RB,
Where are you located? Dealers exist. I have auditioned the Cheviot.
I believe the Arden is the model a notch up the line and comes with a 15"
speaker. Cheviot is 12" as I recall and about $2k cheaper.
If you listen loud and the room is not big you might be better suited
to the Chevies. If you have decent sized space and do not crank it up
often, the Arden should be the pick.
Good lucK!! |
I've always been curious about these same two Tannoy's and hopefully can hear them in New England some day. I considered buying a pair but despite the 15 and 12 inch woofer they only go to 35 and 38hz. Some people say you won't miss the bass but what they really should say is they don't miss the bass. If I had these with dual subs I'd have a setup the size a compact car in my room.
Please follow up if you get them! |
I've owned the Legacy Arden for a couple of years now. Don't let the frequency response specs fool you.
I've always had a hard time obtaining realistic bass in my room and have had 6 pairs of speakers in there. The Ardens are the fist pair to bring the proper bass and mid bass weight that allowed me to sell off a pair of 15" sealed subwoofers and sub EQ. They offer a weighty sound, and are a little on the "dark" side so pairing with more lively electronics/amps is helpful.
While they are easily tuned through port plugs and high frequency adjustments, keep in mind the Cheviot and Arden are very much a point source speaker. There is a defined sweet spot depending on room placement, so they're not the best speaker for filling the whole house with sound.
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My speakers now are custom 12" HPDs from 1975 Cheviots, in 150 liter bass-reflex enclosures that are 1 7/8" MDF and weigh 192 lbs. each.
These speakers provide superb performance in my large room, with very adequate bass response in my 16' X 34' with cathedral ceilings room. I write this to let you know what the 12" drivers can do.
So, don't give up on the 12" Dual Concentrics. Maybe try to find a used set of 12" Prestige Line speakers, they could make you very happy..
I hear the new Cheviots are good sounding, but in a better cabinet situation, they may provide you with the bass response you are looking for.
Best regards,
Dan..
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Thanks everyone for your input, ultimately I will go to Upscale and audition both speakers, I just wanted to hear what current or past ears have heard and opinions, I will add my input when I have auditioned both pairs |
@rbtstock , I'd be interested in hearing your impressions once you've had a chance to demo both. |
I will post once I have auditioned both speakers |
I’ve got the Berkeley’s, which are said to be the same as the Arden’s but in smaller boxes.
I’ve read a few articles and user reviews that the Arden cabinet is better suited to the HPD385 15 inch dual concentric drivers which both of these classic Tannoys share.
If they are, they should be fabulous.
The Arden’s are also said to go down some 5Hz lower in the bass.
The only things to watch out for are siting (mid-bass boom), and the occasional raucous treble some users have reported. |
I bought a set of the new Cheviot a few months back from Upscale. They sound like butter. Not bass heavy unless playing something that has deep bass, then they dig deep, no hesitation. |
I will be selling a pair of excellent condition Cheviot's as soon as I get the pictures and everything set up. I have to figure out how to post them. Cannot send a preview pic in this discussion |
George 265, are your cheviots still available? |
Not a big fan of speakers that use the tweeter as a midrange driver, with a very low crossover frequency, around 1200k. I prefer a larger midrange 6" that will reproduce male voices like Leonard Cohen for example. You ain't going to get that with a tweeter, doesn't move enough air. |
Interesting point Sounds_real_audio |
The midrange is the hardest thing in any speaker. Too small and your trying to cover it with a tweeter, too big and you have a bass driver muddling along.
I would have to hear them before buying. They have such a big following but that means nothing in audio if you don't fall into that group. |
I have been given the OK by the boss to buy my last set of speakers and will buy Tannoy. I’m looking at the Cheviots, Ardens and the Turnberrys as well. I will also audition them as soon as I can get a free day. I’m lucky that Upscale Audio is only 35 miles away and down 1 freeway (210 east) at that.
At the moment, I’m leaning toward the Turnberry’s which is funny because the last time I was there, I saw the (Tannoy) prestige line near the entrance and thought...’who buys this nutty stuff’? But the closer you look, the more appeal there seams to be...for me.
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I have owned the Tannoy Ardens for 44 years and was fortunate to be able to audition the entire Legacy group (then four sizes) in person in a controlled room in '77. I wavered between them only because the Ardens are really BIG, but I finally went with them because the enclosure size DOES make a difference in rich, full bass response and a distinct imaging...so hard to convey what you hear but I have never heard a sweeter speaker. It is not heavy on treble so remember that when picking you amplification, but I use mine with tubes and LOVE the warmth and smoothness. Never been tempted by another..likely never will. I was lucky to find my "forever" speakers at the age of 25! I'm now in a custody battle as when we divorced we agreed to switch back and forth every five years..now he is trying to keep them but I am ready to hear them again! You will never regret getting them! |
This bring tear to my eye but me my advices to look for more speed the thunder. Solid state rock you world. Look at size and girth of big Maggie speaker. This give you speed and depth you longing to for without be frail and fragile. Maybe this get you over hump and give you balance away from past speaker. You get big excite experience again and forget about forever. You might like explore sub too like I have in gym. |
On the comments about speaker sizes and frequency coverage. I currently have Salk Songtowers and they have a small tweeter (3/4") that crossed over lower than most 1" domes. The response from these speakers is surprisingly smooth. Two 5" mid-woofers in a transmission line cabinet in the right room can rattle the walls. I was frankly shocked.
They're in a decent (acoustically speaking) room so that certainly helps.
Well-matched drivers and crossovers will challenge convention.
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There were no Ardens to audition at Upscale Audio as they are out of stock. But they’ve now been eliminated due to size after I made more room dimension measurements. So I auditioned the Cheviot and Turnberry only. I must say the Cheviot is a beautiful looking speaker up close. I’m an industrial designer and I was really captivated by the quality of finish. The gold ring successfully gives the illusion of a bigger woofer and is a great detail.
It’s also very evident how the woofer is shaped to facilitate a waveguide for the tweeter. The Turnberry also looks good but the 10” woofer looks less impressive in person.
When requested at critical moments, the Cheviot’s bass is immediate and impressive enough for me to remember weeks later.
The Turnberry had slightly better overall bass presence throughout all the tracks…despite losing out on the bigger bass moments. Both had great midrange but the Turnberry edged out the Cheviots just slightly. What the Turnberry did do was capture some subtle detail in the upper midrange. It may be the Cheviot was not completely broken-in although I was assured this was the case.
I went with the Turnberry. It is a much better speaker in my room. First set of speakers I got did not some with grilles. That was very odd. Almost as odd as the fact that they were shipped upside down and were missing the ‘cabinet and grille inspection’ signature on the quality certificate.
Upscale replaced these with a new set, with grilles (and a completed certificate). I also think that the first set of speakers were used as there were some cabinet blemishes and they sounded fantastic.
The replacements sound pretty bad by comparison. It is true that these need some break in time. At 10 hours playing time, they still sound congested, closed and a little dead but now are very ‘all over the place’…sometimes polite…other times ‘shouty’. Never had speakers this reliant on break-in before.
Knowing this I sometimes wish I could have auditioned the Cheviots in room. But overall, very happy with the Turnberry.
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How are they now, after the break-in? I’m considering Tannoy, but its pretty hard to navigate their range. You have speakers at the same price in both line: prestige and the other one (ie Turnberry vs. Arden); then you have speakers in the same line just a few $$ apart (I consider Stirling ($6000) - Turnberry ($8000), for example, to be close in price). Did you listen to the Stirling?
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Very interested in this thread as I narrowed things down for myself to either Arden, Cheviot, or Turnberry. Curiously, almost all members here and in other forums who were devotees of Tannoy and therefore seem to know what they are saying mentioned that Turnberry is one of least successful Tannoy designs despite being a junior 'Prestige' member, while there is generally universal admiration towards both Cheviots and Ardens.
I did not hear any of these speakers in their current iteration, but listened to the older Cheviots which I really liked, and once heard old Ardens, very briefly and in less than optimal circumstances. Again, I remember its sound well enough for them to make my shortlist many years after! I am less concerned about the size of the room here, in part because it really comes into play at certain (loud) volume...
Curious to hear about Turnberry - how they compare... Thanks.
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@yt did you end up with any Tannoy speakers? I've got Ardens I'm THINKING about selling but dang I don't know why. They're so good (mine are the one's from the 1970's). Running with a Leben CS300XS. Really only issue is "too many speakers" and they are large and may be hardest to place when we move in a few years. My other speakers are KEF 107 and Janszen electrostatics (ZA2.1A). They all do their own thing quite well. I would definitely miss the Ardens if I sold them though! I liked them better than newer Prestige series I heard at AXPONA this year (not sure which model, looked like a smaller 10" or 12" driver though).
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@ddunne83
Don't do it.
Just don't.
Tannoys like yours deserve small sacrifices.
Just for an experiment, have a play with the the tightness of the driver bolt tension. See if you prefer 'hand tight' as opposed to what they are currently.
If not, you can easily retighten them as to previous.
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If you can fit them, I’d go Ardens....the bass I bet is phenomenal on them. If either sounds like my Eatons, which I’m sure they are much better, then you are in for a treat.
The pepper pot tweeter/concentric driver with the Alnico magnets would be very expensive, but it is the very best that Tannoy offers.
While your at it. Pick yourself up a Sugden Class A integrated amp. The combo is terrific.
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@cd318 interesting, might try that sometime. I really don't find anything lacking in them already, I just can't seem to hold on to speakers for long. I've had these 4 years now I think? Maybe 3, I dunno. I love them. They just need a little cosmetic TLC but they're presentable as-is. Problem is I love a lot of speakers and then I start justifying getting rid of things and I just do it. I guess I figured if I missed them I'd just buy the new ones. Wonder how many have compared the old original Ardens with the new ones...anyone on here? I have them on-sale on another site at a fairly high price, just seeing how bad anyone REALLY wants them. I suspect I'll be keeping them though, at least for a few more years, until I see what sort of house we move into from here. I really prioritized the Ardens when I was doing the vinyl thing...IMO vinyl and full-range (or dual concentric) drivers are like peas and carrots...those speakers with their simple (or non-existent) crossovers just seem to let the magic come through from a vinyl source (again IMO). But, I've sold off all the vinyl. The Ardens still sound great with digital, but I was thinking the slimmer, easier to place speakers (KEF and Janszen) might be easier to keep and place.
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@ddunne83
Currently I own Tannoy Berkeley's, my main and best speakers. I also own a pair of the floorstanding Tannoy R3s, and a pair of Rega RS1's which are currently stored in the loft.
I really ought to sell those off, let someone else enjoy them, and yet I can't. They're just too nice to get rid of.
In fact if I had it my way I'd probably own several more eg Eclipse TD12z's, Linkwitz Orion's, Harbeth's/ Spendors, Monopulse's, Kudos Titans, Revel Salon's (I can dream), plus many others no doubt.
So many loudspeakers, so little time...
My advice to anyone starting off, who has the means and especially the time, would be to try as many loudspeakers as possible.
In later life, time seems to speed up, days/ weeks/ months pass in a flash, and there's just never enough of it.
This kind of makes me wonder how folks like Jay Leno must feel once they get to own a showroom's worth of some of the most desirable cars on planet earth.
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@cd318 yeah life is surely speeding along these days.
The Tannoys are surely great. I've had probably 20 sets of speakers come through my home in the past decade or so, and I'm pretty happy with what remains (although let plenty of good ones go too!). Sometimes I just think I only "need" one main system and then a desktop system for work. Letting go of the Ardens would be tough but I'd still have KEF 107's. Ardens do some things better but I like the KEF's for all-around speakers, especially since I also use them for home theater. For music only, the Ardens are certainly their equal, if not better for many types of music. Just a very different presentation. I like the Janszen electrostatics too but not sure if I will keep them. they are a window in to the music, but they don't fill the room like I'm used to. Very much an intimate, sweet-spot speaker. The music sounds "good" outside the sweet-spot, but us audiophiles aren't after "good" are we LOL. In the sweet spot, the music sounds GREAT through the Janszens though so eh, we'll see. I've found with equipment for me, it's pretty easy-come, easy-go for the most part. The Tannoys I would miss more than anything I've let go of so far though.
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