Tannoy Stirlings on the way!

Congrats... Like @yakbob I have arden legacy in my main lounge 7m x 5.5m and its dreamy. I don't cross over in front but toe in so it crosses just behind me.... But depends on room (I used cardas method for perfect placement) also depending on floor I would suggest isoacoustics gaia under feet.... Elevated speakers to a whole new level. Enjoy

"I would not recommend any amp with <30watts in pure class A.".....why?? Sugden has been building the A21 for like 40 something years! If you have doubts about the quality, then I’d advise you to read all the positive reviews on the A21 SE signature pure class A integrated. Better yet, seek one out to listen to. To me, it is a fantastic match for the Tannoys. Guess you would also frown upon some of the class A products from Pass? None of them have tubes, all SS, and have also received rave reviews. This is not to say in any way that a good single ended tube amp would not sound wonderful as well. I am saying that at 89 to 91 sensitivity, a 2 watt amp may not cut it in the loudness dept. Yes, it may very well be a nice low level listening experience with a great soundstage, but for higher volumes I'd seek out a higher watt alternative. 

“I was sitting here thinking, "I wish my thread was getting as much discussion as that Tekton Design Moab thread."

Then I read a few pages of it. I prefer silence.”

That would be my advise as well 😊

Any update on your delivery date? 

Congrats... Like @yakbob I have arden legacy in my main lounge 7m x 5.5m and its dreamy. I don't cross over in front but toe in so it crosses just behind me.... But depends on room (I used cardas method for perfect placement) also depending on floor I would suggest isoacoustics gaia under feet.... Elevated speakers to a whole new level. Enjoy

Thanks!  I'll keep the Gaia pods in mind.  I don't imagine I'll be doing a lot of tweaking till they've settled in and I've gotten accustomed to them, but it's good information to have, especially from somebody with similar speakers.

Somebody will have to tell me how to get the @ thing to work.  I've tried it a couple of times, but no luck.

Sugden has been building the A21 for like 40 something years! If you have doubts about the quality, then I’d advise you to read all the positive reviews on the A21 SE signature pure class A integrated. Better yet, seek one out to listen to. To me, it is a fantastic match for the Tannoys. Guess you would also frown upon some of the class A products from Pass?

I'm not frowning on things.  I just feel like I have a great all-round amp, already, in the 152, which has plenty of power.  If I were going to spend more money on amplification right now, it would be to get something that's more of a "specialist."  Something that really does one thing -- like soundstaging, for example -- spectacularly well.

Any update on your delivery date?

No date, yet.  Looks like the truck left the dock this morning.  So, depending on how many stops he has and so forth, early next week, maybe?

I am looking forward to you thoughts on your Sterlings once you’ve had time to get acquainted with them. Was thinking of pairing with a Pass XA25. 

Trentmemphis, that response was not directed at you, should have been more clear. The quote was from someone further back in this series of posts that said to stay away from class A of 30 watts or more....which to me has no validity...

@audioguy85,

No worries.

I think most of us here would understand that Sugden have been making pretty solid amps for a very, very long time.

Trentmemphis, that response was not directed at you, should have been more clear.

Or I could read more carefully.  My mistake.

I am looking forward to you thoughts on your Sterlings once you’ve had time to get acquainted with them. Was thinking of pairing with a Pass XA25.

Yeah, I considered something from Pass, as well, but I'm not ready to move on from the Mac just yet.  It seems like it would be a good combination, though.  

My estimate on my delivery date was off by a bit, @lalitk .  They're arriving tomorrow afternoon!

“that response was not directed at you, should have been more clear. The quote was from someone further back in this series of posts that said to stay away from class A of 30 watts or more....which to me has no validity...”

@audioguy85,

I think you have mis-read my post. I have suggested OP as below, 

I would not recommend any amp with <30watts in pure class A

Congratulations on your new Tannoy speakers. I own a pair of the legacy Arden speakers I purchased new just last year from Upscale Audio. Being an audiophile for 30 years and owning dozens of very expensive speakers, I can say the Tannoys are by far the finest speaker I have owned. Just wanted to add that even though they are efficient, they respond best with some power. Driving the Ardens with the Pass Labs XA30.8, I was able to do away completely with my two REL subs, greatly simplifying my system. With 30+ watts of pure class A high current, the Tannoys will project a wall of sound and bring a rock concert or symphony into your room. A sound of live music I never experienced with any other speakers. It baffles me why Tannoys are not reviewed by the high-end mags. Probably because none of the other manufacturers can come close to the sound of real music like a Tannoy. Again, congratulations.

“It baffles me why Tannoys are not reviewed by the high-end mags.”

I am only guessing here...maybe due to lack of initiative on distributor part to have Tannoy reviewed by TAS/Stereophile or end users prefers modern finishes instead of traditional wood cabinetry / appearance. I know they are extremely popular in South Asian markets.

You were also spot on feeding the Tannoy with atleast 30 plus watts of class A power. That’s what I am using with my Canterbury’s.

The eagle has landed!

I haven't had time to unbox them.  Just get them off the pallet and rolled into my apartment.  But I can hear them in their boxes, already, asking about tea time.

Thanks, @daniel_rusk !

lack of initiative on distributor part

That would be my guess, as well.  They just haven't been made available to the traditional outlets for review.

“The eagle has landed!“

Awesome, take your sweet time to set them up.  If you’re placing them away from wall, be sure to experiment with VDPS 😊

follow the unboxing instructions closely...I watched a video or 2 on youtube which helped beforehand and enjoy!

follow the unboxing instructions closely...I watched a video or 2 on youtube which helped beforehand and enjoy!

Thanks for the tip, @pehare .  I did.  Unboxing and basic setup went like a breeze.

These are lovely objects, indeed.  Very 1940s.  I can't decide if they look nicer with the grills on, or off.  I really like the grills (they're one of the reasons I went with these instead of something from the Legacy line), but they're dead sexy without them, too.  The engraved logo, the treble plate, the drivers, of course.

I've been listening for the past 3 hours or so.  I hear the potential in there, but they definitely need some breaking in.  The highs are a mite sharpish in my room, and the low end is a bit . . . hmm . . . I think "oversprung" is the word I'm looking for.  The suspensions needs to loosen up.

I played with toe-in a little, but it's WAY too early to draw any conclusions about that.  I think break-in will change the soundstaging, as well.

I don't remember what the efficiency on the Lintons is.  I thought it was reasonably high (87? 89?), but the difference is VERY noticeable.  With those, 35% on my C49 was a typical listening level for me.  35% with these babies is on the loud side.  I expect I'll be living closer to 30.

So, fellow Prestige line owners, did you polish yours right out of the box?  I noticed the manual said the packing material can dry the wood, but it doesn't express an opinion on whether you should go ahead and give them a polish.

I know it's not going to hurt them, but what did you guys do?

@trentmemphis,

Is the finish appears dry out of the box? I end up polishing my Canterbury’s after 6 months of ownership. Buy this applicator for smooth and even finish,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078SKD4NQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not particularly, but I don't really know what they're *supposed* to look like.  Thanks for the link!

I figured out why the low end seemed overly tight.  Nothing to do with break-in.  My REL subs aren't firing anymore.  Have to figure out what's up with that.  Maybe something came loose when I was switching the cables from the 4-ohm taps to the 8-ohm.

After letting them play in the next room all day and evening, I sat down late last night to do a little listening.  The sharpness in the treble is gone, hallelujah.  Still puzzling over why the subs stopped working.  I've reached out to REL, and turned them off in the meantime.

I sampled several things in my listening session.  The one I ended with, though.  That was magic.  It was Murray Perahia's recording of the Goldberg Variations.  When I put that on, the Stirlings dis. uh. peered.  Like vanished.  There was just the piano, hovering directly in front of me, well back of where the speakers were, and about 2 feet above them.

I've never had the disappearing speakers experience before, and I've had (and still have) some darn fine speakers.  This was the only recording the Stirlings did it on (or have done, so far), but still.  Holy cats!  I sat up till 3 in the morning listening to it.

Still getting acquainted.  I've moved them a couple of feet farther apart than I had my Lintons.  It's less convenient from a living space perspective, but I wanted to see how big a soundstage I could get in my room.  Still fiddling with it, but the signs are promising.

Happy and excited for you. New gear setup can be an awesome experience. 

Happy and excited for you. New gear setup can be an awesome experience.

Thanks, @ovinewar !  Yes, it can be.  Rediscovering music you've heard many times is a big part of the fun.

Wish I could figure out the REL issue, though.  Their customer support is stumped, as well.

I found something that fixes my subs, but I'm not sure why.  Still puzzling over that one, but, in any case, the bass is back to more of what I'm used to.  Need to do some tuning for the Stirlings' greater output in those frequencies.  I may push the couch (my listening seat) back some and see what that does.

I ordered up some room treatments from GIK.  Found out today those won't be here till late October, though.

^^^Glad to hear you you were able to sort out the REL connectivity.
+1, GIK Acoustics. There is about 2 months wait but they will be well worth the wait. I am expecting my Tape Op Collaboration Art Panels by end of this months.

Nice.  I ordered some of the Impressions panels.

I think it's safe to say they're fully broken in, at this point.  I still have the tweeter set to flat, and I've decided I like them best with the grills on. 

I've been experimenting with toe-in. Those of you who said to pay attention to what's in the manual -- i.e., cross them just in front of the listening position -- were 100% correct. Holy cats! They don't disappear (except with the Perahia recording I mentioned before). Sounds near them tend to stick to them, and I get the sense of things coming from outside them every now and then, but not often. But, man, the stage between them is incredible. In particular, I notice *depth* that I've never really heard before.  On something like the Buena Vista Social Club record, I can hear things coming from way back behind the main performers, 3 or 4 layers deep.

I have the fronts propped up on books to give them some rake, which helped a lot getting rid of the feeling I was peering down into the soundstage.  They could still stand to come up some, but I'm not really comfortable raking them back any further.  I'd like to find some stands -- more like cradles -- to lift them about 4-6 inches and keep the rake angle I currently have.  I know this place at least *used* to have several people offering custom woodwork for racks, platforms, turntable plinths, speaker stands, etc.  Is there anybody still around who might make the kind of thing I'm talking about?

@trentmemphis,

Please reach out to Arnold at Core Audio Designs. He will make you stands that you will cherish for remainder of your lifetime. My room showcase several pieces of his master craftsmanship.  

Thanks, @lalitk !  I'll look into that.

Still just really digging these things.  I think that low crossover point to the tweeter really works for them.  Everything is so coherent.  Vocals -- especially female and most especially choral -- really sing through them.  The detail is excellent without being at all harsh, and they have real, effortless thump.  That 12" driver in the Kensington, along with the larger cabinet, must really be something.

And they just look the absolute business.

I've had zero buyer's remorse.

@trentmemphis, 

That’s great, glad to hear you’re enjoying your Tannoy’s. As a fellow Tannoy owner, I am not all surprised by your experience, I absolutely love my Canterbury’s. 

I would imagine you do!  Someday maybe I'll have space for something on that scale.  I still plan to look into getting some stands made for mine.  That would be my only complaint, I guess.  I'm not sure what they were thinking with the vertical tweeter axis.

I guess I've lost everybody else's interest. lol  I'm just recording the journey in case it's useful to somebody down the road.

I am very interested! Going to audition the Sterlings next Tuesday. My room is currently 12.5 x 14.5'. Should I make the purchase I will play with placement and tilt, possibly make my own base if needed.
 

Everything depends on all the specifics, obviously, but just in terms of size of the room, they should be a good match, @mesch .

I'll be interested to hear your experiences with them, so make sure you report back!

I've never felt the need for raising my Stirling GR's on stands or tilting them.  I've played with different height listening chairs to hear the difference and still use a listening chair I've owned for over 25 yrs.  I like the way they sound as they were designed just fine. 

@pehare

I’ve placed my Berkeley’s on 14 inch slatted wooden benches from IKEA about 8 inches from the front wall.

That puts the dual concentric tweeters at ear height (about 34 inches off the floor).

I tried them on the floor initially but their sound was a little too mid bass heavy, at least for my tastes. For probably the same reason every speaker I’ve tried in here has benefited from decent height.

It just goes to show there’s no one-fits-all answer. No two people, their chairs, their rooms or tastes are exactly the same.

In my case I’ve always preferred the tweeters to be at least at ear level. Probably why most car systems with their door speakers set low don’t sound that great to me.

@pehare

Cool. My experience was I felt like I was always peering *down* into the soundstage. I do sit a bit higher than many, probably, so that doubtless contributes, but even down at a normal sofa height I felt like I was looking over the balcony at the band. My listening room is also part of the mix, of course. Everybody’s mileage will vary.

@cd318

Always nice when you can find an inexpensive solution. Fourteen inches would be a fair bit more lift than I need, especially with some rake thrown in. I’m finding I like the rake because as I move further back away from my main listening position, the sound rises to meet me, so to speak. The treble doesn’t disappear behind the half-wall that divides my room from the kitchen.

By the way, going back several posts, I looked into getting a Decware tube amp. Or I tried to. If I got one, I’d want to try it alone and as the high-frequency amp in a bi-amp situation with my MC152. To do that, I needed to know the voltage gain, which isn’t listed on their site. I emailed them to inquire. Never heard a peep back.

You hope that’s not because Steve Deckert is ill or something. I get the impression it’s kind of a one-man operation, other than an administrative assistant. Either way, you can’t do business with a company that doesn’t answer email. If I want to try tubes, I’ll have to look elsewhere.  (Or find a used one here, maybe. I'd still be pretty hesitant to buy something made by a company that doesn't answer questions, though.)

Hey @trentmemphis, thanks for the running commentary on your new Stirlings!.  I have a pair that arrive today and I will spend a couple weeks with them and decide between keeping my much larger Revel F228Be's or the Stirlings.   I truly WANT the Stirlings to be winner but both are great speakers and room interaction is a wild card.  I'm running Primaluna integrated with a single Rel S30 Sho sub.  I also have Isotech Gaia ii feet and hoping I don't need to buy/build stands to get optimum performance.  Not sure of your musical range but curious how you like them with more rock oriented music?  I'm thinking Steely Dan, Dire Straits, etc.  Thanks, Chet

@comchenry 

Wow, the Tannoy Stirlings versus the Revel F228Be's!

That's almost like the best of old world v the best of the new.

It will be nice if the Tannoys can put up a decent show for themselves. Revel speakers are attaining an almost mythic status nowadays, the way Tannoys once did.

@comchenry 

I gave serious thought to those Revels.  The beryllium tweeters, in particular, were intriguing.  But they're a "standard design" modern loudspeaker.  Since I already own several of those, that didn't seem like the best use of my audiophile dollar. 

The Tannoys, otoh, were unlike anything I'd ever owned.  In terms of exploring the world of audiophilia, that made them a better buy for me, in my mind.  (One of the other final candidates was Maggies.)

And I ain't gonna lie: the romance factor of the Tannoys was definitely in play.  They look like something from the 1940s, which indeed they kind of are.  Each pair is built by a single person.  To me, they are more a product of craftsmanship, while the vast majority of speakers are more a product of mass (on an audiophile scale) production.

It'll be interesting to hear your comparison.  As you said, room interactions is a big wildcard.  Which PrimaLuna do you have?

Well, I just purchased the Sterlings. Loved the sound and the craftsmanship. Haven't gotten them home yet. Will get back to all.

Congratulations @mesch. They are certainly well engineered and exquisitely designed. As time goes on, that gorgeous wood and finish are going to look richer (and darker) after each waxing.

As with any electronics, careful matching is very important. May I know what preamp or amp you will be pairing your Stirlings with?

@mesch 

Hey, congrats, man!  Skol!  That's awesome.  Like @lalitk , I'm curious about the rest of the system (and the room).

Be sure to report back with setup, experiences, etc.!

If @comchenry buys his, now, I'm sending Tannoy an invoice!

Well I haven't un-boxed the speakers yet. Have one at home, picking up the other soon (small car). I will share my thoughts after a solid listening session. My Tannoy dealer is 200 miles away. I have in the past listened to much larger models, however thought the Sterlings were the best fit for my room. Have always liked and currently use stand mounts. The Sterlings do not take any more floor space and I was looking to go in a different direction. The Tannoys are more that a great sounding speaker, they are beautiful.

Currently I am using a BEL 1001 MK5 amplifier, itself driven by an Aric Audio Special all tube preamp. I am considering the purchase of a tube amplifier or possibly going back to an integrated. If I were to stay with a SS amp and needed to replace my BEL, I would look into the Pass XA25. I believe I would not need any more power than 20 class A watts. My room measures 14.5x12.5x8.5'. It is well treated. I intend to get more familiar with the Sterlings prior to changing anything. I auditioned them with a 20wpc Luxman class A integrated amplifier. That combo sounded wonderful. 

I am curious if anybody has compared the Stirlings to the Turnberrys, and if so, were the Turnberrys worth the extra two grand.  I was at Upscale Audio(I believe they are the Tannoy distributor for the U.S.) about a year ago and was able to view the Prestige line craftsmanship up close.  As others have mentioned, they are beautifully made speakers; old fashion looking however in a wonderfully comfortable way.  Didn't have the time to listen to them, but look forward to that day.  I'm hoping one of those models will be my next speaker purchase, and possibly my last.

@bond-san,

Much of the specification is the same as that of the Stirling, however the Turnberry features a more substantial, taller cabinet with larger internal volume. So you’re likely to hear a slightly better bass response. Turnberry’s are also 2db more efficient. You can’t go wrong with any of the speakers in Prestige series. 

Whichever you decide on, they can be easily your last speaker purchase. I won’t trade my Canterbury’s for anything out there!