View Full Version : Tannoy Arden - well regarded for home listening?
nickbaba
03-07-2016, 18:31
Hi all - I have the chance to buy a pair of Tannoy Arden Mk1's in original cabs, pretty good condition, re-coned a few years ago by Lockwood in the UK.
They look quite monstrous - like the bottom half of a soundsystem you'd see at carnival time! Were these things designed for hi-fi home listening, back in the 70s...??
My listening room is about 6.5 x 4.5m, and I can drive them no problem with my McIntosh MA7000 at 250w p/c. I guess I'm asking, are they well regarded sound wise? They look as though they would be a bit heavy-handed - are they capable of reproducing with delicacy also, acoustic instruments and voices?
I have read (somewhere here I think) that they are less overwhelming than their size would suggest, in a smaller listening space.
I have heard that the HPD drivers in the Mk1s are well thought of, and closer to the revered Monitor Golds than the Mk2 drivers.
Does anyone here have a pair? What do you think of them?
dantheman91
03-07-2016, 18:41
Big Tannoys are well respected here your in the right place wait for "Walpurgis" he's your tannoy man along with a few others here also RFC rebuilds them to current spec....
My advice yes they are suitable for home listening and more then suitable to blow your ear drums...
:D :eek:
walpurgis
03-07-2016, 19:40
They're very nice speakers Nick. At the right price well worth grabbing if you have room for them. I'd guess their value at maybe £800 to £1100 depending on condition. Those sound like decent examples.
Good that they have been re-coned. If not already looked at the cabinets can be upgraded a bit by adding internal bracing. RFC Paul's your man for info on the Arden boxes. The terminals, crossovers and internal wiring can usually be upgraded/modernised to advantage.
As for the sound. Unless the crossover components have aged (easily fixed), the Arden Mk.1 should sound pretty smooth and relaxed with very good midrange insight and top end detail.
The HPDs are a very close relative to the Golds, some parts being interchangeable. The later ceramic magnet drivers in the MK.II speakers are different, but can also sound excellent.
I use Tannoys Cheviot Mk.II speakers myself and love the way their transparency allows them to portray acoustic instruments and voices. They work beautifully in my small room.
nickbaba
03-07-2016, 20:09
Thank you - that's all really good to hear. Walpurgis yes you are bang on with price - these are in the mid-range of what you suggested.
It's weird - having listened to them, on some material they seemed quite balanced across the frequencies, on other stuff, mainly rock/guitar band/vocal music, I couldn't shake the feeling there was some subtle distortion in the mid-range... nothing glaring, but nonetheless they didn't sound what I would call "clear"... I dunno, its hard to describe. Almost like when there's just a tiny bit of fluff on the stylus, but before it gets so bad you get up and pick it off...
walpurgis
03-07-2016, 20:23
The Tannoys should sound clear and distinct. Assuming the treble adjusters had been set to suit the system and also assuming they are functioning correctly (they can occasionally develop dirty contacts). Your description fits the effects of ageing capacitors in the crossover. Not a big problem. I do my own, but it's not too expensive to have the crossovers rebuilt and it's worth very penny.
You could PM Paul at RFC (trade) and get an opinion. He's a helpful guy.
nickbaba
03-07-2016, 20:59
Thanks - I will definitely do that.
I'm feeling like I will go for it with the Ardens. Dunno when I might get a chance for a pair again at the price, and I think with a little love and attention they could sound absolutely amazing.
walpurgis
03-07-2016, 21:05
Dunno when I might get a chance for a pair again at the price
That of course is a good point.
Also, they are an investment, they will not depreciate. They have doubled in value over the last ten years. Prices are a bit static with used Hi-Fi at the moment, no doubt due to the political situation and it being summer, but I predict classic Tannoy values continuing to rise.
Arden boxes as well as HPD's (from the then recent takeover by the infamous Harman Corp) were genuinely quality reduced from previous productions)
Thin / flimsy wood used in the Arden enclosures, better materials apparently being beyond the mandated build budget.
Note the: Bio degradable foam surrounds on the Driver cones, Reduced cone mass (patched with folded paper bits of glued on as reinforcements)
Pepper pots drilled by co-ordination disadvantaged, low wage New Hires.. Hey At least iHPDs didn't have the Laughable 'computer designed' Wave guide abominations.
Fairly common for Swarf to be found in HPD motor and HF diaphragm areas.
Just saying, that despite the provenance there 'may' be problems hidden .
Arden Boxes can be stiffened... with ingenuity, bits of wood/glue and screws.. at which point they are quite good actually.
Drivers? Refoam the things this will need doing every 10/15 years. Thank you Very much.. Harman Corp.
Dissasembly (if ambitious) to check for swarf and alignments and to try and patch the pepper pot drilling bungles ...could be useful work.
Crossovers? Replace the Tired Electrolytic caps in the crossover.. and the others, with decent Film 'n foils ..Easy diy.
Cheapish too... Unless one buys into Audio Weenie Religion dogma.
OEM Coils and Resistors are 'fine' quality.. period!
Remember One notable twit who swore that his Several Hundred $$ of Duelund resistors in his HPD crossovers made massive improvement... As if :lol:
Short story: Don't be be buying 'replacement' or 'improved' crossovers'.
Last decade os seemingly hundreds of bastardised efforts are sold or touted. Boggles my imganiation.
Few if any live up to their claims.. caveat emptor.
And If you must go that route (as opposed to refurbishing the oem versions ) absolutely Not... before living with you OEM bits for a Year or so.
G luck and enjoy.. those are Exceptionally Good Speakers.. ONLY limited by the quality of the gear that feeds them.. That ! will be self evident/unmistakable first time you fit Genuinely Good gear.
Arden boxes as well as HPD's (from the then recent takeover by the infamous Harman Corp) were genuinely quality reduced from previous productions)
Thin / flimsy wood used in the Arden enclosures, better materials apparently being beyond the mandated build budget.
Note the: Bio degradable foam surrounds on the Driver cones, Reduced cone mass (patched with folded paper bits of glued on as reinforcements)
Pepper pots drilled by co-ordination disadvantaged, low wage New Hires.. Hey At least iHPDs didn't have the Laughable 'computer designed' Wave guide abominations.
Fairly common for Swarf to be found in HPD motor and HF diaphragm areas.
Just saying, that despite the provenance there 'may' be problems hidden .
Arden Boxes can be stiffened... with ingenuity, bits of wood/glue and screws.. at which point they are quite good actually.
Drivers? Refoam the things this will need doing every 10/15 years. Thank you Very much.. Harman Corp.
Dissasembly (if ambitious) to check for swarf and alignments and to try and patch the pepper pot drilling bungles ...could be useful work.
Crossovers? Replace the Tired Electrolytic caps in the crossover.. and the others, with decent Film 'n foils ..Easy diy.
Cheapish too... Unless one buys into Audio Weenie Religion dogma.
OEM Coils and Resistors are 'fine' quality.. period!
Remember One notable twit who swore that his Several Hundred $$ of Duelund resistors in his HPD crossovers made massive improvement... As if :lol:
Short story: Don't be be buying 'replacement' or 'improved' crossovers'.
Hundreds of bastardised efforts are sold or touted.
Few if any live up to their Brochure Babble claims
And If you must go that route (as opposed to refurbishing the oem versions ) absolutely Not... before living with you OEM bits for a Year or so.
G luck and enjoy.. those are Exceptionally Good Speakers.. ONLY limited by the quality of the gear that feeds them.. True!
No reason to dispute our Mods views on resale value... IMO audio is NO place for investment issues.
I'm sorry Danilo, but so much of that is just plain wrong. Lets start with the HPDs:
Bio degradable foam surrounds on the Driver cones, Reduced cone mass (patched with folded paper bits of glued on as reinforcements)
Pepper pots drilled by co-ordination disadvantaged, low wage New Hires.
That is not correct. The foam surrounds are not designed with being "biodegradable" in mind, but like all other foam surrounds will degrade over 15 to 20 years in normal atmospheric conditions but are easily replaced.
The reduced cone mass was not done to save money or cut back, it was done in conjunction with the girdercoustic ribs to stiffen the cones and reduce break-up distortion which allowed them to be crossed over higher or at least run with lower crossover distortion, and it worked, and is measurable, period.
The foam surrounds, in conjunction with the improvements to the cone design increased compliance and allowed deeper bass, with a reduction in free air ratio. Allied to this was an increase in power handling within the voice coil design.
Far from being a down grading, it was a direct response to move the MG on in design and provide what many studios of the day wanted....increased bass slam, extension and power handling with a cleaner sound/lower distortion. Those are the facts.
Also, most HPDs DID NOT use electrolytics. They were found mainly in earlier crossovers of the two box variety using the octagonal case work. Ironically these were higher quality units than the later PCB based sandwich units.
You are also completely wrong in your assertion that the original crossovers are "where its at" because that, my friend, simply is untrue. However, you are correct in saying that their are many bastardised versions doing the rounds and most, if not all of these have the wrong values for fixed inductors and for some of the resistors, so buyer beware. Measurement of the acoustic response shows that whilst Tannoy utilised the same design across a wide range of units, they were far from optimal with raised HF response then cut short by roll off controls which were simply there to cut the peak in HF response created when raising energy levels!!! The "Q" of the HF can be superbly balanced with the LF without the need for an autoformer and actually result in a far more accurate and linear response than the original which created a step response with each energy hike. The reason they persisted was for studio use where detail retrieval at perhaps lower levels than "ear splitting" made it a sensible studio modification as it compensates for the F-M effect in the HF but is was never a good domestic trait for the crossover design imho. Again, you need to back your assertions up with facts before slinging mud around because I can assure you that there are one or two people out there, and especially in the UK, who know what they're doing and can vastly improve on the originals by good design and high quality that would not have been commercially viable for mass production. This is not the first time that you have tried to do those few professionals a great disservice and my guess is that it will not be the last time either.
There was a time-limited problem with early HPDs when Norwood was closed and the factory moved to Coatbridge. During this transition, partly due to staff shortages and insufficient training, there were some QC issues leading to poorly drilled pepper pots or mis-aligned HF diaphragms but this was quickly rectified and affected fewer pairs than commonly suggested. An easy way to discover if you have a "friday afternoon" pair is to shine a torch down into the horn and look for equally spaced neatly drilled pepper pots. If you have (and most will be) then you're laughing.
The cabinets actually improved as time marched on, and not the other way around. Initially, the domestic market was not the main target and many studios used Lockwood cabinets, so plans were made available for domestic speakers, then they went into production but more as an after-thought for sales, but finally Tannoy got their act together and produced better cabinets. Surprisingly though, quite a few of their designs, including those for the HPDs were not tuned optimally. The Cheviots are an example where the port tuning was far too low for efficiency and allowed too much cone movement. There were of course early examples which excelled including the corner Canterburys and Chatsworths, the latter amongst my favourite of the domestically acceptable size, and most of the stiffer corner designs along with later designs of the 1980s. Agreed though that the Ardens most certainly do benefit from stiffening and better damping. It was only really the advent of the K series that saw real strides forwards in cabinet quality if some of the more exclusive cabinet designs (Westminsters and GRF Autographs) are discounted.
The Black Adder
05-07-2016, 09:22
Arden boxes as well as HPD's (from the then recent takeover by the infamous Harman Corp) were genuinely quality reduced from previous productions)
Thin / flimsy wood used in the Arden enclosures, better materials apparently being beyond the mandated build budget.
Note the: Bio degradable foam surrounds on the Driver cones, Reduced cone mass (patched with folded paper bits of glued on as reinforcements)
Pepper pots drilled by co-ordination disadvantaged, low wage New Hires.. Hey At least iHPDs didn't have the Laughable 'computer designed' Wave guide abominations.
Fairly common for Swarf to be found in HPD motor and HF diaphragm areas.
Just saying, that despite the provenance there 'may' be problems hidden .
Arden Boxes can be stiffened... with ingenuity, bits of wood/glue and screws.. at which point they are quite good actually.
Drivers? Refoam the things this will need doing every 10/15 years. Thank you Very much.. Harman Corp.
Dissasembly (if ambitious) to check for swarf and alignments and to try and patch the pepper pot drilling bungles ...could be useful work.
Crossovers? Replace the Tired Electrolytic caps in the crossover.. and the others, with decent Film 'n foils ..Easy diy.
Cheapish too... Unless one buys into Audio Weenie Religion dogma.
OEM Coils and Resistors are 'fine' quality.. period!
Remember One notable twit who swore that his Several Hundred $$ of Duelund resistors in his HPD crossovers made massive improvement... As if :lol:
1. Short story: Don't be be buying 'replacement' or 'improved' crossovers'.
Last decade os seemingly hundreds of bastardised efforts are sold or touted. Boggles my imganiation.
2. Few if any live up to their claims.. caveat emptor.
And If you must go that route (as opposed to refurbishing the oem versions ) absolutely Not... before living with you OEM bits for a Year or so.
G luck and enjoy.. those are Exceptionally Good Speakers.. ONLY limited by the quality of the gear that feeds them.. That ! will be self evident/unmistakable first time you fit Genuinely Good gear.
Point 1. Once you have a decent updated crossover the difference is certainly noticable. The problem comes when someone makes a crossover with the wrong values or goes crazy with the wrong type/make of components. Troells is guilty of this and really should update his web page.
Even the most boutique components can be the 'wrong' components or wrong design for a given speaker. They might look impressive with an impressive price tag attached but it doesn't always work out that way.
I speak from experience in building crossovers for Tannoys and have learnt a lot over the past 6 years from numerous people on AOS including Nick and Paul who are well regarded here in their work.
Point 2. Yes... 'Few' do fail to reach the mark for the reasons I've stated above (most likely), and then some don't fail to make the mark because they have been made properly with research and 'lots' of listening comparisons.
So, 'Cateat Emptor' in the respect of your post should be 'Caveat audiens' (Listener beware) in the respect of the points I've raised from your post.
walpurgis
05-07-2016, 09:27
IMO audio is NO place for investment issues.
That's an odd thing to say. Good vintage equipment can be both very worth using and a material asset that should appreciate. Certainly something to consider.
The Black Adder
05-07-2016, 09:33
+1
Aye the dont buy xovers is a silly comment. Properly fettled ones are a boon to tannoys or any other brand of speaker. On tannoys Josie and Paul, to mention just 2, make them properly.
anthonyTD
05-07-2016, 10:37
Well, I would be more inclined to take notice of those who have actualy spent time in test and development of cross over design and implimentation.
And I would like to remind folk that AOS is an open minded forum. Therefore; we do not stifle, nor do we encourage, or endorse a close minded attitude towards those who have dedicated their time and effort in doing so.
A...
Ah, Tannoy Ardens, also affectionately known, back in the day, as 'Ard ons'.... Great, proper-sized speakers, completely devoid of WAF, so hen-pecked hubbies need not apply! :D
Marco.
Ard-Ons in stock form are VERY LOUD, with that 'ease' that only large speakers can give, but pretty horrible otherwise... I remember pics on the net showing sub-standard pepperpot waveguides too, which served to mess up the already rather hot and rollercoaster treble, but this could be a one off.
Having said that, resonant cabinets can be replaced or substantially treated or re-enforced and modern crossovers seem to transform the main driver once it's been overhauled. The foams do fail every fifteen to twenty years or so, but these, together with the 'girdacoustic' additions to the backs of the cones, helped get lower bass than previously, the price paid being a few db in sensitivity, which doesn't matter today with modern amp designs.
I suspect Ardens could make an exceptional project for winter months, but like all Tannoys of this type, they will need work to get the fidelity quality up to modern standards once you're taking the dramatic scale and image size for granted.
Just my thoughts. I'm coming at it from a polar opposite view - speakers that reproduce most acoustic instruments and speech very well indeed at modest volumes, but which fall apart at higher volumes, can flop about in the low bass and which could fairly be said to be 'dynamically coloured' as no matter how much power you put into them, they'll never excite, impress and pin you to the wall as old Tannoys and similar can and do :) - and I say this with a pair of Harbeth SHL5's on the property as well as the old BC2's ;)
Marco, just 'cos you have a submissive other-half who allows you all your excesses in your spare room doesn't mean all other males are hen-pecked. I note the Lockwoods don't live downstairs in your sitting room, do they? :D
Marco, just 'cos you have a submissive other-half who allows you all your excesses in your spare room doesn't mean all other males are hen-pecked. I note the Lockwoods don't live downstairs in your sitting room, do they? :D
Ha - only because neither Del nor I would want them in there! I certainly wasn't 'told', in no uncertain terms, not to have them in the lounge, like some pour wee souls are, lol. It's called compromising, Dave, which is what makes all good marriages work! ;)
No-one in our house is unfairly 'the boss', apart from perhaps Abella, our female tortoiseshell cat.....
The lounge is a reasonable size, but simply not the place for huge big speakers (as it's full of antique Welsh furniture and nick-nacks), hence why the 15XRs live there, so we can still both enjoy music together in that area of the house, and in the summer months especially, that's where most of our listening is done.
Last night, for example, we were up until 1am, enjoying some Bach and Elgar, whilst sipping Prosecco, in cosy candlelight.... Do your good lady and you enjoy listening to music together?
When the lads come round for a sesh, or I get a visit from someone from the forum, then we listen upstairs, with the Lockies, in the 'broom cupboard'!! :lol:
Marco.
Hifi for me is a personal experience, as herself dislikes practically all the music I play and noise in general - a lot of ladies don't like 'noise' I've found, or maybe it's the ones I know. It was certainly commonplace in past decades. if she wants to play a track or album, she'll play it on her laptop, or use her personal music player on headphones. She neither wants to know how to use my stereo's or cares even less if they might just make her music sound better. THAT's the compromise I live with - and I know I'm not alone in this. Having a family takes up time as well, as well as some work I do away from home now. A shame, but I was single and selfish a very long time, so I live with the consequences. Remember, I gave up some truly wonderful big ATC active speakers at the time for the life I have now - maybe I was mad, but that was then and this is now.
Hifi for me is a personal experience, as herself dislikes practically all the music I play and noise in general - a lot of ladies don't like 'noise' I've found, or maybe it's the ones I know. It was certainly commonplace in past decades. if she wants to play a track or album, she'll play it on her laptop, or use her personal music player on headphones. She neither wants to know how to use my stereo's or cares even less if they might just make her music sound better. THAT's the compromise I live with - and I know I'm not alone in this. Having a family takes up time as well, as well as some work I do away from home now. A shame, but I was single and selfish a very long time, so I live with the consequences. Remember, I gave up some truly wonderful big ATC active speakers at the time for the life I have now - maybe I was mad, but that was then and this is now.
I dunno why; most of them never stop gabbing
:lolsign: :lolsign:
Can't abide the racket of cackling women! :nono:
Marco.
Hifi for me is a personal experience, as herself dislikes practically all the music I play and noise in general - a lot of ladies don't like 'noise' I've found, or maybe it's the ones I know. It was certainly commonplace in past decades. if she wants to play a track or album, she'll play it on her laptop, or use her personal music player on headphones. She neither wants to know how to use my stereo's or cares even less if they might just make her music sound better. THAT's the compromise I live with - and I know I'm not alone in this. Having a family takes up time as well, as well as some work I do away from home now. A shame, but I was single and selfish a very long time, so I live with the consequences. Remember, I gave up some truly wonderful big ATC active speakers at the time for the life I have now - maybe I was mad, but that was then and this is now.
Fair enough, Dave, and I'm sure it works well for you guys, and that you're happy :)
For me, it was about marrying someone with similar tastes/background/upbringing and outlook on life, and thus having shared interests and lots in common, otherwise it would've unlikely worked. I simply wouldn't have married Del, or her me, if that wasn't the case. Del loves music, and is also a little into hi-fi. It's not the first time she's accompanied me to Scalford or to another hi-fi show.
Therefore, we do almost everything together, love each other's company and miss each other terribly, at any times when we have to be apart. We get on really well and almost never argue - and we still feel that way after nearly 25 years of marriage!
Too many folk, in my opinion, marry the wrong people and for completely the wrong reasons. It amazes me sometimes how married couples can be almost complete opposites! And that, I feel, is where a lot of this WAF nonsense originates from. If you live with someone who shares similar interests, then there's less likely to be any fallouts.
Del knew right from the beginning it was a case of' Love me, love my hi-fi (and music collection)', and penchant for using HUGE speakers!! :exactly:
She's a bass freak anyway, so it was she who INSISTED that, after I'd sold the Spendor SP100s, they were to be replaced with something else that would 'do bass' in a suitably entertaining way, so I duly obliged...! :D
Marco.
Opposites usually attract each other it seems, although none could be as opposite as Toyah Willcox and her hubby Robert Fripp. I'd never have called those two people/icons a good match, yet they've been spliced for thirty years and take every opportunity, judging by Robert's online diaries, to fully enjoy each other's company when they're together, even poddling around their house(s) and garden - they absolutely adore each other...
In my past life, I was able to indulge my love of music and the gear we play it on at work. it only started to unravel a bit when I wasn't able to work in the industry for a few years (custom AV installs are NOT High Fidelity Audio in my book and that's all that was on offer twelve years ago). I suppose posting on forums helps a bit and now I occasionally get to make stuff helps more, as I can play music while I'm at the workbench, albeit quietly a lot of the time.
Opposites usually attract each other it seems...
Not much fun though if you love music and huge speakers, and she doesn't! ;)
Marco [Fighting the war against WAF] :eyebrows:
'Compromise'
I had to look that up...
walpurgis
05-07-2016, 14:12
Well, I would be more inclined to take notice of those who have actualy spent time in test and development of cross over design and implimentation.
And I would like to remind folk that AOS is an open minded forum. Therefore; we do not stifle, nor do we encourage, or endorse a close minded attitude towards those who have dedicated their time and effort in doing so.
A...
+1 Yes.
Nor do we encourage or want comments that could construed as pointed and possibly challenging on a personal level.
walpurgis
05-07-2016, 14:15
:lolsign: :lolsign:
Can't abide the racket of cackling women! :nono:
Marco.
Try living here mate. :rolleyes:
Lol - tell them to shut it, then! I'm serious. It's YOUR house as much as theirs... ;)
Marco.
'Compromise'
I had to look that up...
Ah, the mantra of a single man... ;)
Marco.
Lol - tell them to shut it, then! I'm serious. It's YOUR house as much as theirs... ;)
Marco.
You really have no idea, do you????? :lol: :lol:
Lol - whaddya mean? I would really like you to explain that.
Honestly, I wouldn't put up with that here, any more than Del would put up with a load of my mates (or relatives) being continually rowdy, if they lived here or visited regularly. The problem is, too many people (especially men) are too soft, and let their women folk walk all over them! ;)
And I can tell you, it's a uniquely British thing. No WAY Jose, would you get that in an Italian household - I kid you not! :nono: :nono:
Also, 'high maintenance' women I simply don't do...
Marco.
walpurgis
05-07-2016, 15:06
You really have no idea, do you????? :lol: :lol:
:lolsign:
"WAF"
Had to look that up...
We changed our "WAF" years back as it was the only thing about the system that I didn't like. It was quite easy in the end. All I did is say "you pick the veneer for the speaker's I'm building" .
When each 10 stone cab was dragged from the van into the house, the wife's jaw dropped and look on her face was priceless. I just asked if there was a problem with the veneer and she was lost for words (doesn't happen very often, that). Since then, the size hasn't been an issue :whistle:
Mind you, I did have to get rid of another 4 pairs of speakers, three CD spinners , a third TT, several amps and lots of wire by way of compensation. There's just no pleasing some people :lol:
Luckily, we both love music and both realise that a good big 'un has qualities that even the best of the smaller boxes can't emulate, although some can be very good.
:lolsign:
Heh-heh... Maybe I'm just used to being in the company of women who choose to exercise their lungs less! :eyebrows:
Marco.
Firebottle
05-07-2016, 17:23
"WAF"
Had to look that up...
We changed our "WAF" years back as it was the only thing about the system that I didn't like. It was quite easy in the end. All I did is say "you pick the veneer for the speaker's I'm building" .
When each 10 stone cab was dragged from the van into the house, the wife's jaw dropped and look on her face was priceless. I just asked if there was a problem with the veneer and she was lost for words (doesn't happen very often, that). Since then, the size hasn't been an issue :whistle:
Mind you, I did have to get rid of another 4 pairs of speakers, three CD spinners , a third TT, several amps and lots of wire by way of compensation. There's just no pleasing some people :lol:
Luckily, we both love music and both realise that a good big 'un has qualities that even the best of the smaller boxes can't emulate, although some can be very good.
Good one Paul :thumbsup:
Good think Shirley loves the '57s.
PaulStewart
05-07-2016, 21:58
Well Viv and i love listening to music together either on the Lockys in the living/music room or on the Tannoy reveals in the bedroom. In fact when I suggested selling the Lockys and getting GRFs she got upset, not 'cos of the size, she really likes the MG/Lockwood sound
Nice one (both Pauls)... Good to see that there are some 'hi-fi wives' out there with taste (and also tolerance/respect for their husband's, in many cases, near-lifelong hobby) ;)
Honestly, if any woman had tried to become 'insistent' about what was happening with my speakers, she'd have been shown the door LONG before the speakers!!! :trust:
Marco.
My, then, wife bought me my Quad ESLs as a wedding present. As an amateur cello player, as well as a frequent concert goer, she appreciated the fidelity of the Quads. No problem with WAF.
nickbaba
05-07-2016, 22:20
Not sure how the Arden WAF is playing out at my place... not how one would perhaps expect.
When they were first hauled in and duly connected in the living room, herself was busy elsewhere in the house.
Having dropped the needle on some 70s Dub vinyl to give them their christening, she passed through the room, stopped for a moment to listen and said "Hmmm, not sure about these. They sound a bit tinny"
Hah! That's my girl.
My, then, wife bought me my Quad ESLs as a wedding present. As an amateur cello player, as well as a frequent concert goer, she appreciated the fidelity of the Quads. No problem with WAF.
Quality.... We need to set up an anti-WAF club on AoS. What should we call it, I wonder? :eyebrows:
Marco.
Not sure how the Arden WAF is playing out at my place... not how one would perhaps expect.
When they were first hauled in and duly connected in the living room, herself was busy elsewhere in the house.
Having dropped the needle on some 70s Dub vinyl to give them their christening, she passed through the room, stopped for a moment to listen and said "Hmmm, not sure about these. They sound a bit tinny"
Hah! That's my girl.
:respect: :lolsign:
You can defo join!
Marco.
walpurgis
05-07-2016, 22:26
Not sure how the Arden WAF is playing out at my place... not how one would perhaps expect.
When they were first hauled in and duly connected in the living room, herself was busy elsewhere in the house.
Having dropped the needle on some 70s Dub vinyl to give them their christening, she passed through the room, stopped for a moment to listen and said "Hmmm, not sure about these. They sound a bit tinny"
Hah! That's my girl.
So you bought them then?
Good for you.
No way should they sound 'tinny'. If they do, try using the treble controls (which may need a clean by the way) to optimise balance to suit. And check the crossover caps. Of course there's always the possibilty that the other parts of your system may not be sympathetic to Tannoys.
walpurgis
05-07-2016, 22:28
What should we call it, I wonder? :eyebrows:
Marco.
WAF-WTF ;)
I'm liking that! :thumbsup:
With a motto attached of: 'Learn to grow some' :eyebrows:
Marco.
nickbaba
05-07-2016, 23:48
Yes, I did decide to go ahead with them. Proud owner of my first pair of Tannoy DCs.
And no... the Ardens are far from tinny! They seem to present the bass in a way that makes me feel like there's space all around it, if that makes sense, yet without being too bass forward or heavy.
That comment was just my missus observing that they weren't actually shaking the glass out of the window panes or cracking the ceiling plaster, as they look as though they would. In fact the sound is remarkably refined.
WAF-WTF ;)
All we have to do is to re-define the meaning.:eyebrows:
WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor...as in: The wife accepts whatever we bring into the house. You buy some wardrobes with drive units. They have WAF, the wife accepts them :sofa:
walpurgis
06-07-2016, 08:44
Yes, I did decide to go ahead with them. Proud owner of my first pair of Tannoy DCs.
And no... the Ardens are far from tinny! They seem to present the bass in a way that makes me feel like there's space all around it, if that makes sense, yet without being too bass forward or heavy.
That comment was just my missus observing that they weren't actually shaking the glass out of the window panes or cracking the ceiling plaster, as they look as though they would. In fact the sound is remarkably refined.
Seems they are in good condition then. Nice that the surrounds are already done. Do they have the spring wire terminals? If they do, those are horrible and the first thing I replace. There's a limit to originality, even for purists. The internal wiring may benefit from upgrading. Extra cabinet bracing, if you decide it's required is probably something you can do yourself. They are worth getting right and spending a bit of time and money on. Have a chat with Paul (RFC). He'll put you on the right track and will likely have any parts you need.
Can someone please provide an image of these speakers? I'm interested to see what they look like.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160706/90c6856dd87df4d59f1e9a2319018e34.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160706/90c6856dd87df4d59f1e9a2319018e34.jpg
Cheers Grant. :)
Spring clip terminals may look cheap and nasty but there is no reason why they would have any effect on sound quality.
nickbaba
06-07-2016, 13:14
No clip terminals - already had screw type terminals installed (bananas?)
nickbaba
06-07-2016, 13:27
17401
Not a bad pic of Ardens posted earlier, but it doesn't give a sense of their ominous size. They could be 10cm tall...there's no way to tell.
Here's a pic of my new bad boys with top grilles removed. Note the pair of boots bottom right for scale.
The small black patches either side of the cones aren't holes, they are little velcro squares the previous owner used to attach his own grilles.
walpurgis
06-07-2016, 14:12
Here's one stood next to the pretty large Berkeley. Makes it look small.
http://i66.tinypic.com/2r6kze0.jpg
walpurgis
06-07-2016, 14:16
Spring clip terminals may look cheap and nasty but there is no reason why they would have any effect on sound quality.
They are horrible and fiddly. Are usually made from plated steel. Have a small contact area and limit the type of cable termination that can be used. Fiddling around trying to connect to them behind a big pair of speakers and having to use both hands is a right pain! So There!! :)
I shall consider myself told :)
Lol.... Here's another two reasons why spring clips are worse than shit:
1) The aperture for the cable to access is usually very small, which negates using anything much thicker than bell-wire, if any type of optimal connection is to occur with the tiny and flimsy internal contacts, and that alone will degrade performance.
2) Said internal contacts will be made from the cheapest shit metal known to man (rather than the solid copper or silver variety, which are needed in genuine audiophile applications), and as such, along with the poor metal-to-metal contact with the partnering cable, will result in sub-optimal signal integrity.
Marco.
Lol.... Here's another two reasons why spring clips are worse than shit:
1) The aperture for the cable to access is usually very small, which usually negates using anything much thicker than bell-wire, if any type of optimal connection is to occur with the tiny and flimsy internal contacts, and that alone will degrade performance.
2) Said internal contacts will be made from the cheapest shit metal known to man (rather than the solid copper or silver variety, which are needed in genuine audiophile applications), and as such, along with the poor metal to metal contact, will result in poor signal integrity.
Marco.
I like a small, tight fitting aperture made of flimsy material:eyebrows:
Arf... Do you think that wasn't going through my mind when I posted that? :eyebrows:
Marco.
Arf... Do you think that wasn't going through my mind when I posted that? :eyebrows:
Marco.
Thought that may have been the case.lol.
Nice big speakers those. As said, a bit of fettling and they'd be tops
pgarrish
11-07-2016, 18:46
Welcome to the 'big brown box' club of Tannoy owners. When my chevvies arrived to replace a pair of slim, black Gales I got one of 'those' looks. Then we fired them up and I got a 'you can keep those' with a big smile :D Lucky me :)
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.