Tannoy Turnberry SE with Croft 25/7 or Radford STA15

[opt817]

Hello,
I'm from Slovenia and I enjoy my Tannoy Turnberry SE loudspeakers in medium room, listening to jazz and blues on medium level. I'm running now speakers with vintage Luxman L-510. I'm asking this forum for advice, how to improve sound of Tannoy's with Croft 25/7 pre and amp combination or Croft 25R/7R, or buy refurbished Radford STA15 Mark3 with possibility to add Radford SC 22 preamp. Any other good combination of amplifier and Tannoy's? Thanks for advice.

[Jazid]

I have tried the Croft R series with 12"Monitor Golds and HPDs and tbh wasn't that blown away, though I like the amps. My money would be on the Radford STA15 or ideally STA25 which are known good pairings.

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[montesquieu]

I have tried the Croft R series with 12"Monitor Golds and HPDs and tbh wasn't that blown away, though I like the amps. My money would be on the Radford STA15 or ideally STA25 which are known good pairings.

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Totally agreed. STA25 is perfect or something from EAR (not the 859 or 869 which are single ended but almost any of the others would work well).

[opt817]

Totally agreed. STA25 is perfect or something from EAR (not the 859 or 869 which are single ended but almost any of the others would work well).

Thanks for responses. So major support is for combination Tannoy Turnberry SE with Radford STA valve amplifier. Unfortunately, I can get only STA 15. Any experience with such combination? Has STA 15 enough power for Tannoy's? What about preamp? Which has good synergy with Radford STA 15 or 25?

[hifi_dave]

I've often used Croft amps with various Tannoy speakers, vintage and new, including the Turnberry. You will have no problems at all using Croft.

[Macca]

Thanks for responses. So major support is for combination Tannoy Turnberry SE with Radford STA valve amplifier. Unfortunately, I can get only STA 15. Any experience with such combination? Has STA 15 enough power for Tannoy's? What about preamp? Which has good synergy with Radford STA 15 or 25?

Sensitivity is 93dB so I'd say an STA15 would be ample unless you listen a long way from the speakers. For 1 watt of power you'd get levels of about 80db sat 4 metres (12 feet) away. 80db is plenty. You won't want to play louder than that unless you are a bit deaf. Or nuts. And you still have the rest of the power output in reserve to handle peaks.

[Jazid]

I doubt you will need a gain stage at all (you will more likely need to reduce volume) so a simple passive attenuator, or digital volume control if you are using cd/computer as a source. Use your funds to get the nice Radford amp, lovely things and a decent investment . Old pre amps, 1960s and before, are a lot less lovely, actually most of them that I have heard are junk sound-wise.

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[opt817]

I doubt you will need a gain stage at all (you will more likely need to reduce volume) so a simple passive attenuator, or digital volume control if you are using cd/computer as a source. Use your funds to get the nice Radford amp, lovely things and a decent investment . Old pre amps, 1960s and before, are a lot less lovely, actually most of them that I have heard are junk sound-wise.

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What about SS amplifiers which will drive Tannoy Turnberry SE with highest slam and dynamics? In which direction to look - class A amplifers?

[walpurgis]

Creek Destiny 2 integrated. Uncoloured, ultra transparent and powerful. It sounds quite remarkable.

[montesquieu]

What about SS amplifiers which will drive Tannoy Turnberry SE with highest slam and dynamics? In which direction to look - class A amplifers?

I would say that's really not what the Turnberry is about. I would look for a 30-plus watt push pull valve amp myself that'll give you all the slam and dynamics you need.

[opt817]

I would say that's really not what the Turnberry is about. I would look for a 30-plus watt push pull valve amp myself that'll give you all the slam and dynamics you need.

Can you give me some good exapmples of such 30 plus watt push pull valve amps with great synergy with Tannoy's. What about Dynaco ST70?

[montesquieu]

Can you give me some good exapmples of such 30 plus watt push pull valve amps with great synergy with Tannoy's. What about Dynaco ST70?

I think I did already - Radford STA25 (which despite the name has 35w). Most stuff from EAR. There are lots of others. I havent played with a Dynaco myself.

[mikeyb]

The Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated I had on demo was superb on my Tannoy Berkeley ( 15" HPD ).

So much so that when I was offered the Power Amp version at a good price I got it as an Xmas pressie from my wife [emoji4]

[opt817]

The Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP Integrated I had on demo was superb on my Tannoy Berkeley ( 15" HPD ).

So much so that when I was offered the Power Amp version at a good price I got it as an Xmas pressie from my wife [emoji4]

Thanks for great inputs. Radford is very expensive and almost unobtanium, especially STA 25, so I'll try with Dynaco ST 70, which will be renovated. I'll report my experience with it.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for great inputs. Radford is very expensive and almost unobtanium, especially STA 25, so I'll try with Dynaco ST 70, which will be renovated. I'll report my experience with it.

If you email Glenn Croft at glenn@croftacoustics.co.uk he will be able to build you a power amp suitable for driving the Tannoys. Other folk on here have had great success driving Tannoys with Croft amps but I believe they were slightly reduced power and built to order by Glenn.

[hifi_dave]

As stated earlier, I have been using various Croft amps with numerous Tannoy speakers over the decades and all worked perfectly and without any modification. Tannoys are never a difficult load and the Croft amps do the job.

[Jazid]

As also stated earlier I used a 25R built by Glen for use with Tannoys, with the premium valve option (and those valves were stonkers), and whilst very good I found other amps that can do better.

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[Jimbo]

As also stated earlier I used a 25R built by Glen for use with Tannoys, with the premium valve option (and those valves were stonkers), and whilst very good I found other amps that can do better.

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But were they more expensive? I feel the OP is on a tighter budget as he stated a Radford is too expensive.

[opt817]

As also stated earlier I used a 25R built by Glen for use with Tannoys, with the premium valve option (and those valves were stonkers), and whilst very good I found other amps that can do better.

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Which amplifier can be better match for Tannoy's even at higher cost?

[hifi_dave]

At far higher cost, there are many amps better than the Croft but what price are you considering ?

[Jazid]

At far higher cost, there are many amps better than the Croft but what price are you considering ?

Is indeed a good question..OP originally asked about Croft or Radford - for me a no-brainer, and cost is not massively far from equivalent (STA15 at least) but his question is now a little different. If money is available then a McIntosh 275 sounded damn fine when I heard it in a combo with 15" HPDs (not mine), there may well be better amps for less money however. For more exhaustive recommendations Tom (Montesquieu) is your man, he has been round the block and then some in his chase for the perfect Tannoy amp. YMMV etc.

[opt817]

Is indeed a good question..OP originally asked about Croft or Radford - for me a no-brainer, and cost is not massively far from equivalent (STA15 at least) but his question is now a little different. If money is available then a McIntosh 275 sounded damn fine when I heard it in a combo with 15" HPDs (not mine), there may well be better amps for less money however. For more exhaustive recommendations Tom (Montesquieu) is your man, he has been round the block and then some in his chase for the perfect Tannoy amp. YMMV etc.

Thanks for input. Yes, my question is now what amplifier would show maximum potential of Tannoy speakers, which are very revealing to any upgrade. Already Croft amp preamp combination 25R/7R cost close to 2800 GBP, and if I go to 5000 GBP, what will be optimum combination of Tannoy and amplifier?

[Jazid]

I am going to make myself (more) unpopular on the forum. I really don't think Tannoys are unusually revealing however, given how popular their characteristic presentation is, in my mind at least it makes more sense to consider driving them perfectly as a technical challenge.
They are clearly not the fabled 'easy load' or else most decent amps would sound more or less equally good through them. It is clear people dont think this is the case. The question that might be better asked is how to optimise the balance between the amps parameters, the electrical characteristics, and the mechanical behaviour of the drivers in their particular cabinet? Of course answers will be personal but imagining that their amazing transparency will make them more revealing of upstream electronics seems to be back to front: we are listening to the outcome of the interaction between the amp and speakers (and of course the room) . If it isn't right then so be it, time to tweak!

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[mikeyb]

Primaluna, I know many don’t trust reviews but you need to read up on the Primaluna Dialogue Premium HP, whether it be the integrated or power amp version.

It’s an EL34 amp that can take KT88, 120, 150 valves for more power along with different 12AU7s to change the sound signature, and my one can drive my 15” HPD drivers to amazing levels without losing control but can also be delicate too, I’ve never heard better in my system and I’ve heard a few good amps here.

Fully auto bias with protection if a valve goes down, doesn’t drive the valves hard so long life from them, ach I could go on, but to save me typing more, just read the reviews [emoji6]

[opt817]

Thanks Mike for proposal. Maybe Primaluna Dialogue Premium with 4xEL34, 2x36W, would be enough for Turnberry with 10" speakers and medium room?

Tom (Montesquieu)) has recommended, quote: "I would look for a 30-plus watt push pull valve amp myself that'll give you all the slam and dynamics you need."
And it is integrated amp so I don't need additional preamp for it.