Tannoy " And Lockwood"

i always loved tannoy loudspeakers since a child, had loads of other makes over my years including gale 401's, but i always returned back to tannoy, timms was a great cabinet maker when he left to form his own cabinet unit's and called it lockwood&co, and managed to cream off some of the tannoy loudspeaker cabinet works from edwards tannoy went into temporary recivership, after the war "1944" guy fountain owned almost all shares but one, the reason for this thread is for those who still use HPD'S ORare still using some old models, i love mine,
glad to hear your comments,
nando.

 

You are probably familiar with my 15" 3828 and HPD exploits. GRF cabs in thicker Scandinavian birch ply for me every time.
I've made 5 rect. pairs now - 3 for other folk and 2 pairs for me. One for the 3828'a and one for the HPDs.

We had a Golds / HPD shoot out last Saturday. Very interesting.

I am actually plotting a big pair of Autograph's for a winter project...
There's some nice complexity there.

Big 15" Tannoys in the right cabs are for me the best, most cost effect all round domestic sized speakers I've heard...

 

I am starting to think I am in the minority in not particularly liking them, but I have a lot of respect for their assets.

I have never owned them and only listened to others and that means in other systems. For me the the worst and the best were at Paul Messengers pad. He had a pair of Westminsters, and for me they were like listening to a pair of old wardrobes (or as I think a pair of old wardrobes would sound) and then he had holes cut in his wall and fitted a pair of 15 inchers in them, that was a far better proposition but they always still irritated me in the HF, though that was with Naim amplification

They do have an effortless quality but they lose too much dynamics and scale for my taste and are a tad slow. With a 15 inch cone you would think that dynamics and scale would be the main asset, but for me they are fudgy pipe and slippers.

I would *far* prefer a pair of Robs Quad 57's for that sense of effortless-ness but with a fine clarity and lack of fog (especially if you remove the felt padding).

 

I also know a few folks who have them, and remember them from Hifi shows in the 80s. I could never, ever get on with them: there is an immediacy in the midrange, but I could never quite enjoy what I perceived as "forwardness". I would love to hear those 15" units in a better, more contemporary cabinet - one that didn't look like a 40s radiogram.

Quad ESL 57s though: that really is an itch I'm going to have to scratch. I've loved every pair I ever heard in the 70s and 80s, but could never get over the radiator aesthetic. It's funny: as I've got older, I realise how much form actually does follow function, and I don't mind the look at all. I see many pairs on eBay, but you've never any idea of provenance, and I know that they're not cheap to refurbish either. One day...

 

i modified mine internally hard wired with two different LAT cables and pan caps,
funny steve i still have in storage a pair of floor standing buckinhams and berkleys,
nando.

 

I've had a dozen or so pairs of 10" and 12" Tannoys, from a 1950's black to DMT's. Currently using my 12" Golds stuffed into Devon cabs (designed for 12" HPD's). Briefly got hold of some 15 inchers but had to let them go without even having the chance to stick em in some cabs .

Still rolleyes contemplating diy cabs mkII but caught between a rock and a hard place as far a cabinet size goes - not because of the missus, but because big cabs in our living room are awkward to place (too many doorways and small low windows).

Would actually like to try out a pair of Lockwood cabinets as they're supposed to be great, but not Majors obviously due to size.

 

lockwood does desing and make small enclousure cabinets for 12" floor and stand mount also,
nando.

 

Old Naim amps (I'm excluding the latest stuff which might be different) are not a good match for high sensitivity speakers IMO. Circuit noise from the amplifier is too high and clearly very audible at close-medium listening distances, probably because of all that gain sitting in the active pre amps. Back when I had my H2s (95dbw) I found a 72/SC/135s too noisy.
Also, the already cramped volume control get even worse, with low level tracking errors all too apparent.

 

Yeah I think I've seen the odd pair on ebay in the past. I wonder if they have any older cabs hanging around to suit 12" Golds, as I don't suppose they still make them for those drivers!

Might be worth sending Roger an email.....

 

I love my Monitor Golds in custom cabs. They seem to have a rightness to them in the sound. I have read that Tannoy's own cabs were not the best thought out and could be bettered with custom cabs. It certainly was the case with the sealed ones i made to Tannoy's specs.

 

quote

did you send roger an email? he knows me well as joseph. not nando.

 

STEVE, are you going to make dev a cabinett from when he gets his gold's?
nando.

 

I don't want Golds. I am thinking about better cabs for my CPA12s though, but nothing certain.

 

cabs i think will be better for your cpa's i think, it will be very interesting to hear the result,
regards,
nando.

 

One idea was to put Dev's 12" ers into my GRF cabs and see how they sound...

I don't think Dev wants full size rect. GRF's but it might give an indication as the potential of the drivers.

I would knock up an adapter ring in birch ply. I've seen 12" drivers loaded into normal size GRF cabs but not heard a pair. Interesting experiment.

 

I'm still up for that Steve, let me sort out my diary and I'll PM you.

 

steve let me know when the project is conplete, can't wait for the results,
nando.

 

If you are West London you should pop down and be there when we try - I am just 7 mins from Jnct 3 of the M3;-)

 

Hi Steve

Hows tricks? Was very interested in your new arm that you made. Very well done sir.

NB
Ever tried a supertweeter or indeed any tweeter capable of 20khz on top of the Tannoys?

I've heard with/without and definately feel that tannoy treble benefits from a little assistance from 14khz up.

Maybe another DIY experiment for you, quite cheap to do really if you feel like it...

 

It's an interesting idea a super tweeter. The sceptic in me says - I can only hear test tones to about 15-16KHz and then you really don't want to be hearing that sort of frequency as it doesn't sound like music... but there may be other harmonics and re-inforcements going on as well that make it worthwhile - until tested should not disparage. Some who have tried say they make little difference and just a difference not a clear improvement...