Speakers are the most salient component of your audio chain. The reason wasn’t clear to me when I started the audiophile path. Speakers mostly define your setup. My editor, the always humble and turntable-cart whisperer (as I call him), Anthony Kershaw, made this observation over six years ago when we met. I was nervous to ask him why; it seemed obvious that you need speakers to have sound. I remember he was very nice and interested in helping me with my setup. He tried several times to remind me of this nugget of wisdom about speakers. But I didn’t listen to him. Instead, I decided to first get the pretty and costly turntable, followed by the too-expensive amplifier—rookie audiophile, I guess. A mistake, now I can attest.

My first pair of speakers were some bookshelves with timid mids and awful dynamics; they were at the lower end, to be sure. I confess I had these speakers with no stand, no toe-in, and without care or knowledge of the load to drive them or of the acoustics in my room. Bad audiophile. So here I want to make amends; to the new audiophile, this is for you. The following is a review of the TS Voyager TL speakers from Galion Audio (USD 1195).

Specifications

Impedance: Nominal 8 Ohms

Sensitivity” 84dB

Dimensions: 14” D x 14” H x 7.5” W

Frequency Response: 43 hz (F3) - 22 kHz

Weight: 6.10 kg each

Tweeter: Dayton Audio RST28F-4 1-1/8” silk dome

Woofer: 5” SB13PFC25-8 Woofer/Paper

Power Handling: 50 Wrms

Audio Equipment

Streamers: PS Audio AirLens, Volumio Rivo Plus.

Amplifiers: Galion TA A75, Margules I-240 Tube Amp, PS Audio Stellar Strata Integrated, Vincent Audio SV-500 amp.

DACs: PS Audio StellarGold. Dayzee (Sparkos Op-amps).

CD/SACD: PS Audio PerfectWave Transport.

Turntable: Mark Levinson 5105.

Phono: PS Audio Stellar Phono.

Cables: Allnic Audio ZL-5000 Speaker Cable, Allnic Audio ZL-3000 power cord, Allnic Audio Mu-7R interconnect cables.

Speaker Design

Galion Audio is a young company based in Canada, but like its name, it already has a lot of wind in its sails. I first became aware of Galion Audio after purchasing one of their amplifiers, the TS A75 (USD 1,495). This power amp was very popular among audio reviewers on YouTube; they called it the “giant killer” (comparing it to other much more expensive amps), and they raved about it, so I decided to get on the bandwagon and purchase it myself. I won’t go into the details of the Galion A75 power amp, but suffice it to say, the hype was real; it’s fantastic.

Galion is a project of Thomas Tan, a reviewer I’ve always enjoyed watching; he knows a lot about tube amps, and we share that fascination. Also, Tan is very respectful and thorough in his reviews (something you don’t see much today on YouTube). I wrote to him about his amplifier and asked him about the Voyager speakers. Tan very nicely and promptly addressed my questions, so I decided to also purchase the Voyager speakers.

The Galion TS Voyager is a two-way transmission line (TL) speaker (a maze-like pathway inside the cabinet, with the task of conducting the sound waves that come from the back of the driver). The main sound characteristic of TL speakers is their bass extension. In the looks department, I found them let's say formal or serious-looking speakers, with an old-school feel, with their stained birchwood and black-dark grey front baffle reminded me of those old wood-chip on the corners speakers one would find in the family garage, but with a solid modern enclosure. The shipping (from Canada) was a breeze, I was in contact with Tan (and tracking info) the entire time.

How it Sounds

The first big surprise of these Voyager’s sound was the big difference between the use of the foam (they come with two pairs), one that closes off the port entirely, one with half a foam, or having it removed completely. I experimented with all, and I have to say Galion made a good play for their customers doing this; it’s a good way to train your ears for the style of music you want to listen to. My favourite was the half-foam closing of the port. The frequency dynamics were just right, the bass was tight, and the mids weren’t muffled like they were a little with the complete closure of the port. An open no-foam had a bit of restlessness when at high volume, nothing harsh or distorted, just a little wide for my taste. I loved the controlled sound of the half-foam.

I generally listen at a low volume of 65-85dB (my wife’s rules), and the tweeter was a little dark at a lower volume, but not recessed, the mids came through wonderfully, and since I dislike high-frequency harshness, I loved this outcome. As for the bass, I did enjoy the bass dimension, especially in genres with small ensembles or hard-bop where the low-bass emphasizes the rhythm section. But the real winner, and what made its mark on my audio chain, was the mids.

Something interesting is going on in the mids with these speakers. Some would say that the Aluminum Jupiter Capacitors (Vitamin-Q Aluminum Foil Paper in Oil Capacitors) are the cause. From the Galion Audio site: Aluminum Jupiter Capacitors were used in the crossovers to give these speakers a lush midrange. These are rarely used by any speakers in this price range due to cost. Not only did these Jupiter capacitors level up the midrange, but they also added “air” into the soundstage.

As for the binding posts and the grills (I used them without), the TS Voyager TL includes a pair of black magnetic grills for extra protection. Fortunately, the tweeters are already protected by a metal mesh cover, so grills are optional for these speakers. The TS Voyager TL also comes with five-way binding posts, allowing you to use all types of connectors.

I had no issue driving these speakers at all. At 8 ohms and 84 dB sensitive, you would think that you’d need a lot of power, but with all the varying amps I tried, I had no issues. Even with the Margules Tube amp at 25 Watts per channel at 8 Ohms, the Voyager speakers were like silk.

As I mentioned before, I prefer to listen at low volumes, so if you want to crank these up, I think you’ll lose part of their charm, which is the texture and refinement that comes with listening at low volumes. The polished sound of voices is magnificent; for example, I am listening to Mahler’s Third Symphony under Boulez and the Vienna Philharmonic (2003), featuring the Vienna Boys Choir and Anne-Sophie von Otter.

I listened to GoGo Penguin’s latest Fallowfield Loops (2025) and the separation of piano, synths, bass, and percussion sections flowed masterfully, with decay done right and fullness in sound dynamics as well. Continuing with Electronica, Zero 7’s song “Look Up” from When it Falls (2004) shone with a center string section at the beginning and synths and drums on the left and right channels. It was a pleasant, immersive experience.

Classical music can be challenging for some speakers; soundstage and separation are lacking in sound if there isn’t a good mid-frequency, but with the Voyager speakers, the orchestras filled the room with ease. Brahms's Third Symphony under Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Concertgebouw (2025) gave a strong showing. Gardiner’s subtle use of strings (compared to his recording with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique from 2009 with “period” instruments that exploded with sound) was a regal performance.

Finally, some new jazz fueled these speakers. From 2024, Tigran Hamasyan’s beautiful compositions and piano playing on “The Curse” (from The Bird of a Thousand Voices), a hybrid of jazz and progressive metal, were ideal for these speakers. From the electric bass (Marc Karapetian) to the drums (Nate Wood) and violin (Layth Sidiq), an insanely creative and, according to my wife, “what the heck is that music, turn it out down, please” level of awesomeness.

I’ve had these speakers for six months now, and they have rarely left my setup. They’re now connected to my Home Theatre. It’s easy to say I am enjoying them immensely.

Conclusion

Speakers and the synergy with the rest of your audio chain are the building blocks for you to create your sound. The Galion Audio TS Voyager TL Speaker (USD 1195) is one of the best and most affordable audiophile speaker out there. Their sound is impressive and engaging, in small rooms they will give you beautiful range and soundstage, and in bigger rooms they won’t be limited.

I’d like to give you the same advice my editor gave me: “Save up and buy the best speakers you can afford,” and perhaps the first place you should look when you are ready to pull the trigger is to head over to the Galion Audio site.

Further information: Galion Audio