I'm not going to ask if you have favorite between the Will Vincent and Atma-Sphere Class Ds, but I would be curious to know how often you rotate both these excellent amps. I had this system bookmarked as a reference point. Love the picture of your dog - mine unfortunately passed last year (by far the worst thing about sharing a life with a dog).
Pehare love your system your Tannoys are total audio porn and they must sound sublime with the Will Vincent amp I've always wanted to hear one of them. And thanks for the kind words on my system!
I noticed you are using Atma-Sphere Class D amps on your Tannoys, and really enjoying them. I just finished building a stereo Hypex UcD 400 amp, and it's turning out to be one of the best sounding amps I've ever used with my Tannoys.
Glad to see how well the new amps are working out for you.
Your Will Vincent is absolutely stunning. As is the rest of your rig. Especially the Tannoys! I honestly don't know if Will wired my ST-70 triode or otherwise. He told me it's putting out about 30 wpc and can handle 4 ohm speakers, if that helps. It was sold as a #6 Limited Edition. I'm currently running Sophia Electric EL-34s in it. It came with Tung Sol KT 66. I also have a set of blue glass JJ EL34C and Psvane EL34L. I will swap them all out for no reason whatsoever. I bought Zu DWs specifically for the amp. It's perfect synergy.
Big year for changes which don't happen often. Cary 303/300 cd player which I bought new years ago replaced by Cary DMS-600 run wirelessly via wi-fi. Really enjoying streaming Qobuz with basic subscription and it's running flawlessly thanks to AT&T high speed fiber which was installed in my neighborhood. Cary cd player sold but hanging onto cd's for the moment. 2nd was the arrival of the new Atma-Sphere class D GaNFET monoblocks which have been just fantastic with the Tannoys. 3 days of break-in and they just opened up into the best most natural sounding amps from top to bottom I've heard. Dead quiet, cool running with startling dynamics at times. These will replace my tube amp. They have arrived. Cheers!
By the looks of the kit you need a hard surface. A few years back I had a system in a home with carpet, and I wanted to keep the carpet in that particular home, it just worked in that house! So I found where the speakers were going to sit, did a cutout in the carpet in those spots, and installed a 2x2 of hardwood. Set the speakers on the hardwood and looked fab, cheap to do, and improved sound. This on top of a GAIA installation would shock you. Regards.
Prehare...I installed some Isoacoustic Gaia footers on my Tannoy and the results were amazing!! The speakers now sound like they weigh 1000lbs, if that makes sense!! Highly recommended for the money!
thanks mulveling I am smitten w/these Stirlings they just keep gettin better 3 mos broken in now. Ally used to lay right in front of them at high volumes, lol. She musta had Tannoys in her previous life. Enjoy the Holidays and your incredible setup...best, Pat
Thanks Dan for the kind words. The Tannoys are here to stay as long as I'm listening. Happy listening and best wishes for the Holidays and New Year....Pat
Pehare, I just now found that you replied to my comments the following day of my post. Sorry for my delay in replying. Sad about your buddy, Ally, and Roger Modjeski as well.
I'm glad to hear how well your Stirling GR's have settled in for you, and you have achieved long-term listening satisfaction.
This system hereby dedicated to the memory of Roger Alan Modjeski who passed Dec. 11, 2019 and my faithful dog Ally who passed just 2 days before Roger. Just when things couldn't get any sadder they did but hey that's life.
Thanks @islandmandan I'm just getting starting to learn about all the Tannoys and actually bought these blind at the recommendation of my friend who knows my taste, gear, room and budget which I stretched some but got a great deal I couldn't pass up. Couldn't have worked out better! My previous Coincidents sounded great out of the box and these easily bested those out of the box, incredible. I need to research your setup and delve deeper thanks for the words of encouragement. Happy listening, I think I may have found my last speaker.
I have to congratulate you on your purchase of the new Stirlings. I got my first pair of Tannoys nearly fifty years ago. For various reasons, I wandered about in the wilderness for nineteen years, and finally some ten years ago, I found myself on the right path again. I built a custom pair of HPD 315 drivers into custom 150 liter cabinets, built custom crossovers, and replaced the foam surrounds with "hard edge" surrounds, as the current Prestige line uses. Due to recent changes in crossover component values, and minor equipment upgrades, I'm now enjoying the best sounding system I believe I have ever heard. Possibly.
I know that is a bold statement, but then I haven't been to but one audio show, the '07 RMAF, only have a couple of audio friends, and don't get out to audio dealers but maybe every five years or so. So yes, I do have limited exposure to fine audio systems, but nonetheless, I know what a great system sounds like.
I have heard the new GR series are very special, so I envision your system is sounding just superb. I've been curious about how my Tannoys would sound with the Musical Reference driving it, but the three amps I'm currently using are working quite well. They are: Class D Audio, modified Assemblage Audio SET 300B, and Audio Renaissance SET 845.
Sorry to kind of hijack your thread, but sharing the joy with other Tannoy lovers is something I just can't help.
Congratulations on your new speakers, with the other fine gear you have, I imagine your ears are feeling just great about now. Enjoy!
New speaker day - now tell me what could be better? Tannoy Stirling Golden Reference speakers arrived August 12, 2019. Getting them dialed in w/the floor spikes and positioning. Out of the box they exceeded my expectations and are a great match for the RM10 Mk II thankfully. Plenty of silent power and the fidelity is startling. Burning them in is a real treat.....cheers amigos!
I initially went w/Roger's recommendation & after a few days tried the 8 ohm taps for a few days. I do prefer the 4 ohm taps & have more than enough power & like the idea of extended tube life. I don't baby this amp & really like to push it hard at times & it doesn't lose it's composure - whatsoever. These Ei's will probably outlive me:) With your Merlins what's your take on the taps?
Pehare, did you experiment with light loading and the 8ohm tap to determine which your preferred, or did you go straight to it based on Roger's recommendations?
Thanks Zman for your comments...if you're ever up in gator country come by for a listen then tell me what you think. BTW, your rig looks like it's right up my alley, enjoy!
Pehare. I like the simplicity of your system. Have you concidered room treatments. The room looks too lively. Room treatments would make a huge upgrade in sonics. It would let you hear how great the equipment is.
thanks Solman. Cary & the MR are both great amps w/the Coincidents. The MR is more neutral (less lush), much faster, quieter, more refined & resolving than the Cary. Perhaps closer to the truth, if you will, while keeping all the best attributes of tubes. My favorite amp to date. The chair is incredibly comfortable & is called the Charles Pollock (Jackson's bro) sling chair he designed in 1960 & built by Knoll.
Love the simplicity of your system. How does the MR compare to the Cary amp? Can you tell me more about your chair? I have been looking for a good low-back chair like yours but so far no luck.
Thanks Al. This setup is really satisfying & no plans for changes. The Edison gets played mostly for curious guests & it rests above my listening area w/the large weathered morning glory horn looming over the room. Glad you enjoyed Ben's Radio page. Happy listening Al, you've got an incredible collection.
Great choices! My impression is that everything Coincident produces seems to be top-notch, and I would imagine that a 6BQ5 amp such as the RM-10 MkII is an excellent complement to the speakers.
As an antique radio collector, I can certainly understand the appeal of the Edison. Both antique radios and early phonograph equipment have a combination of historical, technical, and aesthetic appeal and interest that is very special.
