The biggest debate in the history of humankind -Tannoy crossovers original vs new.

[Macca]

Peter Walker is pretty well known for saying that the 303 amplifier was not listened to before being put into production. He didn't see the need to 'voice' it. Although I grant you that's an isolated example.

[sailor]

Hi Marco,

Thanks for taking the time to provide that very informative info on the resistors. It does not surprise me, it only encourages me.

Everything in this game matters. The best fuse is no fuse. The best connector is no connector. On the amp I recently built and am using now, I brought the speaker wires outside the amp to a large pair of binding posts. These posts serve only to act as a clamp and are not in the signal path as such. They are cheap 8mm gold plated brass which should be avoided but in this case play no part in ruining the sound as even the most expensive will do, though to a lesser extent. The difference was heard as an increase in detail and spaciousness that a lowering of the noise floor brings. I would not like to attach a % improvement to it as many do as to me its a vague and nebulous quantity but the inexpensive mod was unmistakably audible and worth the time it took.

I have read many of Jeff Day's reviews including the one you linked to. It was his effusive report on the Duelund oil impregnated cotton covered DCA16GA wire that finally convinced me to try it. I was not expecting to hear what I did. At about $8/m it's amazingly good.

A friend I helped with a Tannoy XO insisted on Jupiter caps 100V series for the 6.8 uf and Mundorf MCap silver/Oil and Mills resistors. The inductors were unchanged. This combo sounded simply gorgeous and when I rebuild my XO's (again) I am tempted to use the same but replace the Mills resistors with Duelunds.

I see that the prices of the Duelund RS Speaker Film Capacitors - 100VAC are close to the Jupiters. So Marco, how would you like to try both so we can pick a winner

The pics show the back end of an ancient GAS Son of Ampzilla from the 70's that now is home to modules from Neurochrome and connected to unterminated DCA12GA. This mod is obviously not for owners of beautiful new kit but could be considered for older units or DIY builds.

Measurements can't display what I'm hearing

[Marco]

Peter Walker is pretty well known for saying that the 303 amplifier was not listened to before being put into production. He didn't see the need to 'voice' it. Although I grant you that's an isolated example.

Lol... I think you'd be surprised how many other designers (and companies) have the same attitude, especially these days when so much is built by computers!

Marco.

[Marco]

I think the objectivity hurdles are a prerequisite for equipment, but they do not define everything.

No, but some people obsess too much over measurements and treat them as a 'be all and end all', which I believe is a big mistake. For me, it's no 'happy accident' that the best equipment (or speakers) I've ever heard has all been, not only bespoke built to the highest standard but, let's call it, 'bespoke voiced'...

Quite simply, measurements only take you so far when building a piece of audio equipment (or speakers), *if* when it's ready for sale, you want it to represent something that's more than merely 'adequate'.

The real deal, therefore, is done when it leaves the test bench and is listened to by a pair of experienced ears and fine-tuned to excel at accurately reproducing recorded music, not simply conforming to test signal parameters. The two are quite different. That's why certain equipment is considered by listeners as sounding 'more musical' to their ears than others, as it's very true and also no accident.

It's not that the equipment in question possesses some 'magical power' to achieve such, but rather that, during the listening process, the designer will have succeeded in fine-tuning the circuit (subtly altering the value of certain components, adding new ones, removing others and shortening the signal path, or whatever) to sound 'right', to his or her ears, using recorded MUSIC as the arbiter, the subsequent effect of which on what's heard from the recording, and therefore ultimately on how the equipment performs/sounds, is unlikely to be measurable.

The fact is, after those adjustments have been made, equipment can still test the same [and frequently does], using the same electrical parameters as before, on the same test equipment, but SOUND different!

And that's genuine evidence for how we can successfully hear things in audio, which currently we are unable to measure. The word "currently", however, is key. That will change when, in that respect, we know *exactly* WHAT to measure and HOW to measure it.

I do not believe for one moment that either my ATC SCA2 and SPA2, or my friend's Benchmark amps and DAC were not listened to by the manufacturers before release. To my ears all are superb, as well as measuring very well.

Who knows? Neither of us were there, but you might be surprised.

Marco.

[Marco]

Charles, that's really interesting! I'll reply later

Marco.

[Denzil]

Just a quick one before I comment on some of the most recent posts here and answer the question Sailor asked me about resistors [which I'll come back to soon, I promise!]...

I bought the book below the other day on Amazon (only a few copies left), which if you don't already have, you may wish to buy....





Note the comments above (in the highlighted text) about the Lockwood's "huge low end" - something I've already mentioned and can wholly relate to...

It's a fascinating read, full of all sorts of stuff that would be right up the street of anyone interested in such material, and as such comes highly recommended!

Available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

More later!

Marco.

Though this might be of interest to you Marco.

https://www.tannoyista.com/2020/05/m...story.html?m=1

[Pharos]

"Who knows? Neither of us were there, but you might be surprised."

I'd put a lot of money on them having listened extensively, and with trained ears.

[Marco]

Yes, you'd like to think so

Marco.

[Marco]

Though this might be of interest to you Marco.

https://www.tannoyista.com/2020/05/m...story.html?m=1

Cheers, Denzil. I know Jo well though, and her website, as she's a member of our moderator team!

We also share some of the same choices of equipment.

Marco.

[Denzil]

Cheers, Denzil. I know Jo well though, and her website, as she's a member of our moderator team!

We also share some of the same choices of equipment.

Marco.

Oh. I better be careful and not chat about cars anymore or she may chuck me out of the forum