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Tannoy 15” Driver Hierarchy

mjw said:
I take from my reading that a style that uses the 15” Gold dual-concentrics e.g. Ardens is as good as it gets. Is that still the received wisdom?
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Ardens are either HPD-era or the current (ceramic/tulip driver) reissues, not Monitor Golds.

As to which is best it depends on what you want to do really. Valve users who like classical and jazz are likely to favour the earlier Silvers & Reds, people looking for very loud rock music and solid-state amps more likely to favour HPDs and the more modern ceramic magnet models. The Monitor Gold can be seen as the ‘pivot point’ between the two really arriving at the same time as early transistor amps like the Quad 303 and designed to work well with both amp types. Basically earlier Tannoys have lighter drivers, a 16 Ohm impedance, they are a bit more efficient, but more fragile (heavy rock studios regularly blew Reds up). Later ones heavier stronger cones, 8 Ohm impedance, less efficient but capable of higher SPL, especially when the ceramic magnets etc arrived in the late ‘70s with the 38xx models (the studio ones go crazy loud!). Despite this they are all very good and actually far more alike than different!

There is another time-line worth noting in that the company changed hands multiple times. The original Guy R Fountain London-based company making the Blacks, Silvers, Reds & Golds. Tannoy then changed hands, moved to Scotland and released the HPDs and the ceramic driver SRM, SGM and 38xx series, and after that I get a bit confused as I think they changed hands yet again for the DMT etc. More recently they are owned by Behringer/Music Group, though some manufacturing apparently remains in Scotland for the good stuff.
 
Tony L said:
not Monitor Golds.
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Thanks, I’m glad I asked. It’s a bewildering range (to me) and I’m looking for pointers at where I start to listen.
I don’t have a valve amp; it’s a Vitus RI-100 integrated (which I’m reluctant to part with). Neither do I listen at artificially high levels but I do like a big symphony and solo piano which, I think it’s widely acknowledged, use lots of power if they’re to approach realistic levels.
I took from the earlier thread that a 15” paper coned model is the way to go. Is that the HPD you mention?
Given what I’ve disclosed, in a 6x5x3m room and sited close to the wall, which model would you advocate as a basis for audition?
Thanks
 
Depending on what you are looking/willing to buy, price is likely to be a major consideration.

All of them can be bought as tatty but entirely resurrectable bare drivers, through to pristine units, in pristine cabinets.
 
Those Legacy Cheviots in the classifieds would be a fine purchase. Just saying.
 
mjw said:
I took from the earlier thread that a 15” paper coned model is the way to go. Is that the HPD you mention?
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All Tannoy the classic Tannoy ranges have at least a 12” and a 15” driver, and it wasn’t until much later (i.e. long after Tannoy changed hands) that anything other than a paper cone was available (IIRC the DMT 12 was the only large driver with a plastic cone, and after that they returned to paper).

Basically there are no ‘bad’ 12” or 15” Tannoy drivers, and each size has their fan base. The 15” tends to have more air-moving ability and dynamics, the 12” a slightly clearer mid-band. You also need to factor that the classic London Tannoys (Blacks, Silvers, Red and Golds) are very collectable and valuable, you will pay a lot more to own these than the later drivers, and as a rule of thumb each preceding generation is worth twice the former, e.g. Reds 2x Golds, Silvers 2x Reds etc. It is also worth noting that some of the later Scottish-made ranges such as the Super Red Monitor, Super Gold Monitor have nothing whatsoever to do with Reds or Golds! They are ‘80s 38xx ceramic magnet drivers.

Basically you need to do a lot of reading as it is a company that has, in some form or other, been around for a very, very long time. You definitely need to find your way around the history, models and historical context to some degree, though if you are using a high-power solid state amp I suspect you will be perfectly happy with the more recent and more affordable HPD and later ranges. Don’t rule out new either, if I didn’t have a very nice pair of Golds in Lockwood cabs in the front room I’d be hugely tempted by a new pair of Ardens as they seem very good and there is no risk or faff involved in getting a perfect pair (vintage Tannoys are notoriously variable when it comes to pair matching etc), so you can certainly spend a lot and not be happy. It is also getting far, far harder to find nice clean examples as most of the decent ones are in Japan, Hong Kong or South Korea by now!
 
Thanks again. I have no interest in vintage collectability unless it confers demonstrably better SQ and would be happy with new, especially because it would make audition and p/ex so much easier. That said, I usually buy good condition used.
The lightly used Ardens that are apparently sold but linger on Audio Emotion’s site look a bargain at £4K and that’s the level I’m at financially.
A lot for me to go through so thanks again.
 
For the last time, those Ardens sold in April. I wish AE would update their listings ;)
 
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