Whats your speaker Journey??

1989 - Mission 761. My first speakers, aged 18. These got well used and abused, including a stint in a car for a bit(!) and they eventually ended up with my brother.

1991 - Tannoy Mercury S. Bought these off a mate at uni. Ran two amps & 4 speaks (Tannoys & Missions) for a while, police visits etc. Eventually sold them to a mate who still has them.

Used a pair of Cyrus 781s for a bit, belonged to my folks. Hohum.

1996 - Rogers LS4a2. unassuming black bookshelfers but fantastic performance for the size and money. Showed me what utter dreck all their predecessors had been. These actually played music.

1998 - REL Strata. Decent basic sub, I still have it.

1999 - Rogers Ls7t. Bought these after my LS4a2 had a woofer taken out by a faulty amp. More Rogers goodness, better, bigger, bolder, more of everything. I still have them and have a real soft spot for them: my first "proper" speakers.

2002 - Rogers LS5/8. I bought three of these, without amps, as I had decided to follow the Rogers/BBC path to its ultimate conclusion.

2003 - Harbeth Compact 7ES. The LS5/8 idea was harder than expected so I looked around and discovered these, basically a modernised and vastly improved Rogers LS7t. Wonderful speakers that have been very skilfully balanced. Sold last week.

2006 - Yamaha NS1000M. Had always fancied trying these and succumbed when a tweaked pair became available in red. Wow. Better than the Harbs in many ways but much more demanding of the amp and will make half your music sound bad. The other half will be sublime though. Not as balanced as the C7s but the high points are quite a bit higher. Currently for sale.

2006 - Yamaha NS1000M. Bought and sold a standard pair just to compare to my red ones, as you do.

2006 - Castle Classic Sub. Brilliant with the Yamahas. For sale.

2006 - Rogers LS4a2. I bought two more pairs of these to use with a small NAD AV system. These are good little things.

2006 - Meridian D600. Monster '80s digital tri-amped active floorstanders. Big full tight sound and even the digital side of things stands up well after all this time.

2007 - Merlin VSM-MM Still getting to know these. First impressions are very good

 

1973 Cambridge R50 transmission line
1975 Mission 770's
1977 Tannoy 15' (Monitor Golds) Lancasters
1978 Tannoy 15' Yorks
1985 Tannoy 15' Arundels
1997 Tannoy D700's
2002 Tannoy DMT12 MK1's
2006 Tannoy DMT 15 mk2
2007 Tannoy DMT 215 mk2
Think I might like DualConcentric point source drivers!
The R50's used a Coles supertweeter (hf up to 40k)that was soooo silky.
There's really something about large drivers that once you're hooked you're hooked for life.
The D700's were excellent but ultimately a very domesticated version of the big tannoy experience-missus loved them tho', those and the 770's were the only speakers I ever bought new, the Missions were for the time excellent in terms of transparency and detail but that little cone just couldn't shake it for me.

 

Mordaunt Short MS10i
B&W 602 s2
Acoustic Energy, very narrow 2-way mass-loaded floorstander, late ninties, perhaps AE505
KEF Q3
JBL 4312 mk2 (made mid-90's)
PMC TB2
PMC GB1
Tannoy Ardens 15"

Subs:
REL Stampede.
Revel B15a

Current speakers:
Tannoy DMT15 MK2
Merlin VSM MMe

 

Mmmmm ~ DMT's ~ I mulled over these for a while ~

However it's not easy to judge before hand how they 'Domesticate' Size and Sound wise

 

Hi

Soundwise, I've found the DMT rigid cabs and 15" DC (with horn-loaded mid/treble) integrate far more easily and successfully than mini monitors in my small /medium room.

Lookswise, being true studio monitors, they are not the most elegant of speaker for your average living-room. That said, I actually like their clean, industrial, modern design- very much infact.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb184/DavidS_025/DSCF0084.jpg

 

I would also add that, despite their high 96 d/m sensitivity, they were designed by Tannoy to be used with powerful solid state gear and preferably actively. Recommended amp power for the DMT 15s is 300 watts and for the 215 even more. They can be used with only a few watts very easily but, although they'll sound OK, you won't realise their full potential until driven properly. I plan to one day biamp, perhaps actively, using SS LF and tube HF.

The 15-inch paper driver is the 3833GG, exactly the same as recently used in the domestic and vastly more expensive Tannoy Churchill.

Harvey Rosenberg (Gizmo) used to rave on about the DMT 15, biamping then with 300b amps. However, the bigger 215s are meant to be even better still- if you can accomodate them!

All in all, the biggest two DMTs are one of hifis best kept secrets and a bargain, even at 3 grand, for the performance on offer. Their drawbacks are the fact they need a lot of current in the bass and their looks (perhaps!).

http://www.tannoy-speakers.com/products/169/SYSTEM 15.PDF

http://www.tannoy-speakers.com/products/170/SYSTEM 215.PDF

 

Soundwise they 'domesticate' very well even in rooms 4.5x5m ,looks and sizewise the 15DMT has marginally more WAF than the 215's but neither are lookers by any stretch of the imagination(unlike the d700)I stuck some plants on top of mine to keep the missus happy
Frank

 

Heres my trip started in 1978 - *= still own

Marantz 4g's
Vidoetone GB3
SMC Transmission lines*
Linn Sara
Wharfedale Diamond
Proac Tablette
LS3/5a
Sonus Faber Mininar Amitor
Large Magniplanars
Stein Acoustic SDI's
Jordan Watts modules *
Pioneer HPH1100
Sonab something or others
Some horns HB1 - Cant remember manufacterer
B&W P2H
B&W DM70 electrostatic treble/midrange *
Quad ELS 57's*
second pair of ELS 57's*
Klipshorns

Bold is what I would still consider good

 

JR149 (early with red logos)
Kef 101
Tannoy M20 Gold
Gale 301
Linn Kan II (early, black)
Linn Isobarik (late, just pre-KuStone, walnut)
ProAc Tablette 50 Sig
Linn Kan I (early, black)
Linn Kan II (final version, KuStone, teak)
Harbeth Compact 7 ES

(I’ve also got a pair of Quad 11Ls on the TV system)

The good ones were the 149s, the Briks, the teak Kan IIs, the ProAcs and the Harbs IMO. Kans crop up a lot as they are a stunningly good speaker for a really tiny room in a flat. The ones I’d most like to re-evaluate are the 149s as I knew next to nothing about setup back when I had them (1979-83). In fact if anyone has a nice tidy pair they would consider selling please let me know.

Tony.

 

This is so true, but the large cabinets the large drivers come in also play a very important role in achieving good sound - especially in small spaces!

 

That's the hard part

 

It's a journey, that's for sure.

 

Agreed, I heard a pair of DMT 15s in a recording studio, they are a fantastic speaker.

 

2006 Monitor Audio B2

Hey i was a student now ive graduated and am even poorer

O, and hello everyone

 

AR18
Kef Coda
Wharfedale E90
MS Pageant
Heybrook HB1
Wharfedale 705
Rogers LS7
Spendor SP3/2
Monitor Audio 352
Magnaplanar SMGA
Celestion SL6
HH Pro 150
HH Pro 200
Mission 752
Spendor SP1
Kef 103
Quad 57
Kef Q something
Dynaudio Audience 40
JM Labs Mini Utopia
Proac Studio 100
Proac Tablette 50
Quad 63
Proac Response 1.5
Proac Response 3.8
Dynaudio Crafft
Dynaudio Contour 2.8
Martin Logan Ascent
Merlin VSM Millenium
Proac Future Point 5
Living Voice Avatar
Dynaudio Micron
Proac D100
Proac D80
Proac Response 1sc
ATC SCM50ASL
Merlin VSM ME
Merlin TSM MX
JBL 4338

Subwoofers

Rel Strata
Rel Stentor
Rel Stadium 3
Velodyne DD12
B&W ASW3000
Custom JBL K2

Plus a few I can't even remember.

Lessons? A good big'un will always beat a good little'un and the narrower the baffle, the more effeminate.

to be continued

 

Just to compete with Stero Mic's list......I started off with a little bookshelf speaker ( still have them) by NAD. I think they are called NAD201 and are made in Italy.

Then won a pair of speakers from a hi-fi magazine competition....Monitor Audio Silver 9i - nice sound but sold as I wanted more....

Now have a pair of LSA2 speakers. Will have to do for a long while unless I win the lottery which is unlikley as I haven't bought a ticket in ages

Why will winning the lottery change my choice of speaker? because I will get a bigger house with a dedicated music room (large) which will need some large vintage Tannoy's of course

 

This is interesting subject...

and why don't you keep on going. I will....when I gather some memories from the field.

 

Started off with my first little NAD based system...speakers (main stereo setup only):

KEF Coda 7 ...then...
Mission M73
KEF iQ3
KEF iQ5
Quad 21L*
Quad ESL57*
Another pair of ESL57s*
Spendor SA1*

* Still own

Subwoofers:

Have never owned a sub

Short list I know...works out to a new pair every two years...

 

from memories to now...

some massive Tannoy Dual concentric drivers with Quad 405/33 of my parents. (used to shake the whole house most evenings... nobody minded, as it sounded that good.)

Monitor Audio R300 (first speakers of my own - disappointed that they were not same league of the Tannoys)

Tannoy M1
Tannoy M3 (both warm and soft sounding speakers - a bit dull later on - moved on)
Mordaunt Short MS201 (clean but where is bass?)
Linn Isobariks driven by Naim 140s (huge and fun speakers got lot of rows from wife - had to be the speakers or wife - wife won)

Celestion Ditton 33 (my vintage mad times - soft and warm soudning)
Warfedale Glendale
B&W DM??

PMC Tablettes ?? can't recall the model number (great little speakers with much details)
Sonus Faber Concertos (Only speakers wife loved for Italian furniture merit - nice wooden color and cute shape and small size too - I loved it for great clean sound combined with deep bass from little box)

.... (All gone and 3 -4 MP3 with headphone years)

Recently came back to analogue set up and all from eBay

KEF C45 (Good all rounder)
EPOS ES11 (nice treble and mids, sweet speakers)
Yamaha NS-625 (hidden gem, fantastic fast powerful bass and mids, loves when hard driven, very dynamic)
Celestion Ditton 200 (both tweeters dead on arrival, so they were being used as tables for lamps, then got 2x modern tweeters from eBay, and changed them myself. Now it surprisingly sounds fine - rich and detailed treble and mids, deep & powerful bass)

 

I've only owned 3 pairs of 'speakers in 15 years collecting hi-fi:

Rogers LS3/5A (cosmetically challenged but a bargain at £150)

These lasted 7ish years before being sold to fund a pair of Linn Tukans (heard a pair my mate owned and had to have them - they just sound so right for a bookshelf design). Still used in my second system.

Totem Arros - purchased 6 months ago. I originally went to my local dealer to audition some Rega R3s which were ex-demo, I ended up trying these as well and was blown away by the scale and accuracy of the sound those little drivers pumped out. Been loving them ever since....

I don't think I'll ever need another pair unless I win the lottery and move into a mansion.....