Tannoy Stirlings on the way!

By the way, going back several posts, I looked into getting a Decware tube amp. Or I tried to. If I got one, I’d want to try it alone and as the high-frequency amp in a bi-amp situation with my MC152. To do that, I needed to know the voltage gain, which isn’t listed on their site. I emailed them to inquire. Never heard a peep back.

You hope that’s not because Steve Deckert is ill or something. I get the impression it’s kind of a one-man operation, other than an administrative assistant. Either way, you can’t do business with a company that doesn’t answer email. If I want to try tubes, I’ll have to look elsewhere.  (Or find a used one here, maybe. I'd still be pretty hesitant to buy something made by a company that doesn't answer questions, though.)

Hey @trentmemphis, thanks for the running commentary on your new Stirlings!.  I have a pair that arrive today and I will spend a couple weeks with them and decide between keeping my much larger Revel F228Be's or the Stirlings.   I truly WANT the Stirlings to be winner but both are great speakers and room interaction is a wild card.  I'm running Primaluna integrated with a single Rel S30 Sho sub.  I also have Isotech Gaia ii feet and hoping I don't need to buy/build stands to get optimum performance.  Not sure of your musical range but curious how you like them with more rock oriented music?  I'm thinking Steely Dan, Dire Straits, etc.  Thanks, Chet

@comchenry 

Wow, the Tannoy Stirlings versus the Revel F228Be's!

That's almost like the best of old world v the best of the new.

It will be nice if the Tannoys can put up a decent show for themselves. Revel speakers are attaining an almost mythic status nowadays, the way Tannoys once did.

@comchenry 

I gave serious thought to those Revels.  The beryllium tweeters, in particular, were intriguing.  But they're a "standard design" modern loudspeaker.  Since I already own several of those, that didn't seem like the best use of my audiophile dollar. 

The Tannoys, otoh, were unlike anything I'd ever owned.  In terms of exploring the world of audiophilia, that made them a better buy for me, in my mind.  (One of the other final candidates was Maggies.)

And I ain't gonna lie: the romance factor of the Tannoys was definitely in play.  They look like something from the 1940s, which indeed they kind of are.  Each pair is built by a single person.  To me, they are more a product of craftsmanship, while the vast majority of speakers are more a product of mass (on an audiophile scale) production.

It'll be interesting to hear your comparison.  As you said, room interactions is a big wildcard.  Which PrimaLuna do you have?

Well, I just purchased the Sterlings. Loved the sound and the craftsmanship. Haven't gotten them home yet. Will get back to all.