Mr Mobius Posted June 24, 2015 Posted June 24, 2015 Hi all. Well some of you will have seen that I have some lovely tube gear on the way (see below). I was going to try the new kit with my Harbeth HL5s, Monitor Audio PL300s and B&W PM1s and see what I like best and sell the others. However... ... I have found a pair of (I think well priced) Tannoy Canterbury SEs that are seven years old. A few questions. Is seven years old for a speaker? And what should I look for when buying a second hand speaker? What should I be condering in regards to placement and room size for these speakers in terms iof whether they are right for my room? I have (or rather will soon have - just have to pick up) Lamm 1.2 Ref mono blocks 110w all class A hybrid, also an Airtight 80w KT88 tube power amp - and a Meitner ma 1 DAC and Concert Fidelity CF080LSX2 tune pre amp. How well would this gear match with the Tannoy Canterbury SEs - compared with the speakers I already have? What price range would be fair (for both me and the seller) for these speakers? If you don't feel comfortable re any providing thoughts re this question I would still love your thoughts re the other questions above. Thanks in advance for any tips or ideas. Cheers Stu
gemini07 Posted June 24, 2015 Posted June 24, 2015 Generally speaking... seven years is NOT at all too old for speakers that were good quality to start with. In fact, I think if cared for, good speakers should sound just as good even twenty years old (and longer). What to look for is any excessive dust inside the speaker, fraying of the internal surrounds, significant knocks or splitting of the cabinet frame (in case they were dropped from a great height), water damage and other obvious signs of abuse. In terms of sound, distortion at a variety of volumes and inconsistency of sound over the listening period (although these could also be a sign of amp failure). I also ask the seller what ancillary equipment was used with the gear. This tells me a few things: was the gear thrashed or under powered, and does the seller have a real understanding of how to look after his equipment. If listening at the seller's place, I also have a little peak around to spot animals/kids, get an idea about smoke, and the general listening environment. And I also have a look at the music being played if I can. I can't comment on the Tannoys, but there seems to be a fair bit of difference in the sound characters of your Harbeths as compared to the Monitor Audios and B&Ws. Not sure what sound you are after, or the broad application of your gear. Harbeths are excellent in the reproduction of the human voice. Looks like you still have some interesting decisions to make. I think experimenting with all of your gear once it's set up will take a while and recommend that you take written notes on what you hear with the music you play.
coppinger Posted June 25, 2015 Posted June 25, 2015 Stu, you are spoiled for choice!. Old 15" Tannoy drivers, without cabinets, sell for over $2000 a set, year in year out. So, second hand is not an issue, unless it was a model with foam surrounds( which perish). The Canterbury SE has a fabric surround, which should not cause problems. They also have a sensitivity of 96db, so can be driven with lower power amps, where the focus might be on quality rather than quantity, not that the two always go together. The bigger Tannoy speakers can have their performance modified/influenced a great deal by shifting them around in relation to back walls and corners! Good luck with whatever you chose!
jdog Posted June 29, 2015 Posted June 29, 2015 i have heard canterbury se with high powered solid state amp and it was a brilliant speaker at any volume..
Recommended Posts