Tannoy Canterbury SE Owners manual

O W N E R ’ S M A N U A L

1926Estd.

In combining the best of traditional crafts and the latest production and design skills Tannoy presents the Canterbury loudspeaker.

The Canterbury embodies the Tannoy philosophy. Cabinets in selected hardwoods are hand finished and polished to a standard that

is unsurpassed.

The Canterbury 15 SE is a truly special loudspeaker made only to order with

certification and personalised nameplate. The speaker uses the classic Alcomax

3 version of the famous Tannoy Dual Concentric™ driver. This magnet system

endows the Dual Concentric™ with an exceptional transient response and

increased sensitivity. This high performance driver is installed in braced

birch-ply cabinet with burr walnut veneers and solid walnut mouldings. Acrolink

99.9999% (6N) high purity copper wiring is used throughout, together with

specially selected crossover components, including Hovland capacitors. High

frequency energy can be tailored through a high current gold-plated switch

block with controls for both treble energy and roll off. Low frequency adjustment is through the Tannoy Variable Distributed Port

System (VDPS). The specially designed twin-roll impregnated fabric surround used on the drive unit's cone, ensures midrange purity

combined with tight, controlled bass.

Tannoy - A Short History

In the early days of broadcasting radio sets needed both low and high voltage DC power that had to be supplied by batteries. The lead

acid batteries used in the radio sets of the time needed regular recharging.

In London, in 1926, Guy R. Fountain perfected a new type of electrical rectifier with the aim of designing a charger more suitable for

use in the house. His rectifier consisted of two dis-similar metals held in a special electrolyte solution. One metal was Tantalum and

the other an alloy of Lead. So successful was this invention that Guy Fountain founded a British Company called Tannoy (a contraction

of the words 'Tantalum' and 'Alloy'). Tannoy soon became internationally known and highly regarded in all aspects of sound reproduction.

Moving coil loudspeakers with DC energised magnets began Tannoy's continued success in the field of loudspeaker technology.

A discrete two-way loudspeaker system followed in 1933 and shortly after a range of microphones and loudspeakers capable of high

power handling.

Tannoy has always been at the front of the communications revolution, developing its own equipment and production technology.

The company built a fund of knowledge and experience, that has proved invaluable in the development of loudspeakers for a truly wide

range of applications. The now famous Tannoy Dual Concentric™ principle was created and developed under Guy Fountain's direction

around 1950. It is highly regarded by music enthusiasts, and recording and broadcast studios because of its unique properties in faithfully

reproducing sound to an unusually high quality standard.

Guy Fountain retired from the company in 1974 but the Tannoy company continues his philosophy dedicated to the accurate and

realistic reproduction of music for both enthusiasts and professionals around the world.

The Tannoy Research and Development unit has further refined the innovative Dual Concentric™ principle. Using the latest design

and material technologies, with sophisticated circuit techniques in crossover design, Tannoy has produced a loudspeaker system with

superb reproductive capabilities and exceptionally wide dynamic range.

Tannoy is now part of the TG Group, whose goal is to design, produce and distribute the best engineered, most recognised and respected

brands of high performance audio products in the world.

Unpacking Instructions

Unfasten the bottom of the carton. Fold the end leaves out of the way and remove the packing tray to reveal the plinth and bottom

of the loudspeaker cabinet. Locate and remove accessories pack. Turn the carton and loudspeaker over so that the cabinet now stands

on the floor inside the carton. Lift the carton upwards to reveal the loudspeaker.

Examine all pieces of packing material and inspect the carton for signs of external damage. If there is evidence of excessive damage to

the packaging and resulting damage to the loudspeaker inform the carrier and supplier immediately. Always keep the packing in such

circumstances for subsequent examination.

Tannoy strongly suggests that you store the complete packaging set for possible future use.

Initial Positioning

Locate the loudspeakers so that the favourite listening position is approximately 15° from the axes of the cabinets. The axes of both

cabinets should intersect at a point slightly in front of the listening position. Remember that the proximity of the loudspeakers to walls

and corners will affect the sound. Some experimentation will probably be needed to fine tune the stereo image depth and low frequency

sound quality. Close-to-wall positions - and room corners more so - have the effect of increasing very low frequency sound energy.

Reflective adjacent walls may upset the stereo image by causing unwanted reflections.

The loudspeakers are designed to be used at least 1m from any side wall or reflective surface and at least 0.5m away from a rear wall.

Only in this position will their exceptional stereo image depth capabilities be realised.

When the optimum position for the loudspeakers has been determined, position the three metal cups, provided in the accessories pack,

so that they sit under the three support cones, on the underside of the loudspeaker. These are positioned two at the front and one at

the rear. This will give maximum stability, and enable your loudspeakers to provide their full dynamics and resolution of detail.

WARNING: this operation should be carried out by two people, to avoid the risk of personal injury, should the speaker slip or fall.

Amplifier Connections

Connect the loudspeakers to the amplifier using a high quality cable. Your dealer will be able to make recommendations. The terminals

will accept either spade or banana plugs. If not bi-wiring fit the link wires from the accessories pack, as shown in figure 2.

Arrange the connections so that the right hand amplifier channel terminals are connected to the right hand loudspeaker as viewed from

the listening position.

Correct polarity of the connections between the amplifier and speakers is essential. The positive terminal on the amplifier left channel,

marked + (plus) or coloured red, must be connected to the positive terminal on the left loudspeaker. The negative terminal on the

amplifier left channel, marked - (minus) or coloured black, must be connected to the negative terminal on the left loudspeaker.

Repeat this connection for the right speaker.

Good quality cables and tight, well-made connections are necessary to eliminate resistive losses and maintain the correct damping of

the loudspeaker by the amplifier.

If the cables and connections have been made correctly as described above the loudspeakers will be automatically in phase with each

other. However if phasing is felt to be incorrect (for example, diffuse stereo image, lack of bass) then apply the following test:

Place the loudspeakers side by side and play a monophonic signal from the amplifier, choosing the programme material with

a strong bass content. If phasing is correct bass will be full and rich. If incorrect there will be very little bass due to cancellation

effects. Incorrect phasing can be remedied by reversing the connecting leads to one loudspeaker (at either the amplifier or the

loudspeaker terminals but not both).

Note: Be certain to ensure that the amplifier is switched off when connecting or disconnecting loudspeaker leads. Accidentally shorting

the loudspeaker leads together can damage some amplifiers. Such damage is outside warranty provisions.

FIG. 1

HIGH FREQUENCY

NEGATIVE(-) TERMINAL

LOW FREQUENCY

NEGATIVE(-) TERMINAL

TERMINAL PANEL CONNECTIONS

LF-

HF+

LF+

'EARTH' OR 'GROUND' TERMINAL

HIGH FREQUENCY POSITIVE(+) TERMINAL

LOW FREQUENCY POSITIVE(+) TERMINAL

FIG. 2

LF-

SINGLE WIRE MODE AND EARTH (GROUND) LEAD CONNECTION

LINK WIRES IN PLACE

HF+

LF+

POWER AMPLIFIER

TO 'GROUND' OR 'EARTH' CONNECTION ON AMPLIFIER (OPTIONAL)

TO RIGHT SPEAKER

+ --L+

FIG. 3

LF-

BI-WIRE MODE AND EARTH (GROUND) LEAD CONNECTION

LINK WIRES REMOVED

HF+

LF+

TO 'GROUND' OR 'EARTH' CONNECTION ON AMPLIFIER (OPTIONAL)

TO RIGHT SPEAKER

-+R-+

POWER AMPLIFIER

FIG. 4

LF-

LINK WIRES REMOVED

BI-AMPING MODE AND EARTH (GROUND) LEAD CONNECTION

HF+

LF+

TO 'GROUND' OR 'EARTH' CONNECTION ON HIGH FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER (OPTIONAL)

HIGH FREQUENCY

POWER AMPLIFIER

LOW FREQUENCY

POWER AMPLIFIER

TO RIGHT SPEAKER

-+-R+

-+-

TO RIGHT SPEAKER

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