Tannoy DC Replacement Advice Needed

[Thomo]

Hi everyone, I need some advice please on replacing my speakers.

I am currently using a pair of 12" Tannoy Little Gold Monitors which sound fantastic. Unfortunately they are also rather large, having 12" dual concentric drivers.

I am looking to build a set of narrower speakers, but I don't want to lose sound-quality. Can anyone recommend which drivers I would need to use to match the quality of my beloved Tannoys please?

I don't need masses of bass, as long as what's there is tight and accurate. Do I need to go as far as using Seas Excel drivers or are there cheaper drivers that sound good enough?

Please help guys,

Regards, Lee.

 

[Brett]

Build narrower enclosures for the Tannoys. You're going to save a few inches each side at best.

I've had several sets of Tannoys, mainly Gold and HPD 15's, and also built a set of these.
http://www.nutshellhifi.com/Ariel.html

 

[AndrewT]

If you go for small volume cabinets then you throw away the ease of power delivery that the big Tannoy gives you. Even the 12inch HPD is quite efficient and it shows in most music.

 

[Thomo]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately those Arial cabs are too complicated for my woodworking skills.

I was thinking of building something similar to these.

I have two 12" Bass drivers from Celestion Ditton 66/44 and also two Celestion "super tweeters" from the Ditton 66.

I also have two Creative Sound FR125's which I thought maybe ok for the mid/treble. But I would probably buy some higher quality drivers.

Could this work? I am a bit of a noob at speaker design having only made my FR125 Mini-Onkens before. I do doubt whether the drivers I already have or can afford could match the detail of my Tannoys though.

Regards, Lee.

 

[Thomo]

Or maybe something like this:

I also have the bass radiators from the Ditton 66.

Lee.

 

[Brett]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately those Arial cabs are too complicated for my woodworking skills.

They look complicated, but they're not. And this is from someone with poor-middling ww skills.

I do doubt whether the drivers I already have or can afford could match the detail of my Tannoys though.

So do I.

 

[Brett]

Or maybe something like this:

I also have the bass radiators from the Ditton 66.

Lee.

Yuk. 87dB sensitivity and you'll save maybe 4" in width from rebuilding the Tannoys into narrower enclosures. Backwards step.

 

[Thomo]

Thanks for your advice again. I've just been listening to my Tannoys and have decided I can't live without them, so I intend to build some floorstanding, deeper but narrower cabs for them.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=1385675#post1385675

Cheers,

Lee.

 

[Brett]

Good decision imnsho. From your descriptions, I think you may have regretted the move. I did miss lots of things about the Tannoys when the last set went; most of all they were easy and pleasant to listen too. They're not perfect, but the errors were of omission and easily ignored unless you were listening in that concentrated, constipated audiophile style.

 

[Thomo]

They're not perfect, but the errors were of omission and easily ignored unless you were listening in that concentrated, constipated audiophile style.

LOL. That's what I figured.

Lee.