Has anyone heard TANNOY speakers?

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron
Though, if you want a REAL audio setup:

McIntosh MC2KW Mono Block Amps $30,000EA x2 = $60,000
McIntosh C1000 Pre-amplifier = $18,000~
Pair of McIntosh XRT2K loudspeakers. $40,000EA x2 = $80,000/pr
McIntosh MCD201 CD player = $3,0000

TOTAL = $161,000 😉

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shop...aker+Systems&prodid=1114&product=XRT2K

Real as in a real waste of cash or did I miss your point?

I'm all for good audio, but there's a distinct difference between getting good equipment and a foolish expense.

Don't kid yourself- if you had the money you'd buy it in a flash, just like I would. Listen to a system like that and then tell me it's "foolish."

If I had the cash I'd buy myself a superior sounding yet far less expensive system and if nothing else, I'd spend the rest of the $161,000 on several of them and spread it around.

People who have $80,000 to spend on a pair of speakers aren't likely to have an ignorance level high enough to blow it on such an inferior system.

Good luck finding that "superior sounding and less expensive system." 😉

The fact that you call that system "such an inferior system" suggests to me that you aren't quite an audiophile.

What, so something has to be expensive in order to be superior?

If I had enough time and money (and space), I could build a set of speakers that sounded better than the XRT2K while using "plainer" amps and source. Looking at them, they're just glorified line arrays. Great for the "wow" factor but hardly accurate if you're looking for live sound reproduction.

Of course you could. Now why would I doubt some random person on the Internet to be able to create a pair of speakers better than the top-of-the line McIntosh, a company known for amazing quality that's been around for 50+ years? :disgust:

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron
Though, if you want a REAL audio setup:

McIntosh MC2KW Mono Block Amps $30,000EA x2 = $60,000
McIntosh C1000 Pre-amplifier = $18,000~
Pair of McIntosh XRT2K loudspeakers. $40,000EA x2 = $80,000/pr
McIntosh MCD201 CD player = $3,0000

TOTAL = $161,000 😉

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shop...aker+Systems&prodid=1114&product=XRT2K

Real as in a real waste of cash or did I miss your point?

I'm all for good audio, but there's a distinct difference between getting good equipment and a foolish expense.

Don't kid yourself- if you had the money you'd buy it in a flash, just like I would. Listen to a system like that and then tell me it's "foolish."

If I had the cash I'd buy myself a superior sounding yet far less expensive system and if nothing else, I'd spend the rest of the $161,000 on several of them and spread it around.

People who have $80,000 to spend on a pair of speakers aren't likely to have an ignorance level high enough to blow it on such an inferior system.

Good luck finding that "superior sounding and less expensive system." 😉

The fact that you call that system "such an inferior system" suggests to me that you aren't quite an audiophile.

What, so something has to be expensive in order to be superior?

If I had enough time and money (and space), I could build a set of speakers that sounded better than the XRT2K while using "plainer" amps and source. Looking at them, they're just glorified line arrays. Great for the "wow" factor but hardly accurate if you're looking for live sound reproduction.

Of course you could. Now why would I doubt some random person on the Internet to be able to create a pair of speakers better than the top-of-the line McIntosh, a company known for amazing quality that's been around for 50+ years? :disgust:

If you're so confident they're that great, there must be some reason why. Tell me why they're so good... and please, don't mention anything about them being made by McIntosh. I hope I don't have to explain why.

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron
Though, if you want a REAL audio setup:

McIntosh MC2KW Mono Block Amps $30,000EA x2 = $60,000
McIntosh C1000 Pre-amplifier = $18,000~
Pair of McIntosh XRT2K loudspeakers. $40,000EA x2 = $80,000/pr
McIntosh MCD201 CD player = $3,0000

TOTAL = $161,000 😉

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shop...aker+Systems&prodid=1114&product=XRT2K

Real as in a real waste of cash or did I miss your point?

I'm all for good audio, but there's a distinct difference between getting good equipment and a foolish expense.

Don't kid yourself- if you had the money you'd buy it in a flash, just like I would. Listen to a system like that and then tell me it's "foolish."

If I had the cash I'd buy myself a superior sounding yet far less expensive system and if nothing else, I'd spend the rest of the $161,000 on several of them and spread it around.

People who have $80,000 to spend on a pair of speakers aren't likely to have an ignorance level high enough to blow it on such an inferior system.

Good luck finding that "superior sounding and less expensive system." 😉

The fact that you call that system "such an inferior system" suggests to me that you aren't quite an audiophile.

What, so something has to be expensive in order to be superior?

If I had enough time and money (and space), I could build a set of speakers that sounded better than the XRT2K while using "plainer" amps and source. Looking at them, they're just glorified line arrays. Great for the "wow" factor but hardly accurate if you're looking for live sound reproduction.

Of course you could. Now why would I doubt some random person on the Internet to be able to create a pair of speakers better than the top-of-the line McIntosh, a company known for amazing quality that's been around for 50+ years? :disgust:

If you're so confident they're that great, there must be some reason why. Tell me why they're so good... and please, don't mention anything about them being made by McIntosh. I hope I don't have to explain why.

I can't tell you they're good. I haven't heard them. I can tell you OTHER people who do (though I've only known of one) own them love them. Anyone who knows what they're talking about would tell you the only way you'll figure out if you like a pair of speakers is if you audition them beforehand.

And yes, I'm afraid I have to ask you to "Explain why" on your McIntosh hating.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron
Though, if you want a REAL audio setup:

McIntosh MC2KW Mono Block Amps $30,000EA x2 = $60,000
McIntosh C1000 Pre-amplifier = $18,000~
Pair of McIntosh XRT2K loudspeakers. $40,000EA x2 = $80,000/pr
McIntosh MCD201 CD player = $3,0000

TOTAL = $161,000 😉

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shop...aker+Systems&prodid=1114&product=XRT2K

Real as in a real waste of cash or did I miss your point?

I'm all for good audio, but there's a distinct difference between getting good equipment and a foolish expense.

Don't kid yourself- if you had the money you'd buy it in a flash, just like I would. Listen to a system like that and then tell me it's "foolish."

If I had the cash I'd buy myself a superior sounding yet far less expensive system and if nothing else, I'd spend the rest of the $161,000 on several of them and spread it around.

People who have $80,000 to spend on a pair of speakers aren't likely to have an ignorance level high enough to blow it on such an inferior system.

Good luck finding that "superior sounding and less expensive system." 😉

The fact that you call that system "such an inferior system" suggests to me that you aren't quite an audiophile.

What, so something has to be expensive in order to be superior?

If I had enough time and money (and space), I could build a set of speakers that sounded better than the XRT2K while using "plainer" amps and source. Looking at them, they're just glorified line arrays. Great for the "wow" factor but hardly accurate if you're looking for live sound reproduction.

Of course you could. Now why would I doubt some random person on the Internet to be able to create a pair of speakers better than the top-of-the line McIntosh, a company known for amazing quality that's been around for 50+ years? :disgust:

If you're so confident they're that great, there must be some reason why. Tell me why they're so good... and please, don't mention anything about them being made by McIntosh. I hope I don't have to explain why.

And yes, I'm afraid I have to ask you to "Explain why" on your McIntosh hating.

I'll answer to your last point first (another straw man, thanks). I don't hate McIntosh. What I do find irritating is not your love for them per se, but your love for them to the exclusion of all else. You must know that it is possible for a reputable manufacturer to build something not deserving of their reputation. You also seem to be a victim of the "pricier is better" mentality.

You mention that you know somebody else who owns them and love them (I'm assuming you are talking about the set you linked to). Certainly they can and probably are excellent speakers as far as line arrays go, with great quality control and likely better fit & finish than a DIY pair. However, a speaker need not be "great" in order for it to "sound good". Perhaps we can define "greatness" as (no particular order):

-flat frequency response both on-axis and off-axis
-no output from enclosure - i.e. an inert box
-controlled directivity (depending on the room)
-low distortion (arguable)
-high sensitivity (arguable)
-aesthetics... this is low on my list
-somewhat flat phase response (arguable)
-build quality

"Good sound" may or may not require the above. Almost all high-end speakers look good and are built well. It's a fact that some aren't as accurate as others. Is accuracy necessary for "good sound"? That depends on what you want to hear. Some people like ribbons, even though it is a fact that they distort more than comparable dome tweeters. The "sparkle" heard from ribbons is likely higher levels of 3rd order or higher harmonic distortion. Nice if you want to hear it, but not if you want to hear only what the live experience was like.

I'll try a different tack: isn't it possible that one could duplicate the McIntosh speaker? If so, it would certainly be at a lower cost, and given that the crossovers, physical spacing, drivers, etc. were all the same, it would sound exactly the same. Then, aside from aesthetics, what's the difference? My point is, you can get the same or better than the McIntosh for a lower price, even commercially. You just have to look harder.

Anyone who knows what they're talking about would

I'll ignore this part, since it's a fallacy. I do agree with auditioning speakers before buying them... but it's not impossible to know you'll like a speaker before hearing it. The mind's a crazy thing.

EDIT: Would you please explain why the McIntosh is a great speaker?

 

[Accipiter22]

what sort of receiver would you use to drive those tannoys?

 

[Meuge]

Originally posted by: Accipiter22
what sort of receiver would you use to drive those tannoys?

I'm sorry, did you say receiver in the context of high-end audio?

We're talking about a transport->DAC->Preamp->Amp chain... possibly with a crossover for a sub nestled in between the Preamp and amp.

 

[AlienCraft]

Yes. Tannoy's have been in Recording and Radio studio control rooms for decades.
like me.

 

[tgx78]

Originally posted by: Accipiter22
what sort of receiver would you use to drive those tannoys?

😉 didn't see any receiver..

it was somewhat looked like the set up below in the link.

Pre amps & Amps

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Accipiter22
what sort of receiver would you use to drive those tannoys?

If you had to choose a receiver, I'd use this one:

Lexicon RV-8 v2

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
What sucker paid $50,000 for speakers ?

let me guess your the same fella whose going to say that your Logitech speakers sound as good as that $50,000 pair of Tannoys..heheeee

I use to work in High End Audio and know the huge price markups. Those $50,000 speakers are probably only worth $10,000 or less. The raw components aren't that expensive. The woodworking is usually what ends up costing the most and of course the shipping cost.

They laugh all the way to the bank.

You obviously did`nt work there very long! A good set of highend speakers are worth there weight in gold!

No they aren't. There is no reason behind this statement and do not try to deny it.

So what your saying is that your logitech speaker are as good as the Tannoys?

He did not claim this. Nice try at a straw man argument, though.

everytime i hear someone (read?) say "straw man arguement" i just want to stab them in the eye and scream "IS IT A STRAW MAN ARGUEMENT THAT THERE IS A SCREWDRIVER IN YOUR EYE?!?" i don't know why it sets me off like that, i probably need to talk to a doctor about it. well, other than the fact it sounds ridiculous and is the "elitist" trendy thing to say these days. all i hear is "i can't refute what you're saying, so i'll just throw out some trendy words and feel better about myself".

you are right, that he did not expressly say that logitech is better than tannoy, but in his defense that is generally what is said by people who claim to be high end audio specialists who claim that high end audio is a farce.

sorry to single you out, but i just couldn't hold that in anymore.

Don't hold back. I wouldn't want you to die an early death. 😉

i dunno wtf it is, but everytime i see 'straw man' i just flip out. some sort of complex i imagine. most of the time it's in the OS forum tho.

 

[Troll4Hire]

Originally posted by: Howard
Yes, the Westminster Royal. A pair of concentric drivers.

http://www.tannoy-reseller.com/prestige/westminster.HTM

Originally posted by: tgx78

Originally posted by: Howard
Yes, Tannoys are classic. Did it use a short horn for the woofer?

It was called something Westminster.. is this ring any bell? I am trying to search a web for the image..

Short Horn (nose/ear), Woofer, Westminster? I thought for a second we were talking about a dog show.

 

[EvilYoda]

You guys still going on about this? Next to spending hundreds of dollars on clothing, I think hifi is about the next worse thread on ATOT, IMHO.

Howard, how about not sounding like a pretentious know-it-all sometimes and cutting people a little slack 😉 Leave a little room for argument and leave out some of those fancy terms 😀

In other news...happy Indenpendance day...I heard a pair of Time Windows today...nice trip down memory lane.

 

[yhelothar]

what are you guys talking about?
bose makes the best speakers. you're stupid to spend so much and not get a bose!

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: neutralizer
Never heard them before, but for $50,000 I'd expect it to make me wet my pants.

For $50k it better clean them automatically too.

For me, that money is better spent on a sports car, but to each their own, I guess.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
What sucker paid $50,000 for speakers ?

let me guess your the same fella whose going to say that your Logitech speakers sound as good as that $50,000 pair of Tannoys..heheeee

I use to work in High End Audio and know the huge price markups. Those $50,000 speakers are probably only worth $10,000 or less. The raw components aren't that expensive. The woodworking is usually what ends up costing the most and of course the shipping cost.

They laugh all the way to the bank.

Speakers may be one of the few things where R&D costs less than actual production. Wilson Audio uses a very involved painting process (but that still doesn't justify the exorbitant prices).

I've been working on a personal little pet project lately to use Response Surface Methodology (mathematical technique for optimization) to make cheap speakers sound good by biasing an input signal to accurately replicate an output. If it works, I might make a buck or two. I don't know.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: TheShiz
just like everything else, when you get into high end audio you pay a lot for each tiny improvement. you can get really good sounding speakers for a few grand.

I like the Bose speakers that are only like 3k. I don't forsee myself spending more than that. My ears will be too old to appreciate the difference anyway.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: NanoStuff

Originally posted by: Extelleron
Though, if you want a REAL audio setup:

McIntosh MC2KW Mono Block Amps $30,000EA x2 = $60,000
McIntosh C1000 Pre-amplifier = $18,000~
Pair of McIntosh XRT2K loudspeakers. $40,000EA x2 = $80,000/pr
McIntosh MCD201 CD player = $3,0000

TOTAL = $161,000 😉

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shop...aker+Systems&prodid=1114&product=XRT2K

Real as in a real waste of cash or did I miss your point?

I'm all for good audio, but there's a distinct difference between getting good equipment and a foolish expense.

Don't kid yourself- if you had the money you'd buy it in a flash, just like I would. Listen to a system like that and then tell me it's "foolish."

Nobody has truly unlimited piles of cash, so there's always something else to spend your money on. Personally if I had a lot of money I wouldn't stay home long enough to listen to them. I'd rather have a high-end (and very light weight) stereo in my car.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: fisher

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
What sucker paid $50,000 for speakers ?

let me guess your the same fella whose going to say that your Logitech speakers sound as good as that $50,000 pair of Tannoys..heheeee

I use to work in High End Audio and know the huge price markups. Those $50,000 speakers are probably only worth $10,000 or less. The raw components aren't that expensive. The woodworking is usually what ends up costing the most and of course the shipping cost.

They laugh all the way to the bank.

You obviously did`nt work there very long! A good set of highend speakers are worth there weight in gold!

No they aren't. There is no reason behind this statement and do not try to deny it.

So what your saying is that your logitech speaker are as good as the Tannoys?

He did not claim this. Nice try at a straw man argument, though.

everytime i hear someone (read?) say "straw man arguement" i just want to stab them in the eye and scream "IS IT A STRAW MAN ARGUEMENT THAT THERE IS A SCREWDRIVER IN YOUR EYE?!?" i don't know why it sets me off like that, i probably need to talk to a doctor about it. well, other than the fact it sounds ridiculous and is the "elitist" trendy thing to say these days. all i hear is "i can't refute what you're saying, so i'll just throw out some trendy words and feel better about myself".

you are right, that he did not expressly say that logitech is better than tannoy, but in his defense that is generally what is said by people who claim to be high end audio specialists who claim that high end audio is a farce.

sorry to single you out, but i just couldn't hold that in anymore.

Don't hold back. I wouldn't want you to die an early death. 😉

i dunno wtf it is, but everytime i see 'straw man' i just flip out. some sort of complex i imagine. most of the time it's in the OS forum tho.

1. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=straw+man
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man_argument

 

[JEDIYoda]

This what rookies who have no highend speakers or who don`t have the money to buy and probably never will a set of high-end speakers --always say---

NanoStuff - If I had the cash I'd buy myself a superior sounding yet far less expensive system

Howard states-- I'll try a different tack: isn't it possible that one could duplicate the McIntosh speaker?

No it`s not a fact. if somebody could they already would have done it!


I`ll just sit back and enjoy the exorbitantly priced equipment that I have. 🙂
God I Love Highend stuff!!

 

[0roo0roo]

i just wonder if one could really tell a 10k dollar speaker system vs 50k. what is this magical technology? speakers are pretty old technology as it goes😛

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
i just wonder if one could really tell a 10k dollar speaker system vs 50k. what is this magical technology? speakers are pretty old technology as it goes😛

It's always bugged me how old people buy hi-fi when they can't even hear people talking to them. It's just status, I guess.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
This what rookies who have no highend speakers or who don`t have the money to buy and probably never will a set of high-end speakers --always say---

NanoStuff - If I had the cash I'd buy myself a superior sounding yet far less expensive system

Howard states-- I'll try a different tack: isn't it possible that one could duplicate the McIntosh speaker?

No it`s not a fact. if somebody could they already would have done it!

There are many line arrays commercially available. I'm sure you could even commission a clone of the XRT2K speakers, too.

I`ll just sit back and enjoy the exorbitantly priced equipment that I have. 🙂
God I Love Highend stuff!!

Nobody's telling you not to, but your flaunting of your wealth really pisses me off sometimes.

 

[Meuge]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd

Originally posted by: TheShiz
just like everything else, when you get into high end audio you pay a lot for each tiny improvement. you can get really good sounding speakers for a few grand.

I like the Bose speakers that are only like 3k. I don't forsee myself spending more than that. My ears will be too old to appreciate the difference anyway.

You're deaf.

 

[CFster]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
What sucker paid $50,000 for speakers ?

let me guess your the same fella whose going to say that your Logitech speakers sound as good as that $50,000 pair of Tannoys..heheeee

I use to work in High End Audio and know the huge price markups. Those $50,000 speakers are probably only worth $10,000 or less. The raw components aren't that expensive. The woodworking is usually what ends up costing the most and of course the shipping cost.

They laugh all the way to the bank.

You obviously did`nt work there very long! A good set of highend speakers are worth there weight in gold!
So what your saying is that your logitech speaker are as good as the Tannoys?
Its ok to admit your a neophyte when it comes to telling the difference between your Logitech and a pair of high end speakers. hehee

What he's saying is that there is a huge markup on high end speakers. Anyone with half a handy bone in their body can buy the parts seperately and build their own comparable speakers for a lot less.

And he is quite right.

I hope that person is able to get an exact duplicate of the cabinet then, because that's a big part of it.

Cabinet design, materials used, placement of the components inside the cabinet.

My father used to design speakers - there were a lot of failures. Fractions of an inch difference in placement would ruin the sound.

He also used to sell high end audio (there were a $50K set of speakers, don't know if they were the same type though).

 

[Thraxen]

Meh... buying speakers that expensive is about as pointless as buying "high end" cables. In the end you paid way too much and in a blind test I'd bet a large sum of cash that most people couldn't tell distinguish them from a much cheaper set of speakers/cables.