Tannoy Westminster Royal HE


Hi, I would like to hear your opinions and comments regarding the Tannoy Westminsters. These very oldfashioned (to many: ugly) looking speakers have been quite a while, undergoing various modifications. According to some audiophiles they sound impressive. How will they sound compared to my current speakers, the Dunlavy SC-Vs? Do the Tannoys beat them in terms of sonics and sheer musicality? Do you have to drive them with single ended amplification or can they also sound good with solid state? Thx in advance.
dazzdax
I have Dr Gizmos sun light se308 concentrics up for sale he said sound has just as good if not better than his tannoys.I greatly improved on this system search audiogon for add.Might be of interest to you the se308 in a 18in concentric with a 50lb alnico magnet I tried a few diferant cab designs inc horns but ended up with a dual port BR design simlar to tannoy Churchill.System included rare fostex t90aex triple alnico mag super tweeters and a massive Aura 18in with 1000 watt ice powered subwoofer.I have also seen Gizmos Tannoys up on the gon a few weeks back for arround $14000
There is not one dealer in The Netherlands who has Tannoy Westminsters for an audition, so I really don't know what the Tannoy sound is and what the Westminster is capable of. My only references are the Dunlavy SC-V (which I own) and the Apogee Diva. Do the Westminsters really outshine the other speakers? I'm quite curious because the Tannoy Westminster has gained a cult status among many audiophiles (mainly tube-o-philes and followers of the late "Gizmo" Rosenberg).
If the Tannoy Westminsters are truly sublime, then I might consider to replace my Dunlavies by these speakers.

Chris
I have heard other tannoy concentrics and there is a reason so many enjoy them concentrics have a musical connection thats diferant and more involving than others more conventional designs.FYI I also see someone listed a 2 1/2 year old Westminster on audiogon today.I have used many diferant amp types on my concentrics inc SS designs if the gear is good and low noise should drive a concentric just fine.With SET these drivers do have a bit of synergy.
It's a very small data point, but about five years back I took some 2A3 monoblocks into a dealer showroom to qualify the Churchills for SET amplification. They sounded anemic--at least on 3W. In addition to the lack of dynamics in this less-than-optimal pairing, the midrange lacked smoothness and refinement I was used to with the Wilsons. In that same showroom the SETs were much happier driving Cabasse Farellas.