Billfort
Addicted Member
Thought I’d start a thread to detail my experience with 15” Tannoy Dual Concentrics - specifically 3836 drivers - sold to me in EV Aristrocrat cabinets by Cableguy. Aside from the great experience of buying and picking up stuff from Bill (highly recommended) I was very fortunate to grab these at a good price right here in Bartertown.
I've heard Tannoys a bunch of times now; at the AKfests, various audio shows, at Classic Audio and most surprisingly, as PA speakers in a local dive bar, and I've always liked their sound. I believe some of the Tannoy systems I’ve like the best - System 15 DMT II, CPA15 (in that bar) and even the Churchills - use the 3836 driver or a derivative of it. I don’t know all my Tannoy history yet and have a lot to learn but figured these drivers would be a great place to start if I want to see how far I can go with them in my system.
My first taste was to simply hook them up, on the floor and give them a little run where nothing changed but the speakers. There was some if the good stuff I remembered there but I felt the driver centers where too low and 2A3 power (3.5wpc) was just not cutting it with these. I put them up on stands (borrowed from my DQ10s) and pulled my old 300B amp (6wpc) out of storage figuring more power might be better. The best I've heard Tannoys was with even more powerful 845 SETs but 300B is the most I have available right now, short of switching to SS.
I've heard Tannoys a bunch of times now; at the AKfests, various audio shows, at Classic Audio and most surprisingly, as PA speakers in a local dive bar, and I've always liked their sound. I believe some of the Tannoy systems I’ve like the best - System 15 DMT II, CPA15 (in that bar) and even the Churchills - use the 3836 driver or a derivative of it. I don’t know all my Tannoy history yet and have a lot to learn but figured these drivers would be a great place to start if I want to see how far I can go with them in my system.
My first taste was to simply hook them up, on the floor and give them a little run where nothing changed but the speakers. There was some if the good stuff I remembered there but I felt the driver centers where too low and 2A3 power (3.5wpc) was just not cutting it with these. I put them up on stands (borrowed from my DQ10s) and pulled my old 300B amp (6wpc) out of storage figuring more power might be better. The best I've heard Tannoys was with even more powerful 845 SETs but 300B is the most I have available right now, short of switching to SS.