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Large Tannoy Speakers in a relatively small space

Erocka2000

pfm Member
Would the new Tannoy Arden Legacy speaker (ARDEN | Lifestyle Speakers | Loudspeaker Systems | Tannoy | Categories | TANNOY ) work in a relatively small room? The dimensions are about 20' x 12', but my system is set up in a 12' x 12' section of the room (other side is my kitchen area). I currently have DeVore O/93s which are about 7' apart and I sit about 9' away from each speaker.

Would the 15" driver of the Arden be too much for that space? Or would the new Cheviots be a better match (https://www.tannoy.com/Categories/Tannoy/Loudspeaker-Systems/Lifestyle-Speakers/CHEVIOT/p/P0DEM)? I also have no bass/sound issues with the O/93s in this room.
 
I use the Berkeley's in a 13 x12 room, and they sound great. However, in your case I'm not entirely sure whether it's worth the effort. Aren't the Devore 0/93 great speakers (in the classic Tannoys mould) in their own right?
 
Vintage Tannoys seem very easy to place, they were designed to go against a wall and I’ve heard very big Tannoys sounding great in very small rooms (e.g. Andy831’s GRF Memories). The room I have my Lockwoods in is anything but huge, a different size but not to dissimilar volume to the OP spec (I think in metres, but I think mine is smaller than 20’ but bigger than 12’). I’m pretty certain if Devores work Tannoys would too. They are both proper big speakers.
 
The DeVores are fantastic speakers, but as you know this hobby definitely has its “grass is always greener” side. I guess I’d just like to try something new. I was thinking of either of the two Tannoys mentioned above as well as the McIntosh C22 reissue preamp and either the new McIntosh MC275 VI or some vintage MC30s.
 
Why don't you test the water with some original Cheviots, and then upgrade accordingly?

You will be able to move them on without significant loss if it doesn't work out.

FWIW I have 12" Monitor Golds in a 10' x 15' room and they work brilliantly.
 
Why don't you test the water with some original Cheviots, and then upgrade accordingly?

You will be able to move them on without significant loss if it doesn't work out.

FWIW I have 12" Monitor Golds in a 10' x 15' room and they work brilliantly.

I suppose that's an option. Though I really hate buying and selling large items because I don't have a car and getting things to and from my Brooklyn apartment is sometimes very tedious.

As for your 12" MGs, do you feel that you'd be able to use some 15" MGs in your space?
 
That is a valid point, as a cyclist in central London I feel exactly the same. Though in the case of Tannoys it has been well worth it and I won't be getting any other big deliveries soon.

That's hard to say, as I haven't heard 15" Tannoys. However, I can say that when I first got the 12s in this room I thought the bass was going to prove un-manageable. But on proper stands and with some extra damping of the cabinets they are just fine.
 
I have 15" Tannoys firing across a room that is 4Mx5M. They sound less bloated and leaner than my diminutive KefLS50s. I have found that proper big speakers need less room to breath than little ones that are trying to sound big.
 
A friend has the biggest Tannoys you can imagine in a room the size of yours. They are 2 x 15s in wardrobe-sized enclosures from Tannoy Special Products weighing 220kg each. Yes, just under a quarter of a tonne, each. He had to take the door off to get them in and the removers were even eyeing up the frames. They sound amazing.
 
Hell yeah! I actually prefer smaller rooms for listening, if you can squeeze the speakers in and a listening seat then no problem! Especially with dual concentrics! I used to own the originals, huge fun, better than JBLs, enjoy!
 
Go for it. I have Arden 1 and pretty much Arden Legacy clones here and the 'Legacy' works extremely well, the driver doesnt reach as quite as low as the HPD-and is better for it imo. The Arden (3x)porting has the flexibility to significantly alter/tune the bass response by using the supplied bungs,for instance the original Arden has port/system tunings of 31,42,54 hz(3,2,1 port open)moreover the system tunings/driver will be on spec and new, devoid of the age induced variabilities of some vintage unit's spider/magnet/surrounds.
 
IMO it's more about the cabinet design and placement and less about the driver. It depends whether or not you prefer a flattish bass response or a boosted bass response, which will also depend on how closely you place the speakers to the wall behind them / side walls next to them and also how close you sit to the boundary behind you. In my 4.2m x 3.8m x 3.25m (13.5' x 12.5' x 10.5') room I place my speakers close to the wall and I sit 1 metre (3.5 ft) from the rear wall. I've heard neither the original Ardens nor the new Ardens, but of the three Tannoys I've had in this room (Tannoy MG15 Lancaster, Tannoy MG15 Lockwood Major, Tannoy MG12 Edinburgh), the sealed Lancasters were the best behaved in terms of producing the flattest bass response. The Lockwoods were the worst in this respect (i.e. they had too much bass), and the Edinburghs are somewhere in the middle (which I suspect is in part due to there more sophisticated distributed port system). Measured bass response is of course only one facet of a speaker's performance (hence the reason why I am using my MG12 Edinburghs and not my MG15 Lancasters as my main loudspeakers).
 
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I have 15" Tannoys firing across a room that is 4Mx5M. They sound less bloated and leaner than my diminutive KefLS50s. I have found that proper big speakers need less room to breath than little ones that are trying to sound big.

Hmm, well that has me a little worried. I definitely would not want a large speaker like that to be leaner in the bass than a stand mount like the LS50.
 
A friend has the biggest Tannoys you can imagine in a room the size of yours. They are 2 x 15s in wardrobe-sized enclosures from Tannoy Special Products weighing 220kg each. Yes, just under a quarter of a tonne, each. He had to take the door off to get them in and the removers were even eyeing up the frames. They sound amazing.

Your friend is repped.
 
There's always been a good reason that large Tannoys and JBL's sell large numbers in Japan.
 
Thought I would resuscitate this thread as I'm thinking of keeping my Tannoys (currently for sale on another thread) if I can get them to work in my office which is about 3.4m by 3,5m.

I've tried them like this:

IMG-20230823-132510.jpg


But felt they were a bit too much for me. I'm about 2.5m from them (maximum distance).

Or Like this:

IMG-20230830-095453.jpg


IMG-20230830-095457.jpg


This way they are closer to the wall and I'm a bit further from them. Also they don't feel as if they are bearing down on me. I'm listening off-axis.

What do people think? I know in the end it's down to me/my ears etc.

Best wishes, Peter
 


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