@trentmemphis
I completely see the wisdom in letting them play in.
It's been tough having them slowly break in.
The Don Sachs Model 2 preamp is outstanding...pretty much an end game preamp. And can be customized to a certain extent to play well with your other components.
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Congrats, @sandthemall ! Sounds like great kit, though I'm not familiar with the preamp. Will have to look that one up.
Aside from a quick check that everything's working, I never actually listen to new speakers (if I can help it). I just let them play in another room for a few days. Once they're run in a bit, that's when I sit down and start figuring out what's what. Even then, I kinda ease into it.
Hope you enjoy those Turnberrys (Turnberries?)! |
Just got Turnberry GRs...have just over 20 hours on them. First hour the sound was polite but slightly congested. The next 10 hours were not so fun: all over the place. At 12 hours, there's a nice balance and great bass but midrange shoutiness is still an issue. Just starting to sweeten a little approaching 24 hours.
Driving them with Primaluna Evo 400 amp (running 7581a tubes) through a Don Sachs preamp. Excellent amp/preamp combo btw. On the right recording, it's truly amazing.
Try 'The Very Thought of You', Ella Fitzgerald.
On vinyl, the brass section is guaranteed 'goosebump central'. |
I purchased a Line Magnetic 211ai from a fellow AGer which delivers 16wpc in triode and 32 wpc in ultralinear. Once received I will get back to you regarding this combination.
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Well that is a very nice amp.
But please fill us in witha better report on the speakers perforance.
So far we have nothing substance in your review.
We need the goods and the bads.
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@lalitk
Nice! I've never heard any darTZeel gear. I'm not even sure how to pronounce it! |
@clweed, yes, I'm still using them with the same REL subs.
Thanks to the large-ish driver and cabinet volume, they do bass quite well on their own. That will depend a great deal on your room, though, obviously. My room doesn't have a large square footage, but thanks to a couple of partial walls, the effective *volume* of the room for bass frequencies is pretty large. The subs help drive that volume, and they add some speed.
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@trentmemphis, Glad to hear you’re enjoying the Tannoy’s. I have been enjoying my Canterbury’s with Accuphase E-650 Integrated for almost 2 years now. Thanks to my dealer, I am going to audition darTZeel Integrated in a month or so….looking forward to this amazing opportunity :-) https://dartzeel.com/cth-8550/ |
I think any gov't who tells it people to self Isolate for 12 months while they screw around with partial solutions to a virus is obligated to provide all its citizens with Westministers.
Who is with me?? |
Tannoys tend to sound best with amplifiers with medium output impedance and lowish damping factors and no or only small amounts of negative feedback.Most SS amps have low output impedance and high damping factors and high negative feedback.There are some exceptions though-Dartzeel and Bakoon SS amps for example and they sound beautiful with Tannoys.Other than them you are probably best off with a medium powered push pull tube amp.
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I also have a pair being shipped, are you still using the subs with them?
How do they sound without subs?
Thanks,
Lee |
Been a while since I posted in this thread. Thought I'd check in. Everybody still digging their Tannoys? Any new amplifier, stand, positioning, etc., suggestions?
I'm still loving my Stirlings. The things they do with well recorded choral music! Probably the best speakers I've owned -- maybe even heard -- for that. They excel with any kind of vocal, really, along with woodwinds, brass, and acoustic instruments. I wouldn't call them the greatest things with hard rock. They hold their own, but it isn't their strong suit. I don't listen to a lot of that, anyway. Nearest I get is some pretty heavy blues, sometimes.
I'm still running them in the same positions with the same rake angle and same McIntosh gear. Only change is I got a bel canto streamer several months ago to replace the DigiOne+ as my Roon endpoint. It's working like a champ. |
Learning is always good, and usually fun.
I meant to ask before, since you mentioned jazz, what are you listening to? I listen to a lot of jazz, myself. Jazz, blues, folk, Americana, and rock/pop, mostly. Currently have Bud Powell's "Live at Massey Hall" going in the background. (I generally do my serious, in-the-listening-position listening late at night.)
I guess I don't want to pull the conversation too far afield, but a little discussion of what we're listening to on these speakers seems in order. |
Yea, i am impressed in how the Sterlings deliver with 15wpc tube power. I have only played with the ultralinear mode for one evening, the triode mode not much more. I am going to keep it in triode mode for some time and then switch back. Possibly will come to the type of music playing, I have heard this from others. I really don't know, I bought this amp for the education I thought it would provide. I am happy with the results. |
Loving the additional perspectives! Sounds like there are some excellent pairings out there. (Six months break-in might be a bit much for me, though!)
@douger Hey, thanks! We've managed to keep it on-topic and not descend into endless debates and bickering, which seems to be a bit rare. The fact we all seem to love what Tannoy is turning out probably doesn't hurt.
@mesch I'll be interested to hear which mode you prefer as you get more time with the LM211. |
Well, the LM211 has plenty of power for the Sterlings in my 12.5' x 14.5' x8.5' room. Used it in both ultralinear and triode mode. Thinking I like the triode mode better. Was listening to jazz. Not knowing the non linear aspect of the volume control on the LM however I have not used it beyond 10 o'clock. |
Guys, this is a great post! I have Tannoy Canterbury SE's, using aDecware Zen Torii Mk III, 26 wpc, AVA Transcendance 8+ preamp.The tone and detail are magical! I do love power music though, andat 96db efficiency you would think they would perform well in my rather large living room...About 5 years ago I was concerned that maybe the government was going to render tubes too expensive if available at all... I talked to Klaus at Odyssey Audio about a Stratos amp and he said he could bias it intube fashion so I ordered it. He warned me it would take a long time to break in and he was right. With the Ayre break-in cd I would try it every week and hated it! Finally it came to sound like a dance club, and two weeks later it showed me the finesse that I require. 6 months! If I had more patience I probably could have tamed it in 6 weeks...Now Beethoven's Ninth, Tool, TranSiberian Orchestra and Nightwish
come through perfectly, 140 wpc.
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I believe I mentioned this, may be redundant, but I auditioned the Sterlings with a 20wpc Luxman class A integrated and they sounded beautiful and provided plenty of volume in a room much larger than my 12.5 x 14.5' room.
I purchased a Line Magnetic 211ai from a fellow AGer which delivers 16wpc in triode and 32 wpc in ultralinear. Once received I will get back to you regarding this combination. |
Hey, thanks, @edunbar. I still like the idea of trying a Zen amp. I'm just not comfortable doing business with a company that doesn't answer its email. |
"“The Stirlings are rated 91, which in my room should make the Zen sufficient on the wattage front.”
I would not recommend any amp with <30watts in pure class A. Bring in the Zen, you’ve got MC152 on hand for comparison. No doubt you would appreciate tube’s rich harmonics and intoxicating mid-range through Stirling’s but you may crave for more power in the low end region.
It’s a journey you will figure it out :-)"
Trent probably isn't still thinking about the Zen amp, but I'll chime in...
I came across this thread as a result of wanting to read about the Sterlings. I own the SE84UFO2 and have been looking at a "final" speaker choice. I've had four different sets of speakers connected to the little Zen, and I've done some tube rolling.
Currently the speakers are two pair of stacked Large Advents, wired in parallel. I'm in a pretty small room (~10'x11' w/ 9 foot ceiling) with the equipment along the long wall.
Depending on the gain of the source unit and/or preamp, the Zen can play the Advents plenty, plenty loud. DECware has a trial period.
The Sterlings are a bit more sensitive than the Advents and my *guess* is more efficient. I would be very surprised if it weren't a good match. The Zen is a great little amp and punches way above its output, weight and cost.
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I finally added some rake because I constantly felt like I was peering *down* into the soundstage. I had to get it up to ear level somehow, and I didn't have a good option for stands. I just experimented till I found something that worked for me. |
I have always considered that speaker placement was for the best position across recordings. I likely won't mess with rake, however will continue to increase toe-in. |
@trentmemphis,
"I'll be interested to hear where you land with the stands. I'm still trying to figure that one out, myself. Have you experimented with rake at all?" I don't think it's worth sweating too much over such things as there's unlikely to be one position that works optimally with all recordings. Personally I think height is the big one, and then getting the fastest tightest bass, and then it gets really tough.. |
I have not played with rake angle. I will continue to increase toe-in a little at a time. My listening comes in sessions, as such is an experience in itself. |
Hey, that's awesome, man! Congrats!
We're having pretty similar experiences, it sounds like. Soundstage and imaging are hugely important for me, and these do a really nice job at both. Mine are further out from the back than yours, and about the same from the side walls. I've also got more toe-in, with the axes crossing in front of me. I took my time, making small adjustments and living with them for a good while, but I ended up pretty much where the manual recommends. It seemed to help tremendously with the imaging.
I'll be interested to hear where you land with the stands. I'm still trying to figure that one out, myself. Have you experimented with rake at all? |
Well after spending some time with the Sterlings I can report that I am very happy with them. Using a single word, love the presentation. Finding they exhibit a wide soundstage solid image.
Currently I have them placed such that the center of baffle is about 2.5' from front wall and 3.5' from side walls, they are 7.5' apart and 6' from my listening position. They are toed in such that the tweeter points to a spot behind my head. I think the positioning serves most recordings well. I will continue to play with toe in.
My floor is standard plywood over joists and with the speakers sitting directly on the floor (not using the spikes or footers) I am getting reinforcement of lower base beyond that I believe due to room dimensional effects. That and the tweeter hight issue leads me to consider developing platforms for the speakers to decouple them from the floor. Maybe spike or footer the speakers to thick butcher block platforms and use footers underneath. Might raise the speakers 4". I am in the process of building another home my audio room will be on a concrete slab. The bottom couple octaves will be much tighter under that condition. The new room will have somewhat larger volume and a better dimensional ratio. They were positioned on a carpeted concrete floor, in a larger space when I auditioned them.
Thanks trentmemphis initiating and maintaining a great thread and others for valued contributions!
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@mesch
I saw that, yeah. I'd never heard of Raven Audio, so I went and checked them out. Glad to hear you're enjoying your Stirlings!
In other news, my room treatments from GIK will be here Monday. Time to start experimenting all over again. |
lalitk, you are correct. Love the Sterlings. Will be playing with placement, footers, and possibly adding a base for elevation. I will order the oil applicator your recommended. Thanks!
I will continue to keep everyone informed as I progress.
Trentmemphis, as you can see from lalitk's post I am considering tube amplification for my Sterlings. |
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What's the word, fellas? Got your Stirlings in place and making sound? |
I auditioned the Sterlings with a 20wpc class A Luxman integrated amplifier. Drove them very well. Yes the Turnberrys have an updated
driver. If my room was larger I might have considered that model.
My BEL 1001 MK5 amplifier suits the Sterlings very well. |
@bond-san
I was not able to compare to the Turnberry. As I understand it, in addition to the larger cabinets that @lalitk mentioned, the driver(s) are an upgrade from the Stirling as well. Still a 10" woofer and the tulip waveguide, but the magnets or voicecoils or something are improved. |
@mesch
I'm not familiar with your gear. I'll have to look into those pieces. I looked pretty hard at the XA25 (or XA30), too, but ultimately went a different direction. At the time I upgraded my electronics, I was still thinking I'd probably be going with a low-efficiency monitor, like the Dynaudio Special 40 or maybe a Focal, so I went for more power. The XA25 would be plenty for the Stirlings, though. The needles on my MC152 rarely get past 1.5W.
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@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! |
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.
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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. |
@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! |
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? |
Well, I just purchased the Sterlings. Loved the sound and the craftsmanship. Haven't gotten them home yet. Will get back to all. |
@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? |
@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. |
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
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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.) |
@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. |
@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.
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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. |
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 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.
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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. |
@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. |
