Tannoy Revolution XT 6F, Wharfedale Jade 5, or: how small are 6" ?

[toneriderMUC]

I am currently trying to decide between Tannoy Revolution XT 8F, the smaller Tannoy Revolution XT 6F and also the Wharfedale Jade 5. From everything I have read the XT8F is the overall more coherent speaker while it also has substantial bass. As my listening room with 18 square meters is on the smaller side I am afraid the bigger XT8F might drown it in bass.

Why dont I just take the smaller XT6F or Jade 5 instead? And if so, which one of them?

Well, it comes down to habits and assumptions. I have been using Yamaha NS 690 II for ten years in the past and then switched to JBL L112. Both speakers have 12 inch woofers. The Yamaha plays so controlled and dry, bass has never been a problem in my room. The L112 has a much thicker bass and this is sometimes on the border of too much bass in my listening room.
I also had vintage Tannoy Chertseys from the early eighties for a brief period. I adored them for their natural and sweet music reproduction, but their bass was excessiv and they drowned the room it. Their highs also felt rolled off.

I am now hoping that a modern Tannoy still gives me the natural and sweet reproduction while offering a more neutral spectrum as a whole. The reviews are glowing and seem to hint at that qualities.

So now to the decision XT8F vs XT6F. I am used to listen to speakers with 12 inch woofers. They feel grown up to me, they deliver a presentation and realism I usually miss from smaller (vintage) speakers.

So a XT6F with just 6 inch drivers feels.. TINY to me. Can they create the musical feel a speaker with bigger woofers can create? Is it in the end more than physics?

Then even the XT8F with its 8 inch driver feels still modest to me. I just cant imagine the bass being excessive, just as it was on the vintage 12 inch dual concentric and also the JBL.
Or is there more to the comparison than just woofer size?

I also read that plugging foam in the bass outlets on the bottom of the XT8F helps. Has anyone tried that?

I have always used vintage speakers so far - these modern floorstanders are completely unknown territory for me

Looking forward to your opinions!

 

[lokerola]

I am currently trying to decide between Tannoy Revolution XT 8F, the smaller Tannoy Revolution XT 6F and also the Wharfedale Jade 5. From everything I have read the XT8F is the overall more coherent speaker while it also has substantial bass. As my listening room with 18 square meters is on the smaller side I am afraid the bigger XT8F might drown it in bass.

Why dont I just take the smaller XT6F or Jade 5 instead? And if so, which one of them?

Well, it comes down to habits and assumptions. I have been using Yamaha NS 690 II for ten years in the past and then switched to JBL L112. Both speakers have 12 inch woofers. The Yamaha plays so controlled and dry, bass has never been a problem in my room. The L112 has a much thicker bass and this is sometimes on the border of too much bass in my listening room.
I also had vintage Tannoy Chertseys from the early eighties for a brief period. I adored them for their natural and sweet music reproduction, but their bass was excessiv and they drowned the room it. Their highs also felt rolled off.

I am now hoping that a modern Tannoy still gives me the natural and sweet reproduction while offering a more neutral spectrum as a whole. The reviews are glowing and seem to hint at that qualities.

So now to the decision XT8F vs XT6F. I am used to listen to speakers with 12 inch woofers. They feel grown up to me, they deliver a presentation and realism I usually miss from smaller (vintage) speakers.

So a XT6F with just 6 inch drivers feels.. TINY to me. Can they create the musical feel a speaker with bigger woofers can create? Is it in the end more than physics?

Then even the XT8F with its 8 inch driver feels still modest to me. I just cant imagine the bass being excessive, just as it was on the vintage 12 inch dual concentric and also the JBL.
Or is there more to the comparison than just woofer size?

I also read that plugging foam in the bass outlets on the bottom of the XT8F helps. Has anyone tried that?

I have always used vintage speakers so far - these modern floorstanders are completely unknown territory for me

Looking forward to your opinions!

Did you ever pick up the 6f's or 8f's? I'd love to hear a review of the newer Tannoy floorstanders.

 

[toneriderMUC]

Did you ever pick up the 6f's or 8f's? I'd love to hear a review of the newer Tannoy floorstanders.

Yes I did, I got the XT 6F! And I was disappointed. They sounded very coherent, but a bit artificial. Bass, as I feared, cannot be compared to bigger woofer. No comparison at all. While a Yamaha NS 690 renders full bass notes in all their definition and details, bass on the floorstander XT 6F is merely a "thump" through the bottom outlet.
While highs and mids were really nice on the Tannoys, my Yamahas are also better in that regard; they have better clarity and realism, the Tannoys sounded a bit artificial and veiled in comparison.

I also sold the JBL L112 now, because while comparing all this I realized that the Yamahas are also better. I will now try to get a nice pair of NS 1000M and call it day. With tube amplification, there is likely nothing new that I could remotely afford that would actually better them. Yamaha did a really amazing job with the NS 690/1000 line back then.

 

[toneriderMUC]

Nonsense. It is the price point you are looking at. The Monitor Audio Silver and Gold lines use smaller drivers but sound cohesive and very balanced. All of the new Tannoys I have heard sounded very meh.

The Jades are very cohesive also.

Yea, maybe the Tannoys were just not my cup of tea. Its just the old Yamahas were so much better that it left me stunned.
Pair Tannoy XT6F is 1400€ in Germany.
For my NS 690 II i payed 250€. A pair of NS 1000M will be available for ~1000€. This is the point where my conclusion comes from.

And.. dont call it nonsense. Its what I heard. I expected a new 1400€ speaker to outperform a 35 year old design; i dont think that that was an unrealistic expectation.

 

[lokerola]

Yes I did, I got the XT 6F! And I was disappointed. They sounded very coherent, but a bit artificial. Bass, as I feared, cannot be compared to bigger woofer. No comparison at all. While a Yamaha NS 690 renders full bass notes in all their definition and details, bass on the floorstander XT 6F is merely a "thump" through the bottom outlet.
While highs and mids were really nice on the Tannoys, my Yamahas are also better in that regard; they have better clarity and realism, the Tannoys sounded a bit artificial and veiled in comparison.

I also sold the JBL L112 now, because while comparing all this I realized that the Yamahas are also better. I will now try to get a nice pair of NS 1000M and call it day. With tube amplification, there is likely nothing new that I could remotely afford that would actually better them. Yamaha did a really amazing job with the NS 690/1000 line back then.

Very interesting. I was surprised to hear that - but that’s why I asked. Thanks for the good feedback on the Tannoys.

I don’t think I will buy another pair of speakers without auditioning them first. I read so many “pro” reviews that say they’re great, etc. But then they don’t live up to expectations. Marketing has to sell stuff, so I guess that’s where they’re coming from.

Anyway, good luck on your search for the 1000’s.

 

[lokerola]

Many reviews, like Stereophike, etc are no longer reviews, they are glorified advertisements.This is due to how they make there money, advertising and many will only review if they get it free or at cost. Gone are the days of magazines being voices of reason. I look to the independent bloggers for info now.

Seems to be true of most magazines these days. I call them "magalogs". They are catalogs dressed up as magazines. Cars, bicycles, etc. all geared to sell you stuff.

 

[slimecity]

One of the best speakers I have heard were the 10" versions of the Tannoy revolution - that was a few years ago though.

But another of my fave speakers were the Yammy NS-670. I think in reality, you will find these hard to beat with many modern in an affordable price-range.

I suspect I would have the same issue with my KEF 104.2's.