Hi, everybody. Longtime member, first time caller.
I just ordered up a pair of Tannoy Stirling GR floorstanders, and, frankly, I'm looking for people to rejoice with!
I'm a speakers guy, through and through. I've got Dynaudios, Focals, B&Ws, Totems, Wharfedales, Klipsches, and even my old Polk 5Bs, the first speakers I ever bought, way back in the '80s. I wanted to try something very different, and the Prestige line Tannoys really spoke to me. The coincident drivers, the old-school-ish paper cone, the old-school cabinets and ports. I'm really looking forward to hearing how they soundstage!
I thought about getting the Turnberrys, but the Stirlings should be just about the perfect size for my [extremely irregular] room. Especially since I already have a pair of subs.
Awesome! That might just be the sweet spot on Tannoys for many people. I haven’t tried SET but I KNOW I need at least 20 Watts. I’ve hit the limits on 25 Watts, 35 Watts, and even 75 Watts (that one only by accident) on 93dB Kensingtons (which I owned 10 years back). 25 Watts was more than ample for > 99% of listening, though - and way more than enough for most rock & pop without large dynamic swings. High dynamic range classical (which is not something I listen to often) at high volumes is where it ran out.
The EL34, 5881, 6L6, KT66 - these are gorgeous sounding tubes; it’s really hard to make an amp that doesn’t sound great with these. And they will sound amazing from first watt to the very LAST watt. I had tried all of these types with the Kenstingons on a few restored vintage amps (Heathkits, Eicos), and you’re gonna love the beautiful lush sound they render on Tannoys.
Well, I went and did it. I'm now on the list at Decware to get a Zen Torii Mk. V. (I'm guessing it'll be a year, at least, before I actually get it.) If you're not familiar, the Torii is a zero-feedback, push-pull circuit designed to behave -- or at least sound -- like a single-ended one, while putting out 20wpc. I looked at all their different models, including the SETs, and landed on the Torii as the best fit for me. I also looked at Icon Audio, the Line Magnetic components, Cary Audio, etc., but I kept coming back to the Torii. I can't say I'm excited, exactly, to hear it with my Stirlings; that's too far off in the future. But I am looking forward to hearing it.
In the more near-term, I also upgraded my digital front end. I've been using a bel canto streamer with the Mac preamp's DAC module. That module is no slouch; it's a fully balanced design, using ESS chips. But, I've always wanted to try an R2R DAC. I like what I hear about them. So I've got a Denafrips Pontus II on the way. Pretty excited about that.
Also on the way is a Hifi Rose RS250 streamer to replace the bel canto. Frankly, that's mostly about the user interface. I don't use the DAC in the bel canto, and I won't use the one in the RS250, either, so neither unit is contributing anything to the sound. (OTOH, I am stuck using an RCA coax connection from the bel canto to the Mac pre, and with the new stuff I can run USB from the RS250 to the Pontus, and a fully balanced analog signal from there to the Mac.) Mainly I wanted something with a display that shows track information, album art, etc., and the RS250 has a nice one.
So, my Stirlings will soon be getting fed better, and a while down the road, maybe quite a bit better. Here's hoping they reward me for it. 😁
I'm really surprised by that. I think it smells lovely. I've treated a few times with Tannoy's wax and once with the Liberon Black Bison (exact same thing), and always enjoyed the smell the next few days with no ill effect. I suppose everyone has different sensitivity levels to chemicals. The Briwax crap is the one that would've choked me out, had I applied it.
I haven't waxed mine, yet, so I can't speak to that problem. All I can suggest is as much air circulation as you can arrange, and open windows (weather permitting). All those VOCs gotta have somewhere to go besides up your nose.
Hello, I bought a pair of Kensington a few months ago, and for the first time I used Liberon Black Bison paste wax, how do you guys get the stick out! after five days open windows lost of cold air and they still stink.
This wax made me sick, it has a very high VOCs rating which I did not see the label because it was hidden under the sellers sticker.
If you have kids, pets, suffer from asthma or have sensitive lungs stay away from it.
I think I’m going to stay with what I’ve got, for now. I am awfully curious about how these sound with, say, tube amps, but I’m not finding anything out there that meets all my criteria, so I think I’ll just plow that money into the house fund. (A house with a dedicated listening room!)
It’s all good. I just want you to make an informed decision based on actual user experience. I realize no two systems are alike but you and I share speakers that are cut from same cloth and I want you to enjoy Stirling’s to the max. They are very special speakers, the kind you hang on to rest of life, I know my Canterbury’s are not going anywhere :-)
I think there may be a bit of a misunderstanding. I didn't actually make a "generalization about a component [I] never heard." Because I haven't heard it, I made a generalization about what I've seen/heard others say about it. That was all I could do. If it came across otherwise, it wasn't intentional.
“Accuphase kit interests me, but I've never heard any of it. From what I've read/heard people say, it seems like they have an atypical class-A sound; cooler, flatter, a bit recessed by comparison“
Accuphase sounds nothing like your generalization of a component you never heard. I can only speak to E-650 Integrated that I’ve come to treasure over past 2 plus years. To my ears, it has a slightly warm (SET like) sound that is smooth yet suave with unfatiguing tonality.
The E-650 liquidity with vocals in also unmistakable. I could easily pick out the dense texture and richness of vocal harmonies on one hand and its resolution and transparency on the other. The voices blends beautifully with arrangements without congealing; the rendering of space is exemplary not just in width and depth but more importantly in the precise placement of images within the soundstage. Notably, instruments are presented as individual objects spatially and texturally, making it easy to clearly hear individual parts within the whole. That’s one quality that a meticulously designed component does well; to hear it to this degree from an integrated amplifier is quite astonishing and rewarding. Once you hear the E-650 textural beauty, resolution and liquidity, it becomes very hard to walk away :-)
Regarding low-power Pass on Sterlings: I had an XA30.5 (and XP-10) with Turnberry. The combination was a bit on the anemic and slow side. I am now using Benchmark AHB2 and HPA4 with much better results. Far less strain, much bigger/taller images, etc.
Accuphase kit interests me, but I've never heard any of it. From what I've read/heard people say, it seems like they have an atypical class-A sound; cooler, flatter, a bit recessed by comparison. I'm working from memory here, but I think that's a pretty fair summary of what I've seen. None of that is inherently bad. It all depends on the rest of the system and the room and the listener's preference. It's just atypical for class A.
Have you found that to be the case with it driving your Canterbury's?
I am over the moon with Accuphase E-650 Integrated (Class A - 30W) powering my Canterbury’s. I also auditioned the darTZeel CTH-8550 and T+A PA 3100 HV (both integrated) in my system but end up preferring the E-650.
I'd like to revisit the question of amplification for these speakers. What about something like a low-power class A amp? The Pass Labs XA-25, say, or the INT-25?
@lalitk
Same! Got my Canterbury GR just over 4 years ago. I upgraded from the SE, and was initially depressed how blonde and dry the new GR wood looked next to the 5-year old SE. Now the GR wood looks like my old SE did. It only takes a few wax applications over the years, but this seems to help a lot.
Incidentally I just re-bought my old SE, from the guy I sold them to. Man is their wood pretty now. Got spare tweeter sets (the most likely part to have issues) for those SE and the GR - with so much doubt around what’s happening to Tannoy, I’m ensuring I’ll at least have a lifetime supply 😂
I just buy a cheap pack of 100% cotton white t-shirts from WalMart for the wax application. A proper applicator might help for a smooth and even finish, though.
Thanks for your recommendation. I was running low on my usual Howard CS4014 Citrus Shield Paste Wax (Walnut). I am going to try the Liberon next. I also recommend buying CLARK'S Oil & Wax Large Block Applicator. I am in 4th year of Canterbury’s ownership and the wood grain never looked so exquisite.
Amazon.com. I’ve got 1.5 Liters of the stuff now lol. No more stressing over the Tannoy tin getting low. Did my first wax application with it a few weeks ago. It’s EXACTLY the Tannoy stuff.
Finally got a good tipoff on what they use / relabel. I’d bought Briwax before in an attempt to find the right Tannoy wax replacement, and that stuff is awful - very noxious fumes, more runny due to the harsh toluene solvent used - not OK for an indoor home application (didn’t even try to use it). The Liberon paste has that wonderful Tannoy smell.
Big thanks muveling! Looks like it's readily available a few places. I've only waxed mine once since 2019 and the factory supplied will be gone in another application or so. Curious, where did you order yours?
The Prestige oiled walnut cabinets become more beautiful with age, too. If you wax them once a year or so. The Liberon Black Bison paste wax (Walnut color) is what you want - exactly the same as the stuff Tannoy ships. Other waxes use solvents with a noxious scent; no good for a living room application.
Yes, right now enjoying the Sterlings as played by the Aric Audio Transcend with KT120 tubes.
I should add that my choice on the Sterlings was driven not only by sonic criterion. I love the way they look and that they have a very sturdy grill that snaps in place to protect drivers. I have 3 grandkids that live with me half time. Ages 5 and 6.
Well, I've been absent from this thread for some time. And believe called out for it. My computer went down and any interaction with this forum was conducted using my iphone. Hate typing lengthy documents on it. Also, for several reasons have not been spending much time with my audio system. One of the several is that I am building another house on my property into which my wife and I will move. I will have a dedicated audio room therein. Hoping to move the system into this home late this winter and then have opportunity to enjoy more audio sessions. In the interim I sold my BEL 1001 MK5, and due to opportunities I couldn't refuse purchased a Pass XA25 in May and an Aric Audio Transcend tube amplifier in November.
Getting back to the focus of this thread, I can say that I do enjoy the Sterlings however realize I have much yet to discover. At this point I believe both amps play well with them. The new room is a little larger with better dimensions which should allow them to open up, providing a wider/deeper soundstage. Once the move is made I will get back with my thoughts. Please don't expect a lengthy review as that is not my intent. I have tinnitus and am not sure of its value to others should I provide one.
Been enjoying my Stirling GR's since 2019....no stands, subwoofers, etc. Just a great amp, decent source and cabling is all I need - just as Tannoy intended them. Best sound I ever had over and done - SNAP!
"Very cool. They even have nameplates! Are they internally braced/damped etc.?"
The stands are tightened, glued and additionally fastened with screws.
If I want, there’s still room to add diving lead but I don’t think there’s a need.
Rubber wheels, hidden under the stands (it looks like the speaker is completely on the floor), allow easy positioning of the speakers.
http://prnt.sc/21i5uhy
Question: Are any of you using the 3rd binding post? If so, did you find 3-wire speaker cables, or are you using a separate wire? Do you find it actually gives your Tannoys a quieter background?
Higher end van den Hul speaker cables were designed for use with Tannoys. They have a third ground wire with a spade connector. My Cumulus sound fantastic on my Dalis. No experience with Tannoy.
The stands are made :)
Height 17 cm (6.69291339 inches), over 10 kg (22.0462262 pounds) heavy.
http://prnt.sc/21dllbl
http://prnt.sc/21dlo8h
http://prnt.sc/21dlqed
The sound has changed though, the stand-box has added bass which is not bad but the speakers should not be too close to the listener.
My listening position is 4.5 meters away.
I'm still not reliably getting notified of new posts in this thread for some reason, btw. I got no notice of grinccaffe's post, but did for bobelton's. No idea why.
@bobelton , I didn't get a chance to compare the two models with my own ears, but that's exactly where I ended up: in my smallish room, the Stirlings would be perfectly sufficient.
And I'm also [still] using a pair of REL T9's with them. I already had those, so that was another reason I didn't need the Turnberrys. I find the Stirlings and REL's match extremely well. REL's are supposed excel at that in general, so I guess I'm not saying anything new there.
Question: Are any of you using the 3rd binding post? If so, did you find 3-wire speaker cables, or are you using a separate wire? Do you find it actually gives your Tannoys a quieter background?
@grinccaffe , you’re dealing with the very problem I mentioned last year and still haven’t bothered getting a good solution to. That’s the low tweeter axis. My "solution" to this point has been a thick book under the front of each speaker, giving them a considerable rake. I’ll be interested to hear how your solution turns out. It’s what I’m planning to do at some point.
I don’t know how I didn’t see this thread before, haven’t posted much anywhere I guess. I’ve had my Stirlings since August now. So happy about them! The depth and sound stage just blow me away every time I sit down and listen. They certainly improve as I tweak the placement, but at the same time they never sound bad.
Running them with a Primaluna 300 Integrated and coupled with two REL Ti7’s. I don’t think the RELs are essential for the Stirlings at normal volumes (though they certainly don’t hurt), but at low volumes the RELs are magical. I do most of my listening in my small NYC apartment after work, so I keep the volume way down, but I turn the RELs up a few notches and increase the HF power on the Stirlings and the results are incredible. I don’t feel like I am missing anything with the volume so low.
To comment on a post a while back asking about comparison with the Turnberrys, at the dealer I spent a good while listening to both the Turnberrys and the Stirlings. I’ll also note that I was considering Klipsch Fortes at the time as well. Short story on those, the 2k jump from the Fortes to these Stirling was a no brainer. But going another 2k from the Stirlings to Turnberrys was a much closer call. To me the Turnberrys just did everything Stilrings did, but a bit better. Although the Turnberrys certainly sounded better, the improvement wasn’t so drastic that I had to have the Turnberrys, so I let my small room size take precedence over better sound quality and I went with the Stirlings that would take up a bit less space in my room.
Greetings from Croatia, the city of Zagreb !!! I use Google translation, so maybe I'll write some nonsense :) Since a week ago I have become the proud owner of Tannoy Stirling GR speakers (for the last 20 years I have exclusively Klipsch from RF, Heresy all the way to the Palladium series). I still respect Klipsch, but Tannoy Stirling GR is a very very third dimension. Very pleasant surprise :) I use an Luxman SQ-N100 (10W 8Ω) amplifier and that combination works perfectly. I know the burning time has yet to pass. I decided to lift them to a custom wooden stand (19 cm = 7.48 inches already under construction) lined with American walnut veneer. Do I have to worry that the sound will degrade?
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