Tannoy Westminster’s Audition?

Had a similar issue even living in Chicago. I’d recently got Autograph Minis for my beftop

 and was smitten so wanted to hear a bigger Tannoy to compare with my Rockport Atria ii’s.  I drove to Glenn Poor’s in Champagne Urbana. They had the GRF’s which somehow didn’t do it for me.  Upscale suggested that the Kensington GRs had a closer sound signature to the Minis.  So I booked a flight.  Glad I did. Nothing like a live audition.  They blew me away and I decided to get them. A week before pulling the trigger my local dealer got a mint 3 yr trade in so I went that way as saved nearly half. Upscale still got a sale from my visit as I purchased a Pathos Heritage integrated from them.  

Congratulations. Kensingtons are my dream speaker. Beautifully proportioned and classic looks. Would look silly in the basement but someday I may move.

You really ought to audition them before making any purchase decision.

They are notoriously (and surprisingly, in regard of their high sensitivity) difficult to drive. They can sound "slow" and "ponderous" with the wrong amp.

Big Tannoys (GRF? I think) were the worst sounding system during the last show I attended here in Brussels. Nasal tonality and the sound was locked in the speaker cone with no openess or real soundstage. Still I'm sure they are great speakers but just aren't easy to set-up and "bring to life". Obviously something was wrong.

@rolox Interesting your reaction to GRFs. I did not audition them with Kensingtons but vastly preferred the warmth and depth of my Mini Autographs to the GRF. I heard them with Wilson SASHA’s and to my ear they were almost indistinguishable on the same kit at Geoff Poor’s in IL. Even on BAT tubes they had none of that Tannoy “magic”. I subsequently auditioned Kensingtons and Canterburys together. C’s were too much for my space and pocketbook. Couldn’t be happier now with Kensingtons. An Upscale sales person suggested the difference between the GRFs and K is the 10” driver in the Ks.