What would the Tannoy Monitor Gold 12"s have over lets say a JBL L-112...i know the fact that the Tannoy may have an inherent advantage somewhere due to its concentric design...Also considering that the JBL's are probably 1/3 to 1/4th the cost....
I have been offered a pair of the Tannoys...but at the cost differential, I may consider replacing my sold L-96's with the L112's...
do you like he BBC sound ...???
Everything comes out with an accent?
I dont know really...but I am kind of tired of the polite/laid back sound of my Scan Speak drivers in my Odyssey Loreleis...and I am spinning my wheels with the modern stuff..I remember the L-96's sounding lively and super dynamic..almost like the Tannoy DMT12's I had..
If you've owned Scans you might be more deserving of something more up to date from either side of the Atlantic.
The Tannoy Revels are a very nice compact monitor as are the 4208 JBL.
But can you nudge a set of LSR32?
Ian
Issue is budget....up to 1800 bucks...thats why i always buy used..
Well is space is not an issue wait for a 4425 OR 443O on ebay or clone one.
Ian
The Tannoy Dual Concentric drivers have a huge following with the "vintage" crowd and single-ended crowd. I think much of their value is collector's value, just like certain JBL drivers from the 50's and 60's are worth a fortune. I think that if you were to compare an L112 to a Tannoy Monitor Gold you would find that the L112 is actually better in some respects and possibly even better overall.
If you can't find another pair of L96's I would look for a pair of L110's. I prefer the L110's over the L112 myself.
Mike
I have heard Tannoy dual concentrics in a recording studio many times! Ill tell you it is a different sound from JBL, the bass is different, maybe more accurate, less emphasis on the very deep bottom! But I always think they image amazingly well, very coherent, and much smoother in the mids compared to older Altec 604,s!Originally Posted by mike
You gotta listen to both and decide what you prefer more! JBL or Tannoy! I know, Ive been of no help at all.
scottyj
i have owned tannoy system 12DMT's which is their premiere monitor and superior (IMO) to the golds and big reds which i have used professionally. i have also owned 4312A's 4430's and L100's. i am a JBL nut and hopelessly addicted BUT!!! i puroposely purchased the tannoys over the 4430's because their boring flat phase coherent sound made it easier for other engineers walking blind into my studio to obtain a consistent product. this is why tannoy out sold JBL as the number one monitor in the studio (billboard) during the nineties. they are flush mounted in a professional architecturally designed recording studio. i biamp them using 1 bryston 4B for bass and horn (tannoy insists to use equal power) they deliver quite a thump on the bottom, but the horn has a smaller image when you sit out of mix position.
using the excellent internal cross over sounds the same but, the speaker looses some efficiency in terms of shear unadulterated gain.
this system uses a 12" dual concentric driver (IMO sounds better than the 15" ) but do not think that is equal to a 4311/12. volume wise the 300watt bass driver will blow the doors off those series of JBL. these speakers are rugged and will take abuse. the construction and build quality are noticeably superior in the tannoy over those series of JBL and thus the high cost.
personally i don't like their sound, and if you love the sound of JBL chances are you will agree with me. they sound flat and lifeless, very smooth, but they do not have the articulation and forward voicing in the critical 3k2 and 5k range. they do not 'float' as a jbl does when all the components are line up and deliver that effortless, present, engulfing sound. if you love JBL, you know what i mean.
p.s. i no longer have the studio and the tannoys are for sale!!!
Performance Series PT800's.Issue is budget....up to 1800 bucks...thats why i always buy used..
During the last 4 weeks I have the chance to audition both Tannoy HPD385s and altec 604. I can easily tell that both sound excellent compared to "modern" speaker like scanspeak etc.
Their sound is alot more dynamic and full of life. However, while tannoy is the definition of easy listening and analytical enough the altecs are alot more dynamic and really amazing in this respect. Also tannoys have pin point accuracy at their imaging like no other speaker I ever heard, BUT only when you audition in a very precise and specific spot.
Basswize, I cannot easily judge as the altecs are in a huge bass reflex (620) and tannoys are in a horn loaded cabinet with 45Hz cuttof and sound very dynamic in the bass region while altec are not as good but I believe their cabinets are not very good compared to a horn loaded one. Recently I tried an altec 806 on 811bs on top of tannoys and I was blown by the HF dynamics.
I really know I was not of much help but I really believe you should give an audition before you buy, on the other hand tannoys are always a safe bet...if you do not like them its certain you will get more money selling them than you gave to acquire them. I believe that JBLs (have not heard them in comparison) are mor dynamic and powerfull in terms of sheer power and maybe a bit more analytical and accurate while tannoys are just a charm and easy listening combo, though many people do not like them in small (less than 100lt) bass reflex boxes.
I bought both of them new, JBL 4425s and Tannoy DMT12s and have them side by side. Most of the assessments are either inaccurate or unclear, IMO. I've kept both because it's a toss up: comparable quality, different characteristics at opposite ends of the spectrum-one more refined and relaxed, the other more defined and powerful.
Tannoy-transparent, silky, musical, delicate, nuanced, vibrant, refined, especially the vocals/mids, which are spacious, lush and the strength of these speakers. Bass is substantial but diffuse, perhaps centered in the low-mids, without the solidity, tightness, warmth or deepness of the JBLs. Highs are beautifully textured. A more relaxed, refined, diffused sound. Soundstage is reasonable, and wider than the JBLs.
JBL-tight, concise, clear, focused, detailed though minimal transparency or soundstage, punchy, ballsy, powerful. More aggressive and slightly clearer than the more laid back, relaxed Tannoys. Dynamics are more pronounced, transients are faster. Bass is less pronounced than the Tannoys but sounds just right-tight, concise, powerful, organic and warm; one of it's strengths along with overall clarity and tightness. Mids are good and clear, just lacking the last degree of musicality and texture of the Tannoys. Highs are slightly clearer than the Tannoys, without the nuance.
$1,800 is more than enough to get either used on Ebay. The 12" drivers in these are a better bet than 15" versions of either, which are a little slower not to mention humungous.
wish i had bought the 4425's before i bought the 4430's...then i probably would not have settled on the DMT12's. the 4430 is an excellent sounding speaker, full, rich, smooth and the horn image size can keep up with the speaker (my number one complaint against tannoy) but, i always thought it was better suited for home use. for studio monitoring i never agreed with the voicing.
I found the 12" DMT's not as much to my liking and attribute it to the poly cone. My friend had the 12's and we both came to the conclusion the 15" DMT's sounded smoother and more lifelike.
I hope that doesn't sound like I'm picking a fight as ears and system synergy are all factors.
Not at all, interested to hear others opinions.
IMO, the 12" drivers on either are as far as i want to go. My friend, a long-time Tannoy dealer, agrees that DMT 15s and 4430s look in his words, "ridiculous" given the size, while the 12"s still have more than enough bass and presence. Even if the 15" Tannoys are arguably marginally better to some, which is possible given the difference in the cones, it's not worth the difference to many to have something of that size. In fact, in the context of today's mini speakers and woofers, even 12" size monitors are pushing it to the casual listener. I suppose at some point we all have to make the decision that size doesn't matter, that the speakers in fact become part of the design and beauty of the room and can look great seeing it from that perspective, but for me 12" drivers is the limit. Maybe in a huge house or loft they would make more sense. A shame that neither Tannoy or JBL made my preference, a double 10", or double 12" monitors.
I don't think you can say which brand is better though, they're both excellent bordering on great-both have some weaknesses, both are great in most other respects and don't overlap on virtually any characteristic. They seem at the polar opposite ends of the spectrum-JBLs powerful, clear, fast and narrowly focused but not transparent or euphonic, the Tannoys euphonic and musical but diffused, a little slow, a little too full and lacking in tightness on bass.
The biggest complaint i have about Tannoys is always the bass. JBL bass is the benchmark IMO as well as being more accurate with better articulation, while the Tannoy low frequencies are louder but mushy rather than solid or organic, without the articulation of the JBLs. Maybe the bass is centered in the low-mids, but i'm not sure if that's the whole thing vs. just being the nature of the more polite Tannoy sound. The JBLs on the other hand, lack a little sparkle and musicality in comparison to the Tannoys; the horns are faster but the highs aren't as smooth though they're slightly clearer.
Unless you A-B them side by side though, they both sound great.
Would be nice to assemble a hybrid marrying the best attributes of the two..
I'd like to eventually hear some 4343s in comparison to the 4425s, or even the JBL/Altec hybrids mentioned above, in a smaller package. Any insights?
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