Yes, I also heard them with the AcousticPlan Aruna, which is a 300B amp of about 6 watts (I was at the AcousticPlan manufacturer in Konstanz Germany...he had the setup) and it was probably even better sounding than the Line Magnetic amp.Wow!
I should have pulled the trigger two years ago.
It may be too late.
Wait a minute!
Can it be driven by 300b SET?
Modern speakers vs Vintage speakers
- Thread starter thomask
- Start date
Come on!
You may make me go for Line magnetic LM 3 speaker after I get my Silbatone 300b SET repaired next year.
But Altec A7 sounds so good now that I may be too greedy to get another speaker.
It is true that audiophiles are greedy looking for fresh and better sound.
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Yes, I had it for review many years ago...really a great preamp!
Just returned from a most enjoyable day at Montesquieu's (Tom to his family, friends and colleagues Lol).
It's been a while since I've heard proper vintage spkrs, but his Tannoy RFC Canterbury w drivers c. 1971, and modded cabinets, certainly fit this category.
I'd been meaning to visit Tom for a couple of years now, but a certain pandemic intervened, hence today's trip was in great anticipation.
Audiophile Bill also joined us, always good to catch up w him.
Tom is a fine fellow, an afable host, and evidently a very useful musician as his turn on the lute made clear.
I believe he's played professionally over his lifetime.
First thing to say is that his system despite being pretty extensive has no trappings of unnecessary expense or spending for spending sake. It's based around a Thorens 124 w impressively engineered and very heavy (40kg) Permali plinth, Radford Revival tube power amp, and his Tannoy RFCs.
His room is as ordinary as you can imagine, small, almost square, a bay window, and zero treatments.
Tbh, I really wasn't sure what to expect.
Well, I needn't have worried.
From the first bars of vinyl played, there was the most amazing sense of ease, his system displaying that hugely desirable, but hugely hard to nail down character, of fluid flow and dynamic ease, critically not at the expense of tonal density, texture and flesh, timbral color and accuracy.
Systems that sound light on their feet yet pertinent and substantial are so attractive, immersive and addictive, and Tom's sound had these in spades.
There were definite cues that reminded me of the best that was on offer w Bill's horns, namely a sound divorced from the spkrs (quite a trick w these Canterburys being as much fine furniture as loudspeakers), and unimpeded music making, seemingly no hash or opaqueness.
I found that hugely impressive given the mix of gear and ages of most of it. Not a new ground up design like Bills horns on SOTA Mayer tubes, but the kind of gear not immediately associated w the very best sound out there (I never could have guessed a 60s idler and 70s spkr could sound this impressive, these weren't unaffordable back in the day).
It takes a really good sound to make me happy to listen to one classical LP after another, but that's what we did today, and some material just had that chill factor of realness, naturalness, reach out and touch palpability.
So cool.
Not knowing whether my torture test LP would trip Tom's sound up, he lined up Stomo Yamashta/Go, and fears unfounded, I was mesmerised, possibly the best ever rendition, just shading what I heard on Bill's horns played on his previous Bergmann/Red Sparrow. Tom's 124 and Tannoys were able to absolutely chart each musical line perfectly, mesh them holistically, present detail naturally w heft and texture and air. So impressed.
As I left I told him he had hit this rare level where the music simply communicates, whole levels of veils removed. And that he was to be commended for maxxing a path w vintage tt, amp and spkrs that runs rings around so much over priced, over engineered, but sadly audibly sub par hifi offerings from the current day.
Bravo, Tom.
It's been a while since I've heard proper vintage spkrs, but his Tannoy RFC Canterbury w drivers c. 1971, and modded cabinets, certainly fit this category.
I'd been meaning to visit Tom for a couple of years now, but a certain pandemic intervened, hence today's trip was in great anticipation.
Audiophile Bill also joined us, always good to catch up w him.
Tom is a fine fellow, an afable host, and evidently a very useful musician as his turn on the lute made clear.
I believe he's played professionally over his lifetime.
First thing to say is that his system despite being pretty extensive has no trappings of unnecessary expense or spending for spending sake. It's based around a Thorens 124 w impressively engineered and very heavy (40kg) Permali plinth, Radford Revival tube power amp, and his Tannoy RFCs.
His room is as ordinary as you can imagine, small, almost square, a bay window, and zero treatments.
Tbh, I really wasn't sure what to expect.
Well, I needn't have worried.
From the first bars of vinyl played, there was the most amazing sense of ease, his system displaying that hugely desirable, but hugely hard to nail down character, of fluid flow and dynamic ease, critically not at the expense of tonal density, texture and flesh, timbral color and accuracy.
Systems that sound light on their feet yet pertinent and substantial are so attractive, immersive and addictive, and Tom's sound had these in spades.
There were definite cues that reminded me of the best that was on offer w Bill's horns, namely a sound divorced from the spkrs (quite a trick w these Canterburys being as much fine furniture as loudspeakers), and unimpeded music making, seemingly no hash or opaqueness.
I found that hugely impressive given the mix of gear and ages of most of it. Not a new ground up design like Bills horns on SOTA Mayer tubes, but the kind of gear not immediately associated w the very best sound out there (I never could have guessed a 60s idler and 70s spkr could sound this impressive, these weren't unaffordable back in the day).
It takes a really good sound to make me happy to listen to one classical LP after another, but that's what we did today, and some material just had that chill factor of realness, naturalness, reach out and touch palpability.
So cool.
Not knowing whether my torture test LP would trip Tom's sound up, he lined up Stomo Yamashta/Go, and fears unfounded, I was mesmerised, possibly the best ever rendition, just shading what I heard on Bill's horns played on his previous Bergmann/Red Sparrow. Tom's 124 and Tannoys were able to absolutely chart each musical line perfectly, mesh them holistically, present detail naturally w heft and texture and air. So impressed.
As I left I told him he had hit this rare level where the music simply communicates, whole levels of veils removed. And that he was to be commended for maxxing a path w vintage tt, amp and spkrs that runs rings around so much over priced, over engineered, but sadly audibly sub par hifi offerings from the current day.
Bravo, Tom.
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So good to hear more and more about life returning more fully and re-opening and people out and about enjoying each other’s company and their music and sound. Nice visit. Great systems should be truly timeless. So good to be able to hear about it.
Well worth the visit, Graham. I find w the best systems I'm really happy for the host to choose most of the music, it's all a learning experience for me. The social side of these meets is part of the fun.
If the "vintage" sound is flow w color and substance, as I heard here, then I'm signed up to it.
If the "vintage" sound is flow w color and substance, as I heard here, then I'm signed up to it.
Thanks for your kind words Marc. It's nice when people come round with fresh ears as it's so easy simply to take things for granted, doubly so after the COVID-enforced gap which has had us all beavering away trying stuff out largely in isolation!
So ... very much a renewed pleasure to give visitors the full tour, stereo to early mono to 78 and back again, styles from Renaissance, Baroque and Classical, to Jazz, Jazz Rock and Prog (? if that's what it was lol ) with a bit of compare and contrast between cartridges and so on.
While it's true that the basis of my system is vintage - 1971 Tannoy HPD315a drivers, 1966 Thorens TD124 MkII idler motor unit, 1967 Radford STA100 valve amp, arguably perhaps even the Audiopax preamp (version 4.5 but nevertheless a direct descendant of version 1 from 2004) - all have been optimised significantly (but sensitively) in various ways compared to their standard configuration back in the day.
Once again - thanks hugely for the feedback, it's really appreciated, it was a real pleasure to have you and Bill round.
So ... very much a renewed pleasure to give visitors the full tour, stereo to early mono to 78 and back again, styles from Renaissance, Baroque and Classical, to Jazz, Jazz Rock and Prog (? if that's what it was lol ) with a bit of compare and contrast between cartridges and so on.
While it's true that the basis of my system is vintage - 1971 Tannoy HPD315a drivers, 1966 Thorens TD124 MkII idler motor unit, 1967 Radford STA100 valve amp, arguably perhaps even the Audiopax preamp (version 4.5 but nevertheless a direct descendant of version 1 from 2004) - all have been optimised significantly (but sensitively) in various ways compared to their standard configuration back in the day.
Once again - thanks hugely for the feedback, it's really appreciated, it was a real pleasure to have you and Bill round.
Just getting back into the flow here also so looking forwards to catching up with mates down here for similar life confirming moments. One day they may even let us down under convicts return to the old world again so there’d be definitely be the aim to catch up. My horn and SET setup might be new but the precedent is definitely simple process old school. Tbh we’re all getting a little bit vintage now… and that’s our gear as well
Tom, also an invaluable compare to my sound, highlighting my multiple shortcomings.
As my old school reports used to say, "must try harder" lol.
As my old school reports used to say, "must try harder" lol.
Just to reiterate Marc’s comments. Great day - Tom’s system sounded great to me last time but even better this time. It is a music lover’s system meaning you can sit there with a big smile on your face all day with no hint of fatigue or loss of interest. Density of tone and heft with an overall musical cohesiveness is the order of the day.
Thank you for hosting, Tom. And great to see you again, Marc. I need to get the album names.
Best.
Thank you for hosting, Tom. And great to see you again, Marc. I need to get the album names.
Best.
Not taken today but all fairly recent
Very nice.love the turntable and speakersNot taken today but all fairly recent
Tom, I remain amazed at how invisible your spkrs were, where my first impression on seeing them before any music was played was that they must be as audible/noticeable as they are visible.
But nothing of the sort.
When I was getting into hifi in the 80s, the mantra was for as slim as possible loudspeakers, minimising diffraction effects.
Broad, bulky spkrs were really frowned on.
I recall the Naim DBL that I lusted after getting sustained criticism for its substantial breadth of fascia.
But nothing of the sort.
When I was getting into hifi in the 80s, the mantra was for as slim as possible loudspeakers, minimising diffraction effects.
Broad, bulky spkrs were really frowned on.
I recall the Naim DBL that I lusted after getting sustained criticism for its substantial breadth of fascia.
Yes this is the system that Bonzo raved about. Congratulations on a well thought out and put together system.Not taken today but all fairly recent
Marc, if you look up my emails to you (I am sure you keep them safe in a separate folder), the one dated April 23 2018 asks you to visit a Tannoy system in Sandhurst. So you went there 3.5 years later.
Before listening to Tom's system, and since, I have been disappointed with Tunberrys, canterburys, Kingdom Royales, and Kensingtons. Haven't heard a properly setup Westminster yet. But this Tannoy, and then a 15 inch Tannoy Gold in Scotland, were better than 90% of systems I heard which were 100k above. All my positive Tannoy comments on WBF came after this, and subsequent visits. The most impressive is apart from the sound, how well integrated it is in the living room to suit a normal lifestyle and the ability to play any recording, even the poor ones, and just enjoy the music. It also excels in monos and 78s. Their full bodied midrange is similar to ribbons and they work with rock so Justin can get them too.
Ked, very much agree w you on the adaptability of Tom's setup and sound. It was great across genres, albeit we listened 70% to classical, but the one rock oriented LP that I brought along was nailed by the Tannoys.
My room is some 5x larger than Tom's, so I can't comment on how they might sound up here, maybe the variant w 15" driver would be needed.
My well developed weakness for nostalgia and love of old established engineering optimised by modern methods was triggered by Tom's setup, certainly if I was living in London with a much smaller, "cosier" living space, and wanted a system that sounded 10/10, AND design ethic/aesthetic that fitted in with a 60s 70s narrative (and an original LP collection to match), I'd be strongly pursuing this line of enquiry.
Tom's system handily now slots into second place of all the fantastic systems I've heard, both flawless across all considerations, and totally compelling on them too.
My room is some 5x larger than Tom's, so I can't comment on how they might sound up here, maybe the variant w 15" driver would be needed.
My well developed weakness for nostalgia and love of old established engineering optimised by modern methods was triggered by Tom's setup, certainly if I was living in London with a much smaller, "cosier" living space, and wanted a system that sounded 10/10, AND design ethic/aesthetic that fitted in with a 60s 70s narrative (and an original LP collection to match), I'd be strongly pursuing this line of enquiry.
Tom's system handily now slots into second place of all the fantastic systems I've heard, both flawless across all considerations, and totally compelling on them too.
They will sound similar, if anything better because of more space. As you can see his room is not great, there is a window behind one of them, not the other, a sofa half blocking one in front. Yet it does so well because it does not care for room reflections. However with more width and more space to the seating position they will only sound better. And they will work well with your amps. And if you sell Zus and swap out to them, you will hardly lose any money.
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