Tannoy TURNBERRY GR, STIRLING GR, CANTERBURY GR User Manual

Owner’s Manual

CONTENTS

5	The Prestige Dual Concentric™	32	Loudspeaker System Adjustment
	Gold Reference	34	Tannoy Dual Concentric Drive Unit
6	Tannoy - A Short History	35	Running In
8	Over 80 Years of Audio Innovation	36	The High Frequency Section
18	Unpacking Instructions	37	The Low Frequency Section
20	Initial Positioning	38	The Magnetic Circuit
22	Cable Choice	39	Alcomax Magnet
23	Amplifier Choice	40	The Crossover Network
24	Connection in Single Wire Mode	41	Care of the Cabinet
26	Connection in Bi-Wire Mode	42	Tannoy Quality
28	Bi - Amp Mode	43	Fault Finding
30	Connection of Earth or ‘Ground’ Lead	44	Warranty
31	Grille Removal	46	Technical Specifications

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THE PRESTIGE DUAL CONCENTRIC™ GOLD REFERENCE

Thank you for investing in high performance loudspeakers incorporating Tannoy’s world renowned Dual Concentric driver technology. First developed and patented by Tannoy’s Chief Engineer, Ronnie H Rackham in 1947, the 15” Monitor Black offered class leading performance from a true full bandwidth point source transducer. As the most accurate loudspeaker available, initial usage was as a calibration instrument for microphones, before finding favour as monitors in the most famous recording studios in the world, and with major radio and television broadcasters. This heritage has underpinned Tannoy’s global success in audiophile and professional loudspeakers for over 65 years.

Over this period of time, evolution and development of the Dual Concentric concept has seen the technology continue as the preferred choice of audiophiles, recording engineers and musiciansaroundtheworld. This has beenasa result of implementing new materials and developing

bespoke manufacturing processes. While today, the designs benefit from advanced computer aided design and software modelling, we have not lost sight of the traditional values that form the most musically rewarding loudspeakers available.

Building on the strengths of the drivers launched in 2006 as part of the Prestige SE series, the Gold Reference DC drivers benefit from technologies developed from Tannoy’s Kingdom Royal flagship speakerproject.TheseincludenewHFcompression driver assemblies with Mylar™ roll surrounds and new cone materials which blend traditional paper pulp fibres with advanced synthetic microstrands to give a dynamic bass performance with a low colouration midrange. Along with a number of other revisions across the series, the Gold Reference Dual Concentric drivers and the Prestige GR loudspeakers represent Tannoy’s most refined and accomplished loudspeakers to date, while remaining faithful to the original design principles.

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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 dissimilar 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 began to diversify and 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 terms of 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 forefront of the communications revolution, developing its own equipment and production technology. The company built a wealth of knowledge and experience, which has proved invaluable in the development of loudspeakers for a truly wide range of applications.

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.

Tannoy is now part of the TC Group, whose goal is to design, produce and distribute the best engineered, most recognised and respected brands of audio products in the world.

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OVER 80 YEARS OF AUDIO INNOVATION

Tannoy has been involved with audio related manufacturing in the UK for more than 80 years. The company’s core business is, and always has been, loudspeaker design and manufacturing. For nearly 40 years, the hub of this activity has been in Scotland where the company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility are located.

Few companies’ products have such a profound impact on our lives that their names enter the dictionary as generic descriptions for their inventions. The word Tannoy is synonymous with sound, recognised not only as a proprietary Brand name in the Oxford English Dictionary but also defined as a word that is commonly used within the English language: v. trans., to call (someone) by public address system.

Audio related manufacturing commenced at Tannoy in the late 1920’s at a time when other landmark industry events were beginning to

take place. This era saw the first commercial electrical recording by HMV and, soon after that, the first release of records from The Decca Record Company. At the same time the company became interested in the world of Public Address and early in 1930 Tannoy won a contract to supply the most famous circus in Europe, Bertram Mills, with a sound reinforcement system. From that time onwards the company never looked back.

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		Monitor Gold
Introduction of the		slightly lower se
15” Monitor Black and		smaller enclosure
12” version later with an		compression driv
Alnico magnet system, where		using an advan
uniquely the high frequency		moulding, still u
compression driver horn flare was		Along with some
continued by the shape of the bass	Introduction of	designs, the M
cone, giving previously unheard of	12in Monitor Silver -	enclosures, Lancast
low colouration levels.	the first Canterbury enclosure.	some of the most f
1947	1955	19

1953	1958
Upgraded to Monitor Silver,	Introduction of Monitor Red in 15”
with more open chassis and separate	and 12” variants, with a 10” model
crossover, initially in the famous	appearing three years later. The ‘Red’
compound horn Autograph cabinet	offered improved power handling
and later corner GRF.	over the silver and were used in the
	famous Monitor Red cabinets.

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series, with
nsitivity to suit
s and with new
er rear chamber
ced thermoset	Pioneering use of Anisotropic
sed to this day.	Barium Ferrite (ABF) magnets to	Westminster Royal sees a return
of the existing	replace Alnico on the Mk. 2 HPD’s	to Alnico magnets, and a larger
onitor Gold	bringing, amongst others, the	high rigidity birch ply cabinet.
er and IIILZ were	imposing Buckingham and Windsor	Canterbury 12 and 15 follow a
amous enclosures.	monitors.	year later.
67	1978	1987

1974	1982	199
High Performance Dual (HPD)	First Prestige range, featuring	Tulip Waveguide (
series introduced, with a foam	Westminster, GRF Memory, Stirling	series introduces,
low frequency surround, and	and Edinburgh, was set to conquer	Edinburgh, GRFM a
strengthening ribs on the rear of the	the Japanese audiophile market.	using ferrite ma
cone, a feature still used on our		Westminster Royal
new 15” Prestige drivers.		models continued
		magne

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Kingdom flagship introduced, with
18” bass driver, 12” SuperDualTM	ST100 and ST200 SuperTweeters
and 1” SuperTweeterTM.	introduced, to complement wide
Smaller 15” bass/ 12” Dual version	bandwith sources such as	Sandringham, Kensin
a year later, and 12” bass combined	SACD, and enhance the	Yorkminster HE models
with 10” Dual model in 2000.	Prestige listening experience.	8, 10 and 12” drivers re
1997	2000	2003

2	1998/9	2001
TW) Prestige	HE (Hard Edge) versions of the	Return of the famous Autograph
with Stirling,	Prestige Dual Concentric driver	(with HE cone surround).
nd Westminster,	featuring twin-roll fabric surround.	Produced as a special limited
gnets. The		edition for selected markets.
and Canterbury
to use Alnico
ts.

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gton and added, with spectively.

	GR (Gold Reference) Prestige models
	introduced. Westminster Royal, Canterbury
	and Kensington feature technology
Prestige upgraded to SE	pioneered with the Kingdom Royal, such
(Special Edition) status, featuring	as optimally terminated Mylar compression
Westminster Royal, Canterbury,	driver surrounds and cryogenic crossover,
Yorkminster Royal, Kensington, Turnberry	while Turnberry and Stirling models feature
and Stirling. Featuring PCOCCTM and a	new computer optimised crossovers, backed
carefully chosen selection of audiophile	up by extensive listening tests. All models
components, to deliver optimal tonality	display an unsurpassed quality of cabinet
and transparency.	work and trim detail.

2006/7 2013

2005	2010
Autograph Mini, with 4” cone	Kingdom Royal flagship
introduced, the smallest Dual	loudspeaker launched, with 15”
Concentric ever but with a	bass, 12” Dual and 1” magnesium
surprisingly large presentation.	SuperTweeter, building upon the
	SE cable and crossover component
	philosophy, but enhanced with
	cryogenic treatment.

6481 0637/210813

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