Bargains on ebay? (Part 2)

[Ninanina]

Described as having "SLIGHT DETERIORATION OF SPEAKER SURROUNDS"...

Look at the state of them..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUPERB-TAN...item2a56cc8097

[walpurgis]

Something else along the same lines

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-KO...s/131582789821

They will likely be horrible, but Coral on the other hand, were well respected back in the day. They made some truly beautiful drive units and systems.

[walpurgis]

my theory of no decent loudspeaker ever having had a shiny dustcap has yet to be disproven!

Vintage JBL LE8T. Reputed to be excellent



Fostex FF225WK. Again reputed to be just fine.



Can't say I've used either though.

[walpurgis]

Described as having "SLIGHT DETERIORATION OF SPEAKER SURROUNDS"...

Look at the state of them..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUPERB-TAN...item2a56cc8097

Yeah. Saw those. New surrounds needed. Not a big deal though.

Most folks would just send the units off to Lockwood for reconing. I on the other hand, would just fit new good quality surrounds to the nicely settled and broken in cones.

[Marco]

Wouldn't Lockwood also just fit new surrounds to the existing cones, if that's what you wanted, and do the same job as you would? There's bugger all wrong with the cones themselves.

Agreed, though. Vintage loudspeakers and/or drive units often need some fettling before giving of their best, which is usually worth the effort, as their best is often far better than the 'best' offered by the majority of modern speakers, one can buy in perfect condition!

However, Devons, although decent, were never Tannoy's greatest creations....

Marco.

[walpurgis]

Wouldn't Lockwood also just fit new surrounds to the existing cones, if that's what you wanted, and do the same job as you would? There's bugger all wrong with the cones themselves.

Agreed, though. Vintage loudspeakers and/or drive units often need some fettling before giving of their best, which is usually worth the effort, as their best is often far better than the 'best' offered by the majority of modern speakers one can buy in perfect condition!

However, Devons, although decent, were never Tannoy's greatest creations....

Marco.

No Marco. My understanding is that Lockwood only offer a complete recone. Presumably the work and time needed to fit replacement surrounds makes it an uneconomical repair which would probably cost near as much as new cones anyway. But from the competent owner's point of view, it's a DIY job worth taking on.

I've owned the Devons and The Cheviots with the HPD 315 and found them coarse at the top. The Devon is short on deeper bass too, the smaller Eaton of the same series runs circles around them, using a 'mere' 10" HPD variant.

I suspect the HPD 315s would have sounded better with a recap.

[montesquieu]

No Marco. My understanding is that Lockwood only offer a complete recone. Presumably the work and time needed to fit replacement surrounds makes it an uneconomical repair which would probably cost near as much as new cones anyway. But from the competent owner's point of view, it's a DIY job worth taking on.

I've owned the Devons and The Cheviots with the HPD 315 and found them coarse at the top. The Devon is short on deeper bass too, the smaller Eaton of the same series runs circles around them, using a 'mere' 10" HPD variant.

I suspect the HPD 315s would have sounded better with a recap.

Agreed, coarseness in Tannoys is generally a crossover issue.

My issue with these ones on ebay needing reconed is that the price doesn't allow for it. Like the way Oxfam price vinyl these days - always top book regardless of condition.

[Marco]

No Marco. My understanding is that Lockwood only offer a complete recone. Presumably the work and time needed to fit replacement surrounds makes it an uneconomical repair which would probably cost near as much as new cones anyway.

That's a bit pish, isn't it? Still, if it were me, as I couldn't hope to take on a job like that, I'd pay for just for fitting replacement surrounds, even if was almost as much as a complete re-cone, simply because, like you (for good reason), I'd rather retain the original cones

I've owned the Devons and The Cheviots with the HPD 315 and found them coarse at the top. The Devon is short on deeper bass too, the smaller Eaton of the same series runs circles around them, using a 'mere' 10" HPD variant.

Agreed, as it mirrors my own experience. The biggest problem with the Devons is that the cabinets are ridiculously too small for their 12" drive units, which IMO is also one of the reasons for the coarseness, as the drivers aren't allowed to 'behave' as intended.

However, the cabinet size would've been influenced by their use in studios, as 'control monitors', when placed above a mixing desk, and as such listened to in a very near-field position. In that scenario, it was mainly the midrange that they were listening to.

That said, it was a pair of Devons that got me into Tannoy DCs, as when listening I became utterly transfixed by the sheer levels of insight into the musical programme and information retrieval that they offered, which I found beguiling, and had never heard before from any 'conventional' loudspeaker designs.

After that, I went straight out and bought a pair of Lockwood Majors - and the rest, as they say, is history!

Marco.

[struth]

Theyre overrated any ways

[Marco]

Aye... Until you hear some good ones

Marco.