10"/12" Tannoys

[hoopsontoast]

I am looking to revisit some Tannoys, having in the past owned some HPD315A Cheviots, Chester as well as the more modern Stirling HE.

https://live.staticflickr.com/5455/13929805240_0ae3200996_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ndVTMS)
Tannoy Chester (https://flic.kr/p/ndVTMS) by Robert Seymour (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/7650/16354456494_0e068bfd3c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qVbS8Q)
Tannoy Stirling HE (https://flic.kr/p/qVbS8Q) by Robert Seymour (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/), on Flickr

My room is a little challenging as it produces a large peak around 32Hz, which with larger speakers (Rega R9 or even KEF 201/2) show up and is very difficult to get rid of without the use of DSP. The speakers need to work well near the rear wall and nearish corners. Physical size itself is not an issue for me as the whole back wall is dedicated to hifi :)
The room is ~17' x 12' with an alcove to the left of the TV as shown below.

https://live.staticflickr.com/7801/47272882582_587229d240_c.jpg

And how it is today (I plan to use the Tannoys with the Bryston B60 rather than the Decware Zen)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49308409028_65e2a838d2_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2i8du8f)
System (https://flic.kr/p/2i8du8f) by Robert Seymour (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopsontoast/), on Flickr

From research, I found a model which is quite rare, the 'Dover' (same range as the Caernarvon/Arundel/Balmoral) with the SRM10b (2558 driver) DC unit, in a sealed box which looks ideal although a bit more difficult to find.
There is the SRM10b or old original Stirling model but again, both difficult to find. The closest other is a HPD295 such as the Eaton, and more affordable.

I've not heard any of the Studio range such as the LRM/LGM 12" models which may well work?
I worry the larger models such as Cheviot/Berkley while they may well fit size wise, may not in the room.

Budget is around £1k depending on if I can sell/PX the Rega R9/Larsen 4.2s.

[walpurgis]

The Eaton should fit the bill. I liked them enough to have owned five pairs over the years and preferred them to the Cheviot and Chatsworths at the time. Bass is controllable with port bungs if need be, but in the end used mine without.

[hoopsontoast]

The Eaton should fit the bill. I liked them enough to have owned five pairs over the years and preferred them to the Cheviot and Chatsworths at the time. Bass is controllable with port bungs if need be, but in the end used mine without.

It looks like Eaton may be the best bet then, at least availability wise. Comparing to Cheviots, 12" HPD based, what about the Chatsworths, was that with 12" Monitor Golds?

[DiveDeepDog]

I've just got Eaton's and enjoying them, but as always wonder how Little Red Monitors would compare?

[walpurgis]

My Eatons by the way, were the original HPD 295A model, not the recently introduced Legacy version (which I would not want).

Incidentally, the HPD 295A is the most durable of the HPD's as it does not have foam cone surrounds that rot away, like those on the 12" and 15" models.

[paulf-2007]

I've just got Eaton's and enjoying them, but as always wonder how Little Red Monitors would compare?
When you mention the word monitor I think near field listening. Always enjoyed tannoys when I've heard them and have been drawn towards 10" reds, but never bought any.

[hoopsontoast]

My Eatons by the way, were the original HPD 295A model, not the recently introduced Legacy version (which I would not want).

Incidentally, the HPD 295A is the most durable of the HPD's as it does not have foam cone surrounds that rot away, like those on the 12" and 15" models.

Thats good to know, I assumed the 295A had foam surrounds the same as the 315A/385A. Not that that would phase me as I have re-foamed speakers before including the KEF 104/2.

[walpurgis]

Purely by coincidence, I'm working on a pair of Tannoys which are probably just the sort of thing you are after. These will be for my system though :).

They started out as very battered empty Dorset cabinets, which I've nearly finished restoring and converting into reflex boxes instead of ABR items. Into which the 2528 drivers from my Ascots will be mounted, once I've fitted these with modified SRM 10B cone assemblies. They will end up looking like smaller versions of my previous Cheviot Mk.II speakers.

[hifinutt]

My Eatons by the way, were the original HPD 295A model, not the recently introduced Legacy version (which I would not want).

Incidentally, the HPD 295A is the most durable of the HPD's as it does not have foam cone surrounds that rot away, like those on the 12" and 15" models.

any reason Geoff , i rather like the new version ... fits into tight spaces , images amazingly well and although tempted to move to a cheviot or kensington at some point , the smaller eatons just seem to sing

[walpurgis]

The new Eaton is I believe around the same size as the original HPD one and would no doubt be as versatile. However, the new Legacy model employs a tulip waveguide tweeter, not a pepperpot compression driver horn as per original HPD 285A. Having owned many Tannoys of both types, my preference is for the pepperpot types, simply for that last degree of immediacy, mid transparency and lightning transient response. Both tweeter designs sound good though.

[hifinutt]

ah thanks geoff , yes must compare the old type to the new sometime . very very rare a standmount lasts long here... these have outlasted any other standmount

[hoopsontoast]

Purely by coincidence, I'm working on a pair of Tannoys which are probably just the sort of thing you are after. These will be for my system though :).

They started out as very battered empty Dorset cabinets, which I've nearly finished restoring and converting into reflex boxes instead of ABR items. Into which the 2528 drivers from my Ascots will be mounted, once I've fitted these with modified SRM 10B cone assemblies. They will end up looking like smaller versions of my previous Cheviot Mk.II speakers.

Interesting, I did not think the Chesters I had were that great, certainly not compared to the Stirling. I had a pair of the smaller DC1000s years ago as my first Hifi purchase, I think the plastic coned models of that era seem a little vague in the mid-range.

[walpurgis]

Interesting, I did not think the Chesters I had were that great, certainly not compared to the Stirling. I had a pair of the smaller DC1000s years ago as my first Hifi purchase, I think the plastic coned models of that era seem a little vague in the mid-range.

The cabinets alone will be from the Chester and will be modified. The rest of the speaker will be different and will not have a plastic cone.

The DC1000 was by Tannoy standards, a budget speaker. Quite good fun though. The more expensive plastic coned System 800 was in a different league.

[hoopsontoast]

The cabinets alone will be from the Chester and will be modified. The rest of the speaker will be different and will not have a plastic cone.

The DC1000 was by Tannoy standards, a budget speaker. Quite good fun though. The more expensive plastic coned System 800 was in a different league.

Yes, the DC1000s served me well for many years, when ignorance was bliss and then I descended into the depths of HiFi Forums.... :lol:

[AlexB]

I had a pair of Tannoy Oxfords a few years ago, great sounding 10” tannoys for the price, don’t seem to get as much love compared to the dual concentrics though.

[hifinutt]

been learning from a gentleman who knows a bit about tannoys [ and thats an understatement !!]

the newer waveguide models such the eaton legacy have more immediacy from their tulip waveguides not less, due to raised and more linear HF output which extends well beyond those of the older pepperpots which roll off at circa 18KHz.

The pepper pots used a magnet which was deeper allowing the horn to be long enough so that the inverted signal from the compression driver (inverted via the drilled phase cap to form a virtual signal propagation point within the horn mouth) lined up phase correct with the LF voicecoil. This was only possible with the older drivers shared magnet AlNiCo motor and the newer pepperpot 15 inch models. The new ones could have employed a similar horn length and phase relationship with the tulip waveguide but chose not to....for what reason I don't know, so the new ones are not phase corrected despite the blurb. If only Tannoy had employed a p[hysically phase corrected tulip waveguide, it would have bettered the older ones by quite some margin in every respect!

Interestingly, neither are time aligned. The older pepper pots and newer pepper-pot ones ARE phase aligned though...two separate things.

[spendorman]

I had a pair of Tannoy Oxfords a few years ago, great sounding 10” tannoys for the price, don’t seem to get as much love compared to the dual concentrics though.

I also have a pair of Oxfords, not bad speakers, 10" bextrene bass unit, relatively cheap Audax tweeter in a Tannoy short horn, not really comparable to the Dual Concentrics, of which I have HPD315's.

[hoopsontoast]

I am still after some Tannoys but its sort of on hold. Since I first thought about getting a pair, we have now started the process of moving house!

I'll still keep an eye out for a pair of Dover or Caernarvons but the new room may well be bigger than our current living room so no rush! Just arranged a pair of ATC SCM10s to tide me over for the moment, and then to go into a second system in the new house!

[hifinutt]

hope the move goes well