Why do vintage Quads work well with vintage Tannoys?

[Arkless Electronics]

Thanks Jez - I meant unexceptional in that it's high, like most modern SS amps. If I have this right. Forum searches have encouraged me to believe that Tannoys can work better with higher impedance/lower DF amps.

Some of the older Tannoys maybe yes. Red and Gold monitor etc. Some latter ones work better with a low impedance more modern amp... "they" say

 

[chartz]

To me giant killer products are a myth.
You want a great amp? I mean really great?
You can get one, but it’s going to be expensive.
No miracles here.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

To me giant killer products are a myth.
You want a great amp? I mean really great?
You can get one, but it’s going to be expensive.
No miracles here.

There are a few... a cheap passive should beat ANY active pre amp no matter how expensive it is. All the expensive pre can do in comparison is add "nice" colouration...
And of course how could you forget the giant killing Arkless Electronics phono stages!? I invite comparison between my basic GTi stage at £285 and £1000 stages from the hi fi dealers shelf

 

[sideshowbob]

I very happily used a Quad 34/306 into Tannoy Lancasters for a good few years. Tremendous system, that was.

 

[eastone]

Yes, probably all I need, although one of the things that’s prompting me to look around is the fact that it needs serviced but is in such poor cosmetic shape I’m reluctant to throw money at it. The other thing is input impedance, more than sensitivity really: whenever I identify an interesting looking valve pre it turns out the output impedance is a fair bit higher than would suit the Quad.

What is the input impedance Sean? I’ve used the 306 with valve preamps successfully...

 

[Seanm]

What is the input impedance Sean? I’ve used the 306 with valve preamps successfully...

20k I believe: not super low but low enough for it to maybe be an issue with some of the pres I’ve been eyeing up, passives too, although it sounded fine with a Tisbury. What did you try it with?

 

[eastone]

A Canary 601mk2 and a Concordant Exhilarant... Croft Micro 25 too although that was slightly less successful. Definitely some good amps out there with less than 2k output impedance...

 

[jimb0]

I did run a 34/306 into some Chatsworth 12" HPDs happily for several years. Attenuators were definitely needed to give me reasonable volume range with modern digital sources.

I've still got the amps (and indeed a spare 306) but no speakers and was just thinking about resurrecting a vinyl system around them. I suspect big old Tannoy prices are pretty breathtaking these days though

 

[Robert]

Yes I'd like to hear a good 303 again. The problem is that Tony's 303 has been modified and those modifications may be making a difference -- not to mention the fact that he's playing it through some incredibly rare valve pre amp.

My comments about the 306 came about through a recent experience, where I had it playing with my Spendors for a couple of weeks -- and I listened a lot. As I say, I was impressed at first, I nearly posted something here to say how wonderful an amp it is. And it is wonderful! But after a week or so I realised that the timbre of acoustic instruments was not as well caught as with the Krell, or the Radford or the Conrad Johnson.

Depends on the modifications.

Most if not all 303s still around and unserviced will be performing sub-par due to component ageing and drift.
All of them need a service and given the original components are no longer available (and if they were would be degraded by time), then by definition bone stock, fully performant 303s no longer exist.

Restore them by respecting the original design, that's the key.
In the same way that if you want to hear an LS3/5a you probably need to buy a modern Falcon build, not a 1970s Rogers.

 

[RJohan]

About Quad amps and the studio world: Here in Sweden more than one recording studio used custom built mixing desks with Quad valve pre amps as amplifying modules! They where complete with cases and the well known knobs and buttons built into the desk. There where also, some times, Quad valve power amps for the monitors, haven't discovered any Tannoys there, though.

 

[stevec67]

Power amps? 303, 306, 405 and 405-2 etc... For what you will pay for a decently working second hand one (I'm thinking £140 - 200 ish for that range) .

If you can get any of the above, certainly the 405, for that money I'll take as many as you can find. 405s were fetching an easy £200, more usually £250, the thick end of 10 years ago, and everything has gone up since then.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

If you can get any of the above, certainly the 405, for that money I'll take as many as you can find. 405s were fetching an easy £200, more usually £250, the thick end of 10 years ago, and everything has gone up since then.

I don'y pay much attention to those sort of things. Certainly they were under £200 generally last time I was remotely aware of their price. 303 were about £120 - £180 ish.