How many forum members have experience with Tannoy DMT series speakers? I'm interested in finding out about the 10s, 12s, or 15s. If you've heard any of these or currently own them...please post your impressions. Thanks, Adam
I owned the DMT 12's for a while; had them in my old office at DCC II (as you can see in this silly picture, taken with the infamous CAPTION CAMERA; the downfall product of DCC). I think the DOUBLE 15" is the only great one of the bunch; a recording studio staple..
I had the 12's for awhile, debating between them and my Electrovoice 12TRXB's. Well, I ended up selling the Tannoys in short order...there is just something so right about paper cones, at least to my ears...especially with piano and and acoustical instruments... Now that I have a new "old amp" a Berning EA-230, the imaging and realism that I get from the EV's is just staggering! I bet the DMT 15's are most likely even better! The DMT12's sounded very fast and clean, but there was some body missing...just a tad too lean for me.
Dude, the EVs are a really nice speaker. I really, REALLY wanted them to work for me. They do EVERYTHING right except for one crucial thing. You absolutely CANNOT turn them up. If you don't believe me, try it. Put on some rock and crank. They will bark at you. They will yelp at you. The issue is uncontrolled resonance from the whizzer cone. Thus far, there is no tweak that will cure this. It helps to tuck some felt between the whizzer cone and the woofer, but to cure the problem entirely requires so much felt that you start to loose the mids and bass. You start to change the character of the driver. Things the EVs do nice: 1) They image BEAUTIFULLY. Perhaps even better than Tannoy. 2) They have wonderful punch in the low mids. Great for rock. 3) Voices sound divine. 4) At a low volume, they are one of the best speakers I've ever heard. Why I can't live with the EVs: 1) They are not the most musically accurate speakers in the world. They are colored...in a good way...but still colored. 2) The funny thing is that for such a great rock speaker, they aren't capable of rocking. This is because you can't turn them up. Even at a moderate volume, they totally fall apart and become HARSH barking, squealing monsters. Please do the test....put on some rock and crank them. Or even piano. Turn it up and you'll hear the piano shout at you. No speaker with a whizzer cone will ever be right....and I've tried just about all of the heavyweights...Goodmans, EV, University, etc. The peaks will yelp or distort. This is not acceptable. More on this and the Tannoys later..... TBC
No way, man. Steve looks badass with long hair. That's rock 'n' roll, baby. Short hair is for straights and squares.
I agree regarding paper cones. Some of the modern Tannoy stuff just doesn't sound right with those plastic cones. Last night I spent some time with the D500. It sounds like a cartoon version of the Tannoy. It has all the characteristics of a Tannoy, but they are exagerated and cheap sounding and they lack the flesh of the real thing. There is something unnatural about the sound of those drivers. This experience has soured me on anything they offer that doesn't have a paper cone. Now are you absolutely certain the DMT12 doesn't have a paper cone and only the 15DMT does? I understand what you mean about the Tannoys sounding lean. They tell the truth, that is the problem. The Electrovoice 12TRXBs have that nice little bump in the lower mids which makes everything sound full and rich. The EVs also don't have nearly the complex crossover that the Tannoys have, so you're basically getting pure signal there. That could account for some of the punch. If you've ever heard a full-range driver with no crossover, there is something so magical about it. There is an immediacy and an uncanny realism that you can't experience with crossovers. This is what the Goodmans 201 is like. Again, though....the trouble with the EVs is when you push them. Another issue with the 12DMT is the size of the cabinet. The Tannoy needs room to breath and stretch it's arms. That cabinet is a joke. It's WAY too small. I'm sure that putting those drivers in a larger cabinet would make things entirely different. I've done tests with the 12TRXBs in a massive cabinet....then put 12" Tannoys in the same cabinet. The Tannoy actually has much more bass than the 12TRXB....you just have to give it the space it needs to do it's thing. It's too bad you weren't able to pull those Tannoy drivers and put them in those larger custom cabinets you have for your EVs. I think you would have been shocked if you'd heard the difference.
I bet those things are amazing. Unfortunately, I don't have room for those. It's bad enough that I'm considering the 15DMT. Two fifteen inch woofers would be too big for my room....spatially and sonically. Steve, have you ever thought Tannoys to have a forward character? Have you ever observed there to be a metallic flavor in their high frequency information? Have you ever found any Tannoys to be fatiguing at all? These are the problems I've been having with mine. There is something in that driver that has been bothering my ears. Perhaps it's the time of year and it's me, not the speaker. I've been going through hell trying to sort this out. Tonight I experimented with the "energy" controls and I think I've tamed it, but I think it's that damn horn. They have incredible dynamics, but they will never be as smooth as silk. What do you think?
Prix...I dont know how loud is LOUD for you...LOL I guess I havent cranked them that loud because I havent encountered that barking phenomenon. I dont think I have listened to them at crazy loud volumes though...although yetserday I played the plum label Fragile LP, quite loud and didnt hear any issues...but again, not headbanging loud. Also, I took the backs off the cabinets, so they are now 5 sides open baffle cabs...man, it opened up the sound quite abit, and helped with that hump you mentioned...also, what helps to balance that hump is the vintage McIntosh Ainico tweeter I placed on top,,,doesnt make it dissapear, but it really balances the sound. AND given that you mention fatigue, I will say that the Tannoys are fatiguing and I have an all tube setup. One benefit of the EV's, totally unfatiguing. There is one brand of speakers (with paper cones) that may be better than all of theseL check this link out: Steve, have you heard anything about these? licky clicky for PAudio speakers
I seriously doubt that these would hold a candle to the Tannoy. If they were that good, they would be twice the price. That I am sure of. Look at what Supravox are selling for. I haven't even heard those yet, but their largest full-range is 8"...and I'm not interested in multi-driver systems. Still....I'll order a pair of these PAudios this week just to make sure...though I really think I'll be wasting my time. Regarding volume levels, do you have a decibel meter? If so, we can do some tests. It doesn't take ear splitting volumes for the whizzer cones to be out of control. I'm surprised you can't hear this. Since you have said that the System 12DMT are fatiguing, that is all I need to hear. I am probably not interested in them as this confirms my suspicion about the inferior nature of Tannoy's recent non-paper cones. Steve, did you find your 12DMTs to be fatiguing, forward, or bright in any way? How loud and for what period of time were you listening, generally?
I dont have a dB meter yet, but i could get a Rat Shack unit...what dB level should I attempt paying attention to that whizzer cone..? The guys from PAudio sounded pretty gong ho in their emails..I will cut and paste them into a pair of PM's...
The guy's last name is "Dicks"? I don't know. I'm still pretty skeptical. They're made in Thailand....not that there is anything wrong with that, but I prefer something that is made by people who are being paid a decent wage. They are marketed as pro-audio/PA speakers in Europe for some reason. Their ideas of what are the "best drivers/speakers in the world" are quite a bit different from mine. And finally, most of their claims and marketing seem to be the standard canned sales schlock.
Prix, I'm not sure if my System 1200 speakers are related to the DMT line. If they are, I'd be happy to share my experiences with you. If they are not, sorry, I wasn't sure.
Well, the cabinets are not that tall, but do seem to have plenty of volume. They have the plastic looking dual concentric driver, 12 inches. All the photos I have seen of them have them in a horizontal position, but I have them set up vertical. IMO they are extremely smooth sounding. No fatigue factor to speak of as far as I have experienced. The bass does come across a bit light, but I have them on cheap pine endtables, not proper sound anchor stands, which I expect to make a difference in that department. The midrange is beautiful and the highs are controlled. As an example, listening to the Kind of Blue SACD, Miles' trumpet never has an overly bright moment on the whole album. I really appreciated this aspect of these speakers. Before the Tannoys, I used B&W 604 speakers, and before that, Klipsch. The Tannoys don't sound anything like those (which you already know from the vintage Tannoys). I find that I can listen to music at lower volumes and still get what I consider a full presentation. Also, turning the music up just gets better and better. I've never turned it up to a level that I thought sounded bad, just too loud for my neighbors. I don't usually listen that loud anyways, but if I want to, they sound great. I am using a Mac tube preamp, and a Mac solid state amp. I have read from numerous people that these speakers really don't come alive until using tube amplification, and that is the direction I am heading. Actually, it is the main reason I switched from the B&W, to get some more tube-friendly speakers. Oh yeah, these guys image like crazy too. I have had them for only about a month now, so they are still new to me. But they are very broken in and I have been logging lots of hours on them ever since getting them.
--- hello... I need all the specifications of the 15 DMT II tweeter, if that is possible of course.... Nevertheless, it's VERY important..... Because, i have the occassion to buy the DMT II, but there is no tweeter on them... Strange situation, i know....
