Don't Stop Believin'

[julesd68]

The title of this thread is inspired by one of my favourite songs by Journey. In this instance it refers to our hi-fi quest of reaching audio nirvana - no matter what the ups and downs, the twist and turns, we have to keep believing that we're going to reach true "enlightenment". Of course it's possible that none of us will reach this advanced stage, and we'll still be "upgrading" when we croak, but that's another story …

I'm going to use this thread to keep you updated of my system changes. My most recent purchase is a pair of Tannoy Chatsworths with 12" HPD's. I acquired these from a very obliging young PFM'r and it was a lovely and smooth deal - well worth the three hour round-trip to collect. Now I'm not going to tell you how much I paid for them, in case this induces a spontaneous cardiac arrest in you! Suffice to say, I believe they were very good value. The cabs will ideally need a refurb at some point, but they are perfectly serviceable and look great in my living room - there even seems to be a bit of synergy going on with the rest of our furniture! Much more importantly the drivers are in excellent clean shape, as they were refurb'd a few years ago. Sadly I haven't had much chance to play with them but I quickly realised that they needed raising off the ground a little, to get the drivers more at head height and open up the treble. Thanks to ebay I am now the proud owner of some width-adjustable stands for the princely sum of £18! Not the sexiest beasts in the world but I'm rather chuffed with them. They fit perfectly and the castors make them so easy to get the speakers into position. They also match nicely with my Target rack.

My son has been off school all week sick, with a nasty chest infection, so not been able to get any listening in - very inconsiderate of him! But I felt that I had to subject him to a quick blast of high volume Journey and Rush this morning. Dropped the needle onto the Journey track and was distinctly underwhelmed - all midrange, flat, no bass or treble to speak of. Shit - what was wrong? :hmm: Turned out that the cuing arm wasn't fully in the down position and the needle wasn't fully seated in the groove!! So next time round a big improvement - more bass slam, more dynamics and I could hear a treble. The great thing about Tannoys is that the music just doesn't feel like it's coming out of boxes - the soundstage is so big and open. That's all I'm going to say about it till I get in some proper sessions, but all very promising.

Finally I want to thank the AOS's who kindly gave me advice on the Tannoys purchase and gave me the confidence to pull the trigger on these lovelies. Cheers guys - you know who you are!! :cool:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8516019156_35794fd79a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8516019156/)

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8516011980_2667739e13_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8516011980/)

[jollyfix]

I will be following with interest Julian, so have the chario's gone? I have started using my chario syntar t again in my London system (Rega brio,saturn), i had forgotten how lush/rich sounding they were. I was using AE 105se (same size as the charios), more of a sideways move, the AE more top sparkle on cymblas etc. How are you finding the top end sound of the tannoys as in " i could hear more treble"?
Been thinking of going vintage speakers, but size is an issue here in my small flat. They look like they might fit, as in not to deep..

[Canetoad]

Looks lovely Julian. I also bought a set of adjustable stands like that and use them under my Celestion Ditton 44s. They're a bit worse for wear but I intent to clean them up and give them a repaint. Definitely give the speakers a period look about them that modern stands just don't do. :eyebrows:

[julesd68]

I will be following with interest Julian, so have the chario's gone? How are you finding the top end sound of the tannoys as in " i could hear more treble"?

Good questions! I really don't want to sell the Charios but I might have to, depending on my plans. They have stunning hard-wood cabs that the cheaper ones don't have and are capable of amazing results, as ever, with careful matching. I still have my baby Chario Syntars that I will never sell. Best small speaker I have ever heard and I'll use them for a second system when and if we move into a big enough house.

Too early to make a proper judgement on the treble issue. What I have noticed with the Tannoys is more detail in the treble - the way they portray decaying cymbals or high guitar notes is just fantastic! I've not had any time to muck about with the frequency response controls yet, so that should be interesting.


Looks lovely Julian. I also bought a set of adjustable stands like that and use them under my Celestion Ditton 44s. They're a bit worse for wear but I intent to clean them up and give them a repaint. Definitely give the speakers a period look about them that modern stands just don't do. :eyebrows:

Cheers! I'm well happy with the loook of the whole set-up. The stands are an absolute no-brainer for what you can pay for them IMO.

[julesd68]

Interesting experiment today.

What little listening I have done so far has been with my rock vinyl. I thought the treble balance was just about right, maybe could have been just a tad brighter ideally.

Today, I put on some early choral music and the treble voices were way too brightly lit. Turned down the treble energy level one notch and things were much improved.

I wonder whether I'll need one setting for rock and one for classical in future? :scratch:

[julesd68]

This is getting interesting. The Tannoys are slowly revealing their charms to me.

Today I gave them two of my "test records". First up was Led Zep's "No Quarter". Now if they can't do it with this, there is no hope for them. Just a superbly recorded track, full of dynamic range. First thing that struck me was the bass on those opening notes - it was d-e-e-p. Even on a reasonably low volume level I could feel it reverberating throughout the room in a most pleasant way. The decaying keyboard notes were beautifully and delicately handled. Then the drums kick in, the track starts to rock and the Tannoys go to work. Huge dynamics like I haven't heard before. A lot is said about the Tannoy midrange, but I just wasn't expecting to get this amount of air and separation. Every instrument has a home in the mix. All I can say is that's the best I have ever heard this awesome track portrayed.

Next on to some classical. An immortal Decca recording of Katchaturian's "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" from the ballet, Spartacus. That's the theme from "The Onedin Line" if you haven't been introduced … It is such a beautiful track that it just about has me in tears every time. The track isn't perfectly recorded but it has the renowned Decca "warm glow" with massive dynamic range; the climaxes don't reproduce perfectly on any system, but it is still stunning. The massed string tones when it's at full tilt are truly something to behold, and the Tannoys worked their magic with this aswell. Again, the way the double-basses plumbed the depths was just fantastic. This is the closest feeling I have had to having the orchestra "in the room". Orchestras naturally can take up a fair amount of physical space - the wide and spacious soundstage of the Tannoys gives you a fantastic sense of realism.

Nice.

[Macca]

One thing about the big Tannoys, it does seem that anyone who gravitates to them rarely moves away. Probably explains the remorseless rise in the price of them. Interesting that you are getting a better top end with the Tannoys than with the Charios. I heard some Chario Hyper something or other once (little stand mounter) and the mid/top on them was excellent, really beautiful resolution.

[julesd68]

The Charios actually have the "sweetest" top end I've ever heard, but it's definitely rolled-off a bit. In my quest for a speaker that can do classical and rock, the Tannoys are proving to be more versatile. I reckon that if I gave them one notch of treble roll-off on the controls, they may prove to be more Chario like, but I'm trying to find a setting that is the least compromise for both types of music, as I really don't want to be regularly changing the settings since it involves moving both speakers to get at the back of them!

[vouk]

Hi Julian,

Really glad to hear that the Tannoys are working out for you - and you indeed have a lovely system going on there. Enjoy!:cool:

[julesd68]

Cheers John - the Charios are still here though!!

[Reffc]

Congratulations Julian...they look great! Restoring the cabs is easy peasy. Buy some "00" wire wool and some Danish Oil and gently rub the oil into the grain (always with the grain) taking out minor scratches as you go. Leave a day or so between coats and build up to 3 or 4 coats. The cabs will be resplendent again!

Now to the crossovers: If there's a need to vary the treble energy than it's just that the speakers are more revealing perhaps than you are used to and you're hearing more the differences in recordings. HPDs can sound a little bright, especially in smaller or sealed cabs as the bass balance is lighter than when used in larger/ported cabs.

If yours sound dull on the centre (level) position, it's likely that a few caps need changing or more likely that the switches need spraying with switch cleaner and turned up and down several times to ensure that any tarnish and muck is wiped off the contacts. To do the job properly, you're best stripping them but it' a PITA of a job having tried it myself and not worth the effort. Switch cleaner liberally applied and the switches worked back and forth should yield surprisingly significant improvements as this is the Achilles heel of the cross over design.

Mine if anything are a little too bright. Mark Pitcher adds a notch filter around the crossover point to tame (eradicate) the famous Tannoy "Honk" and whilst it work superbly, I find that there's still a little too much energy in the upper HF resoponse, so an easy fix is to use Mark's crossovers but fit a potentiometer switch to the HF circuit on one leg of the 30 Ohm series resistor on the notch filter. You may want to try this at some later date if you can't get the consistency you want from the original x-overs.

Happy listening and welcome to the wonderful world of vintage Tannoys!

[julesd68]

Thanks Paul. :)

Actually for classical I found that mine are a bit on the bright side too. At the moment I'm happy leaving the treble roll-off flat and the energy at -1. I'll have to see if that works for the majority of my rock records aswell. Still it's early days and plenty more listening to do. You're absolutely right that I'm hearing more of the differences between recordings!

[Andrei]

Next on to some classical. An immortal Decca recording of Katchaturian's "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" from the ballet, Spartacus. That's the theme from "The Onedin Line" if you haven't been introduced … It is such a beautiful track that it just about has me in tears every time. The track isn't perfectly recorded but it has the renowned Decca "warm glow" with massive dynamic range; the climaxes don't reproduce perfectly on any system, but it is still stunning. The massed string tones when it's at full tilt are truly something to behold, and the Tannoys worked their magic with this aswell. Again, the way the double-basses plumbed the depths was just fantastic. This is the closest feeling I have had to having the orchestra "in the room". Orchestras naturally can take up a fair amount of physical space - the wide and spacious soundstage of the Tannoys gives you a fantastic sense of realism. Nice.
I don't get tired of listening to this masterpiece. However I think I may now have to find it on vinyl.

[julesd68]

Hi Andrei - this is what you should look for - Decca SXL 6000.

[jollyfix]

Thanks Julian, i will look out for that too

[walpurgis]

Thanks Paul. :)

Actually for classical I found that mine are a bit on the bright side too. At the moment I'm happy leaving the treble roll-off flat and the energy at -1. I'll have to see if that works for the majority of my rock records aswell. Still it's early days and plenty more listening to do. You're absolutely right that I'm hearing more of the differences between recordings!

That's exactly what I do Julian, 'roll-off' flat and 'energy' -1.

There is now no top end sting on my 3128 Cheviot II Tannoys since I started using the Meixing TVC passive pre-amp. I was getting just a touch using my Forte Model 2 Class A pre-amp and perhaps even with the VTL valve pre. Just goes to show, no active pre-amp is likely to be quite perfect.

You seem to be getting the whole Tannoy 'thing' now, by the way. They aren't perfect, but they are perfectly wonderful!

[Andrei]

Hi Andrei - this is what you should look for - Decca SXL 6000.

Thanks Julian - I will report in due course. Actually I am already anticipating the listening.

[julesd68]

Starting to develop a relationship with these Tannoys. :kiss:

At last got to listen to some music this morning - rocked the house with the whole of side 1 of "Signals" - depth, dynamics, the whole shebang ...

Looks like they could be set for a long stay.

[julesd68]

Er, look what I couldn't get on my rack!!

This Conrad-Johnson phono stage is wider than all my other gear. :eek:

Currently putting it through its paces and will report back.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8553880293_1d9e1edbc1_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8553880293/)

[julesd68]

Just fired up Journey's "Escape" album and had a shiver-inducing rendition of "Who's Crying Now" and more …

Delicacy, staggering dynamics and slam all in one package! Most realistic electric guitar rendition ever - it's like having a Marshall stack in your living room. Woooh yeah baby - we're on fire!! :rock:

And it loves a good warm-up - gets better and better …

Simply amazing and with "just" the stock tubes - wonder how far I could push it …

It has passed the acid test with me. When you get your system just right, you just want to keep playin' vinyl …

This is THE BEST I have EVER heard my system. The Chatworths are absolutely rocking the house too … Just as well most of the neighbours are out during the day.

[julesd68]

Well excited to be collecting my turbo-charged 1210 tomorrow!

Just hope it lives up to expectations ...

[Alex_UK]

Fingers crossed for you - have heard a few and it isn't just hype - a well fettled 12xx is indeed a joyous experience. :)

[julesd68]

Just got back from our weekend away ... :)

Travelled down to Eastbourne yesterday to pick up the 1210 from a most helpful seller indeed. It looks in mintastic condition! Just need to fit the new armboard and mount the Kuzma Stogi - hoping to make time for this during the week.

I mentioned to the seller that I was looking for a new rack and he produced an Atacama Equinox for me, with just the dimensions I needed - excellent!

It was my wife's birthday yesterday so we stayed in a lovely country hotel last night to break up the journey. Found the most amazing country pub - The Six Bells in Chiddingly. One of those all too rare pubs these days where you walk in and immediately you just step back in time ... Food and service was just amazing. If you are ever in East Sussex you MUST go there! :cool:

[RobbieGong]

Hey J, all the best with your Techie, I can feel the excitement and looking forward to you keeping us updated with how things go :)

[julesd68]

Here's the new rack - thanks to Alanc for this!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8369/8574763392_9b24aa4f07_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8574763392/)

[julesd68]

Can anyone identify this??

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8585386281_59ac9bb69c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8585386281/)

[dantheman91]

My FM four i do miss that..

[Frankyc2003]

Can anyone identify this??

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8585386281_59ac9bb69c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8585386281/)
A timestep PSU by any chance? Supposed to power your techie?
Or am I getting senile?

[julesd68]

It's actually a piece of granite wishing for a "Hynes" ... :lol:

[Reffc]

:lol: A man clearly at one with his hifi system there :cool:

Zen and the art of hifi synergy needs to be your next book Julian!

[Rowlf]

I am 2 months late and just saw this thread.

Very very lovely looking gears in there. Must be a joy to listen.

[julesd68]

Here's my fabulous 'new' tuner - the Toshiba SL-420. Superb performer and wonderful build-quality, just oozes class. Hope to be able to install an external aerial to enjoy it to its full potential ...

If you're considering buying a vintage tuner, make sure you check out this superb resource -

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/index.html

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8257/8747490324_a9a8d6ff9b_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8747490324/)

[julesd68]

Just acquired this TEAC VRDS-10!

Sorry about the crap photo - not much light at the bottom of my rack ...

Just love the silent loading! Will report back on how it sounds later this week hopefully.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5450/8926574848_8def632c36_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34449145@N05/8926574848/)

[ceejaydee]

I love the classic lines of that Toshiba tuner :thumbsup:

A linear scale looks so much better than a digital readout imho.

[julesd68]

Thanks Christopher - it really is a joy to use ...

The tuning and signal meters are incredibly responsive and accurate, and then there's the silky weighted tuning knob ... :eyebrows:

[julesd68]

I installed the fabled 6H30p DR "supertube" yesterday in my amp.

Given it a try this morning after an hour or so warm-up. Very difficult to make any critical judgments without getting a decent number of hours on it but having played the same lp as yesterday am finding it a little more refined and bass frequencies a tad more substantial. Certainly no night and day effect compared to the EH Gold Pin I was using up until yesterday. Time will tell if it can improve and live up to its lofty reputation.