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Conclusion. The DC10As are beautifully crafted. Their heart is a unique driver manufactured the same way it was forty years ago except for today's modern tools. I see their role this way. If someone lusted after classic large old-fashioned Tannoys but demanded modern cosmetics, the clear choice would be the DC10A. As such the speakers under review are different from almost anything else we'd hear in a usual audio salon. They combine opposites which individually would be disadvantages but turn them into strengths. The use of a coaxial driver system provides ultimate flexibility in showing spatial relations within a cluster of instruments. Such well-rendered decays are very rare.
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The range that first draws our attention is the midrange not because treble or bass lack but because they complete the center so well as to create a new quality. A small speaker has no chance to compete here. Transients are strong but tone remains silky. On the debit ledger, the DC10A at some point homogenizes timbres; and the tonal balance is slightly upshifted which requires careful positioning. To exploit their full potential I'd pair a tube amp in the Italian style of Pathos or a solid-state one like the Ayre AX-5. The tube choice will provide deeper softer colors, the transistors better definition. The speakers are best suited for Jazz, electronica and rock recorded in the 1970s; and vocal recordings. Well positioned and properly driven, they become a beautiful complement to the living room, living legends in a contemporary edition.
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Design. Tannoy is primarily known for its dual concentric drive system. It consists of two transducers, a mid/woofer at whose center is placed a metal horn with a large compression tweeter at its hidden end. The DC10A employs driver diameters of respectively 10 inches (205mm) and 2 inches (51mm). The big unit is new and driven from Alcomax 3 Alnico magnets. Its 2" voice coil diameter mirrors that of the entire tweeter. The speaker is a vented cabinet with two large ports in the rear. The drivers couple through a 2nd-order network mounted to the internal vertical brace. All of its components like polypropylene capacitors and PCOCC copper cables are deep cryo'd to reduce material stress and lower the transition resistance between copper crystals.
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The DC10A is a very large design. Its cabinet shape is quite elaborate – front and back baffles are flat but the latter narrower to be met by parabolically curved side walls. The cabinet is made of Ply-based laminates referred to as DMT or different material technology covered in high-quality natural veneers finished in high-gloss lacquers. These are prestigious speakers with high-quality parts extending to the plinth of two thick heavy aluminium braces attached to the cabinet bottom for better stability and rigidity. Thick and long floor spikes insert into threaded holes which are tightened with locking wheels. Small steel cups are provided to protect your flooring. The plinths and accompanying accessories are packed into large boxes together with a hex key. The cabinet is engineered with a sealed mass-loading cavity in its lower section to add lead shot or sand. This alters mechanical properties and affects the bass character.
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Staring down the horn's throat.
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The icing on the cake are excellent WBT-0708 binding posts from their Next-Gen series sporting a minimum amount of metal. There are five binding posts which are very comfortable to tighten. Years ago Tannoy developed its own odd-numbered terminal system in which the odd post connects internally to their driver basket to get externally grounded. Tannoy measurements indicate reduced noise from it because the driver baskets act as Faraday cages shielding the drive systems. Ideally such arrangements would use shielded speaker cables too. This is an advanced very well made design with a unique driver system.
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Specifications according to the manufacturer:
Recommended amplifier power: 30–300Wrms
Continuous power handling: 150W
Peak power handling: 600W
Sensitivity 2.83 V/1m: 93 dB
Nominal impedance: 8Ω
Frequency response (-6dB): 28Hz – 22kHz
Dispersion: 90°
Crossover frequency: 1.1Hz
Crossover type: 2nd order LF, 2nd order compensated HF, deep cryo treated
Cabinet volume: 103 liters (3.64 cu. ft.)
Dimensions (HxWxD): 1135 x 345 x 438mm
Weight (each): 42.7kg (94.1 bs)
Finish: High gloss black, high gloss cherry, high gloss dark walnut |
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opinia @highfidelity.pl
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