Robert
Tapehead
I think the Eaton does the same.
It's a relatively large 33mm tweeter diaphragm.
Confused about Tannoy
- Thread starter Geoffreybombom
- Start date
It's a relatively large 33mm tweeter diaphragm.
Tony L
Administrator
That is the core dilemma in audio IME. I love both Quads and huge Tannoys, likely my two favourite speakers, certainly my favourite vaguely practical speakers (e.g. this side of Altec VOTT etc), but when it comes to the crunch I sacrifice the stunning clarity of the Quads for the punch, dynamics and scale of my Lockwoods. A friend who doesn’t post much anymore for whatever reason has a pair of 989s on the end of a very nice system, and whenever I hear it I can hear exactly what is wrong with my system, but whenever I get home and put a record on I don’t want to change anything at all! I’d love Quads in another system (probably 57s to be honest as my TL12 Plus would love them), but I’d have to have them as well, not instead of the Loockwoods!
PS Everyone with any interest in audio needs to spend real time with ESLs. Once you get what they do you realise nothing else does it.
Robert
Tapehead
The 63s turned into a bit of a curse and I sadly let them go.
So good for many years then the panels started to go bad (again) and I just couldn't be arsed with the faff of getting them restored again, and again.
They don't age well at all, and I've had mixed results from the 3rd party repairers so I'm not confident this series of 'speaker are operating to factory spec after a refurb.
They are also a curse because even short exposure makes most multi driver arrays sound wrong.
Since the 63s went I've gravitated to concentric designs. I still love the original LS50 (less so the meta).
Maggies do the big easy sound thing but you can hear the crossover quite clearly IMO.
So now trying Tannoy, again
One just has to have a 'speaker collection as one pair won't do!
Oh, gold badge Falcon Q7s......those are interesting and come out occasionally but the T27 seems to set way too high, I don't understand why.
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
That’s one reason I let mine go. The other is that I heard a pair of 989s (just possibly the same ones Tony L is referring to above) that fulfilled the potential I felt my 63s had but never really showed by being in the right place - way, way out into the room. Mine could never be more than a metre or so from the wall, so they were fatally compromised. I bought a pair of Tannoy Amesburys instead and that’s me set for life.
Tony L
Administrator
Interesting, you aren’t the first person I’ve heard say that. Give Jerry a ring, I’m sure he’d be interested! I’ve got a pair of his LS3/5As that I flung gold crossovers in and they seem very nicely balanced. I guess the bigger box of the Q7 just behaves differently.
Jonathan’s?
Marchbanks
Hat and Beard member
Yep.
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
The 63s turned into a bit of a curse and I sadly let them go.
So good for many years then the panels started to go bad (again) and I just couldn't be arsed with the faff of getting them restored again, and again.
They don't age well at all, and I've had mixed results from the 3rd party repairers so I'm not confident this series of 'speaker are operating to factory spec after a refurb.
They are also a curse because even short exposure makes most multi driver arrays sound wrong.
Since the 63s went I've gravitated to concentric designs. I still love the original LS50 (less so the meta).
Maggies do the big easy sound thing but you can hear the crossover quite clearly IMO.
So now trying Tannoy, again
One just has to have a 'speaker collection as one pair won't do!
Oh, gold badge Falcon Q7s......those are interesting and come out occasionally but the T27 seems to set way too high, I don't understand why.
It's been a very long time... Do you fancy another train ride to hear the Kensington GRs?
Lots of other things have changed too, since the Turnberrys. Whether you think they make an appreciable or quantifiable difference is another matter, but such obstacles were certainly overcome in the past...
Robert
Tapehead
Looks like the B110 is working correctly in the box and the T27 seems to come in at the right level, but then it ramps up to be about +8dB at 10kHz.
They are fully 3/5a style maxed-out with Tigan covers and felt diffraction pads but no significant difference.
ToTo Man
the band not the dog
If you PM me with your email Robert I can send you measurements of the Q7s I spent some time with 3 years ago.
awkwardbydesign
Officially Awesome
I have 50 class A watts with my Accuphase E-800, but also a very high damping factor. As I understand it (not very well) older Tannoys work best with low DF amps, otherwise the mids dominate. I also now have an Accuphase DG-68 equaliser, so when I get round to playing with it, it will interesting to see if that can compensate. I would also like to try an Accuphase E-202 (or P-250 power amp) with variable damping factor.
My Monitor Golds are the MG12 rubber surround version, so not the traditional type.
Tony L
Administrator
Certainly my experience. I’ve tried a lot of amps over the years and my favourites, by far, are vintage valves or a Quad 303. I’m sure a lot of people look at pictures of my system and see the humble 303 and think I’m a right cheapskate. I’m not, if I wanted a Krell or whatever I’d just buy go one. I’ve no issue investing in quality used hi-fi at all. That 303 is there because, in this specific context, it has either seen off or equalled everything I’ve put it up against so far. Leak or Radford valves are better in certain areas, but this system gets so much use I just don’t want to run a valve power amp here. That 303 has come at the front of the solid state amps I’ve tried, which are quite a few and include some very nice ones.
FWIW I suspect it is no coincidence as the Monitor Gold and Quad are from the same era and from two companies that were routinely partnered. The Monitor Golds are a development of the valve-era Monitor Red designed to work better with the then new solid state technology. The Quad 50E, and maybe the 303 if it had appeared by that point, were likely the ones Tannoy had to hand during the design process. The transformer coupled 50E and capacitor coupled 303 are very similar in most respects. If not Tannoy would have used similar amps as that is what was around in that era. The hugely powerful and highly damped solid state stuff we know today was a good way off in the future. It just didn’t exist in 1967.
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
The amp I use Ive had since 2009, but it was built in 1997. It is based on an old GEC circuit and originally ran GEC KT88s.
It has been re-biased to run KT150s and has had its power supply upgraded accordingly. New film resistors give its sonic presentation more immediacy. It now also runs cooler, drawing less current.
It is modestly rated at 38 wpc.
I doubt I'll ever part with it.
The Kensingtons seem to work better with lower power output amps. Indeed, the best amps I've ever heard to drive them (Zeiler Audio from Switzerland) are only 10 wpc. They cost £60,000...
As for energy consumption, that is lower than it was, but it's still only 300 W/h or three old-style light bulbs.
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Depends how you look at it. Of course the new models are expensive but if you look at Stirling, turnbury se models, they usually fetch between 1800 to 2500. Similar price to a well heeled pair of Cheviot golds
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
I know. I sold my Turnberry SEs in 2021 for £2200.
A brand new pair of Stirling III LZs will cost you £12,000, the Stirling GR is £6,500. The difference is the former has the Pepperpot and ALNICO magnets, the latter has the Tulip.
Tony L
Administrator
If you want a modern 15” with alnico magnets and a pepper-pot you are IIRC looking at the Canterbury as entry, which is about £32k! Westminster a lot more. I’ll stick with my Lockwoods and the change thanks!
PS FWIW I have heard Canterburys a few times, and I haven’t heard anything I’d take over a genuinely good vintage pair of vintage 15” Tannoys in good cabs (e.g. Lockwoods).
PS FWIW I have heard Canterburys a few times, and I haven’t heard anything I’d take over a genuinely good vintage pair of vintage 15” Tannoys in good cabs (e.g. Lockwoods).
The point I was making was regardless of age pepperpots are relatively cheap and more to the point, serviceable. After my experience, I wouldn’t buy a new tannoy. The TW and prestige se drivers are unserviceable, I wonder what will happen in the future for such as the legacy models?
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
I prefer the 10-inch drivers anyway. They sound much cleaner and articulate.
Tony L
Administrator
Fair enough. I don’t. For me they sound much smaller and more forward compared to the 15”. They just don’t move air in the same way. As such we are both hearing the same thing, but have different tastes. This is fine!
They are more fleet of foot definitely. But I changed my opinion of the big Hpd/gold models overall, Though I’ve heard them sound flabby in the wrong cabinets.
In my size room the 10” models I’ve had don’t even come close to the 15”hpd in such as the Arden cab. The grf memory is fantastic too.
In my size room the 10” models I’ve had don’t even come close to the 15”hpd in such as the Arden cab. The grf memory is fantastic too.