advertisement


Tannoy Monitor Golds

Coming up on three years in October, time flies!

pict2714rrm9.jpg


Tony, that DC driver looks small in that cabinet!
 
Ha! I took a similar pic when I set my temporary ProAcs up to sell them over the weekend...

5613837497_e276b1624f_o.jpg


They sounded surprisingly good sitting up there, in fact the folk who came to buy them initially thought it was the Tannoys playing!

Tony.

Hi Tony,
Indeed we were blown over by the........Tablettes LOL! Yes when we walked into the room, we really thought the Tannoys were blasting out the sweet music hehe. Shame we didn't get the chance to hear the Tannoys! BTW love those Tablettes! I am hoping to upgrade the amp soon to get the best out of them, will ask for some advice soon if you don't mind. Happy listening......
 
Ha! I took a similar pic when I set my temporary ProAcs up to sell them over the weekend...

5613837497_e276b1624f_o.jpg


They sounded surprisingly good sitting up there, in fact the folk who came to buy them initially thought it was the Tannoys playing!

Tony.

Love how you've framed it just so we can see the spare valve sitting in the fireplace. Completes the picture for me.

Out with the new, in with the old.
 
We should start a series...

Royd Sorcerers on Tannoy Berks
19lgkh.jpg



Tony's Yorks eating ProAcs
2q3qgw3.jpg


Joe
 
The Gold surrounds are not known to be much affected by daylight but the paper cones certainly are. Which is why most of them have turned from black to elephant grey - this applied particularly to the cones manufactured for Tannoy by Goodmans and Celestion. Those of German production were less light-sensitive.

However, I would strongly recommend the retention of some material covering the baffle. The correct fabric should not noticeably compromise the sound emission but it will protect the surround from an excess of dust. The wondrous butyl compound brewed by Ronnie Rackham never dries, remaining sticky to attract flies and dust. It is a magnet to dog hairs and cannot satisfactorily be cleaned.

Richard.

PS You'll find these infinitely less fatiguing than the corner Lancasters.

Richard,

Are there any known advantages to the old corregated surround over the later foam surrounds?

Thanks

Sandy
 
Richard,

Are there any known advantages to the old corregated [sic] surround over the later foam surrounds?

Thanks

Sandy

A more pertinent question would be "Are there any known advantages of the newer foam surround had over the older corrugated surround?" The response would be a simple "No!"

The bio-degrading foam was introduced to reduce manufacturing costs; the tricoethylene-based/wool etc. plasticiser of the Gold was much too expensive for the new American management in 1974 - a management very much more concerned with quantity rather than quality. The foam also modified the affects of the inertial characteristics of the HPD cones with their Girdacoustic reinforcements. The speaker efficiency was reduced, thus making it possible to quote a higher power capacity - something of considerable appeal in the market sector at which Harman was now aiming.

Although the differences in perceived reproductive quality between the HPD series and earlier DC models readily are discernible from studying the relative prices in the current markets, the former being dramatically cheaper, bargains are to be found with the HPD for whilst it was not in the same league as its forebears, it remains a speaker better than most and can offer particularly good value for money today.

Richard.
 
Although the differences in perceived reproductive quality between the HPD series and earlier DC models readily are discernible from studying the relative prices in the current markets, the former being dramatically cheaper, bargains are to be found with the HPD for whilst it was not in the same league as its forebears, it remains a speaker better than most and can offer particularly good value for money today.

The HPD seems unfairly maligned, a read of the Yahoo Tannoy group will find many fans including many who find no preference between them and Golds. The problem with HPDs is as you say that the surrounds fail after time, so by this point unless they've been properly reconed they are not performing to spec. There is now apparently an option to recone them with a hard edge driver too. The lower market value is mainly to do with the work needed, IIRC reconing is £350+ a unit. The value of HPDs certainly seems to be creeping up of late as Reds, Golds etc become ever-more scarce and valuable.

Tony.
 
The HPD seems unfairly maligned, a read of the Yahoo Tannoy group will find many fans including many who find no preference between them and Golds. The problem with HPDs is as you say that the surrounds fail after time, so by this point unless they've been properly reconed they are not performing to spec. There is now apparently an option to recone them with a hard edge driver too. The lower market value is mainly to do with the work needed, IIRC reconing is £350+ a unit. The value of HPDs certainly seems to be creeping up of late as Reds, Golds etc become ever-more scarce and valuable.

Tony.
I agree that much of the criticism leveled against the HPD often is unwarranted but it has to be admitted that it was, by comparison with earlier products, inferior.

However, if you replace the HPD cone, surround and spider with one having the paper edge (i.e. the Red) and it seems that this is now possible, you will for all practical purposes have the "real McCoy" as the HPD employs the same chassis, high frequency unit and divided Alnico magnet system of earlier variants. This would be a sensible way to go unless you subscribe to the lunacy of the importance of such things as red dust caps etc.

Certainly, whilst Silver, Red and Gold values are a little less hyped than about five years ago, they remain unattainably high for many and a converted HPD could provide an affordable entry into the magic world of Tannoy. Now is the time to bite the bullet for, as you say, prices are going up - do you know what a decent Morris Minor goes for these days? Astonishing!

Richard.
 
A more pertinent question would be "Are there any known advantages of the newer foam surround had over the older corrugated surround?" The response would be a simple "No!"

The bio-degrading foam was introduced to reduce manufacturing costs; the tricoethylene-based/wool etc. plasticiser of the Gold was much too expensive for the new American management in 1974 - a management very much more concerned with quantity rather than quality. The foam also modified the affects of the inertial characteristics of the HPD cones with their Girdacoustic reinforcements. The speaker efficiency was reduced, thus making it possible to quote a higher power capacity - something of considerable appeal in the market sector at which Harman was now aiming.

Although the differences in perceived reproductive quality between the HPD series and earlier DC models readily are discernible from studying the relative prices in the current markets, the former being dramatically cheaper, bargains are to be found with the HPD for whilst it was not in the same league as its forebears, it remains a speaker better than most and can offer particularly good value for money today.

Richard.

I think this is an oft repeated myth. Harmon also owned JBL, their bass units and countless other manufacturers around the world moved to foam for sound engineering reasons, the foam however degrades under UV/time, something that Tannoy, JBL, Bose, Wharfdale ,Celestion, Gale and countless others were to find out. The move from AlNiCo to ferrite in the later 38** series was due to cost and the world shortage of Cobalt.
Lowering sensitivity does not increase power handling, new high temperature voice coils/formers/adhesives did that.
The girdacoustic struts were introduced to prevent cone break-up, the cones were made heavier to lower the resonant freq to around 20hz, JBL added a mass ring to their 2231a drivers.
The AlNiCo motors are the same as the Golds but with more consistent throat machining as the process became automated.

What owning a HPD will let you do that a Gold can't is benefit from the new hard edge double roll cone surround as used on the current Prestige range-should you want to of course(I'd keep Golds as they are regardless-they are 'right' and shouldn't be molested)

@Richard; Dropping Red cones into a HPD is an interesting idea assuming the gap clearances between the chassis hadn't changed with the newer hight temp voice coils of the HPD's.
 
Tony, I'm curious as to why you've decided not to touch the crossovers on your new pair after messing around with the now 'rejected' ones? ISTM that the capacitors are quite likely to be out of spec by now, and even if you don't want to change the original design parameters, a 'service' would be worthwhile.
 
I think this is an oft repeated myth. Harmon also owned JBL, their bass units and countless other manufacturers around the world moved to foam for sound engineering reasons, the foam however degrades under UV/time, something that Tannoy, JBL, Bose, Wharfdale ,Celestion, Gale and countless others were to find out. The move from AlNiCo to ferrite in the later 38** series was due to cost and the world shortage of Cobalt.
Lowering sensitivity does not increase power handling, new high temperature voice coils/formers/adhesives did that.
The girdacoustic struts were introduced to prevent cone break-up, the cones were made heavier to lower the resonant freq to around 20hz, JBL added a mass ring to their 2231a drivers.
The AlNiCo motors are the same as the Golds but with more consistent throat machining as the process became automated.

What owning a HPD will let you do that a Gold can't is benefit from the new hard edge double roll cone surround as used on the current Prestige range-should you want to of course(I'd keep Golds as they are regardless-they are 'right' and shouldn't be molested)

Interesting stuff.

Aren't the foam surrounds also more compliant, and therefore they lower the driver Fs meaning potentially more extended bass in smaller cabinets?
 
Tony, I'm curious as to why you've decided not to touch the crossovers on your new pair after messing around with the now 'rejected' ones?

I'm having some fancy crossovers built from scratch, Phil (Early) is currently knocking me up some using some nice Mundorf air core inductors, Mills resistors and Clarity Cap SA caps. This leaves the original crossovers, switches etc unmolested from a collector perspective but gets them completely out of the picture sonically.

Tony.
 
Interesting stuff.

Aren't the foam surrounds also more compliant, and therefore they lower the driver Fs meaning potentially more extended bass in smaller cabinets?

Yes in combination with the heavier cone and new spider, it is a complete system.
The Cheviots, Devons, Eatons and Berkeleys were part of that first HPD family.
 
I'm having some fancy crossovers built from scratch, Phil (Early) is currently knocking me up some using some nice Mundorf air core inductors, Mills resistors and Clarity Cap SA caps. This leaves the original crossovers, switches etc unmolested from a collector perspective but gets them completely out of the picture sonically.

Ahh, I see. That makes sense.
 
Richard,

This would be a sensible way to go unless you subscribe to the lunacy of the importance of such things as red dust caps etc.
Amongst some Tannoyistas the earlier the driver the better, so I think people are using the desirability of orange dust caps as a surrogate for desirability of having early Monitor Reds.

Joe
 
Just as they like the 301 better than the 401 when the 401 is actually the (slightly) better record player. It's just retro snobism.
 
IIRC some Tanoyistas consider the orange-dustcap Reds to use the cone from the Silver, which is apparently the best of all Tannoys. To be even more precise the 12" Silver is allegedly the hot spot. If I understand it correctly Silvers have no crossover at all on the bass cone which apparently gives it a freedom, ease of drive and efficiency that is allegedly compromised in later designs, and this works at it's most successful with the 12" cone. I'd love to hear some someday.

Tony.
 


advertisement


Back
Top