Tannoy - Manley 300B - Manley EL34

by musicophile on Done For Now
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Description

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, D’angelo, 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.
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Components Toggle details

    • Manley Laboratories Neo-Classic 300B RC
    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
    • Tannoy GRF 90 Limited Edition
    Awesome speaker
    • Audioquest Sky
    Also a nice sounding interconnect
    • LFD Black Widow
    This one does nothing wrong
    • LFD Grainfree biwire signature
    Great synergy with Tannoy
    • Sennheiser HD-800
    Headphones

Comments 61

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I like the Tannoys too, the DC8T is my favorite, extremely natural and realistic tone. I owned Snappers and the 300BSEPPs. The Snappers were a lot of fun, very refined and powerful tube amps, modern clear sound, very quiet and very powerful bass for a tube amp. Most el34 tubes are not up to the Snappers potential. 300SEPP a bit less impressive due to the output transformer's ultimate performance being compromised to allow both SE and PP topology, but 20W of 300B is nice with the right speaker. The 300B preamp sounds awesome too. I'm sure that you are very happy with your fine system.
Rich

richidoo

Hi Musicophile,

I originally had EH-6CA7's which sounded pretty good. Although, I had one tube die on me early so I replaced the whole set with the Tung-sol reissue el-34's. I only have about 150 hours on them and so far they sound ok. My preamp is a Cary slp98 F1 DC which I love. I'm considering purchasing the Winged C or the Black treasures output tubes. Which of these did you prefer for the Snappers?
Sorry for the late response.

Thanks, Chris

audiophile333

Owner
Hi Audiophile333

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!

musicophile

Hi Musicophile,
I also own the mighty Snappers. I was hoping you could share any experiance you have with tube rolling on your Snappers.
Thanks,

audiophile333

Owner
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.

musicophile

Owner
Hi Rbschauman

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.

musicophile

Musicophile,

Your Tannoy/Manley combo looks magnificant and I bet sounds even better! I love the EL34 sound and you stated in a thread I recently posted (the CJ equipment thread) that you were pretty happy with the Kensingtons. You stated they compete well with the Yorkie, Canterbury, and even the Westminster. Have you ever compared them to the Turnberry? If so, how did they differ? How do you like the Supertweeter I see in your pics?

Again, great looking setup - very well done!

rbschauman

Musicophile,
I understand your point. The one feature of 'good' SET amplifiers that I first noticed is they just make music sound more real and present.Once I experienced this, its absence with other amplifier types was more obvious.Now I find it difficult to have a system without this increased flesh and blood realism.
Regards,

charles1dad

Owner
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.

musicophile

Musicophile,
The ASR has gotten universal praise for its excellent sound.What did you find different when using the Manley with these speakers?
Regards,

charles1dad

Owner
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.

musicophile

Musicophile, after hearing some of the larger Tannoy Prestige models I can't afford, I was excited to audition the Kensingtons at a show a little over a year ago. I was sorely disappointed as they didn't have any of that "connection" to live music I'd heard with other models. So I struck them from consideration.

But I still have this gnawing feeling about the potential of the Kensington and reading posts such as yours makes me wonder if the pair I heard were new without adequate break in? Hopefully I may yet hear them as intended, in which case I could well join the Tannoy club.

pryso

Love the Kensingtons. Heard them being driven with Shindo GM70 amps. Jazz sounded heavenly!!

jetrexpro

Owner
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.

musicophile

Owner
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!

musicophile

Owner
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.

musicophile

Beautiful, cozy, inviting and I'm sure it sounds even more stunning than in looks. Do the Tannoy's play well so far in the corners? If so, I'm in the same boat, my better half is asking me if I can move my speakers closer to the wall behind them.........thanks in advance for your response........beautiful job my friend!!

jimbojrjb

Owner
System edited: Have just started burning in my latest piece: a Weiss DAC202.

musicophile

I also set up a headphone system a few months ago to use while the baby sleeps. I wish I knew how great headphones sounded years ago! How are you driving the the HD 800's?

I bet they sound wonderful....

jeff1225

Owner
System edited: Just got at nice pair of headphones: the Sennheiser HD800. Fine for use when the family sleeps.

musicophile

Musicophile,
Congradulations! This is`nt an irrational decision by any means.I`m certain the Leben was a good preamp, however IMHO there`s something special and unique about the sound from DHT tube driven components. I find when implemented correctly they are able to bring out the beauty,drama and emotion of music that`s hard to verbalize,yet you know it when you hear it(and feel it). I believe you made a great move, and will be remined of such each time you play your music.
Both my amplifier and linestage use DHT tubes and I`m as pleased as can be.
Best Regards,

charles1dad

Owner
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.

musicophile

Owner
Charles1dad: Thanks! I looked at your system and it seems that we aim after some of the same qualities in our systems.

musicophile

Musicophile,
I agree with your priority, music first then the sound. You have put together an exceptional system. I`m sure it sucessfully connects you to your music.
best Regards,

charles1dad

Hello 'phile,

Thanks for the kind words, it's been a labor of love, a journey of sorts, but very enjoyable and worthwhile. Good luck at your new digs!

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan

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