Which Tannoys, folks?

[DSJR]

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.....

[Reffc]

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.

[walpurgis]

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!

[The Black Adder]

.

[Marco]

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).

Technically, Geoff, you're probably right, however I've never experienced the "toppiness" you refer to with my 15" MGs.

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.

[Macca]

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

[Reffc]

Whoa there fellas!

Not quite so fast on the draw

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

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 (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.

[Marco]

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.

[Reffc]

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.

[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.