£150 for 2nd hand floorstanders, please advise

This thread does what it says on the tin...
But seriously, I know this sort of thing gets asked the whole time, but I've done quite a bit of searching and I can't find a definitive answer.
I've had a bit of a chat before about Kefs in particular, and am now seriously looking for some floor standers about the £150 mark (preferably the lower end of).
-I want floor standers for better bass (not a bass head, but want more than say DM602s could offer)
-2nd hand only
-This is for 2 channel stereo
-will be driven by 2x Rotel RB971s bridged
-floor is hardwood, room about 5m x 6m, medium ceiling
-music taste rock, country, reggae (doesn't have to be extreme bass though)pop, classical (in that order)

I'm interested in KEF Q55.2s (much better than 55s?), Q65s. But what else should I look at? What are MA B4s like? I doubt I'd get DM603S2s for this price eh? Open to anything
Thanks
Harry

 

IMHO, The Kefs original model was more musical than the .2's

I find the .2's a little to dry and uninvolving. However, I have only compared the Q15 and 35 and Reference 1 and 2's agains their .2 brothers.

 

Tannoy Sixes.

Can't think of much more you'd get for £150.

 

you may be able to build a speaker kit for that .....
but £150 is a little on the thin side

have you considered the bass lack may be caused else where
ie cables or ic's even the source ?

 

Couldn't find what kit your using ......did you go for the t-amps ?

if so thats likely the cause of the bass light sound [I had the same]

 

From what I rember , DM 602 have got plenty of bass , it just needs tightening up .

Have you experimented with stands , placing stands on stone / marble plinth can have a effect on bass output .

I would have a fiddle , I think you will struggle to find what you want on your budget .

 

Haven't found a T-amp yet, there are things above it priority wise
In this room, running 601S2s with those bridged rotels. I only say I want more bass than 602s because I've heard alot of people saying they weren't up to scratch here.
Tannoy 6's, what are they like, I know they're ugly so they'd better sound amazing (familiar with 15" Golds, but not the room here). What about Tannoy R3s, or P40s.
So maybe 150 could be stretched a little to get a big improvement
How's the bass extension of a Q35 going to compare to a Q55 or those Tannoys?
Thanks for the help guys

BTW cables are CAT5 for speaker, TNT shoestring for inters.
Source, mainly an ipod dock, but sometimes a Technics CDP (don't laugh), about to be a RCD930ax (when new pickup installed)

 

ok, so how would Tannoy R3s compare to Q55s?, Or Tannoy S10s (on the ugly side though)

 

£250 would get you some Ruark Talismans.

Thats my fave for the money..

 

I can recommend Tannoy R2's. Mine are bi-wired, driven by bridged Creek A52SE's, which push out 250 quality watts per channel.
The R3's are bigger(my neighbour has a pair) and sound similar.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TANNOY-REVOLUTION-R3_W0QQitemZ260098656363QQcategoryZ14996QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

yep, watching them
glad to hear them being recommended a bit though

 

Rega Ela - classic speaker. No very low bass, but clean and well behaved. My guess is that it would suit your Rotel amp just fine.

Thom

 

Hi,
I own a pair of Tannoy 611's run by (All Modified) Cambridge CD4SE and Cyrus 2 with PSX.
The Tannoys have an amazing soundstage. I've never heard anything like them. Most of the room is a "sweet spot".
My amplifier is known for a slightly forward presentation but has more than enough power for the 6 Ohm load of the Sixes.
The 611's go low. Very low, but in my system the bass is not in proportion to the other frequencies. Reggae or electronic music sounds rich and powerful but your average acoustic presentations become fatiguing as you raise the volume for more bass but receive more treble. The problem is alleviated somewhat by placing against a wall but not entirely. Double bass is all there but a little less than desired. The bass is always well defined and you can always here the 'B' of the Bass. Perhaps this is due to the polypropylene cones and the fully sealed enclosure.

There is a distinctive sibilance coming from the concentric horn. Most speakers have a similar trait to some extent but this becomes more obvious in this case because the bass no longer balances it out and it is, therefore, more exposed. The sibilance/brightness issue was addressed with the mk11 version but the magic was, in my opinion, lost in the process. There seemed to be an attenuation somewhere around the crossover frequency 2.5Khz - 3.5 Khz. I'd rather have the Mk1 any day. The MK1 also have the faux marble top while the MK11 have plain shiny black. Classy!!!

The 611's are a 2.5 way design with both 8" drivers working together below 250Hz. So where's the bass? Well, I know through experiments with equalization that these speakers can loosen your fillings with very low frequencies and do so effortlessly. Seriously, these speakers are both very sensitive and very powerful.

In summary:
Extremely high resolution speakers with the best soundstage. Expect to hear DETAIL. Slight lack of bass in my system but what's there is sublime. Disclaimer: This are my opinions from my equipment and several different rooms. I know of one other person with the same Tannoys and the same problem. These are great speakers but need a little 'work' to sound as they should.

Incidentally: I first heard these speakers in '92 powered by a Cyrus 2 (without PSX). The bass was plentiful and in fact hard to contain within one house!

Now, There's always the 615 which are taller and have a passive radiator!

Hope this helps your decision,
Cheers,
Martin.

 

Hi Martin!

It was the 611's I used to have, and the ones I had in my mind when talking before.

I can't imagine wanting more for £150.. or at least to say, to do so seems churlish.

It's amazing to think you can be enjoying a Tannoy dual concentric (with a second bass driver) for this kind of money.. alright it's not a 15" D.C., but it's not £3,000 either..!

 

Hi,
I have to agree that they are an absolute bargain. You can bet your last quid that they will rise in value with age as the older Tannoys become more expensive. (Crack cocaine, by weight, is cheaper.)

I actually like the look of them although many will disagree. (No-one that I have met in person has disliked them.) I am considering veneering them but I'm in no hurry.

I have built a simple line level bass boost circuit (Baffle step compensation) that works very well except that the transparency of the speakers is so good that you can hear that there's something else 'in the way'.
I'm about to add a passive filter to the 'pre' of the integrated but I don't suppose this is what most people expect to have to go through to get a good sound.

It has to be said though, that these speakers are fantastic. Beware if buying from Ebay since they do not travel well!! The ends tend to get damaged by their own weight as they are unloaded (dropped). This inevitably causes cracks. I have also seen s few sets (out of many) where the poly cones have cracked so check that out.

They are the kind of speakers that make me wonder on a daily basis whether or not other people can hear what I can. I thought that Norah Jones was sweet and innocent until I heard her break wind on her last album.

Anyway, is this the Tannoy 611 thread? No? I'll get my coat.

Cheers,
Martin.

 

I seem to remember big fat metal bases on them, and an option to sand-fill?

 

This is interesting about the 611s. I haven't given them much thought purely because I wasn't that taken with their looks (never seen one in the flesh though).
But as they're being so highly recommended, I might investigate. How do the other sixes compare?
Also, these bridged Rotels are rated at 8ohms, the Tannoys go down to 4 don't they? Are the amps going to be stressed? As far as bass goes, I take what you say. They'll be a hell of a lot better than DM601s I'm sure, also I think the Rotels are good at extracting a fair bit.
How do 611s compare with S10s? They're on ebay now but may well go above my price range. Have to admit a serious bit of respect for Tannoy (15" Golds... wish there was room in this room as I have a pair of drivers not in use)

 

The bases are plastic and can be sand/shot filled. Definitely a nice feature. There are some optional plinths available that are black. Maybe that is what you were thinking of? The plinths are made from a strange kind of compressed cardboard material. They are more rugged than they sound. I had mine mounted on a set of stands that were made for the the 609/607. (Same footprint.) I have to say that they did look amazing elevated upon the triangular section stands. In the end though I chopped up the stands to make my own plinths very similar to the originals. They are the same shape as the bottom section except with spiked 'outriggers' to provide more stability. I don't use them at the moment because they look like understated black obelisks without them.

The Tannoys are quite sensitive (91dB) so you may be OK. My Cyrus was designed for 8 Ohms anyway. I suppose current delivery is the biggest concern and Rotel are (were) known for solid power supplies.

I'm not sure how the other Sixes compare but I imagine that the 609's would be a good bet when partnered with a sub. They may, in fact, sound better than the 611's because you could filter out the bass from the 609's and have total control of the LF through a separate subwoofer. This would leave you free to block the rear facing reflex ports in the 609's as you see fit. The 609's use exactly the same drivers as the 611. Again, the Mk1 and MK11 differ as I mentioned earlier. There are two versions with passive radiators, the 615 and 613. These are both rare but the 613 are less common and use 6.5 inch cones. The other sixes are conventional (non concentric) types.

Look at this page for the specs on most Tannoys including the Sixes and S10 (which are part of the Saturn range) : http://www.hnny.nl/archief_tannoy.html

The S10 have 10 inch cones which is great but I question their looks and build quality. the 611's look a bit cheap on close inspection but don't shout about it like the S10. I haven't heard the S10 but would love to buy them and put them in a nicely made cabinet .........
which brings me to my next point ......

You have 15" Monitor Golds and don't use them? What's worse is that you freely admit it!!!
I get the impression that its is mainly the cabinet volume (and strength) that matters with the Golds so why not build yourself a simple tall, thin and perhaps deep cabinet for them? You can proportion them to fit any way you can and, while you're at it, finish them in a way that blends in with your room. (Pine, stainless steel, pink fur.)
Think about it. Research the optimum cabinet volume and then work out a cabinet shape that you can live with. L shape would look strange but interesting if the horizontal section was also used as a bookshelf. ( Half joking.)

After saying all that, I have to admit to never hearing a pair of Golds although, obviously, I have heard a lot about them. So take my advice with a pinch of sodium chloride.

Cheers,
Martin.

P.S. Must learn to make my posts shorter or perhaps form them into a less conventional but more compact 'L' shape.

 

I make your room approx 15x18

Thats PLENTY room for some 15" DC's IMO.

Sometimes you get people upgrading from one type of cabs to another - e.g. from Lancasters to GRF's. That means there are old cabs kicking around for not too much.

You're not going to get anything near the sound for buying something for £150 from Ebay..

 

Ok, cats out of the bag...yes you're very right about the golds. However, it's not the space as in accousticaly, its the sapce as in it's busy kitchen, part of everyday life. There's no where to put something the saize of cabinet that would house the golds, the way the room is arranged makes speaker placement unflexibale, and I don't have full say in this matter either. I haven't bitten the bullet and got them repaired because there is no room that could house them. There may be later though

I actually have 4 pairs, one of them with a blown coil (£250 for parts alone), and one a dog put it's head through (all inherited from my father, they saw some serious use). They will have attention, just don't have the time or money right now. I've researched cabinets a lot and am halfway through making 250L bass reflex ones. These are for another room, which is being sorted out using different methods.
PS I know it's a crime tryig to get speakers while having these drivers lying around. But they're not going to run away now...

I'm not after something that will match them in quailty, I know this is an absurd ask. But I want something that will physically fit in the bustle of the kitchen while sounding respectable. The S10 is an absolute max in terms of size. You're right about their finish though, they look a bit cheap. Reviews are great though. And I might end up re-cabbing them. Or re-finishing at least.

But I've got sixes to look at now as well