Description
I have had these for 20 years and carried out some sympathetic upgrades along the way, including better binding posts, internal wiring and upgrading the crossover caps to Auricap and resistors to Caddock. Surprisingly, the resistor upgrade was more profound than the caps, but they work together nicely. Not sure of the cabinets - either Lancaster or Yorks. Reflex slot loaded. Cabinets are of chipboard construction with an outer veneer, which I believe is walnut. The cabinets have benefited from internal bracing, as can be seen in the photos.
At some stage before my tenure the pleated surrounds may have been replaced with rubber roll surrounds. Rubber was an option for this model but the model designation is different. I have measured the speaker with CLIO measurement system, including generating Thiele / Small parameters, which closely accord with the original specs published by Tannoy. To my ears the rubber surround does not have any detrimental effect on sound quality or spec compared to other Tannoy's I have heard elsewhere.
My experience with the speakers has been overwhelmingly positive. They have never let me down. They play stupidly loud with low power valve amps which include adjustable filters on the rear to adjust the sound to your liking. I used them with a pair of PP 300B monoblocks (22 w per channel) and valve pre-amp, both from Supratek. I have also driven them with various solid state amps from stellar to ordinary integrateds but my experience is that Tannoys just don't give their best with solid state amps, though perhaps a First Watt amp might change my view. The speakers demand good quality valve amplification and then you are transported into a world of fidelity. They have a big, room filling sound and image precisely.
Most importantly, and perhaps rarely heard from modern speakers, they breathe with the music and provide commanding scale and macro-dynamics. To me they get the architecture of the music right. Their relatively high sensitivity (93db/1w) and benign 8ohm load is kind to amps. I am happy to sell the drivers by themselves for those DIY'ers who want to build their own cabinets but it would be a real shame to trash the ones provided. I will construct MDF boxes and secure the drivers with screws to ensure their safety. Buyer is responsible for organising and paying for freight. Happy to chat with interested buyers, and keen for these to go to an enthusiast who will enjoy them as much as I have. For the sake of full disclosure, the speaker grill cloth is original and has seen better days.
Moving house later in the year, so I am keen to sell..
English (US)