Tannoy Stirlings on the way!


Hi, everybody.  Longtime member, first time caller.

I just ordered up a pair of Tannoy Stirling GR floorstanders, and, frankly, I'm looking for people to rejoice with!

I'm a speakers guy, through and through.  I've got Dynaudios, Focals, B&Ws, Totems, Wharfedales, Klipsches, and even my old Polk 5Bs, the first speakers I ever bought, way back in the '80s.  I wanted to try something very different, and the Prestige line Tannoys really spoke to me.  The coincident drivers, the old-school-ish paper cone, the old-school cabinets and ports.  I'm really looking forward to hearing how they soundstage!

I thought about getting the Turnberrys, but the Stirlings should be just about the perfect size for my [extremely irregular] room.  Especially since I already have a pair of subs.

I'm pretty chuffed.
trentmemphis
I think it's safe to say they're fully broken in, at this point.  I still have the tweeter set to flat, and I've decided I like them best with the grills on. 

I've been experimenting with toe-in. Those of you who said to pay attention to what's in the manual -- i.e., cross them just in front of the listening position -- were 100% correct. Holy cats! They don't disappear (except with the Perahia recording I mentioned before). Sounds near them tend to stick to them, and I get the sense of things coming from outside them every now and then, but not often. But, man, the stage between them is incredible. In particular, I notice *depth* that I've never really heard before.  On something like the Buena Vista Social Club record, I can hear things coming from way back behind the main performers, 3 or 4 layers deep.

I have the fronts propped up on books to give them some rake, which helped a lot getting rid of the feeling I was peering down into the soundstage.  They could still stand to come up some, but I'm not really comfortable raking them back any further.  I'd like to find some stands -- more like cradles -- to lift them about 4-6 inches and keep the rake angle I currently have.  I know this place at least *used* to have several people offering custom woodwork for racks, platforms, turntable plinths, speaker stands, etc.  Is there anybody still around who might make the kind of thing I'm talking about?

@trentmemphis,

Please reach out to Arnold at Core Audio Designs. He will make you stands that you will cherish for remainder of your lifetime. My room showcase several pieces of his master craftsmanship.  
Still just really digging these things.  I think that low crossover point to the tweeter really works for them.  Everything is so coherent.  Vocals -- especially female and most especially choral -- really sing through them.  The detail is excellent without being at all harsh, and they have real, effortless thump.  That 12" driver in the Kensington, along with the larger cabinet, must really be something.

And they just look the absolute business.

I've had zero buyer's remorse.