Feeding the Tannoys

[sailor]

Yup, audio is easier if you're not in an uphill battle with the wife ��

Speaker cables are part of the whole and going by what I think you have I strongly recommend some decent cables. I do not have experience with a lot of different cables in my system but have over the years heard quite a few. I tried QED then Chord Carnival Silver Screen then Ecosse (can't remember the model but were easy to forget) and some others but then came Duelund which I think great value and there are many rave reviews. This unassuming skinny cable genuinely has something to offer and outclasses the cables mentioned. Price? Well very reasonable considering the performance. You will read reviews where guys replaced cables costing many multiples of the Duelund. The sensitive Tannoys will be fine with 16AWG

https://www.hificollective.co.uk/cat...insulated.html

Can be found a little cheaper if you shop around. Fortunately these cables sound best when used unterminated. Just insert the stripped end and tighten. Any connector will degrade the sound so quite a saving there.

Regarding the resistors: if you replace yours with Mills get the exact same resistance but buy the 12W ones even if the ones being replaced are lower wattage.

What value is the capacitor in series with the tweeter and what make did you buy?

[Pharos]

I think connectors are mythical because they only vaguely connect because of asperities.

Bare ends can be re-made, but it may be wise to tin together the very ends to prevent strands which may cause a short.

[GrahamFP]

I didn't realise there was a page 4 on this thread...The tweeter capacitor I replaced was an Elytone (makers of the crossover cct) Electrolytic 10uF 63 V 18x6mm can) the replacement is a jb (Taiwan) 10uF 250v metalized polypropylene in an oval can. Rough dimensions 30x15mm. They're in the speakers right now and I need a decent interval before opening one up to check)! so my guess is not reliable. I have located the resistors, on my to get list, now i will look up the speaker cable, thank you for the providing the benefit of your researches o that subject. So for a smooth transition from amp to drivers the internal cabling should be replaced also with that. Thinking of wives and audio, I am the lowest musical grade person in our household, my wife and all three daughters all have BMus degrees, But I am the only one who is critical of sound reproduction to any degree. Maybe I just need spoon feeding and they don't. it has always puzzled and frustrated me. But now I have started getting serious about upping standards, they are follwing on as - they say - "It's like being at a concert!" I just received the CD "The Best of Malcolm Arnold" Naxos. (A taster for his centenary year) I can't wait to demo the Tannoys to them playing his "Tam O'Shanter". Symphonies 2 and 5 on order!

[Macca]

The sensitive Tannoys will be fine with 16AWG

As long as it isn't a very long run then I'd agree but I'd still recommend 14AWG or thicker just for peace of mind.

I went complete overkill but then I like the concept of overkill:

[sailor]

@Macca, why is peace of mind, or is it piece of mind, important when it's the sound that matters. Have you heard the Duelund 16AWG cables in your system?

[sailor]

Graham, the Duelund cable would be excellent to run to the other drivers but consider the 24AWG (rather thin) OCC solid core copper I suggested earlier for the tweeters. You will not need much so will not be a huge outlay.

The skinny 24AWG I recommended is from experimenting with many different types of wire on lots of speakers. Two takeaways from this experimenting is to use solid core and it must be thin. I have used 28AWG which I think may be better but it's more difficult to work with.

A cheap or free experiment would be to temporarily hook them up with some cat 5. Separate out a twisted pair and use this to connect the tweeters. They are solid core and 24AWG. This will allow you to hear what it does in your system and then you may decide to keep it or upgrade to OCC.

Here is a link to some good quality wire which is bare and will need insulation to prevent shorts. For that get some pure cotton. : https://www.partsconnexion.com/occ6n...k-up-wire.html

At $0.48/ft it's a great value upgrade, but postage from USA will change that so find something locally. There is a rectangular wire that I imported from this outlet but although it sounded different I don't know if I would call it better. It's the Neotech Legenburg which you may have free, just pay postage from Ireland.

But first things first, try the cat 5 but not with PVC insulation, ugly. Teflon or polyolefin is much better, and report back.

[Macca]

@Macca, why is peace of mind, or is it piece of mind, important when it's the sound that matters. Have you heard the Duelund 16AWG cables in your system?

Because I find most speaker cables sound the same and the ones that don't sound 'odd' in some way.

IMO You just need a thick enough cable for the run, and well implemented connections. I like to use very high purity copper cables too although I doubt that matters much if any.

The cable I showed in that pic meets all those criteria and was not cheap although not stupid money either. In truth I do not hear a difference with that and some unbranded 79 strand I also have. But I use the fancy one for peace of mind since I already have it so why not? And it looks to any visiting audiophile like I am taking things seriously.

[sailor]

@Macca, you are using some good components and your system should respond well to cable changes. If you are listening to no-name cheapo cables then I'm not surprised you don't hear much. Beg, Borrow or Buy some Duelund cable. I'm sure you will hear a big change and a change you will like. The speakers are sensitive enough to use 16AWG and are not crazy expensive. There is no need to buy terminals for them because they sound better without.

Should you not like them then just sell them on but I'm sure you will keep them. Perhaps you know somebody who uses Duelund and would lend them to you to try.

When I changed to them the improvement was immediately heard and it was not subtle. My wife who is very supportive had a big grin on her face. Later that same day she was reduced to tears listening to Filippa Giordano. There is emotion here and although I have reverted to my Harmonic Technology Pro 9 cables at many times the price, the Duelunds are the best value by far.

[Macca]

@Macca, you are using some good components and your system should respond well to cable changes. If you are listening to no-name cheapo cables then I'm not surprised you don't hear much. Beg, Borrow or Buy some Duelund cable. I'm sure you will hear a big change and a change you will like. The speakers are sensitive enough to use 16AWG and are not crazy expensive. There is no need to buy terminals for them because they sound better without.

Should you not like them then just sell them on but I'm sure you will keep them. Perhaps you know somebody who uses Duelund and would lend them to you to try.

When I changed to them the improvement was immediately heard and it was not subtle. My wife who is very supportive had a big grin on her face. Later that same day she was reduced to tears listening to Filippa Giordano. There is emotion here and although I have reverted to my Harmonic Technology Pro 9 cables at many times the price, the Duelunds are the best value by far.

Maybe my post wasn't that clear, I don't use the cheapo no name cables I use these https://theartofsound.net/forum/show...light=spotfire

[GrahamFP]

Yes I will change the internal wiring, so at least the most is made of the signals that arrive at the speakers. If I can muster up the diplomacy required to actually get my amplifier etc moved into the same room as the speakers than better speaker cables will be less cost prohibitive. Meanwhile I am now impressed with the set up as is. One of my desires to get the percussion 'in the room' has now largely been met. In Sir Malcolm Arnold's 'Tam O'Shanter' there is an almighty BANG! on a drum (lightning nearby idea) and that's as real and immediate as you can get, thrilling even. But on another Arnold pieace, 'The Peterloo Massacre' I am not convinced by the snare drums entrance but lack of clarity there may well be the recording/orchestra. I will change the resistors too. My view is that the cross-over filters are frequency focussed and should present the lowest possible impediment to the arrival of thos frequencies to their destinations. So I am happy to install the most efficient components and cabling. I have just installed a water butt to catch the considerable flow of rainwater off a large area of roof and I have run a hose pipe from the butt to the well in the garden. (To avoid water logging of the ground near the house). I will upgrade the hose pipe to plastic piping in due course to assure a good uninterupted, low resistance flow. I am definately into current flows right now!
I greatly appreciated the advice and help given here, my system speaks volumes to its efficacy! :-)