Tannoy System 1000 Owner`s Manual

REFERENCE MONITORS

SYSTEM 1000

USER MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing Tannoy System 1000 Monitors.

This loudspeaker is a compact, professional near/mid-field reference monitor. Using an advanced 10” Dual Concentric driver, if offers the advantages of point source operation in a very cost-effective design. The attractive octagonal shape of the cabinet with its rounded edge corners and front panel contributes to the excellent acoustic performance of the cabinet.

Due to its point source operation it will perform equally well in both landscape and portait orientations, whether it is used in the near-field on top of the mixing console, or for mid-field monitoring.

This manual is intended to provide the user with some useful advice on how to install and use the loudspeakers, as well as more technical information about how the system is designed, and its detailed specifications. We hope this will help you to get the best results from your monitoring system.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

Unpacking and visual checks

To get the speaker out of the carton without damage open the end flaps fully and bend them right back. Turn the package upside-down on the floor and lift the carton vertically up to leave the speaker resting on its packing tray.

Inspect each speaker for signs of transit damage. In the unlikely event of this having occurred inform the carrier and the supplier. Keep all the packaging if damage has occurred as this will show evidence of excessive handling forces. It is also a good idea to keep the carton for future transportation.

Preliminary recommendation

Initially we would like to give some words of warning on the high sound levels which these speakers are capable of generating over sustained periods of time. Levels over 95 dB for 8 hours per day will eventually cause permanent hearing loss. Because Tannoy Monitors have very low levels of time, amplitude and frequency distortion it is not always obvious that the sound level is high while working with them.

For continuous exposure we recommend the occasional use of a sound level meter capable of integrating the sound level over a period of exposure according to noise control standards. This should be used to check that noise levels are always within safety limits.

Location and support for the loudspeakers.

When choosing a suitable location for the monitors, bear in mind that the physical mounting of loudspeakers can have a large influence on performance. For best results the monitors should be mounted on a rigid structure, supported on pads making contact with the laminated panel. Self-adhesive foam pads are provided with the loudspeakers for that purpose. If you intend to arrange the monitors in landscape format, detach the whole pad from the backing paper and stick it on the large side to become the bottom of the cabinet ; for portrait arrangement the pad is pre-cut so that one half can be easily detached to match the smaller size of the bottom panel.

We recommend location of the monitors so that the drive units are toed inwards, with their axes oriented towards the listening position. The distance between the two speakers should be 1.5 to 2.5 metres, depending on the monitoring position. The distance between the monitoring position and each speaker should be slightly greater than the distance between the speakers. If the speakers are placed too close to each other the full stereo image may not develop, on the other hand if you place them too far apart you will notice a hole in the middle of the stereo image.

Ensure that the console position does not obscure the direct sound radiation from the Dual Concentric drive unit when sitting down. The engineer and producer should have a clear, uninterrupted view of the monitor loudspeakers.

Connecting the loudspeakers.

The loudspeaker can be connected to the amplifier via to two different modes of operation : conventional wiring and bi-wiring. In the latter mode two separate pairs of cables are used to connect the amplifier to the monitor, i.e. one for the low-frequency (LF) and one for the high-frequency (HF) sections.

The termination panels located at the back of the loudspeakers must be set according to the desired wiring mode, as shown on the figures below. The termination panels are factory set for normal wiring operation, as shown on Fig.1. In this mode the LF and HF banana sockets are connected together by two gold-plated links, allowing a single twin core cable to drive the loudspeaker. For bi-wiring operation, loosen the banana sockets (turn knob anti-clockwise) and remove the two gold-plated links ; then connect each twin core cable to one pair of red / black terminals of the speaker (one is marked LF and the other HF), as shown on Fig. 2. At the other end (amplifier) the two cables are connected together, positive to positive, negative to negative.

Figure 1. Normal wiring

Figure 2. Bi-wiring

When connecting the speakers it is essential that consistent polarity is observed. The red terminal(s) on the loudspeaker must be connected to the red or positive terminal(s) on the power amplifier, and the black terminal(s) on the loudspeaker must be connected to the black, negative or ground terminal(s) of the power amplifier.

When operating the loudspeakers in normal wiring mode, it is important that the two gold-plated links are properly tightened to ensure a perfect electrical connection between LF and HF terminals.

The types of cable used to connect the speakers to the power amplifier will marginally affect the sound. The cross-sectional area of the cable should be large enough so as not to affect the damping factor, and generally a cable with a crosssectional area of 2.5 mm² or greater is recommended.

Before connecting the amplifier and the monitors, it is advisable to ensure that there is no signal present either by turning amplifiers gain down or by lowering the output faders.

Power amplifiers.

The power amplifier should be reasonably well matched in power to the rating of the speakers. A recommended range of power can be found in the specifications (at the end of this manual). The use of a powerful amplifier (i.e. the higher figure of the specified power range) provides headroom which is useful especially for highly dynamic programme materials.

Because of the high peak power handling of the Tannoy monitors, responsible use of even more powerful amplifiers should not represent a danger for the speakers if the amplifiers are not overdriven.

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION AND PHILOSOPHY

A loudspeaker design naturally divides into various parts: cabinet, drive unit(s) and crossover. The design of these parts cannot take place in isolation as they are all interdependent.

Drive unit.

The drive unit used in the System 1000 monitors is part of the latest generation of Dual Concentric units designed by Tannoy. Among many others features, this range of drivers incorporate a dual magnet assembly, ‘tulip’ HF waveguide and injection moulded polypropylene LF cone.

The design of the HF waveguide has been arrived at by making extensive use of CAD (computer aided design). It matches the acoustic source impedance at the HF diaphragm into the acoustic environment, shaping the wavefront as it travels down from the diaphragm ensuring equal path lengths to achieve a spherical wavefront. Wavefront shaping begins at the diaphragm surface and, because the compression ratio can be kept relatively low with this design, the distortions due to air nonlinearities are minimised. A hyperbolic flare has been chosen for optimum low frequency performance at the crossover point.

The HF diaphragm is made from aluminium and magnesium alloy, with optimised shape and thickness providing rigid piston behaviour up to 25 kHz. The diaphragm assembly is suspended by a precision moulded, inert nitrile rubber surround. Its very narrow roll eliminates resonances below 25 kHz and provides a very stable and consistent mounting. The roll form ensures high excursions can take place if necessary yet provides a fatigue-indestructible assembly.

The HF voice coil assembly incorporates a high temperature copper wire chemically bonded onto a kapton former fitting onto the outside of the HF diaphragm skirt. The thermal power handling of the voice coil is greatly increased thanks to its ferrofluid filled magnetic gap.

Physically, the whole HF assembly self centre mounts onto the back of the low frequency assembly using three screws carrying with it the self-centring HF diaphragm. Production and field service is therefore virtually foolproof and extremely consistent.

The LF unit uses a CNC precision injection moulded polypropylene cone, terminated by a nitrile rubber, high-compliance surround. The characteristic cone termination impedance is matched by the surround material independently of the required suspension compliance. The unit system compliance is provided by the rear suspension where the best degree of mechanical control can be provided.