Amp recommendations for Tannoy Canterbury SE

Are your Canterburys broken-in? If not, my pair of Kensington needed 1000-1500 hours.

Mulveling makes good points. You have to work with placement, tubes and stuff before you give up on Ayon. Tannoys with pepperpot and alnico are very transparent to every little change.

From my experience Manley amps are dream stuff with high-end Tannoys.

- Manley importer disclaimer -

2 more options in addition to the ones that I mentioned in the other thread:

1) Rogue M-180's

2) Bel Canto Ref500m or Ref1000m

I've used both of these with really very good results with the Prestige series. If you would like to go solid state, I was quite taken back by how good the Bel Cantos sounded with the Tannoys. The Rogue M-180's also seem to be a very, very nice match.

I've never heard the Ayons you have in person, but I am somewhat surprised that they are not giving you your desired results.

***Tannoy, Rogue and Bel Canto dealer disclaimer***

Also, as mentioned above - for tube amps with a triode/UL switch, that can make a big difference too! I easily prefer Ultralinear mode on my Rogue Apollos; the dynamics, bass snap & impact just sound muted in triode. The mids are a tiny bit smoother and more seductive in triode, but the differences in bass are not so subtle.

I haven't heard the Canterbury SE yet, but damn do I lust for them. I've had no problems with Rogue Apollo tube monoblocks (250 Watts/ch) on my Kensington SE, or on the Yorkminster SE. In fact, you can run the gamut of sonic flavors/attributes - from lean bass to heavy bass to a wonderful balance - by tube rolling. Both small-signal and output tubes yield huge impact on the Prestige models I've heard. Preamp/phono/etc. Actually, at this point, pretty much every little detail imparts a huge impact. The EH KT90 comes to mind as a good tube for making the bass sound leaner and (seemingly) faster without sacrificing *too* much impact. The Tung-Sol KT120, on the other hand, is perfect if your system is a bit lean. I've also used a Rogue Hera II preamp as well as a VAC Ren Mk III. Both excellent, both with notably different sonic results.

The Yokie's 95dB was clearly advantageous over the Kensington's 93dB (the latter showing restricted dynamics on < 80 Watts). I can't imagine the Canterbury, at 96dB, would pose any problems for a 100W tube amp. You've definitely got to dial these speakers in with the right positioning, seating location, toe-in, etc, and then lock in the right tube recipe. Say 6-9 ft apart and 6-9 feet to seating - a slightly elongated equaliateral triangle - tends to work well for many Tannoys. Give them at least a meter from the front wall. Also, doesn't the Canterbury SE feature a variable tuning port? That's yet another significant parameter to play with :)

I've also heard the Yorkminster SE on a VAC Beta 160 integrated (80 Watts/ch tube) - once again, sounded great, with no issues in the bass. BTW, the Yorkies have absolutely stunning bass - speed, impact, and extension. No discernable dips/bumps; absolutely PERFECT integration with the midrange. Have to admit, they clobber my Kensingtons in this respect. I can't imagine that the Canterbury are too far off that, unless they're stuffed into a really bad room. On the other hand, there are flavor differences along the Prestige line, and (at least compared to the Kensington) the Yorkminster sounds more up you alley.

You're not going to make a Tannoy Prestige sound like a Wilson, a YGA, etc. But if you're one that drinks the dual-concentric kool aid (like me), then you're in for a lovely time once you get all these parameters set to your liking.

Are you using pentode or triode mode with the Ayon's.

Buconero117, I see your point. I hope to get a few names/types which people found to be matching well with Canterburies, I will have this shortlist as a starting point in my search.

Dan,
Thanks for your inputs. I believe the current delivery capability matters most here. I am wondering what is the equivalent of the older VAC model you mentioned available nowadays. I see only high powered amps on their website now.

Phaelon,
Thanks for your observation. For my personal preference, perhaps powerful solid-state is the way to go...

Best to find a dealer that will loan you some solid state units, 100 watts+. Often the only way to really find out what best suits the SE's is the 'try' way. Theory will get you know where. I have heard the SE's at a dealer's showroom with various amps, none of which made the speakers appeal to me. Finally went with the JBL Everest speakers. The first high end speaker I owned, in the late fifties, was Tannoy. At that time I choose it over a K-Horn.

It might be that the speakers just aren’t as fast and punchy as the one’s your used to. I can’t see any reason why your amp shouldn’t work well with these speakers. But, as always, it all comes down to personal preference. That’s why some people prefer relatively powerful solid state amps, even with efficient Tannoys. I would love to hear the Canterburys with my amp and it is only a 25 watt push-pull 300b.

FWIW, I believe Tannoy recommends amplifiers rated between 50-275 watts.

Hello Wilfred,

I don't have Canterburys, but I do drive a pair of custom-built Tannoy HPD 315's (12" Dual Concentric, ca 1975, but with new woofers with the updated Prestige "Hard Edge" surrounds). So far, the best amp I have found is an old VAC PA 35.35, an EL 34 push-pull amp with tremendous current delivery capability, though they are only 35Wpc.

I also have a Plinius SA 100 MKIII, at 100Wpc, but the VAC is by far the better match. I listen to very dynamic symphonic music, jazz, r'n'r, and blues. This amp/speaker combination is well-suited for any type of music, the ability to deliver high energy transients is quite often enough to scare the daylights out of me.
I like the VAC so much, I sent it in to Kevin and company at the factory for a Signature upgrade, and it's even better than before. You might consider looking into VAC, this amp has done great for me.

Best of luck,
Dan