Description

http://www.ominous-valve.com/big_spkr.html

This is my living room system. Mostly used for background music rather than critical listening, I want to balance hifi performance with livability. Since the speakers are unique, my other equipment selections were made to compliment the Tannoys. The GRF Professional was a forefather to the current Westminster. It uses a 15" Monitor Gold dual concentric driver in a large back-loaded horn cabinet. It's one of the largest cabinets Tannoy sold - only the rare Autograph Professionals with 2 x 15" drivers per cabinet were larger. These cabinets have sufficient volume to generate Stygian bass. While not exactly neutral, they compensate by sounding very natural, combining gorgeous tone with colorful harmonics. I'm especially fond of these speakers.

I use this system 80% of the time, because it's in the living room where it can be enjoyed while doing other activities like reading, eating, and socializing.
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Components Toggle details

    • Tannoy GRF Professional
    15" Monitor Gold drivers in original back loaded horn cabinets. These are large speakers, nearly the size of a kitchen refrigerator. http://www.ominous-valve.com/big_spkr.html
    • Lamm Industries M-2.1
    200wpc hybrid power amplifier. I bought these for my main system. While listening first on the Tannoys, I was pleasantly surprised at how well they matched the speakers. They bring a welcome sense of balance to the Tannoys.
    • Ayre Acoustics K-3x
    ss, balanced
    • Lavry DA-10
    DAC
    • McIntosh MR-74
    for NPR / KING / KEXP broadcasts
    • Antenna Performance Specialties APS-13 Antenna
    High-gain FM dipole antenna
    • Technics SP-10 mkII
    DD, SH-10B3 obsidian base
    • Technics EPA-100
    Titanium arm tube, dynamic damping, ruby bearings
    • Purist Audio Design PAD Dominus and Venustas
    Wires
    • Morrow Audio SP-3
    speaker cables
    • Apple Airport
    WiFi connection from MacBook Pro to Lavry DAC

Comments 53

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Scott Kushino sold me a beautiful pair of Alon Circe's last year and packed them very carefully and well. Even so, they suffered some small damage in shipment by DHL. I had them repaired at a cost of $225 and filed a claim with DHL. They required that the shipper, Scott Kushino, sign off on his interest in them and he agreed--twice-- to do this. Despite frequent and repeated requests to him to help me with this claim simply by signing the necessary documents, the wording for which I forwarded to him, and despite his agreeing to do so, he has failed again and again to sign or even to respond to my (very gentle) imprecations. If anyone can explain this behavior to me, I would appreciate knowing. By the way, the claim remains open until September. Perhaps Mr. Kushino could make the effort to follow through on his promise by then.

rpfef