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My Tannoys sound awful when "cold"

Nic P said:
Sounds like it is a one-off peculiarity of my Kensingtons. Thanks for your replies.

Nic P
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Nic, do you routinely leave your system switched on, or do you switch it on when you want to listen to music? I ask because if the latter, then why not try leaving it on, and see if the problem is apparent next time you come to listen. If it isn't, then it suggests component warm-up might be the culprit.
 
Sue Pertwee-Tyr said:
Nic, do you routinely leave your system switched on, or do you switch it on when you want to listen to music? I ask because if the latter, then why not try leaving it on, and see if the problem is apparent next time you come to listen. If it isn't, then it suggests component warm-up might be the culprit.
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Electronics on all the time. I doubt it is my ears becoming acclimatised as the change is so extreme ... Also Sue hears it as well.

Nic P
 
On the face of it a couple of minutes warm up is too quick for a mechanical change in the speakers, it would be interesting if you tried alternative electronics.

Paul
 
Paul,

Wouldn't a speaker's suspension loosen up within a minute or so of use?

Joe
 
It seems unlikely, to me, that the speakers would flip between two stable mechanical states so quickly, unless Nic lives in a fridge and plays at maximum volume. I can sort of imagine an electrical condition that responds to signal, so that's where I'd look first. Assuming Nic's not using a vinyl source...

Paul
 
Could it be a dodgy cap in the x-over ? I had to return a pair of D700's because they just refused to loosen/soften up -the replacements were fine tho'
 
My valve phono (basically a souped up, vastly over specced P2/10 takes ages for the bass to shine through. I´d say about an hour
 
Looking at t'Internet the Kensingtons use an extra stiff cone material, and if they use this for the surround, which is likely, then it might possibly take a few minutes to loosen up ??

I suspect a mechanical issue ... all electronic warming up issues IME take hours, or ven days.
 
I don't understand how it would change property quickly and then revert back. There will be no temperature change at the cone surround and I'd argue very little at the spider unless you really cane the things. How about asking Tannoy?
 
It seems at least plausible that a faulty bipolar electrolytic capacitor might need some electrical stress to wake up from cold, so a couple of minutes playing and the crossover starts to work properly.

Paul
 
Tony L said:
I don't understand how it would change property quickly and then revert back. There will be no temperature change at the cone surround and I'd argue very little at the spider unless you really cane the things. How about asking Tannoy?
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I contacted Tannoy about another issue some years ago and got a very dismissive reply, so am not encouraged to contact them again.

The reference to "cold" in the title of the thread was in quotes as it just referred to the change in sound from the speakers starting to play music.

The crossover comments might explain it.

I was just interested to know if this was a well known effect - which it obviously isn't. I am not worried 'cos after a couple of minutes they sound sublime.

Nic P
 
A failed crossover electrolytic cap would explain it, but I'd not expect that to occur on both channels as that would imply two identical failures and that's most unlikely. To be honest I'd be surprised if any electrolytic caps were used in the recent Prestige range. Even back in the late '60s early '70s when my 15" Monitor Golds were made Tannoy only used a single electrolytic on the bass-cone roll-off, the rest of the caps being film types. I'd expect the high-end Prestige range to be full of fancy 'audiophile-grade' components.
 
Having used some single driver speakers (full range) I have made similar experiences. Usually it took one song for the cone or the spider behind the cone to warm and loosen up to sound their best.
 
If it is temperature related, i'd have expected you to have more issues in the winter than in the summer - does it feel seasonal?

You should be easily removed from the equation by putting something on to play and leaving the room, so the speakers 'warm up' without you present. On return, if they are singing then you know it's not you acclimatising...
 
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