I did a lot of research before I ended up with this system. I started it all with falling for Tannoy and found out that Kensington were the biggest model I could match with my apartment, and still have alnico and pepperpot horn. Then I searched for electronics and based on my taste in music I ended up with Manley: I just love when a music system can do funk and still play trio jazz. My dealer set up the speakers and amps with different preamps, and Leben just clicked into that magic we call synergy: it matched with the Snappers even better then Manley s own preamps.
My passion for sound is all based on my love for music: first music, then sound. However, it is best when music is played on a system that gets dynamics, timbre and flow of it right. Under these conditions music can really activate strong emotions. In music I love all kind of stuff, like: David Sylvian, Dangelo, Jan Garbarek, Leonard Cohen, Thomas Dybdahl, Maxwell, Keith Jarrett, Daniel Lanois, Marvin Gaye, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell etc etc.
It was also a goal to assemble a system that can play bad records in a way that is emotionally involving and not just embarrassing. I do not fancy a big expensive system that makes an old nice record sound like crap. I want my system to play music not dissect it.
A beautiful preamp with a bold and authoritative musical signature, yet with finesse: an object made of the same stuff as dreams are made of. Read Dr. Gizmo's essay about it.
Manley Laboratories Neo-Classic 300B SE/PP
300B magic with a magic switch between parallel single-ended or push-pull typology
Manley 300B have all control over the woofer when i dial in negative feedback to 2dB. That is just enough to get the control, but still not interfering with the magical single-ended triode sound that is open, holographic and smooth.
Dan: I would digg to visit your home and listen to your setup. I am afraid that the Atlantic is between our music. I live in Norway. Give me a hint if you are visiting Scandinavia.
Bayreuth: I find your reflections interesting, but I am not sure if I can contribute with anything new. If your living room can make the Canterbury sing, and your partner does not stop you, I think Canterbury most be a dream. However, Kensington GR is really sweet in the midrange; as you write.
Manley 300B with some negative feedback, mostly 3dB, gives deep bass and dynamic swings. Yet, when I compare to Snappers they are a little more dynamic. However, I prefer 300B for the extra midrange magic, natural bass and organic presentation of music.
Jack Smith: Congratulations with a fantastic amp, Snappers. The 300B preamp is not a huge upgrade compared to Jumbo Shrimp, but it has the extra "there-factor": A little more of presence and magic.
Thank you Arj. I can imagine Leben making beautiful music with your Kensington.
I have never compared head-to-head Canterbury SE with Kensington SE or GR, but I have heard them in different setups. My impression is that Canterbury sounds huge, an enveloping sound that is like a big hug. Maybe it is just a rationalization, but I have the idea that my living room could not house these big mothers. However, the magic in the midrange with voices are all there with Kensington :-)
Charles1dad: Yes, you are right Kensington are flexible when it comes to amplifiers. However, there are some caveats: With the Manley 300B SE/PP Kensington, both SE and GR, plays best with a slight dose of negative feedback. I love the possibility to play with negative feedback to tailor it just right with a specific speaker. Kensington sings effortless with 11 single-ended watts when they are adjusted with 3-4 dB negative feedback. It is an interesting experience cause it is not difficult to hear: when you reach 3 or 4 dB negative feedback it just sounds right. If you turn it up, they sound compressed and if you turn it down they sound sloppy. For me this has been a learning experience, cause I do not any longer believe in ideological statements as zero feedback, simple design as always best; it depends on the speaker! Some feedback may just be the magic-powder that makes music in your specific setup. I also like Kensington when played in push-pull configuration; it gives a subtle but nice dose of oomph without loosing all the magic. I guess I like the possibility to change now and then between SE and PP.
Islandmandan: The GR is showing its strength every week. I have had them only for a month, and Tannoy DC elements are known for extremely long burning-in periods. However, GR seems to be a bit more refined, smooth and transparent, yet keeping all the fun stuff as dynamics, boldness and live-feeling that I loved in SE. GR seems also to have more punch in the bass.
Sorry guys; I have not been active lately. Here are some late responses:
Audiophile333: I actually like both Winged C and Black Treasure, but the next set will be Winged C.
Manley 300B SE/PP have enough power for Kensington in both SE and PP configuration. When I play RnB I like best PP, but when I play sing-and-songwriter and jazz i love the SE configuration. The Leben preamp is great, but Manley 300B preamp excels in holography and midrange magic.
Richidoo: Thank you, you are right I am happy with my system. However, I do not agree with you. In my setup I do not hear limitation because of the output transformer. I hear difference between PP and SE, and both has their charm. But more import, in SE configuration it is not limited compared to other great 300B amps I have heard. I prefer the 300B amp to the Sanppers on Kensington.
I have good experience with Svetlana Winged C and Shuguang Black Treasure. At the moment I use Golden Dragon as the small tube. Which tubes have you been using? And which preamp are you driving your Snappers with?
However, the last months I have been playing more on the Manley Neo-Classic 300B monoblocks - they are awesome!
I forgot to write about the supertweeters. I'm not sure what to write. They do some things that are difficult to put in words. It is quite subtle, and is mostly of the good in long listening sessions. It is as if the music flow more easily and as if the music come less from the box. When I try a/b testing with them in and out of system, it is not much to holler about. But when I unconnect them over time, I always miss the overall effect. I'm not sure if it is placebo or the real shit. It's not the first thing I would recommend to put your money in, but when you like to tweak the last drops of honey out of your system they do a little bit of magic.
Yes, I love my Kensington. My buddy has Turnberry. He drives them with Manley Mahi and Jumbo Shrimp. It is a fun and emotional engaging setup; it is dynamic and with an organic flow. However, Kensington is way more transparent, holographic and with faster transients.
Summing up: Turnberry has almost all you need in order to enjoy music, but if you also want the hi-fi-ish parameters Kensington is up there with the best, IMHO.
Charles1dad: I agree with the praise of ASR. If I ever would go for a SS amp, this is the one. Yet, compared to Manley it lacks the inner glow in the midrange. Especially vocals do not sound as lively and real. I have yet to hear a SS amp that can do this trick.
Jetrexpro: Thanks. Cool system you have; I wish I could have heard your amplifier.
Pryso: I have heard every model in the Prestige line, and I support your "gnawing feeling". It must have been something wrong with the setup you heard. Kensington have almost all the virtues of the bigger models, not the same in bass, but is also relatively easy to setup in a normal living room. I have heard Kensington with amplifiers from MBL, ASR and Manley; no problem at all. In my opinion the sound best with good tube amps like Manley; 11 watts or 100 watts no problem. However, there are always some tweaking to attend to; setup in room, cables, source/DAC, decoupling or coupling/spikes etc. See if you can't get a new demo of Kensington. The only thing that can make me part from Kensington, is a new model with 10" DC alnico from Tannoy that plays better.
System edited: I almost forgot that I also have gotten a pair of ST200 super tweeters. They don't make the biggest difference, but add some subtle quality.
System edited: Alot have happened as you can see: I have moved, so I have a new room. Happily the room is great for listening. I have also got a pair of Neo-Classic 300B SE/PP monoblocks. They really drive Kensington effortlessly!
Thanks Jimbojrjb ☺ Actually I have moved and not updated the pictures. Promise to come back with some pictures of the new living room. However, I now live in an apartment in the same kind of building with the same kind of room: only 60 cm wider and 100 cm shorter. I still have the Tannoys on the short wall, but wider than in the picture, but still in the corners. The Tannoys are around 80 cm from the back-wall and sidewall. This is no problem with Tannoy. The horn tweeter provides a controlled dispersion of only 90 degrees. It is not my experience that you can generalize these things from one kind of speaker to another. Are you planning of getting a pair of Tannoys? My Prestige Kensington is for life. When you get used to dual-concentric elements, other speakers sounds incoherent.
System edited: After a lot of thinking, and dreaming about this object of desire, I have sold the Leben and bought a Manley Neo-Classic 300B RC. I just had to try this preamp. It was an irrational decision, because I did not have any complaints with Leben. Contrary, Leben RS-29CX had done a great job up against Jumbo Shrimp and Steelhead before. However, the Neo-Classic 300B does not let me down. It is still breaking in but already shows its bold and authoritative way of conveying music. More impressions and descriptions of its way of interpreting the smallest signals will be followed-up. One rational reason I had for the change, was that I wanted an amp for headphones. And what an amp for this! Wow. Picked up some Sennheiser HD 800 and I have magic in my ears even when the rest of the family rests.
Aronsss: I read your thread when you ordered Kensington, good to see that you also have become a "tannoyished". I can just guess the Shindo and Tannoy sound - must be beautifull.
I have just moved to another apartment (not at the pictures, new pictures comes later). The new livingroom is aprox 30 m2 with an open area into the kitchen (L-form) which is ca 15 m2. I have lived there for 10 days, so I have a lot of testing with speaker placement left to do.
Jeff: Tannoy sound just lovely: from the first time I heard speakers from the Prestige serie, I wanted a pair. As I have become accustomed to the sound I find it annoying with other speakers, since they seem to lack coherence. Tannoy's dual concentric is addictive.
I would have loved a vinyl system. I have been dreaming of a VPI Classic player, but with small children in the house it has to wait for a later phase of life.
Maybe "Done for now" is not the right category. At the moment I am totally renovating a new apartment and in the process thinking a lot about designing a better working condition for my Tannoy's. Firstly, there will be separate electrical lines for the amp. Secondly, the difficulty in building the living room in order to accommodate the speakers in a way that gives them room to sing. It is difficult to predict how the speakers will interact with the room. So, in every way I am not Done for now - I will post new pictures and describe the new listening conditions later.
