube amps that my dad built and am devoted to newly made models based upon the old-style valve designs. I found the Audiotech speakers worked beautifully with the Cary SLP-05 preamplifier and CAD-211 FE amp, which are my current references. I asked how these speakers work with solid-state amps, including class D and the AGD GaN-type amps used by other members of the Phila Area Audio Group.

Bob Grossman and Mark Conti

These are the responses from Mark Conti.

I formed my first loudspeaker company, Impact Technology, in 1997. I was involved in business management and visual design for loudspeakers, and I had technical design personnel. Paul Paddock has been designing loudspeakers as his primary focus since the late 1970s and has served as chief designer at Linaeum Audio and Impact Technology. Paul was unsatisfied with the sound of tweeters, which led him to design the Broad Band Width devices we use today. He has many patents on these transducers.

Paul lives outside Portland, Oregon, and attends many concerts with LIVE SOUND. Paul and his wife are musicians and know the sound of real instruments. Paul has an extensive music collection, including classical and jazz. I listen to similar music too, but my tastes also include progressive and non-progressive rock, as well as baroque and choral music.

All designs start with our own proprietary Broad Band Width device. Primarily, our designs are evolutions. The Forty-Ten was a standalone device, making it unique. The midsize TL-12 design was inspired by the earliest Linaeum speaker, the LT-1000, but with a larger woofer. The TL-8 is nearly equivalent to the LT. Our designs are two-way and couple our WBLS and woofer as seamlessly as we know how, whether that is with a stand-mount speaker or our larger designs. Paul and I prefer dipole or transmission line approaches. We tend to avoid standard ported cabinets as we find they are not fast enough to mate with the WBLT.

Our speakers typically behave like a resistor as far as amps are concerned. In addition, they are quite efficient at 9 to -93 dB. Any amp from 20-Watt power and up can easily drive them. They will show the different sonic qualities of amps, but we have customers using and have shown them with Class D, A, and A/B. I favor low-power Class A Solid State amps and use a design by Nelson Pass. However, we partner with and use many different amp designs with great success. Often, success with amps comes down to compatibility between the amp and the speakers. Trying to drive an 85 dB loudspeaker to realistic levels with a 25-Watt solid-state amp may not be successful.

The Summation
The MC Audiotech TL-8 floorstander is a fascinating loudspeaker for serious listeners who want much of the company's flagship sound in a more approachable package at $15,000 to $17,000 per pair, depending on the finish selected. The unique WBLS (Wide-Band Line-Source) driver technology creates a seamless, natural presentation, coupled with the transmission-line woofer. It offers a compact footprint relative to the recreated performances' volume and projection. Their high efficiency makes them compatible with a wide range of amplifiers.

For Enjoy the Music.com's luxury-minded enthusiasts, I found their distinctive design doubles as a conversation piece and an aesthetically pleasing object. Placement and room acoustics are always crucial for unlocking the full potential of a speaker of this caliber. With its combination of innovative driver design, transmission-line bass, and sculptural aesthetics, it offers both sonic refinement and visual drama. For those seeking something beyond the conventional high-end box speaker, the TL-8 is a compelling choice and works well in a dedicated home music room or as a lovely part of the living room's décor.

Specifications
Type: Transmission line floorstanding loudspeaker.
Frequency Response: 32Hz to 22kHz 
Impedance: 8 Ohm (minimum Impedance 6.8 Ohm)
Driver: Wide Band Line Source (WBLS) 8"
Open Baffle: From 475 Hz and up
Transmission Line Cabinet
Crossover Point: 475 Hz
Efficiency: 91dB/W/m
Crossover: First order network
Recommended amplifier power 25W – 500W
Dimensions: 37" x 13.25" x 19.25" (HxWxD)
Weight: 55 Lbs
Base Veneers: Walnut, Chestnut, Hickory, Ash
Upcharge Veneers: Gloss Black, Gloss White, Rosewood, and Ribbon Makore
Additional finish options are available
Price: $15,000 on up depending on finish

Company Information
MC Audiotech 
407 W. Elm Avenue
North Wales, PA 19454

Voice: (215) 913-1990
Website: MCAudiotech.com