OWNER’S MANUAL |
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Estd. |
1926 |
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In combining the best of traditional crafts and the latest production and design skills Tannoy presents the Westminster Royal SE |
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loudspeaker. The Westminster Royal SE embodies the Tannoy philosophy. Cabinets in selected hardwoods are hand finished and |
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polished to a standard that is unsurpassed. |
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The Westminster Royal SE offers a compound horn loaded enclosure driven |
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by classic Dual Concentric™ technology. Based around the Alcomax 3 version |
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of the famous 15 inch Tannoy Dual Concentric™ the Westminster Royal SE |
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now features the benefits of signal handling by gold-plated terminals with |
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bi-wire/normal wiring and a hard wired time compensated crossover network. |
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This Alcomax 3 magnet system endows the Dual Concentric™ with an |
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exceptional transient response and increased sensitivity. The massive cabinet |
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design conceals a complex horn loading system that gives greatly increased |
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efficiency and a wavefront area approaching the wavefront area from |
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real instruments. |
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The Westminster Royal SE is effortlessly capable of the realistic reproduction of truly low frequencies and the widest dynamic range. |
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Acrolink 99.9999% (6N) high purity copper wiring is used throughout, together with specially selected crossover components, including |
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Hovland capacitors. High frequency energy can be tailored through high current gold-plated switch blocks with controls for both |
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treble energy and roll off. |
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The specially designed twin-roll impregnated fabric surround used on the drive unit's cone, ensures midrange purity combined with |
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tight, controlled bass. |
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Tannoy - A Short History |
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In the early days of broadcasting radio sets needed both low and high voltage DC power that had to be supplied by batteries. |
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The lead acid batteries used in the radio sets of the time needed regular recharging. |
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In London, in 1926, Guy R. Fountain perfected a new type of electrical rectifier with the aim of designing a charger more suitable for |
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use in the house. His rectifier consisted of two dissimilar metals held in a special electrolyte solution. One metal was Tantalum and |
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the other an alloy of Lead. So successful was this invention that Guy Fountain founded a British Company called Tannoy (a contraction |
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of the words 'Tantalum' and 'Alloy'). Tannoy soon became internationally known and highly regarded in all aspects of sound reproduction. |
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Moving coil loudspeakers with DC energised magnets began Tannoy's continued success in the field of loudspeaker technology. |
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A discrete two-way loudspeaker system followed in 1933 and shortly after a range of microphones and loudspeakers capable of high |
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power handling. |
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Tannoy has always been at the front of the communications revolution, developing its own equipment and production technology. |
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The company built a fund of knowledge and experience, that has proved invaluable in the development of loudspeakers for a truly wide |
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range of applications. The now famous Tannoy Dual Concentric™ principle was created and developed under Guy Fountain's direction |
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around 1950. It is highly regarded by music enthusiasts, and recording and broadcast studios because of its unique properties in faithfully |
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reproducing sound to an unusually high quality standard. |
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Guy Fountain retired from the company in 1974 but the Tannoy company continues his philosophy dedicated to the accurate and |
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realistic reproduction of music for both enthusiasts and professionals around the world. |
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The Tannoy Research and Development unit has further refined the innovative Dual Concentric™ principle. Using the latest design |
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and material technologies, with sophisticated circuit techniques in crossover design, Tannoy has produced a loudspeaker system with |
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superb reproductive capabilities and exceptionally wide dynamic range. |
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Tannoy is now part of the TG Group, whose goal is to design, produce and distribute the best engineered, most recognised and respected |
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brands of high performance audio products in the world. |
Unpacking Instructions
CAUTION: This loudspeaker weighs 138 kg (304 lbs). Do not attempt to unpack single handed. Never allow the weight of the loudspeaker to be taken at any stage by the solid walnut mouldings at the top of the cabinet. Do not lift the cabinet by using the top solid walnut mouldings.
Although the solid walnut mouldings are securely tongued and grooved into the cabinet carcass, they do not have sufficient strength to withstand the full weight of the cabinet.
Two methods are recommended for unpacking. The choice depends on particular local circumstances.
METHOD 1 (5 PERSONS)
Remove the cardboard packing to reveal the loudspeaker standing on the transit pallet. Locate and remove from the carton the accessories pack. Lift the loudspeaker vertically up off the pallet by 100 mm (4”) to clear the interlocking pallet. Remove the pallet and lower the loudspeaker to the ground. The loudspeaker may then be wheeled conveniently into position.
METHOD 2 (3 PERSONS)
Remove all packing beneath the top cap to reveal the top of the loudspeaker and mark the face of the carton immediately behind the back panel of the loudspeaker. Locate and remove from the carton the accessories pack.
Replace the top packing and top cap; tape the top packing in place to prevent movement. Invert the loudspeaker by rolling over onto the back panel and rolling over again onto the top cap. Do not roll over onto the front or side panels. Remove the wooden pallet and roll the loudspeaker back again using the marked face of the carton only. Remove the outer cardboard carton and end cap to reveal the loudspeaker. The loudspeaker may then be wheeled conveniently into position.
IMPORTANT: It is essential that only the rear top edge of the cabinet is used as the hinge point in rolling the cabinet over. If any stress is placed on the front or side top edges they may be damaged.
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
Place the loudspeakers with their back panels close against a wall for best results. A starting point of 400 mm (153/4”) from the back wall is recommended. 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. Stereo image separation and depth will be improved by toeing-in the cabinets towards the listening position. The axes of the cabinets can even intersect at a point slightly in front of the listening position. 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.
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 one at the front and two 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. |
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Good quality cables and tight, well-made connections are necessary to eliminate resistive losses and maintain the correct damping of |
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the loudspeaker by the amplifier. |
Amplifier Connections Cont.
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. Amplifiers fitted with output capacitors can damage the loudspeaker under these circumstances. Also accidentally shorting the loudspeaker leads together can damage some amplifiers. Such damage is outside warranty provisions.
Bi-Wiring Theory
Loudspeakers need power signals to produce acoustic energy when reproducing music. The range of electrical currents passing down the cable from the amplifier to the loudspeaker is very wide. In decibel terms this is called the dynamic range. Modern loudspeakers are capable of resolving a dynamic range of at least 80 dB with a suitable power amplifier.
An 80dB dynamic range corresponds to voltages of between 50 Volt and 0.005 Volt at the loudspeaker terminals or equivalent currents of between 0.0006 and 6 Amp. This is a truly wide range of electrical signals to pass down one cable without some interactions causing a loss of resolution in the very small signals.
When electricity passes down a wire or cable, what does in at one end is unfortunately different from what comes out at the other. The degree of loss or modification of a signal depends on the physical characteristics of the cable and the nature of the signal. Heavy electrical currents flowing down thin conductors cause heating effects. Very high frequency signals passing along conductors or cables of certain lengths cause electromagnetic radiation effects (aerials). Electrical cables are selected for minimum loss and maximum information resolution considering the type of electrical signals they are designed to carry.
A good solution to the problem is to 'bi-wire' the loudspeakers to the amplifier. This means providing two separate sets of cables from the power amplifier to each loudspeaker and dividing the electrical signals into high current, 'slow' signals and light current, 'fast' signals. Of course, the loudspeaker must be fitted with two pairs of terminals to take the two sets of cables; your Tannoy loudspeakers are of course equipped for just this type of connection.
Bi-Wiring
Bi-wiring releases the full potential of the Tannoy Prestige loudspeakers. Two complete sets of cable are required.
Switch the amplifier off. Deal with each 'side' of the system separately. Label two of the cables Left LF and Left HF (low frequency and high frequency).
Label two of the cables Left LF and Left HF (low frequency and high frequency). Do the same for the right pair. Undo the loudspeaker terminals, remove and retain the Bi-wiring links so that the same polarity terminals are no longer joined.
It is essential to get the polarity correct. If your amplifier does not have separate output terminals for bass and treble then, at the amplifier end of the cable, connect the Left LF+ and HF+ cables together. Then wire to the amplifier Left channel positive terminal marked + (plus) or coloured red.
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Connect the Left LFand HFcables together to the amplifier negative terminal marked - (minus) or black. |
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Note the polarity marking on the cable. At the loudspeaker end connect the cables marked Left LF+ and LFto the appropriate left |
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speaker LF terminals. Connect the Left HF+ and HFto the appropriate + and - left speaker HF terminals. |
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Make the same connections with the Right LF and HF cables. Note the polarity of the cable and be sure to connect + to + and - to; |
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the LF cables to LF terminals and HF to HF. |
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For optimum performance, the earth connection on the terminal panel should be connected to the amplifier chassis earth or other |
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ground point. This screening effect can give an improvement in detail clarity, depending on the amplifier used. Optimum results are |
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achieved using a screened loudspeaker cable designed for such a system, such as the Tannoy TLC. |
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Switch on the amplifier with the volume turned down. Select a favourite source and carefully turn up the volume. Check that bass and |
treble sounds come from both speakers. If not, switch off and remake the connections. |
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