Tannoy Stirlings on the way!

Interesting.  Always go with what your ears are telling you.  They're the only measuring device that counts. 

Mine didn't start out tilted.  They started flat and pointed straight ahead.  I arrived at the tilt and toe-in over some weeks of listening and making small, gradual adjustments.  I can't say I've noticed any loss in coherence with them tilted, and I really don't have a space that makes bulky or heavy stands very convenient.  I have to temporarily move my Stirlings out of the way semi-frequently. 

Toe-in is a necessity because these are horn guided  tweeters, they quickly lose intensity as you go off axis in the horizontal direction

So, I picked up a pair of scratch-and-dent Klipsch Heresy's.  I've got them next to the Tannoys.  They've been running a few days, now, and three things are already apparent:

1. Klipsch rates the Heresy's at 99 dB efficient, and Tannoy rates the Stirlings at, I think, 92. There is not 7 dB of difference in these speakers.
2. The Tannoys eat the diminutive Klipsches in bass depth and quality.  They should beat them at depth, being a much larger cabinet.  But the Klipsches are also just much, much boomier and uncontrolled.
3. The Klipsch soundstage is not as good, but it does do a wonderful job of throwing the singer or lead instrument right out in front of the speakers.

I have a friend who owns the Heresy's. I agree with your assessment. Their impedance curve is benign however. That is why many(myself included) prefer them driven with tubes.

I also have heard other Klipsch speakers and found that their sensitivity ratings were truly overstated. That said they can be driven to play loud. Too much so for me.

@trentmemphis

The Stirlings are rated 91dB, so it’s an 8dB discrepancy on paper! I do appreciate that the Tannoy sensitivity specs indeed seem legit. I've noticed and enjoyed the greater efficiency when moving up in the line (91 to 93 to 96).

I tilt my Canterbury up a bit, and use a good amount of toe-in. It works for me, and sounds great. The image height is perfect. Stands tall enough to do the same job would mess with the aesthetic, and possibly introduce more resonance issues if they’re not extremely well made (heavy!).

I use HRS Nimbus spacers - basically solid aluminum hockey pucks with a small lip on top & bottom to accept the couplers - of differing height to create the tilt. The stock Canterbury GR spike feet & cups fit right in there.

I don’t see how a coaxial driver with symmetric dispersion and phase coherence (at the crossover point) is going to care at all whether tilted up or down or straight ahead. The bass response may be affected with tilt vs. stands, as it changes the bass driver’s coupling and proximity to the floor, but I don’t see why stands would necessarily be an improvement here either. I love the bass I get now.

Random thought: maybe those who love the stands have inadequate isolation for their components, and benefit from the decoupling effect of pedestal stands?