Almost, sort of, full range Tannoy 3638 build

[djn]

This is a post I posted on AK about speakers a friend of mine and I built up. Even though they are duel concentric, I still consider them more full range the multi.



OK, well I guess Bill is expecting me to tell HIS story. I've had my grits and eggs. Just finished my first cup of coffee and am now up to the task.

A number of months ago, Bill "happened" upon a single Tannoy 3638, duel concentric 15" driver. At the same time Stephen J posted a free EV Aristacrat cabinet. Bill brought the driver and cab to my house and we cut a new baffle board, mounted the driver, crossover, and binding post. And that was that.

The single speaker sounded damn good. I was really impressed with how clean the highs were. If there is any, I mean ANY distortion in the highs, my left ear will start ringing. Even if I can't hear the distortion, my ear will set off. This driver produces very detailed highs with out setting my ear off. The midrange timber is very rich with great detail as well. The lows are not strong at 28hz, but you can hear it: so maybe 6db down at that point. The kick bass is punchy and any bass notes are clearly deliniated from any other.....no congestioin in the low region.

And of course the Aristicrat cab looks cool all by itself. It is the dark walnut color and Bill bought Birch plywood for the baffle board and did not stain it. It looks very cool with the dark cab, light BB, and the wicked 3638 taking up of the upper portion of the BB.

A month after we finished the first speaker, George - local SMAC member, showed up at my house with another empty Aristigrat cabnet and told me that he felt sure Bill would need this in the future.

The cab took up floor space in my garage since then.

Flash forward to two weeks ago: Bill calls me up, all giddy and ****, and tell me he just snagged another Tannoy 3638. So yesterday we repeated what we did on the first cab. It was a simple job and we had a great time doing it.

Bill brought the first speaker over so we could copy it when building up the second speaker. When we got done with the speaker, we set them up in my big room to have a listen and eat rice and veggies.

WOW. "better than the sum of its parts" comes to mind. Just one speaker sounded good but with the second one in play, they really rocked. Now add in imagine, bass support, sound stage, depth, etc. and I must say that they are one of the best speakers I've ever heard......and I've heard a whole bunch.

I can't find a pic of the 3638 on line and we were rockin' so focused, we did not take pix of the driver. It is very cool looking with a sculpted mounting flange and two steel horns deep in the center of the woof cone. It also looks like the woof cone is very purposely designed as part of the horn section of the larger steel horn.

Also, these are 99db eff.

Note to Bill - Pix.

I've had Altec 604, and heard, for many hours, that Hawthorn stuff. I was never that impressed with the duel concentric driver, but now I am on the hunt (long term) for a pair of these Tannoys.

Perchdog: I think bringing them to the SMAC meeting is a grand idea.

(Do not complane abot mi spelin, I am a writer not a speller).

[Zen Mod]

Fugly!

[gvimhoof]

Woof! Very nice contrast between the parts. Also, interesting stands.

[bigfishe]

Do you like em better than the goldwood / fostex?

[djn]

Originally Posted by bigfishe

Do you like em better than the goldwood / fostex?

Very much so. They have a refined sound (I guess this would be great detail, claity, depth, space, timber....) that I don't hear with my Fostex. Don't get me wrong. I think the Fostex sound VERY VERY good. But these Tannoys are top of the heap.....to my ear.

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

Daft question - what's the exact diameter of the cut-out needed by the 15" Tannoy - preferably in mm . . . I have a cabinet which is marked Tannoy on the back but the baffleboard cutout doesn't quite seem large enough for something 15" diameter . . .

Many thanks

Best wishes

David P

[djn]

Hi David, I measured 14.5" Don't know what that is mm wise.

[Zen Mod]

x 25.4

[loninappleton]

When going big and if you have a show, a comparison with that new Nirvana 15" would be an asset.

I'm surprised the veggies and rice stayed on your plate. ;-)

This looks like a real concert hall setup-- more than I could handle. It brings up the question of how loud they have to be to "perform?"