Lockdown & Covid fever relieving New Speakers Tannoy Legacy Cheviots

[tony]

Well lockdown plays on ones mind and I spent a chunk of the year considering getting a new pair of speakers. I started off on my usual route which was second hand through the UK. Spendor SP100R2's caught my eye and I had a fancy for large 3-way speakers with a large 12inch woofer. Lockdown and opening up came and went and came back again and it became obvious I wouldn't be flying over to the UK to hear speakers or doing a ferry dash to collect.

I read a fair bit about the new Tannoy legacy series and the Cheviot sort of appealed to me but my memory of Tannoys at Scalford was a big nice attractive piece of furniture that sounded very dull in that hotel room. The more I read about the dual concentric driver and the fact it is a point source very like the Quads pushed me to consider them. I ended up buying a new pair from a dealer in Scotland. Thankfully after a bit of a delay they arrived at the beginning of December.

Initially very underwhelming. Very shut in almost dull sounding and bass that completely overpowered the room. I played around with them for a few weeks adjusting the treble controls and putting bungs in and out. Raised them up nearly 200mm and then eventually settled for 100mm stands I have already for my 63's.

Slowly but surely the sound opened up and the bass turned from being too much without the two bungs in to the current arrangement which is up 100mm off the floor and no bungs in unless a track is saturated with bass. Sound wise I am really delighted. Well recorded classical, jazz and contemporary music sounds visceral and real. The tulip wave guide gives a huge amount of detail. On harsher sounding tracks that I would like such as early Talking Heads the treble energy can be left at level setting to take the edge of David Byrnes squeals. Soundstage is fantastic. The depth of bass notes and lower registers in general is really natural and enjoyably audible and deep. They have turned out to be exactly what I had hoped big 12 inch driver speakers would sound like if done well. The price for the Ardens was 'only' about 700 quid more so there was a bit of agonising around whether I should dig deeper and go for the big one! But the Cheviots go hugely loud, way beyond what is reasonable in a home environment surrounded by neighbours.

Hopefully with the vaccines kicking in a home visits become more a reality I can get a few second opinions

[Derek]

Nice taster of a review Tony, kinda gets me wanting to grab a listen. Put me name on the list for a post lockdown seat.

[Diapason]

Good stuff, Tony. I always wondered what big 12" woofers would sound like in a home setting and I'm delighted to hear they're working out for you. I haven't heard proper Tannoys ever, I don't think, so I'll be joining the queue when circumstances allow.

[Ivor]

I had a couple of pairs of Tannoys from the (much much) lower end of their range many years ago and while nowhere near the quality of your musical bedside lockers the dual concentric sound was very engaging and very likeable.
A fantastic buy and good timing! You'll enjoy them.for decades

[Fran]

Yep - as Derek said, add me to that list!

[tony]

Thanks guys, certainly from a first world point of view visiting friends to hear or see the latest very much needed toy is a hard cross to bear! Much more severe loss of freedom compared to a pint drinker missing his local pub.

:) Musical bedside lockers that gave me a good laugh. Skewered with beautiful kindness there :) Any photos I had seen of them put me in that same space. They are actually 'better looking' in the flesh. More like slightly trendy hi-end melamine wardrobes from some seventies fashion furniture shop.

Look forward to the next easing and as always happy to blow your ears off and by god Tannoys can go well loud enough to do that.

I need to put the 63's back in to get an immediate comparison but after the Cheviots have run in I find I am listening for a long time. Not sure if that is just my head convincing me I have made the right choice and justifying the spend or if they are just a really nice listen. Certainly not at the hugely analytical end of the spectrum but it looks like whatever new development they have done with the drivers have moved them away from the pipes and slippers. Is it far enough to entrance the critical details brigade army on Tirnahifi remains to be seen.

[Saxman]

Interesting article indeed. I can't say I have ever heard tannoy in a home setting so I can't really comment on what they sound like.
I was more interested in the comment by Diapason in relation to speakers with 12 inch woofers in a home environment.
My listening room is small five and half metres by three metres.
The listening chair is two metres from the speakers and the speakers are two metres apart exactly.
The speakers ar art 12 inch diamonds.
Prior to these I had eight inch diamonds as good as they were I wanted something with more body.
To say I was sceptical is a understatement.
Anyway took the plunge traded in the eight inch for the twelve inch.
When they were delivered by the manufacturer I thought have I gone to large on this.
Anyway connected them up and was very pleasantly surprised they sounded great. No bass boom or heavy over the top bass everything sounded right and still do, better in gacr as they are run in.
Due to space restriction thee rear of the speaker is only half a metre from the back wall and the side of the speaker about a third of a metre from the side wall.
Three drive units woofer, midrange and tweeter.
They are very well engineered and sound wonderful.
Moral of the story should any one be wondering about the pros and cons of putting large speakers in small rooms fear not providing they are good speakers you should have no problems.
Cheers
Alan

[Diapason]

There's no replacement for displacement!

[tony]

Is this the speaker you are referencing? https://www.audioemotion.co.uk/art--dra ... 5060-p.asp

[Saxman]

Yep that's the one