KeithR's "Dream Speaker" Search

[KeithR]

Tannoy Westminster:

I've been meaning to hear the big Westminsters for quite some time - a friend of a friend has owned them for several years. He is analog only and runs them on ARC gear. Currently, his amp is being repaired so a pair of Canary Audio amps were in the mix. Jim has a converted garage, a big 25' x 20' space, and has inserted some room treatment smartly to contain the sound.

The speakers are massive, in a good way Honestly, I always find them ugly in pictures but they look much better in person. The cabinetry work is mighty fine, and while very wide, aren't as deep as I anticipated. They are quite flexible in the treble and bass, to suit various rooms. The big difference in the Westminsters vs the other Tannoys is a large, folded horn for the bass. And as I've recently discovered, that's a huge part to the success of this speaker.

What I heard in just the first 10 minutes was big, bold, and present sound. Music just came to life right in front of you. When I played Trios Palabras, a female Cuban quartet, the classical guitars and congas just had such snap and vividness. It was a "you are there" kind of experience. What I also noticed early on was just how visceral the bass was - I'm telling you the snap and gut punch that is available with these speakers is off the charts cool. I kept referring it as such to Jim throughout the evening. Simultaneously there was a relaxing nature to the sound due to the speakers coherency - again, something that people tend to ignore these days and just adds so much. My friend with me quipped that he could listen to these speakers all day.

The Tannoy Westminster isn't a "hifi" speaker - you don't think of imaging, soundstage, and other hifi fireworks used by the TAS writers in their uniformly boring reviews. It's a rock n roll speaker just as much as a jazz one. It doesn't have the full resolution of a Magico M3 and you don't really care. Bad recordings are even listenable (unlike my YGs, unfortunately). As far as negatives, I'll admit on a few tracks there was a little warmness which I feel goes away when returning to the ARC amps. The soundstage isn't as deep as others, nor is it meant to be. And the speakers don't totally disappear. But all of these things seemed insignificant- we ended with Tony Bennett/Bill Evans on Analogue Productions and it just sang into the room. This is a world class speaker in a sea of boring hifi. A welcome respite for the music lover as compared to the music analyzer.

 

[KeithR]

 

[KeithR]

You should try and hear the Defs 6 when Covid finally permits it's release.
Three FRDs w three concentric supertweeters and the same lighter/stiffer cabinet from the Druid 6.

2022 unfortunately.

 

[KeithR]

Preview of what's next- the Tannoy Kensington and Spendor D9.2 loudspeakers

 

[spiritofmusic]

2022 unfortunately.

Is that a guess, or official?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, Keith, for that very well-written and very understandable and communicative report! I agree with everything you wrote.

From my visits to Jim's house I have come to like the Westminsters only more and more over time. I have come to feel like "why are we trying so hard with this audio stuff and making it so complicated when that speaker is right there?"

With 1) a wide-band driver and 2) high sensitivity I think the Westminster pretty much does it all, except, as you report, that last smidgeon of resolution. And it is the only single box speaker I have ever heard about which it never occurred to me to think "gee, it might be nice to have subwoofers with this."

 

[PeterA]

Kedar, Do you have any system videos of large Tannoy speakers?

 

[bonzo75]

Kedar, Do you have any system videos of large Tannoy speakers?

A couple of vintage tannoy silver and red 15 inch drivers with Allnic 5000 DHT phono and Allnic 50w SETs amp using KR 242 Tubes. I will ask the owner and post. I didn't hear these systems unfortunately they are in Argentina, and very rare drivers in rare autograph cabinets.

The first tannoy driver was black, then silver and red. They were all 16 ohms and very sensitive, though sensitive reduced with from black to red. Then it went to gold, then HPD which were 8 ohms. Power requirements increased.

@montesquieu has a very musical sounding HPD system set up for classical, he is more of piano and Leider. You can play any of this music on his system including his 78 rpm classical and jazz and enjoy it very much like Jeff day describes.

I haven't heard a Westminster properly yet but would love to. There are two Golds I heard which were quite good. I haven't liked any of the Canterbury, Tunberry, or Kensington that I heard

 

[bonzo75]

I have come to feel like "why are we trying so hard with this audio stuff and making it so complicated when that speaker is right there?"

That's why. That's exactly why. You need the journey

 

[Ron Resnick]

That's why. That's exactly why. You need the journey

The journey is educational. The journey allows us to expand our high-end audio knowledge and horizons and to learn new things and to come to our own experience-based conclusions.

Over the last five years I have learned about and I have evolved to appreciate:

1) Horn loudspeakers in general

2) Wide-band drivers of all types (and driver discontinuity is not some thing I am particularly sensitive to)

3) The importance to loudspeakers of high sensitivity for jump factor and dynamics and "liveness," regardless of speaker type

4) Musical genre preference drives loudspeaker preference

Perhaps KeithR can tell us some of the broad things he has learned during the course of his dream speaker search chronicled herein?

 

[213Cobra]

Is that a guess, or official?

Sean is projecting end of Q1/21. -Phil

 

[rbbert]

The journey is educational. The journey allows us to expand our high-end audio knowledge and horizons and to learn new things and to come to our own experience-based conclusions.

Over the last five years I have learned about and I have evolved to appreciate:
__missing part__
4) Musical genre preference drives loudspeaker preference

Not so sure about this; there are many listeners (and respected audio reviewers) who listen regularly to a broad range of both acoustic and electronically altered music in several musical genres. If your appreciation includes those who want a loudspeaker to perform well and be enjoyable in that situation then it makes sense

 

[chuck]

Bad recordings are even listenable (unlike my YGs, unfortunately)

I have not noticed that with my YGs. Could you please let me know some of the recordings that are unlistenable on your YGs?

 

[KeithR]

Tannoy Kensington:

Hot of the trails of my fun time with the Westminster, I visited the US distributor to hear the a lower end model in the Prestige Line. I was interested in the 12" driver-based GRF, but the Kensington was in stock. The speakers were setup well out in the room as you can see in the picture - I'd guess 6' at least. They were hooked up to a Primaluna integrated amplifier - I mentioned that I used tube/SS at home and we agreed to warm up the Pathos InPol2 hybrid amplifier beside it.

The Kensington lacked some of the Westminster magic. Whether it was the smaller driver, cabinet, or different bass tech (front side ports) I'm not sure. Tone and presence were there, but not as vivid. It was too warm and fuzzy in the bass with the Primaluna. Switching to the Pathos cleared things up a lot. The bass still was hitting room nodes (which surprised me in a fully decked out dealer room) and was at times overbearing, without the clarity of the Westminster. Dynamics weren't as clear and expressive. While Natalia Lafourcade sounded great, electronica seemed a bit dull on these speakers.

Anyways, I left the demo with more questions than answers. Maybe I'll return to hear the Canterburys, maybe not as this demo was a little too far to the right brain for my preferences. Fyne Audio may be the more interesting speaker to hear - and where the lead Tannoy designer went two years ago.

 

[KeithR]

 

[KeithR]

Spendor D9.2-

I've wanted to hear this speaker for a long time - as its in a very good price range for audiophiles ($10k-ish). Its competitors are Harbeth, Devore, Vandy, etc. The local dealer had sold a pair to a customer and was breaking them in before delivery; was told they had 100 hours. The speakers were very well setup, bass was smooth at the listening position (unlike the Kensington demo), and they were playing on a Levinson dac/integrated.

The speakers were in a stunning, limited "cypress" finish and actually much smaller "in the room" than in pictures. This is a very spouse-friendly speaker. Sound was bigger than their appearance, and I noticed the speakers totally disappeared and were noticeably coherent compared to most in my travels. Bass was taut, clean, with no overhang - and remember, this is from a downward firing port. But on my test CD, couldn't help to notice some upper treble sibilance. Wasn't on every track, but there were high violins at times that could sound strident and without full timbre. My sales associate agreed that it was kinda hot on a few tracks, so we switched to a streaming setup. This reduced the issue some, but was still there. I concluded that pairing this speaker with the appropriate amp was a big deal - and wasn't sure this Levinson was up to the task. I've heard the Spendors on Jadis at hifi shows and now have a better idea why.

The midrange had a little bit of that Spendor magic down the frequency curve - male vocals in particular sounded fantastic as did classical guitar. Electronica was very good as they soundstaged well. Dynamics were also good- particularly on those classical guitar strings. The D series is Spendor's take on a modern speaker and I'd say they will sell a lot of them. That tweeter, however, still raises some concerns. Compared to my previous Devores, I'd say the Spendors had better bass, but missed some vividness and refinement that the Gibbons provided - particularly on female vocals. But of course that could be chalked up to the amp/speaker combo.

 

[KeithR]

 

[KeithR]

Perhaps KeithR can tell us some of the broad things he has learned during the course of his dream speaker search chronicled herein?

I'll get to this question at some point, have no fear!

 

[KeithR]

Next up on the KeithR fall speaker express, the Sonus Faber Il Cremonese...not traditionally a SF fan, but have heard so much about the reference line over the years and they are right down the street from me now.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Spendor D9.2-

I've wanted to hear this speaker for a long time - as its in a very good price range for audiophiles ($10k-ish). Its competitors are Harbeth, Devore, Vandy, etc. The local dealer had sold a pair to a customer and was breaking them in before delivery; was told they had 100 hours. The speakers were very well setup, bass was smooth at the listening position (unlike the Kensington demo), and they were playing on a Levinson dac/integrated.

The speakers were in a stunning, limited "cypress" finish and actually much smaller "in the room" than in pictures. This is a very spouse-friendly speaker. Sound was bigger than their appearance, and I noticed the speakers totally disappeared and were noticeably coherent compared to most in my travels. Bass was taut, clean, with no overhang - and remember, this is from a downward firing port. But on my test CD, couldn't help to notice some upper treble sibilance. Wasn't on every track, but there were high violins at times that could sound strident and without full timbre. My sales associate agreed that it was kinda hot on a few tracks, so we switched to a streaming setup. This reduced the issue some, but was still there. I concluded that pairing this speaker with the appropriate amp was a big deal - and wasn't sure this Levinson was up to the task. I've heard the Spendors on Jadis at hifi shows and now have a better idea why.

The midrange had a little bit of that Spendor magic down the frequency curve - male vocals in particular sounded fantastic as did classical guitar. Electronica was very good as they soundstaged well. Dynamics were also good- particularly on those classical guitar strings. The D series is Spendor's take on a modern speaker and I'd say they will sell a lot of them. That tweeter, however, still raises some concerns. Compared to my previous Devores, I'd say the Spendors had better bass, but missed some vividness and refinement that the Gibbons provided - particularly on female vocals. But of course that could be chalked up to the amp/speaker combo.

It’s definitely a very good speaker for the kinds of music that you’ve outlined... and the Spendor D7.2 (at about 2/3rds the price) has a lot of the same very good things going on... in a medium to smaller space where you might not want to overload the room with bass it might be a nice budget solution.