Why do 37 year old speakers cost more now than they did when new?

[ANOpax]

Lovely pair of 1 owner 15" monitor Golds going on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Pair-Tannoy-LSU-HF-15-8-Monitor-Gold-Speaker-Drivers-/320617998109?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudio HiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item4aa652671d

But the interesting thing is that the seller bought them for £78 in 1973.
Inflation adjusted, that's £741.57+VAT (choose your VAT rate to suit) in today's money.

Given that the bidding has gone over £1000, the original purchaser has enjoyed these speakers for 37 years and then made a real profit on selling them!

Now, I can understand that Monitor Golds are sought after and therefore the price reflects scarcity value. But Tannoy 15" DC units are still produced today and you can't buy them for £741+VAT. So why do new speakers cost so much more in real terms today than they did nigh on 40 years ago?


And look at the price list on the ebay listing - just imagine a pair of autographs for £2091+VAT in 2010 money!!:cool:

Reg

[Techno Commander]

Desireability adds to the cost. As does marketing the new ones at the prestige market.

[ourdogmax]

Could it be because gullible idiots with too much money are willing to pay over the odds for what amount to old 15 inch disco/pa speakers with horns.
It's not a gripe, but look at the facts.

Stiff surrounds, high sensitivity.

metal domed horn tweeter.

sounds like a pair of old Fane units with J104 horns in expensive cabinets.
maybe it's just me.....:scratch:

[Dave Hewitt]

Shit will shortly hit the fan.:sofa:

[Reid Malenfant]

There is the good thing about the drivers being co-incident & in consequence will sound the same in all directions :) Up, down, left or right they should sound the same ;) You try getting a normal multi driver speaker doing that :lol:

If they'd have time aligned the tweeter & woofer voice coils i have a feeling the results could be pretty astonishing. But that's another story :)

[SPS]

so whats wrong with high sensitivity and stiff surrounds darrell..

i would suppose most of the drivers in my speakers are what you may call pa speakers..

cheers
steve

[Dave Hewitt]

Owners of Vincent motorcycles enjoy the same experience.I have a sixties Ariel motorbike which is probably worth 12 times its original price,will a Honda Fireblade be worth 120 grand in 50 years?
Dave.

[Spur07]

Shit will shortly hit the fan.:sofa:

mind if i join you :lol:

[Marco]

Could it be because gullible idiots with too much money are willing to pay over the odds for what amount to old 15 inch disco/pa speakers with horns.It's not a gripe, but look at the facts.

Stiff surrounds, high sensitivity.

metal domed horn tweeter.

sounds like a pair of old Fane units with J104 horns in expensive cabinets.
maybe it's just me.....:scratch:

Hahaha... I'm sayin' nuffin. Darrell, check what speakers are listed in my signature! ;)

Marco.

[ourdogmax]

so whats wrong with high sensitivity and stiff surrounds darrell..

i would suppose most of the drivers in my speakers are what you may call pa speakers..

cheers
steve

Nothing at all Steve.

the point is pa/disco speaker drivers are massively cheaper and seem to me to be the same thing.

I agree about the desirability thing and it's that's your bag, then fine.

what I'm getting at is you can probably get the same sort of sound for 100 times less money, if the drivers are properly tuned to the box etc.

I'm not a speaker designer, but the asking price and demand for old Tannoy's seems ridiculous.

This is just my opinion, I'm entitled to one aren't I.

[ourdogmax]

And yes Marco I know yourself and others use and love them.

And if you have room for them that's also great.

I cant house them so they have never really interested me.

As I said before, it's just an opinion.

[Marco]

Indeed, Darrell.

However, have ever heard Monitor Golds in decent cabinets?

"Disco speakers" they aint! :lol:

Opinions are fine, mate, but they have to be based on actual listening experience to have any credibility - no offence :)

Marco.

[Dave Hewitt]

I have visited Marco's disco a few times and Mr walkers disco as well,sounded ok to me.Also visited a few discos in my time and they sounded ok as well,but I could have been pissed at the time.
Disco Dave.

[ourdogmax]

Indeed, Darrell.

However, have ever heard Monitor Golds in decent cabinets?

"Disco speakers" they aint! :lol:

Opinions are fine, mate, but they have to be based on actual listening experience to have any credibility - no offence :)

Marco.

No Mate, you'll have to let me hear yours, and blow me away.

[Marco]

By all means, dude - just say when! :cool:

Marco.

[ourdogmax]

By all means, dude - just say when! :cool:

Marco.

Whenever it suits you Marco.

I'll look forward to it. :cool:

[Marco]

I have visited Marco's disco a few times and Mr walkers disco as well,sounded ok to me.Also visited a few discos in my time and they sounded ok as well,but I could have been pissed at the time.
Disco Dave.

Yesh, I notished you doing a wee shimmy-ette in your Farah shlacks and Gucci loafers the last time you were round :dance:

Marco.

[Marco]

Whenever it suits you Marco.

I'll look forward to it. :cool:

PM me and we'll discuss some suitable dates :)

Marco.

[ourdogmax]

PM me and we'll discuss some suitable dates :)

Marco.

Cheers Marco, I'll get on it in the morning.
I'm going for a lie down in a dark room now, and I'll be wondering, what wall's I can knock down and where I can get a mortgage to buy me some of them thar Tannoys. :lol:

[Rare Bird]

Owners of Vincent motorcycles enjoy the same experience.I have a sixties Ariel motorbike which is probably worth 12 times its original price,will a Honda Fireblade be worth 120 grand in 50 years?

Whats the Ariel Dave 'Arrow' ? Anyone gave me an Ariel Sq four i'd snatch their hands off

[Ian Walker]

I have visited Marco's disco a few times and Mr walkers disco as well,sounded ok to me.Also visited a few discos in my time and they sounded ok as well,but I could have been pissed at the time.
Disco Dave.

Yesh and i must say Dave your such a fine dancer(two left feet spring to mind)but i did think you were a tad pished at my last disco when you fell over the back of the couch...OUCH!!!:lol:

[Marco]

Yesh, and the bugger even tried to blame poor Avinash for eating all your mint creams! :lol:

Marco.

[Wilbur]

A little off topic,but has anyone had any experience with Tannoy Ardens? I got a pair given years ago,but they need re-foaming...worth the hassle??And expense :)

[Ian Walker]

Yesh, and the bugger even tried to blame poor Avinash for eating all your mint creams! :lol:

Marco.

Yesh and could i just ask you not to wear your peekaboo number next time as its not quite "apt" for the home discotheque TIA.:eek:

[Ian Walker]

A little off topic,but has anyone had any experience with Tannoy Ardens? I got a pair given years ago,but they need re-foaming...worth the hassle??And expense :)

Yes Paul they are well worth re-foaming...Ardens i'm told(due to cabinet size) is were the fun starts.

Ian.

[Marco]

Indeed... 'Ardens', quaintly referred to as 'ard-ons' by Tannoyistas, 'cos that's wot you get when you listen to 'em! ;)

Marco.

[ourdogmax]

Indeed... 'Ardens', quaintly referred to as 'ard-ons' by Tannoyistas, 'cos that's wot you get when you listen to 'em! ;)

Marco.

Will I get one when I come round to hear yours then? :eek:

[DSJR]

I tried to reply to this last night nut the laptop decided it didn't want to let me :(

The great thing about old Tannoy DC's is that they can be properly re-built to "better-than-new" standard and there are enough sites and discussions regarding later crossover thinking for these to be rebuilt with far better performance too. Other 1970's favourites cannot be serviced - Spendor, Rogers (Dalesford drivers in the BBC derivatives for some time), KEF (and all the speakers using KEF drivers), B&W? can't repair the surrounds 'cos some of the materials in the recipe are no longer available..... I haven't seen Harbeth (who bought the KEF B110/B200 tooling) offering this service either.

The bad thing about Tannoy at present is that the current range, which is far superior in stock form IMO, commands little money on the used market. The very recent Canterbury's that hifi dave was trying to sell for half price may have sold for a third of retail (£4K or so), but no-one apparently wanted to make sensible offers for speakers not very old. The fact that the Canterbury is probably far superior as supplied to some ropey old Yorks, Cheviots or Barkeleys in need of a grands worth of re-builds/cab re-inforcements didn't seem to register :(

[Marco]

Will I get one when I come round to hear yours then? :eek:


Hahahaha... Best wear baggy pants, or a loose fitting skirt - whatever you feel most comfortable in! :bum:

Marco.

[John]

My speakers are basically PA duel concentric speakers horn loaded and sound pretty good to my old ears I do not quite have the same treble magic Marco (were not talking night and day) got going on but they have some great strengths

[ourdogmax]

My speakers are basically PA duel concentric speakers horn loaded and sound pretty good to my old ears I do not quite have the same treble magic Marco (were not talking night and day) got going on but they have some great strengths

That, John is what I'm getting at, It goes to show you can get similar results with alternative drivers.

Marco, I'll tuck it in my sock. :ner:

[Marco]

Hi Dave,


The great thing about old Tannoy DC's is that they can be properly re-built to "better-than-new" standard and there are enough sites and discussions regarding later crossover thinking for these to be rebuilt with far better performance too. Other 1970's favourites cannot be serviced - Spendor, Rogers (Dalesford drivers in the BBC derivatives for some time), KEF (and all the speakers using KEF drivers), B&W? can't repair the surrounds 'cos some of the materials in the recipe are no longer available..... I haven't seen Harbeth (who bought the KEF B110/B200 tooling) offering this service either.


That's very true. Obtain a good pair of 15" Monitor Gold drive units for, say, around £2k on Ebay. Then get Speedy Steve to build you some nice cabs for around £800. Rebuild the crossovers for around £600-1000, depending on how far you want to go with components, and so for around £3.5k, you've got a pair of speakers that will compete in most areas (and excel in others) when compared with any new commercial speakers up to around £30k....

Now *that* is what I call 'bang for yer Buck'!! It epitomises the SPPV-first approach we champion on AoS :)

I've heard all sorts of very expensive modern speakers (including the new Tannoy Kingdoms at around that sort of price) and, in terms of overall sonic performance and musical abilities, I wouldn't swap my Lockwoods for them.


The bad thing about Tannoy at present is that the current range, which is far superior in stock form IMO, commands little money on the used market. The very recent Canterbury's that hifi dave was trying to sell for half price may have sold for a third of retail (£4K or so), but no-one apparently wanted to make sensible offers for speakers not very old. The fact that the Canterbury is probably far superior as supplied to some ropey old Yorks, Cheviots or Barkeleys in need of a grands worth of re-builds/cab re-inforcements didn't seem to register

I do agree with that, although vintage Tannoy drivers (particularly Reds and Golds) have a unique and highly addictive presentation of their own that no modern Tannoys I've heard can replicate.

That's not to say though that either are better or worse than each other, but simply that all have their own particular characteristics that different listeners will enjoy, so no matter how wonderful Canterburys sound (and they are phenomenally good), if people want vintage Tannoys, they aren't going to buy Canterburys or any of the other current models.....

However, the biggest problem you have selling things like Canterburys is that no bugger in the UK wants huge, very traditionally styled speakers, which at the moment, rather sadly in my view, are deeply unfashionable. Blame hen-pecked partners/husbands partly for that situation! ;)

The main market for these types of speakers is in Japan, which is the area where Dave should've targeted. Yes, it'd be a ball-ache shipping them out there, but you'd likely get double compared to what you'd get for them here, which would more than compensate for the shipping costs and hassle.

I do hope though that he managed to sell them in the end :)

Marco.

[Dave Hewitt]

Aye its an arrow.
Dave.

[Lodgesound]

Older speakers made by the likes of Tannoy, Rogers and other makers of classic monitors do fetch large sums of money but do sound every bit of that money.

Tannoy Lockwoods have an amazing sound as do the likes of classic BBC monitors such as LS 5/8's and the various large Spendor designs that were used.

The problem is that many modern smaller designs, although suited to modern living, simply cannot and will not even come close when it comes to sheer sound quality - and by that I don't mean loudness - these large monitors sound involving even when played at very low volumes. All down to, as Marco has said previously, mass of air moved.

A pair of working LS 5/8's with the AM 8/16 (modified Quad 405-2) amplifiers to go with sell easily for £2000 now - fully reconditioned you are looking nearer £5000 (which is half what a pair cost new - they were nearly £5000 each in 1980). Lockwoods are in a similar class and easily fetch £2000 a pair in good nick.

[Dave Hewitt]

Hi,its the weighty sound of the owd tannoys that always impresses me,they just seem to make for enjoyable listening whatever you play through them.Always fancied some dimension 12 I think they are called,never heard any though.
Disco Dave.

[ANOpax]

The bad thing about Tannoy at present is that the current range, which is far superior in stock form IMO, commands little money on the used market. The very recent Canterbury's that hifi dave was trying to sell for half price may have sold for a third of retail (£4K or so), but no-one apparently wanted to make sensible offers for speakers not very old. The fact that the Canterbury is probably far superior as supplied to some ropey old Yorks, Cheviots or Barkeleys in need of a grands worth of re-builds/cab re-inforcements didn't seem to register :(


I guess that's precisely the point I was trying to make about the price of Tannoys today vs what you'd have paid for them 40 years ago. The Lancasters on ebay cost an inflation adjusted £870 to buy new. If Canterburys could be had for £1500 retail, they'd be a lot more popular. If Westminster Royals were sold for £2500 then people wouldn't be forced to mess around on ebay with old drivers and build replica GRFs and Autographs.

The fact that the market prices used Canterburys at the £4K mark suggests that perceived value has at least doubled over 40 years but sadly, Tannoy's pricing structure has vastly outstripped that...


Reg

[Marco]

Hi John,


My speakers are basically PA duel concentric speakers horn loaded and sound pretty good to my old ears I do not quite have the same treble magic Marco (were not talking night and day) got going on...


That "treble magic" simply wasn't there before I had the crossovers modified. Much of it derives from the effect of the Clarity Cap MR caps and Duelund resistors inside, which are truly top-notch.

You could hear what the drive units were capable of before, but as stock they're rather 'tubby' and coloured sounding, no matter what cabinets they're in, which as you know is not really my thing ;)

It is why, quite frankly, I wouldn't really recommend Monitor Golds to anyone unless they were planning on factoring in the cost of crossover upgrades. It's absolutely essential, unless you just love that warm & cuddly old vintage sound (count me out).

Marco.

[Marco]

Hi Stewart,


The problem is that many modern smaller designs, although suited to modern living, simply cannot and will not even come close when it comes to sheer sound quality - and by that I don't mean loudness - these large monitors sound involving even when played at very low volumes. All down to, as Marco has said previously, mass of air moved.


Spot on :)

That is why I will never follow fashion with hi-fi because it usually rewards one not to! I'm afraid that the 'latest and greatest' in audio these days rarely lives up to its name.

Marco.

[hifi_dave]

I think one problem is that some British gear is priced for 'export'. This means that it can sell abroad for a similar price as here, even though it goes through the hands of a foreign distributor. This means that we dealers pay the price that the foreign distributor charges his dealers.

If the distributors margin was taken out of the equation, the prices would drop by one third or so, which would be good for British customers but not so good for the diistributors as foreign buyers would buy from British dealers to save money.

In some markets, the US and Japan for instance, there is no added mark up to protect distributors. So, our importers pay US or Japanese dealer's price and then add their profit and costs to arrive at the British dealer's price. This is how we end up paying so much for Amerian and Japanese equipment.

A further complication applies to Japanese equipment which often passes through the hands of a 'World wide distributor' and then to the country distributor, attracting a mark up at every stage.

[Welder]

I haven’t heard the Lockwoods but I have heard a pair of rebuilt dual port Cantabury’s. If my memory serves me these had Tannoy Red drivers.
From what I can remember they had a lovely sound.

I’m not convinced Tannoys warrant the price they can fetch and from what little I know about the range they were a bit fussy about how you fed them.
I think you get attached to the sound of a particular speaker and learn how to coax the best from it.

I would love to hear Marco’s Tannoys for example because from what I can gather he’s put a lot of effort into them.

Throwing large amounts of money at the latest audiophile equipment (particularly speakers) doesn’t necessarily produce glorious music. There are a lot of components made many years ago that will, with the right replacements and upgrades, sound just as good as some of the more expensive modern equipment.

All the work and time that rebuilds and tweaks take may not be for everyone and some may be lucky and find an “out of the box” solution that suits them.
For me and I suspect for many others here a great deal of the pleasure in audio is the tweaking and matching :mental:

[Marco]

Hi Dave,


I think one problem is that some British gear is priced for 'export'. This means that it can sell abroad for a similar price as here, even though it goes through the hands of a foreign distributor. This means that we dealers pay the price that the foreign distributor charges his dealers.

If the distributors margin was taken out of the equation, the prices would drop by one third or so, which would be good for British customers but not so good for the diistributors as foreign buyers would buy from British dealers to save money.

In some markets, the US and Japan for instance, there is no added mark up to protect distributors. So, our importers pay US or Japanese dealer's price and then add their profit and costs to arrive at the British dealer's price. This is how we end up paying so much for Amerian and Japanese equipment.

A further complication applies to Japanese equipment which often passes through the hands of a 'World wide distributor' and then to the country distributor, attracting a mark up at every stage.

That's all very relevant and true, of course, but when you were selling your Canterburys, why didn't you target the Jap market, as you surely know that's where you'll get the right money for them?

Btw, did they sell in the end? I hope so. If so, how much for, if you don't mind me asking? :)

Right, I'm off to do some work for a change - laters, chaps!

Marco.

[hifi_dave]

Re. the Canterburys, I had no time to market them properly, as the owner had to dispose of them quickly.

I did advertise them here, on another forum and E-Bay auction, which means they were visible Worldwide. They sold, via PFM for £5K, which was less than the owner wanted but the transaction was completed quickly.

[Marco]

Ah, gotcha.... That's the problem, though: to do these things properly takes time.

If the owner had had a bit more patience and allowed you to market them properly, he'd have probably got another £3-4k for them.

Anyway, someone got a bloody bargain!! :eek:

Marco.

[Rare Bird]

Will I get one when I come round to hear yours then? :eek:

Be carefull of whats behind that small door :eyebrows:

[Trickie_Dickie]

Could it be because gullible idiots with too much money are willing to pay over the odds for what amount to old 15 inch disco/pa speakers with horns.
It's not a gripe, but look at the facts.

Stiff surrounds, high sensitivity.

metal domed horn tweeter.

sounds like a pair of old Fane units with J104 horns in expensive cabinets.
maybe it's just me.....:scratch:

I would concur. I wish I had kept my Fane speakers. I bought them from an Aunt's catalogue, they were about £80 then. I modified them and had tweeters on top. Drove them with my home made 70 watt amps. (RCA circuit)
I gave them to a friend who I believe took them back with him to the West Indies in the 80s. He loved them. I wonder if they're still going. Might be worth something.

[Marco]

Hi Richard,

What exactly is it you're concurring with that Darrell wrote? Is it that Monitor Golds, I quote: "amount to old 15 inch disco/pa speakers with horns"?

Or what? :)

Marco.

[Dave Hewitt]

Shall I get mi white suit out of mothballs?
Disco Dave.

[Marco]

Yesh, as long as it's not too tight now to shwivel those hipsh! :lol:

Marco.

[Thermionic]

As a newbie I have hesitated to join this discussion as I have fairly strong views about Monitor Golds that perhaps don’t exactly agree with those of some other members of the forum.:rolleyes: But Marco’s comments regarding needed crossover improvements to get the best out of the beasts has inclined me rather to contribute.

My own slight involvement with Lockwoods and Tannoy was as a trainee tape op in a minor London studio in 1970. I had become aware of the ironic aspect of Tannoy as a company because for most people then (and perhaps for many still) the word Tannoy meant ghastly P.A. systems in train stations. Odd then as I went to various interviews in pursuit of a career in the recording business that many very respectable recording studios were using Tannoy loudspeakers as their main monitors. Indeed the 15 Inch Tannoy dual concentric drive unit in a Lockwood enclosure had become the de-facto monitor in the UK pop recording business for some time. They were certainly not a disco or a P.A loudspeaker, they were THE studio monitor of their day.

Slightly later when I wanted to build my own loudspeaker (I could only afford the one) it seemed a ‘no brainer’ in modern parlance to go for the current Tannoy product, which was the Monitor Gold. The 12 Inch version was thought to sound a bit better than the 15, though neither was thought to have been as good as the previous Monitor Red.

I built a Lancaster cabinet as it seemed an ideal size compromise, and I was a happy bunny because my sound at home was pretty similar to the control room at work. What could be better than using the same speakers as the people who made the records? And this I think can still hold very true today, depending on your taste in music.

Trouble was, that Tannoys began to loose their attraction to the pros for a couple of reasons; they could not play loud enough in the studios, and people started to realise that they were rather coloured. Mackenzie wrote an article in Studio Sound to this effect and questioned their validity as studio monitors in the face of the arrival of speakers such as the new Spendor BC1. In fact I had this hammered home to me one day in a direct comparison between a pair of Lancasters and a pair of BC1s playing back master tapes of orchestral and choral recordings. There was just no comparison and my faith in Tannoy had sadly been shattered. Later I acquired some Kef 104s and converted them to the ab version, and happily used them until I found my ELS57s. My taste in music is straight ahead Jazz and classical.

But I still have my old Lancaster, and because it has a Monitor Gold in it it still works. With a little bass boost (contour switches up on the AM8/12) it can still sound impressive with the right music. At low volumes it is as if the musicians are further away and they just get ‘nearer’ as the wick is turned up, which was always thought to be a good sign. It has a strong sense of ‘presence’ as you can ‘look into it’ and see the performance, rather like with the ELS57s, and it can flap trousers if needed. (for a while I used it with a 200 Watt amp with no ill effects - to the speaker!). But while they always had a fairly uneven treble response, fairly narrow treble dispersion, and perhaps on some material make the music sound like it’s coming out of a tunnel, they (it) has a remarkable sense of ‘fun’ and life.

Wether Tannoy Monitor Golds are worth the money that changes hands is of course up to the people who want them and have the means. They were probably the best looking, best sounding and the best made moving coil drive unit of their time bar none. My own impression, for what it is worth, is that for some genres of music and with the right improvements or modifications to bring them up to date they could well be pretty unbeatable.

[DSJR]

My own views regarding the BC1 compared to Tannoys, is that where the musicians just get further away with the latter, on the *early* BBC Legacy models, the musicians cover themselves with heavy mufflers if the volume gets too low.

Bringing those views up to date, I'd still respectfully say that the modern Tannoy's, although obviously and very sadly way overpriced for western markets, do sound far less coloured than many of their forebears and the current Harbeths sound really great at low volume levels. In fact, the designer recommends them for lower level listening.

[Marco]

Great post, Gino! I'll comment later :)

Meanwhile, here's a pic of me "15 inch disco/pa speakers", to celebrate the purchase of a new digital camera (you can actually see the drive units through the grilles, and the new Oyaide T/T mat on the side):


http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/871/img0034csa.jpg (http://img822.imageshack.us/i/img0034csa.jpg/)


Excuse me while I do a wee Disco Dave dance :dance:

Marco.

P.S Entry to the room is via a door to the left of the L/H speaker, NOT through the white door in the middle of the speakers. That's my leetle dungeon-ette, where all sorts of unspeakable things happen......! :eek:

[Reid Malenfant]

Jeez Marco, your listening room is smaller than mine & i thought mine was small :eyebrows:

PS, where's the bloody mirrorball :lolsign:

[hifi_dave]

The room isn't small - the speakers are bl**dy humongous. :eek:

[Reid Malenfant]

The room isn't small - the speakers are bl**dy humongous. :eek:
Nah, i have 4 x 440L cabs sitting behind me so i know what humungous looks like :doh: :lol:

[Marco]

Jeez Marco, your listening room is smaller than mine & i thought mine was small :eyebrows:

PS, where's the bloody mirrorball :lolsign:

Hehehehe....

It's not a big room, but the ceiling slopes down right by the speakers, which makes it look smaller than it actually is :)

The Lockwoods are 320 litres, btw, with 15" DC drivers - so reasonably naughty. Trust me, Mark, in a room the size of mine, with them being 95db efficient, on the end of a 40W pure Class A P/P valve amp, they kick ass like you wouldn't believe........! :fingers:

Marco.

[Reid Malenfant]

Actually i guess it's only a tad smaller ;) Looking at the drivers that can be seen through the grille cloths i'd estimate your room is about 3.5M wide give or take a knats cock :scratch:

I only have about 4M width myself so yes i guess they'd look kind of naughty & humungous as front speakers :eyebrows: Couldn't fit them myself unless i rebuilt them as they'd interfere with the projector screen :eek:

I'm pleased you have a very understanding & enthusiastic wife :) No doubt you are to :lolsign:

[Welder]

Haha, I knew there was something in my deaf middle aged men post :lol:

320 lites with 15inch drivers in a room that size :eek:…..ffs Marco do you have to strap yourself to your listening chair?
They look cool Marco……MARCO!!.......... Damn he can’t hear me :lolsign:

[Marco]

Hahaha, John - very good!


320 lites with 15inch drivers in a room that size …..ffs Marco do you have to strap yourself to your listening chair?


Funny you should say that.... I was thinking of fitting seat belts to the sofa, so folk visiting could do just that, before preparing themselves for 'the ride', as it were :eyebrows:

Disco Dave's shat on it a few times, when taking a wee fright after being pummelled to death with Rammstein at near-live concert levels (the SPLs I can generate in that room are frightening), after his 'Tena for Men' sac-a-poo-poo just couldn't hack it!! :lol:

Btw, here's the TD Copper amp that drives me ol' disco speekaz:


http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6721/img0027wa.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/i/img0027wa.jpg/)


http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/1310/img0028d.jpg (http://img403.imageshack.us/i/img0028d.jpg/)


Brand new (previously unused) NOS GEC KT88s have just been fitted, and a new (bigger) mains transformer, after the old one went pop recently.

Doesn't Anthony make gorgeous amps? :)

Marco.

P.S Mark, it's a dedicated listening room, separate from the main lounge, where Del often joins me for a sesh! :rave:

[Dave Hewitt]

A sesh?:scratch:

[Marco]

A listening sesh, daftee! :eyebrows:

Marco.

[Jac Hawk]

Great post, Gino! I'll comment later :)

Meanwhile, here's a pic of me "15 inch disco/pa speakers", to celebrate the purchase of a new digital camera (you can actually see the drive units through the grilles, and the new Oyaide T/T mat on the side):


http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/871/img0034csa.jpg (http://img822.imageshack.us/i/img0034csa.jpg/)




You don't come from Texas by any chance, or have a slight inferiority complex perhaps:ner:

[Techno Commander]

.ffs Marco do you have to strap yourself to your listening chair?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YhxjGTFQxW0/TFqN24kv7LI/AAAAAAAABE4/ZBS8cEgiXvY/s1600/maxell.jpeg

:lol:

[Marco]

Is that a clip from the old Maxell tape ad, Andy? That's exactly what I was thinking of when I mentioned the seat belts!! :lolsign:

One of my mates says that the sheer visceral impact and bass 'slam', which hits you in the chest with certain tracks, actually makes him feel physically sick!!! :vomfest:

The 'explosion', after the opening introduction on 'Bright Morning Star' on Tiesto's 'Elements of Life' album, is a good one!

:lol:

Marco.

[The Grand Wazoo]

It looks like the mains transformer on the amp is at a far more advanced stage of verdigris than the rest of the amp Marco - 'British Racing Verdigris', I think you said!

[Techno Commander]

Is that a clip from the old Maxell tape ad, Andy? That's exactly what I was thinking of when I mentioned the seat belts!! :lolsign:
Marco.

Indeed it is. A classic ad by any standard.

-DP89iMe0BY

[Marco]

It looks like the mains transformer on the amp is at a far more advanced stage of verdigris than the rest of the amp Marco - 'British Racing Verdigris', I think you said!

Hehehe... Indeed, Chris! The pics don't do the finish justice. Anthony's done a lovely paint job on it (and on the choke behind), which compliments the copper metal of the amp really well :)

You must pop round for a listen sometime, dude, as you ain't a million miles away! :cool:

Marco.

[The Grand Wazoo]

You must pop round for a listen sometime, dude, as you ain't a million miles away! :cool:

Marco.

That's a must, mate. Let's make a plan for after Chrimbo.

[Marco]

Defo! We can discuss this in more detail at 'AoS HQ' ;)

Marco.

[montesquieu]

Obtain a good pair of 15" Monitor Gold drive units for, say, around £2k on Ebay. Then get Speedy Steve to build you some nice cabs for around £800. Rebuild the crossovers for around £600-1000, depending on how far you want to go with components, and so for around £3.5k, you've got a pair of speakers that will compete in most areas (and excel in others) when compared with any new commercial speakers up to around £30k....



I have to totally agree with Marco here. I went from some rather special Lindley-Allen ESL57s (reframed, with no metal grilles and upgraded electronics - totally superb), to Lancasters. These were rather nice in their own way but were not the full Tannoy experience.

Now have the same spec 15in Monitor Golds in GRF cabinets (not Speedy Steve ones, but not bad all the same), though the killer upgrade was new crossovers. Over £300 in parts, but brought out all sorts of subtlety and detail without losing anything in the process.

The comparison with 57s is instructive. One would think the presentation would be polar opposite and in some ways it is. There's nothing quite like a 57 for midrange coherence and overall transparency, while the GRFs couple to the room far better and have a sweet spot the whole width of the couch.

Similarities though abound: a smooth openness, an incredibly solid soundstange, as well as precision placement (especially post-crossover upgrade), plus of course clean clear bass (much lower on the Tannoys of course).

30 grand ... yes I would put a decently sorted pair of Tannoys in that bracket. I'd rather have my clunky old mahogany-coloured GRFs than a pair of Wilson's any day, or any Martin Logan hybrid.

Next stop is a pair of Autograph cabinets. Got to be done I think. I know lots of people moving over to high-efficiency horns with field coil drivers and all the rest, but unless the premium bonds come up (in which case it'll be Westminsters, though I might give 2905s a listen), I'll stick with my Monitor Golds, thanks.

[WAD62]

Indeed it is. A classic ad by any standard.

-DP89iMe0BY

...and for a bonus point can anyone tell me who the 'actor' is in the Maxell ad?

[Jonboy]

That will be Pete Murphy from the group Bauhaus who i saw in concert at the dome in Brighton in the early eighties

[Alex_UK]

Love that picture - had it up in my "bachelor pad" about 8 years ago :)

[Jonboy]

Love that picture - had it up in my "bachelor pad" about 8 years ago :)


CLassic picture i remember it well Alex, those were the days eh