RAPTORMAN Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I was surfing Audiogon the other day and notice this Tannoys Westmeinisters on the clasiffied. I went to the link and check out the specs. These things are gigantic in size--Bigger than the Khorns, which to my standards are already big. I wonder how this things sound compared to the rest of the horns speakers. I also found out that this company has been around since 1929. I've heard of them all the time--but I don't really see this company in CES shows--or I just missed it. Just curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Tannoys are fantastic speakers--I have owned three different pairs and currently have a pair of Monitor Gold 12" in factory "Mallorca" cabinets. The Westminster is the top of the line and I think it's availavle only in the UK and Japan. And yes, there is but one "dual-concentric" 15" driver. Frequency response is outstanding. I have never been lucky enought to hear this model but I am sure it is incredible. Last time I checked they were retailing at about $25,000/pair. And they weigh about 300 lbs each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAPTORMAN Posted August 14, 2005 Author Share Posted August 14, 2005 What a beautiful work of art . I wonder if most of the $$$ is in the cosmetics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 I used a pair of Tannoy speakers at the AK Fest this spring. Very nice speakers. Khorn killers..... I wouldn't say that the presentation is totally different but very nice. What struck me the most is they seemed to not interact with the room like a true horn speaker does. Much more forgiving of there environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 ---------------- On 8/14/2005 11:59:35 AM RAPTORMAN wrote: What a beautiful work of art . I wonder if most of the $$$ is in the cosmetics.---------------- If you have ever looked at a Tannoy cabinet you will undrerstand that it's not all cosmetics. I believe that tey are still built with 3/4" 10-ply "Finland" plywood with an INCREDIBLE amount of internal bracing. And look at the horn mouth! The crosovers are really a work of art as well. They might be brutally expensive, but you aren't getting cheated! The drivers are so well thought of that a pair ofused 15" "Monitors" can sell for $3000-$4000 OR MORE with crossovers, and that's WITHOUT any cabinets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Big fan of Tannoy here. I love the concepts behind dual concentric designs, but every model I've heard has this typical grain in the midrange. Nothing real major, but if you don't like it you will be quickly turned off. It's prob inherant to the design, which stinks because the dual concentric concept is so cool. If price wasn't an issue I'd get myself a tannoy based system in a heartbeat (prob the only brand I'd pick over klipsch too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 That's why I have one system with Klipsch and another with Tannoy. The Tannoy does a lot of things BETTER than the Cornwall, but the Cornwall wins out only because of the music I listen to--acoustic jazz recorded live in the studio on vinyl. Add a screaming electric guitar to the mix and the Tannoy wins hands down. , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 ---------------- On 8/14/2005 12:32:32 PM Allan Songer wrote: That's why I have one system with Klipsch and another with Tannoy. The Tannoy does a lot of things BETTER than the Cornwall, but the Cornwall wins out only because of the music I listen to--acoustic jazz recorded live in the studio on vinyl. Add a screaming electric guitar to the mix and the Tannoy wins hands down. , ---------------- Now that's a real interesting opinion...I would have thought it totally the other way around (but I don't listen to jazz so don't mind me). I'll have to go visit some of my friends and bust out some of my music on their tannoys. I love screaming guitars I must confess that all my previous experiences with the tannoy lineups have been with the host's source material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 PWK developed the Absolute Best 85-95 dB Jazz speaker .....ever Cornwall ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 ---------------- On 8/14/2005 12:54:10 PM Duke Spinner wrote: PWK developed the Absolute Best 85-95 dB Jazz speaker .....ever Cornwall ... ---------------- I think you're right. I can afford just about any speaker you can name, but I stick with my $300 Cornwalls because I have yet to find anything I acutally prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Cornwalls and Crown....boom tizz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Allan writes: "I think you're right. I can afford just about any speaker you can name, but I stick with my $300 Cornwalls because I have yet to find anything I acutally prefer" Klipsch would have to search long and hard to find a better ad quote. Well said Allan! Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 ---------------- On 8/14/2005 12:57:33 PM mike stehr wrote: Cornwalls and Crown....boom tizz... ---------------- care to elucidate ..??.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotbuck Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Greetings, I was in a store once and heard a pair of 2nd-hand Westminsters powered by a Jolida 6BQ5-based amp (I think about 20wpc). The sound was stunning, if a bit underpowered. The speakers really seemed to disappear, although I noted that for something nearly half again as big as my La Scalas, the bass extension didn't seem too low (although that, perhaps, might be due to the lack of watts or smallness of the room?). Overall, I thought they were *wonderful* speakers ... but with a $7,000 asking price. Several years ago I owned a pair of D-50's (with a single 8-inch dual concentric driver in a tuned port cabinet), matched with a modified Dynaco Stereo-70 (later Mk-III's). These worked great together, although the D-50's really needed, to my ears, at least 40wpc to sing. My buddy now has the D-50's (they were a wedding present) hooked up to an 80wpc Luxman integrated -- with equally happy results. I did notice, as another forum member already mentioned, a tiny bit o' grit in the top end. Nothing terrible by any means; however, I don't think they're as smooth as what PWK and company put together (even my old two-way KG-4's were smoother -- add a dedicated "squaker" and things really get nice!). Overall, top-of-the line or everyman-priced, I think Tannoy makes a great speaker. And I'm chomping at the bit to get a pair of Tannoy System 12 Monitors up and running at the studio...! Take care, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmdridq Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 I also had a pair of D-50s, and loved their sound. Almost everyone who heard them invariably liked them also. I've never heard any of their top of the line stuff like the Westminsters, but I would not doubt that they are superb. The only problem I found with the D-50s was that they usually required more power to sound good than a typical Klipsch speaker. I think they were only about 89-90 db efficiency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Mobley Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 My church recently upgraded a room to be a secondary auditorium. It's not a real big room either. up over the stage area are 4 new Tannoy. they're about the size of a Heresy, maybe a little smaller but the cabinet is rounded in the back. They still have a flat section in the back but it's only about half as wide as the front. I can't make out any model or name on them. Anybody got any idea what they are? I think they would sound good, but they're hooked up to a small sound board, thing probably has 25 cent opamps in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 ---------------- On 8/14/2005 12:32:32 PM Allan Songer wrote: That's why I have one system with Klipsch and another with Tannoy. The Tannoy does a lot of things BETTER than the Cornwall, but the Cornwall wins out only because of the music I listen to--acoustic jazz recorded live in the studio on vinyl. Add a screaming electric guitar to the mix and the Tannoy wins hands down. ,---------------- ---------------- On 8/13/2005 10:18:32 AM garymd wrote: ---------------- Not really. I've heard most of the older Mac tube amps, just not the 275s. The ones I thought sounded best were the 30s. JMHO. Not folklore. BTW - I agree with Craig that MkIIIs done up right and his VRDs blow away the Mac stuff. Not even close. ---------------- Allan, I respectfully disagree. I listen to rock and I prefer the sound I get out of my Cornwall's to both the III-LZ and the Monitor Red 12's (those are the only Tannoy's I have heard in order to compare). I am glad I do since the Tannoy's cost much more. Don't get me wrong, the Tannoys do sound good, they just don't do it for me like my CW's do. Maybe it's your amps or source? j/k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 ---------------- On 8/15/2005 9:01:37 AM Piranha wrote: ---------------- On 8/14/2005 12:32:32 PM Allan Songer wrote: That's why I have one system with Klipsch and another with Tannoy. The Tannoy does a lot of things BETTER than the Cornwall, but the Cornwall wins out only because of the music I listen to--acoustic jazz recorded live in the studio on vinyl. Add a screaming electric guitar to the mix and the Tannoy wins hands down. ,---------------- ---------------- On 8/13/2005 10:18:32 AM garymd wrote: ---------------- Not really. I've heard most of the older Mac tube amps, just not the 275s. The ones I thought sounded best were the 30s. JMHO. Not folklore. BTW - I agree with Craig that MkIIIs done up right and his VRDs blow away the Mac stuff. Not even close. ---------------- Allan, I respectfully disagree. I listen to rock and I prefer the sound I get out of my Cornwall's to both the III-LZ and the Monitor Red 12's (those are the only Tannoy's I have heard in order to compare). I am glad I do since the Tannoy's cost much more. Don't get me wrong, the Tannoys do sound good, they just don't do it for me like my CW's do. Maybe it's your amps or source? j/k ---------------- Hmmm you might have something there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 It hardly matters because I am genuinely repulsed by rock music! The older I get the more inane it seems to me. And it's just me--I know lots of people love the stuff, but it's just NOT for me. 'Aint nothing wrong with my sources and amps--they're PERFECT for what I'm listening to these days. I have no inclination to switch ANYTHING. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piranha Posted August 15, 2005 Share Posted August 15, 2005 ---------------- On 8/15/2005 9:23:31 AM Allan Songer wrote: It hardly matters because I am genuinely repulsed by rock music! The older I get the more inane it seems to me. And it's just me--I know lots of people love the stuff, but it's just NOT for me. 'Aint nothing wrong with my sources and amps--they're PERFECT for what I'm listening to these days. I have no inclination to switch ANYTHING. ---------------- Allan, I admire your style. You seem to be the only one on this entire Forum that is satisfied with their system and can just sit back, relax and listen to the music. More of us should follow your lead. KUDOS to ya man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.