LX_4_MAN Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 On the weekend i had the chance to do a comparison side by side with my dali ikon 8's and my fathers 70's tannoy ardens, ive always been happy with the dalis performance and frankly have never had anything better but on the weekend i was very dissapointed, for about 3 hours we compared between speakers playing classical , jazz and rock even movie soundtracks and honestly the ikons fell flat , the tannoys had more dynamics, and where the dalis really failed by comparison was the imaging, with the old tannoys i felt like someone else and the instruments were in the room where the dalis just filled the room with noise and this feeling more masked up, at this stage im considering selling the ikons and replacing them with old tannoys ,theortheoretically the ikons would be more neutral in there response but it really feels like there missing something when compared so someone tell me if my brain is correct or if im going a little loopy Cheers [emoji1479] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PicoWattson Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Ardens were renowned for their imaging, (single point source dual concentric driver) and are being made again. Ask your dad to put you first on the list for the Ardens and you will have something to look forward to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xecuter Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Some audio tech really hasn't advanced in decades. I've got 3 dacs running right now, one is nearly 30 years old r2r, one is 20 years old cirrus and one is modern sabre. Bother the older dacs spank the newer dac in timbre and tonality. Sure they can't do DSD and 192khz but you only need a few minutes to hear that this modern dac, and most modern dacs (including many up to 10k) are voiced woefully and don't do instruments their due service missing so much information in terms of dynamics and tonal density.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Not surprised that you prefer the Tannoy Ardens compared to the Dali Ikon 8. In the late 70's or early 80's, I bought the Ardens after hearing them at Convoys when they were down in Woolloomooloo.They had a special room set up with Nakamichi amplifier, turntable and the MC1000 moving coil. I was playing Fleetwood Mac and it was such an incredible sound like I was at the recording studio. I also listened at Riverina HiFi to the Linn Isobaric and to my ears it was so lifeless. The Linn system at that time was so well highly regarded but it didn't do anything for me. The Tannoy's Legacy series of the 70's have been resurrected and a recent review has this to say " In all the years your author has worked in professional audio and Hi-Fi, there have been only a handful of loudspeakers which have left as great an impression. Listening is believing; the Tannoy Arden loudspeakers deliver a truly unique experience which is warmly welcomed back" http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/blog/review-tannoy-arden-legacy-series-loudspeakers/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LX_4_MAN Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Some audio tech really hasn't advanced in decades. I've got 3 dacs running right now, one is nearly 30 years old r2r, one is 20 years old cirrus and one is modern sabre. Bother the older dacs spank the newer dac in timbre and tonality. Sure they can't do DSD and 192khz but you only need a few minutes to hear that this modern dac, and most modern dacs (including many up to 10k) are voiced woefully and don't do instruments their due service missing so much information in terms of dynamics and tonal density.. I guess companys want you to believe everything is better now, i just feel like some gear is so busy trying to be uncoloured and neutral that it just doesnt put any life into the music , i never really woke up to this until a few days ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LX_4_MAN Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Ardens were renowned for their imaging, (single point source dual concentric driver) and are being made again. Ask your dad to put you first on the list for the Ardens and you will have something to look forward to.[emoji4] This is what my dad has said too , he was polite about my speakers but pretty much said he doesnt care how flat the response curve is , if it doesnt image and have a dynamic soundstage its not for him , now i understand this fully , ahah he understands that if i miss his funeral its because im listening to the ardens [emoji6] 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LX_4_MAN Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 Not surprised that you prefer the Tannoy Ardens compared to the Dali Ikon 8. In the late 70's or early 80's, I bought the Ardens after hearing them at Convoys when they were down in Woolloomooloo.They had a special room set up with Nakamichi amplifier, turntable and the MC1000 moving coil. I was playing Fleetwood Mac and it was such an incredible sound like I was at the recording studio. I also listened at Riverina HiFi to the Linn Isobaric and to my ears it was so lifeless. The Linn system at that time was so well highly regarded but it didn't do anything for me. The Tannoy's Legacy series of the 70's have been resurrected and a recent review has this to say " In all the years your author has worked in professional audio and Hi-Fi, there have been only a handful of loudspeakers which have left as great an impression. Listening is believing; the Tannoy Arden loudspeakers deliver a truly unique experience which is warmly welcomed back" http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/blog/review-tannoy-arden-legacy-series-loudspeakers/ Im happy its not just me that has felt this too, the soundstage was unique to only the tannoys from the speakers ive heard , in no way did they sound dated either which i found amazing , its no wonder they have such a strong following , guess theres no going back to a front baffle covered in drivers for me [emoji4] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiofeline Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 You are fortunate to have a father who can teach you important life lessons like this. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Spade Audio Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 It's great to have those comparisons that shift your perspective, when you are surprised to discover what you prefer is not what you expected. But I'd still argue that now is by far the best time to be in this hobby. Back in the day, valves and big speakers were the only show in town. Now you can still have both and the choice is so much more. The science and the technology has advanced in many ways, even if it's not evident in this particular comparison. It seems what won your comparison was 4 things - imaging, sound staging, dynamics and tonal balance. Both modern and vintage speakers can offer you these things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 3 hours ago, Lx4man said: ... guess theres no going back to a front baffle covered in drivers for me And when you hear the sound of some box-less dipoles ... you'll realise that monkey coffins - whether they have 1 driver or 4 inside them - have their limitations. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevoz Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) 4 hours ago, andyr said: And when you hear the sound of some box-less dipoles ... you'll realise that monkey coffins - whether they have 1 driver or 4 inside them - have their limitations. Andy Like these......? The Kyron Gaia's...... Edited January 18, 2018 by stevoz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 6 minutes ago, stevoz said: Like these......? The Kyron Gaia's...... Wonderful sounding speakers, Steve! I heard them - albeit briefly - at a Melbourne HiFi Show a few years ago. Thank goodness they are waay out of my price bracket or - as they have such a low WAF - I would be having arguments with my wife! Here are my 'Frankenpans' - which my dear wife is able to cope with : The boxes behind the panels are not woofer cabinets - they hold 3 monoblocs each side (active setup). Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevoz Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 @andyr Very nice speakers! As is that chair...... .......as well as that shelf/rack . Sh*t, I keep noticing things.....those LP storage recesses......brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 1 hour ago, stevoz said: @andyr Very nice speakers! As is that chair...... .......as well as that shelf/rack . Sh*t, I keep noticing things.....those LP storage recesses......brilliant. Very kind of you, Steve. Thanks. I love my Maggies ... but a number of people over the years have listened and said ... they are not for me! Yes, our new house (been in just over 2 years) took a lot of design work. Particularly this "music room". What you can't see in the pic is that (as a result of previous experiments in my previous house) underneath the shelf is a PPT for each component - each on its own circuit. The chairs btw (we have 4 of them), are Matt Blatt's rendition of a classic designer's (forget who) "Orange Slice" chairs. Regards, Andy PS: I see you have an 8m x 5m room with a high gable down the centre. I had such a room in my last house (unfortunately, the current one is less than half the size! ) and it sounded great. So I envy you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevoz Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 @andyr It's a nice room (albeit, unkempt in this pic) and yes......nice acoustics. Alas, a looming settlement will see me vacating it in the not too distant future.......I built it and I am annoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 22 minutes ago, stevoz said: @andyr It's a nice room (albeit, unkempt in this pic) and yes......nice acoustics. Alas, a looming settlement will see me vacating it in the not too distant future.......I built it and I am annoyed. Sad to hear, Steve. Hopefully, your soon-to-be-ex wife will not cut all your CDs in half so "50% goes to each of you". Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 There is a reason some old gear commands a good price. It sounds good. Music fundamentally has not changed. We live in a consumer world. The owner of the forum (for example) makes a living by playing on our audio insecurities - we want to believe the latest DAC or pre amp is wonderful/better that way we can justify the expense of the new whiz bang gizmo. Personally I occasionally get conned by mob hype - often wanting to solve with gear what may be a room issue. There is a lot of hype and rubbish information around consumer audio. A proportion of "audio equipment" is man jewellery - expensive and modest sounding but interesting to behold. Ignore the hype, believe your ears and you will save a ship load of money while accumulating a nice sounding system. If you ears are bigger than your ability to pay, go for quality older gear. If you have spare dosh please buy the latest thing and move it on a few weeks later in disgust. Some buy gear on looks - if your eyes hear well go for your life. I know of more than one person who buys pretty looking gear and after a time when their egos can handle the fact this beautiful piece of equipment is musically sub par they quietly shuffle it on to the next hype believer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ittaku Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 (edited) On 18/01/2018 at 9:32 PM, andyr said: I love my Maggies ... but a number of people over the years have listened and said ... they are not for me! That would include me you're talking about I don't think that's such a bad thing Andy, people get the idea that everything gets better for everyone as your budget rises. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you read reviews of the highest end ridiculously priced gear from Magico, Sonus Faber, YG acoustics, MBL, Wilson, etc etc., even spending over $200k on a pair of speakers does not guarantee that everything gets better for everyone. They all still have their own sonic signature and hifi ends up being a uniquely personal experience. I love hearing the variations people have in their home to reach the sound they like and it never ceases to amaze me how good - but different - each hifi sounds. As for the opening post, never discount old gear. New gear does do some things old gear couldn't do, but as everyone else here has said, being old doesn't mean it automatically sounds worse and being new definitely doesn't mean it sounds better. Edited January 26, 2018 by Ittaku 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Ittaku said: As for the opening post, never discount old gear. New gear does do some things old gear couldn't do, but as everyone else here has said, being old doesn't mean it automatically sounds worse and being new definitely doesn't mean it sounds better. +1!! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauliD Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Lol at 'man jewellery'. I'll use that in the future Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoctordock Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 As a listener considering shuffling out some 80’s infinity rsm’s. I consider myself rightfully rebuked as coveting man jewellery. Great read. Bravo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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