Cheapo second hand stuff

if they are like my old tannoy DC's Id expect a lively, engaging presentation..

if thats so, Id avoid anything too sibilant or bright. perhaps an old arcam amp or a meridian, or better still Steve 7vs Sugden?

havent heard the exact ones though, so will bow to wisdom of others!

 

I've got a Pioneer PL12-D and an Arcam A60. If you're interested PM me.

Bob

 

I tried it after blowing the Leak with my MF B200, but after speaking to the MF engineers I stopped - they weren't quite convinced about connecting from amp left -ve to 1st speaker -ve, then 1st speaker +ve to 2nd speaker -ve, then 2nd speaker +ve to amp right +ve with another set of speakers connected normally over the same terminals. That was using a pair of KEF 104/2s as main speakers (and occasionally Richard Allen RA1s or Gale 401s), with KEF Chorales (the old ones on the weird 70s circular stand) as rear series speakers.
Worked amazingly well for whole room stereo, especially if I connected my Marshall 600w bass rig into the system as well via a low pass filter . Neighbours weren't so keen as I lived in a flat in London at the time...

 

Sounds to me like the MF engineers were being wimps. Why should this configuration cause any difficulties, whether you use one or two rear speakers?

 

Maybe I was foolish believing them, or maybe the engineer was my neighbour and didn't like the racket - perhaps when I get my new amp I'll dig out my old pair of KEF chorales and stick them in as a rear Hafler with the Ditton 66s.

 

Are you sure? I always thought that a Hafler speaker was connected across the amp left +ve and right +ve terminals.

Doing it as you've stated would simply send the right channel to the rears.

 

I tried every combination I could think of - that one seemed to work best at the time - gave full whizz-bang front to back of room sort of sound.
Not as clean or dynamic as I have now, but mebbe worth a try again just to see what happens!

 

Technobear's right Leonard. I misread what you wrote. Hafler speakers always go between the L & R +ves (or L & R -ves).

No wonder you kept blowing up amps.

 

I'll attempt to wire it correctly next time!

 

Incidentally, Hafler mode won't give you a 'full whizz-bang front to back of room sort of sound'. It will bring the sound out into the room a little more and add ambience.

Ideally, front and back speakers will have similar timbral qualities, just like a 5-1 system but with Hafler the rear speaker(s) don't need to be anything like as big as the fronts.

 

It's not a bad idea to wire a 25 ohm linear wirewound potentiometer in series with the rears so that you can adjust the level of the effect. Less is more. The effect should be subtle.

 

Well the Tannoy DC200s I got on ebay for £80 (probably gonna be the speakers for the new attic room setup) arrived yesterday and I spent the evening having a play around with them - reaction mostly positive - they'll certainly do the job for the top room I think.

Firstly - these are one ugly pair of speakers. Auntie Ants comment - "When do the band come on?" Big box shaped stand mounters covered in black vinyl - with a large 10" dual concentric driver and a bass port.

I have no stands and improvised with some metal framed chairs from ikea - not ideal I know, but they did the job. A trip to Richers on Saturday I think.

First off compared to my Kefs they are warmer.

They go lower in the bass and there is more of it. Generally the bass doesn't sound overblown (although it tended to go that way with the odd track especially the reggae - socks in the bass ports improved that). They do vocals - male and female - beautifully - much better than the Kefs.

Less detail than the Kefs though and there seems to be a strange effect where certain kinds of guitars (that sort of Indy sounding guitar - Smiths and Teenage Fanclub) seem to be a lot further back in the mix. This could be offputting and on some tracks made them sound lacking - you know tracks you know well and there appears to be a hole in their middle.

Yet despite this I also noticed that I could more easily tell the difference between vinyl and CD versions of the same album than with the Kefs sometimes better with vinyl but more noticably on a few albums the other way round.

Couldn't tell much difference regarding soundstaging, but listening positions were hardly ideal.

All together I rather like them. They sound noticably different from the kefs but they'll do I think the Kefs are better overall, but the Tannoys do some things noticably better. Just wish they weren't so pig ugly. Certainly very listenable.

Tried em out with a variety of stuff - Radiohead, The Bends and OK Computer (both CD) ; The Smiths, The World Won't Listen (vinyl); Max Romeo, Open the Iron Gate (Vinyl); Bob Marley, Uprising (vinyl); Steve Earle, Train a Comin, The Mountain (both CD) ; Dusty Springfield, Memphis (CD and vinyl); Bob Dylan, Freewheelin (CD and vinyl); The Beatles, Abbey Road (CD and vinyl); The Beat, I Just Can't Stop It (vinyl); Teenage Fanclub, Grand Prix (CD and vinyl); Morrissey, Viva Hate (vinyl); Jeff Buckley, Grace (CD); Kraftwerk, Man Machine (vinyl) ... and other stuff I can't remember.

Mind you - going to see Steve and his amazing crossoverless speakers on Monday and taking the Tannoys to test out with some of his stash of secondhand amps. Don't be surprised if he reports back that they are awful, that I have cloth ears and never listen to a word I say, ever again

 

As if I would.

Incidentally, I have some stands (new and boxed) that may do you so I suggest that you delay Richer sounds until after Monday. I'm looking forward to meeting you. Does anyone else want to pop over to Oxted to play?

 

Cheers Steve, Will do. I'm off now, see you Monday.

Tony

 

Don't forget the Pioneer A400 Amplifier.
Can be bought for £60 to £100. The Tom Evans modded versions, A400 GTE and A300R Precision, cost more but well worth the price.

Even after all these years, In 2003, A400 was placed at number 6 in 25 Best Ever Hi-Fi Components by Hi-Fi Choice.



Pioneer A400 is a no frills 'audiophile' amplifier that set the cat among the pigeons when it was introduced. Hi-Fi magazines greeted it with a chorus of praise. Comparisons with amplifiers costing up to £1,000 were made, confirming that the A400 is a giant killer.

It won the coveted Product of the Year by the What Hi-Fi? magazine - an accolade that had never before gone to a Japanese company.

25,000 units were sold in the first 18 months, securing an extraordinary 12.8% of the total amplifier market. Soon, the Pioneer A400 attained something of a cult status. A400X model was introduced later but the demand was still for the original A400 and the production continued.

"There is something ineffably right about the Pioneer A400."
Andrew Gold, What Hi Fi?

"It loves music, the A400." "It loves it with a vengeance."
Mark Payton, High Fidelity Magazine

"Even if your budget extends to £1000, it could be exactly what you are after"
Jimmy Hughes, Audiophile

"As good as amps costing up to a thousand pounds."
Hi Fi Choice

"Best Amplifier"
"Best Buy Overall"
"Product of the Year"
What Hi-fi? (various issues)

"Best Amplifier"
Hi-Fi Choice

A data sheet I put together is at:
http://www.gbaudio.co.uk/data/a400.htm

Other informative links:
Hi-Fi Buying Guide: Part 2
http://www.tnt-audio.com/guide/amps_e.html

Hi-Fi Buying Guide: Part 4
http://www.tnt-audio.com/guide/building_e.html

Hi-Fi Choice
http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/archive/perl/433_printreview.htm