Tannoy

[dvjorge]

Hi guys,
Only thinking why it is hard to find a topic about Tannoy in this forum.
There are people who believe Tannoy is one of the best speakers in the world and paying a fortune for the old silver, red , and gold drivers. Some think any of these speakers sound a lot better than the brand we talk about everyday such as B&W, Paradigm, Energy, Kef, etc.
If it is true, why nobody get inspired to try what are considered the best drivers ever made ??
Jorge.

[Feanor]

Hi guys,
Only thinking why it is hard to find a topic about Tannoy in this forum.
There are people who believe Tannoy is one of the best speakers in the world and paying a fortune for the old silver, red , and gold drivers. Some think any of these speakers sound a lot better than the brand we talk about everyday such as B&W, Paradigm, Energy, Kef, etc.
If it is true, why nobody get inspired to try what are considered the best drivers ever made ??
Jorge.
Well, DVJ, one answer would be that these drivers are expensive and require large, wide cabinets to work properly.

Speakers with multiple concentric drivers might seem ideal, but I suspect that they have design issues, and limited-range speakers can be combined with good results given proper crossover design and placement -- and they work well in smaller, narrower boxes.

Personally I'm a planar fan and have no temptation to move to the traditional Tannoy-type design.

[Ajani]

Hi guys,
Only thinking why it is hard to find a topic about Tannoy in this forum.
There are people who believe Tannoy is one of the best speakers in the world and paying a fortune for the old silver, red , and gold drivers. Some think any of these speakers sound a lot better than the brand we talk about everyday such as B&W, Paradigm, Energy, Kef, etc.
If it is true, why nobody get inspired to try what are considered the best drivers ever made ??
Jorge.

Price & Availability...

Most Tannoy speakers (especially the ones considered to be the best) are very expensive (even on the used market they're not cheap)...

Also, how many dealers carry Tannoy? None of the dealers I've been to, carry them... However B&W, Paradigm or KEF dealers are a dime a dozen... A major part of why those brands are so talked about is because they are everywhere...

[Tarheel_]

Price & Availability...

Most Tannoy speakers (especially the ones considered to be the best) are very expensive (even on the used market they're not cheap)...

Also, how many dealers carry Tannoy? None of the dealers I've been to, carry them... However B&W, Paradigm or KEF dealers are a dime a dozen... A major part of why those brands are so talked about is because they are everywhere...

I see a lot of Tannoy in commercial applications. In my last 2 contracts, the companies had Tannoy in their multi-media room and/or gym. They seem to sale speakers for all occasions.

[dvjorge]

It is true but I have seen Tannoy 10 " monitor red go for less than $ 1000 on ebay. Considering the quality of these speakers, it may worth every cent to try them. Some people say there is nothing to compare to them at that price.
Jorge.

[RGA]

The fascinating thing is that in South Korea where apartments are tiny - audiophiles buy massive speakers like Tannoy or the Altec VOTT while in North America where people have massive rooms they buy tiny ass little thumpers like any and all slim line designed tower with 4-6inch plastic woofers. It's no bloody wonder people rave about planars.

Tannoy isn't perfect - nothing is, but they do sound quite coherent and most of them are fuller range and fuller bodied and sound mostly "right."

It is so critical for a speaker to be able to convey the ebb and flow and three dimensionality of music and very few speakers really do it. The problem with some of the speakers you mention is a lack of top to bottom cohesiveness - it sounds like individual drivers pumping out their response curve - it's artificial though they often measure well - which illustrates how useful that all is.

Interestingly the big fat and OLD Voice of the Theater with good electronics and a careful set-up(which helps anything really) beat the ever loving snot out of a $20,000+ B&W Diamond 800 and it's not terribly close. But they are butt freaking ugly and this model was somewhat modified - take a look http://www.audioworld.com/audio-production/pro-audio/2003/altec-lansing-legacy-a7-loudspeaker/

They're going for about $4k these days new which isn't cheap and I didn't know they re-introduced them - and they're good in smallish to medium rooms apparently. There is an ability to create pressure and the "Thwack" of drum kits that speakers like the N801 and most other speakers don't possess. And they don't sound harsh or strident like most of the classic Klipsch speakers. I am investigating some other companies that are taking some of these HE approaches but getting a little more refinement out of them. I'd like to get an Altec in at some point but I may be taking a job overseas, again, which makes my review situation a little more complicated.

I am talking to a manufacturer who has recently made a HE horn based set-up and he is the owner of Quad and Magnepan 20s. I am interested to see if he can maintain what I like about panels while getting what I like about horns and managing the balancing act of not bringing their foibles. If he will send me the speakers for review it will be intriguing because they're also affordable.

[dvjorge]

RGA,
I agree with you in most of the points you mentioned. When I was young, I owned a couple Altec Lansing 602 Duplex (15") They were made before 1960 and we had them hooked to a pair of Fisher Tube Monoblocks with the preamp. The turntable was a Garrard that I dont remember the model. Well, since that to today, I have owned NAD, Rotel, Mc Intosch, Classe, Adcom, B&K, Paradigm, B&W, Monitor Audio, Kef, Mission, Klipsch, Boston Acoustic, Epos, Energy and probably some others that I don't remember but any of them have given me the sound that old system had. There were two things, the tubes and the Altec Lansing !
I am inspired to built a system with Tannoy Dual Concentric (old drivers) and some tube amplifier such as Rogue Audio, Cayin, Conrad Johnson, Cary, etc. Not sure if I get a tube preamp plus a SS amp. It will be my new proyect.
Jorge.

[swan24]

I've heard a few Tannoys, and I liked the sound... They are highly regarded in certain circles... A studio in NYC was one of the places I heard a pair... And they were very coherent and musically accurate speakers... Of course, they were expensive... Can't remember the model... They were quite large... Speaking of which, has anyone on here ever done a review of the old Hartley Concertmasters, with the 24" woofer?... I think they had the largest commercially available woofer in a HI FI speaker... (m.)

[truejazz]

I have a pair of Tannoy mercury m20 and after some twenty seven years I am still in love with them. I use a Marantz pm54 60watt from around the same time with them and the sound is just really great for me. The marantz have a really great Tone control, with the treble knob at half, just a slight turn to the right and I am hearing all the colors I want out of those m20's really good combination i think, works for me anyway. Thanks for reading.

[Enochrome]

I have a pair of Tannoy mercury m20 and after some twenty seven years I am still in love with them. I use a Marantz pm54 60watt from around the same time with them and the sound is just really great for me. The marantz have a really great Tone control, with the treble knob at half, just a slight turn to the right and I am hearing all the colors I want out of those m20's really good combination i think, works for me anyway. Thanks for reading.

Sweet man! I think you have achieved a rare audio nirvana in that you are satisfied with a great set up of gear. In all sincerity I tip my hat to you. I covet your Tannoy's. :thumbsup:

I would like some day to have a fullrange single driver set up.