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Hi Paul.
What I've learnt recently is that Formica is a more professional choice of veneer as it's rock solid and strengthens the flex of wood, my lockwoods are veneered with it. It also adds to the weight substantially.
Might be something to try in the future.
Indeed... Originally, I considered the use of Formica on my Lockies as something rather quaintly vintage, but then later learned that it's a bloody good material, sonically, for a speaker veneer.
I was therefore warned by people in the know that my Lockwoods would not sound the same if I re-veneered them in something 'tidier' looking (as I had intended to do), so I've left them well alone!
Brown Formica, castors, strangely made non-removable grilles and side-handles, and they sound freakin' amazing. You gotta love the charm of these babies... :eyebrows:
Marco.
Trouble with that stuff is you can't hide the end/sides unless it's set in.
You can 'edge' the edges to a matching colour, don't ask me how but mine are done like that (Marco's will be too I should imagine) and look very tidy indeed.
Professional job by the brown coats at Lockwood back in the 50's/60's.
A recommended alternative to veneer, Paul.
Sorry chaps but I would rather drown myself in a vat of pickled eggs than have a piece of Formica anywhere near my speakers!:stalks: It may well be excellent sonically as something to form a compound lamination with but another answer surely is to use birch ply in place of the chip board in the first place? Formica...yuck! :lol::lol::lol: I guess it doesn't matter what you use but the prinicple is the same....lamination of materials with different resonant properties combined such that their natural resonant frequency isn't excited within the audio bandwidth or more accurately, is designed such that resonant decay time is minimised (the opposite of "ringing"). Worst material by far if left untreated has to be MDF. Some chip boards are actually very good (better in fact than some plywoods) and dense ply with a high resin/pva content (courtesy of lots of thin laminations) possibly the best of the timber based materials?
Its a whole other topic and one worthy of a thread on it's own but lets leave Formica out of it, unless it's to restore a '60's kitchen;):lol: (tongue firmly in cheek just in case the Formica police come after me....)
lol... yuck as may be but WOW!
Hehehe... Formica rools ok, ya bass!
In all seriousness, though, quite a few people come to hear my system, and the vast majority of them like the 'retro' look of the Lockwoods (and these are people who would soon tell me if they didn't). Then once they hear them, their admiration takes on another dimension.... :eyebrows:
Marco.
Mmmmm. Pickled eggs!Quote:
Originally Posted by Reffc
Anyway, formica is very stiff and has a laminar structure, but no real directional grain as such (although the manufacture is linear). I doubt it offers much in the way of panel damping, but it will certainly add to the stiffness (and weight) of panels.
It is hard wearing to a point, the surface is hard, but the edges chip fairly easily.
I agree that chipboard can be good, it is pretty resistant to vibration, unlike MDF and hard (birch) ply is even worse. Just try tapping a board of each and you'll see what I mean.
Regardless of material choice though, much panel resonance can be largely cut by intelligently utilised cabinet bracing.
+1 - I (and the wife) like the look. Which is cool... Proper job.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
There's been a fair amount of study into panel resonance and Ply came out pretty well (measured using an accelerometer with energy applied to the panels and the decay times and amplitudes measured). Just rapping a panel tells you little about it's resonant behaviour in this respect although it can indicate the stiffness and density of what's been used. Sturdy braced cabs in virtually any material are fine....MDF is terrible but suitably braced or damped, it works fine (which is why 90% of all mass produced speakers use it...that and the fact it's cheap and easy to machine and finish). Hear what you're saying chaps about Formica and would agree that it looks fine (and is easy to care for, doesn't stain etc). Personal choice for me are real wood veneers.
Old big IMF's used to use walnut grained formica and looked good until excessive sunlight caused the edges to lift :)
Nowt wrong with MDF as long as the designer knows what it does and can deal with it accordingly. I believe Harbeth now use it - thin and with copious added damping - and their boxes are incredibly "dead" and with just a tiny amount of resonance at 900Hz or so, well down in level and around the modest distortion levels I believe. Speakers are the worst and most distorted part of any HiFi system, together with the listening room, so do what you need to do and do it carefully and well :)
Precisely David. It's not so much about what is used but why it's used and about the care that's put into the work. The proof should be in the listening.Quote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
Progress: All done now except for fitting refurbished drivers. Today's progress:
Silver plated copper binding posts fitted to Oak Backed Board and cross over wires soldered into place:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4507c16b.jpg
Rear of cabinet showing the new Oak backed board fitted with new binding posts:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...psf93f2b30.jpg
New Cross-overs...wiring being prepared for soldering:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps06c48e9b.jpg
First Cross-over fitted into place on the rear cabinet panel. Rubber grommets installed between PCB and cabinet panel to help dampen PCB:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5d64cff7.jpg
Long Lambswool wadding fitted into place...just puched into corners in between existing foam joints. Not too much to start with...this may be an aspect that needs fine tuning by the addition or removal of more wadding:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...pscfdf48d8.jpg
2nd cross-over fitted into cabinet. Wadding was added to this one after the photo was taken. Just need to install the drivers which should be with me this week and all's finished:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...ps95eebbe4.jpg
Guess what arrived today? :eyebrows:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...psf300fa74.jpg
...and insitu currently dwarfing the Turnberrys, and remember these are Turnberrys raised up on 10 inch stands:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...psbe95a558.jpg
With new rejuvenated grilles fitted:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...psc858927f.jpg
I plugged them in, and let the amp warm up a little before putting on a CD and sitting down with a coffee....the coffee almost ended up in my lap...a bass drum kicked in with such force and realism it could have been in the room...what followed was 10 minutes trying to pick my jaw up off the ground.
These are without a shadow of a doubt the most dynamic sounding speakers I've probably ever heard...at any budget...anywhere. Utterly astonishing scale, effortlessness, timbral accuracy which I simply was not expecting...and that BASS! The Mansfield cabinets are superb and must rank as one of the best sounding vintage Tannoys I've heard. less pipe and slippers than even the Turnberrys! (and they're no slouches!).
I'm blown away and these have yet to be run in so will only get better. I can' take the credit for this as most of the performance is due to the original cabs (design), Lockwoods for making the HPDs better than new, and finding a crossover that has brought these bang up to date in terms of resolution and even handedness without a single hint of Tannoy honk...and I mean nothing, anywhere in the frequency range that I can detect. I'm glad now that I put the effort in on the cabs, hardwiring and detail. I'm blown away.
I could say I told you so, so I will: I told you so!! :eyebrows:
You can't beat the vintage drive units in proper cabinets, modified with new crossovers. No modern Tannoys can produce the same magic! :nono:
Enjoy, Paul. I predict that you'll not be going to bed very early tonight..... ;)
Marco.
It'll be a late listening search tonight as Verdi beckons. They sound awesome driven by the big Luxman. I have another driving force in the wings courtesy of a specially modded Croft pre (on its way) mated to some VAC PA60 KT88 monoblocks. That combo with these Tannoys could just make me re-evaluate hifi.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I think you could be right - Croft stuff is awesome and KT88 amps with vintage Tannoys is a marriage made in heaven (although 120s are even better)! :)
Marco.
Paul- talented people such as yourself really give the ump!:)
The " new Tannoys" look awesome! and l am so glad they are working out for you- and they are not even run in yet, a real labour of love:cool:
Thank you Andy although I don't know about the "talented" bit :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarzan
If anything, after playing a load of albums now, they're a little toppy, most un-Tannoy like but I reckon its the drivers needing loads of hours yet to bed in. I played Massive Attack's "Angel" track pretty loud and the bass rattled the light fittings on the ceiling and the door to the living room which wasn't properly closed appeared to be sucked open then shut again:stalks::eek: That was a bit of a giggle...they certainly move air. As they settle, I'm sure that the bass will loosen up a little and even out things more. As it stands, they sound better than any of the newer Tannoys I've heard.
Happy to pass on the design and dimensions of these cabs if anyone fancies a go at some DIY Mansfields. Also happy to have these cabs made (or any other Tannoy designs come to that) for folk who may have some 12 inch HPDs that they're wondering what to do with!
+1+1+1+1Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I can't believe how this KT88 amp sounds with Tannoy MG's...
Fookin monstaaaah!
__
Paul, they look top matey... Great to see the pics too! :stalks:
Paul - don't bother re-evaluating "HiFi," as it's a complete waste of time. Just play your music instead and forget the audio journey..... :)
:) I think that the Mansfields allow that David. I'm afflicted by hifi in a sense in that if it doesn't sound right then the music takes second place to the hifi and that's bad because I would (and have in the past)found myself not listening to music because of the hifi. The re-evaluation is that 1) good hifi doesn't have to cost a fortune and 2) these Mansfields allow realism, scale and life to music that I've rarely heard in the past, so the music does then take precedence.Quote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
Glad the Mansfields are working out for you Paul.
The "toppiness" you refer to is to some degree a characteristic of 'pepperpot' Tannoys, you get used to it, as it's not a shrillness as such (I personally suspect it's a resonance across the horn throat where it's almost parallel sided in front of the waveguide exits). That's why sympathetic source and amplification matching are critical to get a decent balance, as I'm sure you know.
I've been using various Tannoys for the best part of forty years and I've got used to their quirks!
.
Technically, Geoff, you're probably right, however I've never experienced the "toppiness" you refer to with my 15" MGs.Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
When I first got them, they sounded tubby and rolled-off, with the original crossovers in place, so the complete opposite from toppy. Then when I fitted the new crossovers, the sound just sprang to life in the most detailed and informative way imaginable (veritable night and day improvement) - again, however, with no "toppiness" in evidence whatsoever.
Maybe, with the copper amp, I just got the amp-matching right from the off? :)
If you're talking about horn coloration (a subtle 'quackiness', through the midrange, with some types of music), I agree, as that's an inherent signature of Tannoy DCs, but that's a rather different thing from "toppiness", which suggests a forwardness and overemphasis of high-frequencies. There is definitely none of that present with my Lockwood Major/15" MGs.
Marco.
If I'd been asked to bet on the refurbished Mansfields versus the Turnburrys I have to say I would have gone with the Mansfields. Looks like I wouldn't have lost my shirt ;)
Whoa there fellas!
Not quite so fast on the draw ;):lol:
I'm used to the lift at 2KHz which is a result of the energy transferred to the horn throat at the crossover point. This isn't like that at all. It's simply that new drivers have been fitted and as part of that, new spider assemblies (suspension) has also been fitted and is still very stiff. You can feel the resistance to movement just tapping the cones, so many hours needed to break these in. Whilst the lower end of the spectrum is affected, the upper is not, so initially, the speakers will sound (unusually for Tannoy) very detailed, almost too "hi-rez" which isn't something one would normally accuse Tannoys of being!
The other effect is that on passages with dynamic swings involving bass, the volume needs turning up more than normal to get the cones to move on their new stiff suspension. When the bass kicks in, it does so on an errrrrr....interesting scale! (nothing, nothing, nothing, BAM!) a little like the engine response on my old Skoda VRS diesel :lol:
After 7 hours or so of playing, it's now starting to settle down and the volume can be lowered slightly. Detail is great...Jerry would even like these :eyebrows: (there's hope for Jerry yet ;)) and the mid range is starting to fill out a little more.
Of course part of this could be the new caps needing to stabilise too.
Whatever...I can see these staying. The wife wants them beautified as she loves the Turnberrys (which are very pretty), so I guess I'll ned to strip the veneer I did, veneer the front baffle with something pretty, and re-veneer the base and sides of the plinth in a matching Timber to contrast with the main cab. A Burr Maple would be a nice contrast but we'll see.
That all makes sense, Paul. Refresh my memory again: which drive units are inside the Mansfields? I've forgotten. Tried scrolling back, but could find the info :)
Marco.
They're 12 inch HPD units Marco but modified with the higher performance voice coils and drivers/surrounds that Lockwood fit, and also fitted with new suspension. I've kept the surrounds as foam rather than the He surrounds which don't apparently sound as good so these will need re-foaming (only) is say 15 years. Think MG chassis and magnets, "new" HPD cones and coils.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Ah, thanks for the clarification, Paul. You've got a kind of 'halfway house' then between Monitor Golds and what's in your Turnberrys :)
Makes you wonder what the new Lockwood Majors would sound like, with 15" HPDs, eh? ;)
See here: http://www.musicosis.co.uk/?p=797
Marco.
Yes,Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I spoke with Paul who wrote the review and also with Nick as I was going to buy that pair, but they WOULD have been too big for my room. The 12 inch Tannoys in the Mansfield cabs are as big as I need/want to go. Those Lockwoods are/were an insane bargain. You couldn't make a new set for that, I know, I priced up doing just that based on refurbished drivers, new x-overs, and those cabs being professionally built.
A cross between 15 inch MGs and the Turnberrys is probably a good analogy. They have the energy, response and drive of the Turnberrys with the scale of the larger Tannoys. They're also slightly more detailed sounding than the Turnberrys, courtesy of the crossover fitted.
Indeed, and I understand your issues with space.
However, what I was getting at is that you've already heard how the Mansfields smoke the Turnberrys in certain areas (and my guess is that over time you'll love them so much that you'll not be able to do without those particular strengths), so just imagine what the new Majors would do, with those 15" HPDs, at considerably less cost than a pair of new Turnberrys....
I reckon that the new Majors would give even the current Canterbury SEs a hard time - and folk sometimes wonder why I preach the mantra of achieving the highest SPPV...? ;)
Marco.
Agreed.
Compared with any of the new Tannoy range (at RRP), the effort needed to resurrect a vintage pair or to buy something like the Lockwoods is a no brainer. I'd say the issue for many 'philes with cash to spalsh is that the idea of choosing the right pair of drivers, sorting crossovers and cabs is all too much hassle if all they want is to buy a ready made solution and that possibly puts some people off (which is understandable). The rewards are there though. All I would say is that the newer cabinets are a lot prettier and more substantial than a majority of the older ones and this has to figure somewhere when making a decision for a living room.
My wife thinks that the Mansfields are the ugly relation of the Turnberrys and she's right, but I can do something about that with patience, time and veneer!
Paul, any chance of some more info/prices on the new crossovers please? They look superbly done and I hope they perform the way that the HPD's always promised.
Hi DavidQuote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
yes, no problem.
The crossovers are designed and built by Mark Pitcher and do perform the way intended, just without the treble energy controls. Mark has taken the advice of Dr Paul Mills of Tannoy when developing this design. Mark also tests the crossovers using a signal generator to ensure as flat a response as possible and its these things that have allowed fine tuning to end up with the current design.
I'll supply Mark's email via PM to anyone interested in contacting Mark about the crossovers but more details are below for the ones I have:
"T" series Mk2 Tannoy crossovers with 4 pin connector supplied.
Yellow MKT Polyester Tannoy grade capacitors rated at 250v;
Re-designed Tabnnoy crossovers with some tweaks (approved by Tannoy) applied:
Using a high grade 1.6mm FR4 (high grade flame retardant) printed circuit board, track layout designed with the “star” earthing principle, with 2 separate isolated independent circuits, one for HF, one for LF, but shipped with input links in for common input (easy removable for separate low and high frequency circuits). So can be used for Bi-amp applications. Five black grommets are provided as mounting “spacers”, along with 5 suitable screws.
Based closely on the Tannoy circuits, with a few tweaks. Use as an upgrade over the Tannoy standard crossovers with the switches, or replacement if yours is missing or faulty. Full frequency tested with from 10 to 30kHz.
Supplied with 4 output cables (2 for LF, 2 for HF), 1 metre, so you can shorten if required, with an upgrade 5A nickel plated brass connector block (with nuts and bolts) to fit to the chassis of the speaker, complete with fixing screws, holes line up with existing holes, simply unscrew (if rivets, drill out carefully) the existing Tannoy 4 pin, cut the wires, strip and screw the speaker wires into one side of the terminal block. Then fix the wires from the crossover to the other side of the terminal block. Alternative supply is the 4-pin Tannoy connector (stocks running low!).
Mark trades on Ebay under the name "beterbyvalves" and his crossovers can be bought direct from there too.
They're good and they're not "foo" money. The HPDs sound bang up to date with these and have noticeably better detail than with the older crossovers.
Quick update
Mansfields have about 15 hours on them now and starting to sound a little more fluid as the drivers break in. Detail is very good, although still a little brightly lit and it's the midrange that shines through more than anything. It has a palpable real sense of presence and brings the music alive whatever the genre.
Swapping back to the Turnberrys it's clear that these are two very differently voiced speakers. Turnberrys are warmer and more coloured in the mids and lack the upper sparkle but have real visceral power in the bass, a fraction deeper than the Mansfields and very powerful. Not sure which presentation I prefer but extended listening shows that the Mansfields are more detailed in the upper bass with timbre to the notes making things sound real and up close, whereas the Turnberrys place you further back but blow your socks off with the shear impact they generate. A combination of the two would be my perfect speaker.
Some experiments to follow. I can't find much on the Mansfields except that they were designed for full range monitoring and possibly voiced in an anechoic chamber for flat response (always sounding a bit brighter in the average room). Also, the internal acoustic foam is meant o be 3 inches thick and cover everything except the front baffle which has been designed for a certain amount of give to get the right "Q" for the speaker. I've added long lambswool to the acoustic foam and this should help dampen against standing waves, but it does also present an apparent increase in cabinet volume to the driver if over-padded which could reduce bass output.
Also, the bass might be enhanced a little by moving tight to a rear wall, so I'll muck about with them and see what changes are brought. They're good and I'm sure can be made better.
Ah, are we meeting slightly more? :) The Turnberry's I heard were gentle up top as set at t'factory and were slightly more coloured than "the other" speakers we've discussed before :lol:
I bet these "new old" Tannoys of yours are really lovely and they'll certainly be stable enough with rug-rats charging around...
Now, what are you going to do with the Turnberry's? Could be a bargain coming on for someone?????????
They both have plenty of detail David, but the Turnberrys require more careful set up and are more fussy about amplification. What amp you use has a huge bearing on the sound you get from them which is why they can never be judged on the basis of a single audition at a dealership on one particular amp. They are very balanced sounding with powerful P-P valve amps, not so nice with SS amps (the 2KHz lift seems to be exacerbated by some amps quite dramatically). The only SS amp I liked them with was the Perreaux Audiant 80i. Very good match indeed. Yes, they have some mid range colouration but all loudspeakers are coloured in some way. What they do superbly well is LF grunt and scale and I quite like a slightly warm of neutral mid which is how the Turnberrys are voiced. Not perfect at all, but great with some amps.Quote:
Originally Posted by DSJR
By contrast, the Mansfields offer less bass slam, less visceral impact (which is a shame) but are way more neutral across the spectrum as they have been voiced as studio monitors. Deep bass is there but with no lift, as there isn't any porting to boost LF SPLs. What you get is fast, articulate and with great tone. Mid range has a walk-through loveliness about it...hardly any discernible colouration and treble is very very detailed. No need whatsoever for a supertweeter. It's the very first pair of Tannoys which I've heard be so balanced and neutral and some of that has to be down to the excellence of Mark Pitcher's crossover design. As speaker compromises go (and remember this is me talking, and my perfectionist nature tends to make me very fussy) then the Mansfields are pretty darned good. There's a lot to like.
The "however" is that I happen to like visceral bass with real power when called for and the Turnberrys are great in this respect. Haven't decided yet which stay and which go. It's too close to call....chalk and cheese though. I have an opportunity soon to try a Croft pre/VACPA60 Monoblock powers with both speakers and that should (from all amps I've experimented to date) promise to be an ideal match for both, so I can do some in depth comparisons then. The big Luxman and Mansfields work great together. The Luxman and Turnberrys are a less successful pairing.
I thought that Paul and other Tannoy DC fans might be interested in this article:
http://www.allegrosound.com/Tannoy_Dual-Concentric.pdf
Enjoy! :)
Marco.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Yes, interesting, even though I am familiar with the design details.
Of some worth I'd think to those who have not owned Tannoys and are not aware of the more or less unique design.
Some elaboration on the 'pepperpot' types as well as the 'tulip waveguide' designs would have been useful, as they are still in production.
That's a very interesting article although interestingly it doesn't mention some of the drawbacks of the Tulip Waveguide system such as introducing slightly raised distortion between 1KHz and 2KHz and the importance of tuning crossovers to various enclosure designs. I must admit I prefer the pepper-pot design of the earlier models and the more expensive prestige DCs but like the Turnberry for the excellent cabinet design, room friendly size and build.
Still deciding between the Turnberry or the Mansfield and it's 6 of one and half a dozen of the other at the minute...but I think that the vintage Tannoys just may have it!
Decision made:
have decided that the Mansfield's will stay....sort of! The HPD units will stay as will the crossovers. I am designing a 150 litre enclosure (ported) which will make the most of the 315HPDs. This will be built in 25mm Birch Ply and veneered in European Oak. Shape wise, it won't be a box. Front baffle board will be 450mm wide and in plan, the sides will come in to 200mm deep before being angled at 45 degrees inwards to a total cabinet depth of 350mm. They will stand around 1.1m high. Port will be a 4 inch port, 6 inches deep located in the lower half of the cabinet to one side.
This shape will ensure a very rigid construction and the volume and porting will be designed for a 30Hz in room response before roll-off. This will take some weeks to complete but I hope to make a start within the next week or two and will document progress. It is aimed at matching the performance of something like the Prestige Kensington for a lot less money. Funds to manufacture will come from the sale of the Turnberrys. I estimate timber and veneer costs to be about £600. I will be receiving assistance in the shape of a computer modelling suit for the cab design... I want to make the "perfect" 315 loudspeaker. Exciting times!
Have modelled current enclosure V's proposed enclosures:
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/...psd67c82b3.jpg
The yellow line represents the Mansfield cabinets (and is an imporvement on the Lancaster cabs response).
Bottom green line represents a 150 litre vented enclosure.
Top green line represents a 140 litre vented enclosure.
I've modelled other volumes and vent arrangements but going larger with the 315HPD leads to a hump at 35 Hz which would induce boomy response. Going lower to 100 litres with a vented cabinet betters the current sealed enclosure and gives a nice smooth response but the best response seems to be for 140 litres where the port is tuned for 30Hz at -6dB.
I'll have some further attempts at optimising the enclosure size and design, but so far, 140 litre vented cabinet has it.
Just thinking laterally, but there is a easy option that should give results rather similar to the sound you have from the Mansfields and that is to mount a pair of HPD 295A drivers in the Turnbury cabinets, it has been done before successfully. I personally found the sound quality of the 295A superior to the 315, I've owned both and still have a pair of HPD 295A Eatons. The 10" driver still packs a punch and has a lovely mid and top.
That's not a bad idea at all, but I have a perfectly decent set of 315's now and all they really seem to need is a few crossover tweaks to drop HF response slightly (between 3 and 10KHz) and some more beef low down (cabinet issues) and job's a good 'un.Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
Several ways of doing it:
1. Easy way: drill a vent hole into the lower half of each cabinet to take a 100mm diameter, 150mm long port (modelled, this results in MUCH improved bass response);
2. Build new cabs to 150 litre dimensions and make them ported;
3. Do as you suggest and keep the Mansfield cabs.
I've lived with the Turnberrys and Mansfields for a little while now and the Turnberrys knock the older speakers into a cocked hat for looks and for bass response. The HPDs though have a lovely mid range and are way more detailed and I'm willing to sacrifice a little bass for that. However, they are ugly :doh:
I have always fancied building my own loudspeakers, and this as a great opportunity to take the HPDs and fit them into something as lovely as the Turnberry cabs. I have two designs roughed out now and will decide on which one gets the green light tomorrow after a little practical research into how to build each! They won't be conventional boxes and both designs I reckon will look stunning. I can also play with the HPD crossovers and tweak them a little to optimise the HF response.
That's the plan. I know I have a great set of HPDs so plan to use them. The Mansfield cabs will be sold to whoever would like them. They are great cabs for sealed boxes and way better IMHO than the Lancasters (better bass response and more solid too) but I know that I can squeeze more LF performance from the HPDs so that's what I aim to do, all wrapped up in something which will suit the room.
As a total aside, I just took my Cheviots out of the system and hooked up my Eatons. I haven't used them seriously for a year or so.
Wow, I'd forgotten what these can do! They have the same pepperpot tweeter as the 12" Monitor Gold and it shows, so transparent and clean through the mid. Lovely. I suppose while I'm at it, I should give the System 800s a whirl too, they are also superb.
I'll probably have to make some space and sell a pair soon, but which ones? They are each great in their own way, I'm very torn as to how to make the choice.
I'll take the System 800s if you decide to flog them in a few months :DQuote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
I had a feeling you might say something Shane.
I suspect it may be the Eatons to go, sadly, as they sound quite similar to the Cheviots. The System 800s have a sound of their own.
Not making a decision yet, as I'm very fond of them all.
(how are the Magisters going by the way?)
To be honest I'm not using them. Because my room is no good for them!Quote:
Originally Posted by walpurgis
Shame your thinking of letting the Eatons go!
Have picked the veneers for the new cabinets. Main cabs will be veneered in this:
http://www.veneerselector.com/veneer...res/SPA193.jpg
At the front the edges of the cabinets will be in structural solid timber rebated to accept the 25mm sides and front baffle board, the edges of the timber being rounded for the best baffle performance and to make the front aesthetically pleasing. Timber will be a 1100mm long 80mm by 80mm section of solid European Walnut:
http://www.veneerselector.com/veneer...res/SPA200.jpg
The contrast between the two is lovely and the Sycamore Cluster brings a very contemporary and fresh look to the speaker enclosures.
Watch this space...mock up of speaker cabinet options coming soon!