Tannoy Westminster Royal HE

I just heard this speaker for the first time yesterday.

I used to own the Tannoy Arden,which also uses a 15 inch concentric,but that's about where the similarities end.

This speaker is in a whole other zone.

I heard it driven with a 17 watt el84 push pull tube amp, I believe from DIY audio kit.

More than enough power to drive the speakers, and the sound in a medium sized room was very good.

There's nothing lacking with these speakers.

They are speakers you can sit back and just ooze into the music.

Nothing about their sound shouts out "I'm atweeter hear me soar, I'm a woofer hear me roar".

No, the music is all you notice and isn't that the way things should be?

So, for the flash bang,knock my socks off ,these speakers rock types,they may sound different than what those folks have been raised on.

But I think one listen on these with any type of music could convert anyone over to them.

I bought my Acoustat X monitors from the same fellow who owns Westminsters, and I can understand why ,as good as they are, the X's went and the Tannoys stayed.

Then again, at over 300lbs a piece,there might be other reasons.

But all joking aside, these speakers are not a joke,don't let their pipe and slippers look divert you away from these if you are considering a truly great speaker to hold onto and enjoy music with for a very long time.

If I were at the beginning and not the end of my audio journey, I would buy these, a good amp and front end and never look elsewhere for decades.

Here in Scottsdale, Arizona, there is a music museum with a small auditorium where concerts are performed. Luckily, they use Tannoy speakers for sound reinforcement, and I truely am in awe of the sound. Instruments on stage sound exactly like they're supposed to....astounding dynamic contrasts, etc. I don't know the electronics they are using, but it really does work. The big concert hall in Phoenix has the very worst sounding system I have ever heard. I have written to them asking for improvements, but I fear it has landed on deaf ears.

I am also TW lover,I own TW Roayl,pre SE and HE versions,best investment I have done in hifi!Sometimes I have to smile when I hear other speakers.For big rooms this is a way to go.

they are NOT ugly if you have the right house they are beautiful! The sound has better image than Dunlavy but not as accurate in my opinion. They are wonderful if you play tubes amps

corrected:
They are NOT ugly; If you have the right house they are beautiful! The Tannoy has better imaging than Dunlavy but they're not as accurate in my opinion: I have heard both. They are a wonderful speaker if you play tube amps and they make one hell of a statement. Good luck finding a used pair people don't sell them they normally stay in the castles they live in.
:)