Manufacturer's Description for Tannoy Precision 8D Active Studio Monitor
From the front:
40mm MDF sculpted baffle - stiff, heavy and rigid and minimises diffraction.
Recessed drive units flush with the baffle surface - minimises diffraction.
10 point fixing maximises contact between drive unit and baffle.
Drive unit development using Klippell analysis equipment to minimise offsets and linearise the suspension components.
Cast chassis Tannoy Dual Concentric point source constant directivity driver. Effectively two drivers properly merged into one, with the HF mounted on the back of the LF unit so that both drivers are on the same axis, As a result sound energy is propagated from the same point and delivered through the centre of the low frequency cone providing a true point source. This integrated approach provides a constant time delay over the frequency spectrum offering better transient performance and sound quality with better harmonic alignment than a displaced source monitor design. The crucial benefit at the mix position is the delivery of a more natural and cleaner sound with greatly enhanced intelligibility.
A key benefit of the Dual design is a very wide 'sweet spot' with an exceptionally even response throughout the listening area and extraordinary transient response. This phase accurate Tannoy designed drive unit has, for all these reasons, been the choice of professional studio engineers for decades.
Tannoy SuperTweeterTM extends the amplitude response beyond 20kHz audibility to 50kHz to correct the phase response from 8kHz to 20kHz within the audible band. This preserves the harmonic structure of sounds and the stability of the stereo image.
Smooth tweeter faceplate contours prevent diffraction and cavity effects.
From the side:
18mm MDF cabinet construction provides stiffness and minimises colouration.
Internal construction braces the sides and rear of the cabinet against the rear of the bass driver to provide a rigid reactive mass for the moving cone assembly. Ensures fast tight bass response and clear midrange.
Front baffle and rear panel tongued and grooved into the cabinet as a mechanical interlock for safety if wall mounted.
From the rear:
Double insulated to prevent ground loops - no safety earth required.
CSA/CE/CCC/CB full safety approvals including China.
Spare fuse in IEC mains connector.
On/Off mains isolator switch.
Substantial heat sinking for long term cool running and 24/7 reliability.
XLR and 1/4 jack Combi connector for balanced input.
Switch adjacent to XLR selects digital or analogue input.
RCA input for SPDIF with 75 Ohm terminating impedance.
2nd RCA for SPDIF output for slaving a stereo pair.
Yellow LED indicator lights up when digital lock is achieved.
3-way switch selects which channel of the SPDIF stream is decoded, marked Left/Right/Mono. Switching is post 2 channel DAC.
Trim/Gain control over +6dB/-12dB range reference 0dBV (0.775V) input for full rated output.
Trim/Gain control works on SPDIF input post DAC.
Switch selection of 12dB/8ve 80Hz hi-pass filter for use with AV subwoofers.
First bank of 10 DIP switches controls LF alignment, mid/near/close field and half/quarter/eighth space compensation.
Second bank of DIP switches controls mid band and HF shelving trim.
Note that the DIP switch flat setting is shown on the back panel artwork.
Small hole to the right of the right hand switch bank allows the factory set HF trim on test to be fine trimmed by a service agent if a tweeter needs to be replaced.
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Tannoy products.
Performance Frequency response (1) 44Hz-51kHZ
Max SPL(2) 119dB
Distortion <0.4%
Drive Unit Dispersion (@-6dB) 90 Degrees
Dual Concentric LF/MID 200mm (8) Dual Concentric constant directivity driver with multi fibre paper pulp cone
Dual Concentric HF 25mm (1) titanium dome, neodymium magnet system
SuperTweeter 25mm (1) titanium dome, neodymium magnet system
Shielded Yes
Electronic System Inputs Balanced XLR/Jack, SPDIF Phono
SPDIF sampling rate 44.1 - 96kHz
Sensitivity 775mV for 120W
Crossover frequency 2.2kHz
Amplifier output power LF - 120W, HF - 60W, ST - passive feed from HF
User Controls Front panel mounted on/standby/mute LED indicator, Rear trim +6/-12dB, 80Hz hi-pass switch (for AV use), 16way DIP switch selection for optimum response (see chart)
Outputs SPDIF RCA
Power Supply Fixed mains voltage - region specific (to order) 110/220/230v
Cabinet Type Optimised bass-reflex loaded
Construction MDF cabinet, front baffle T&G front and back
Finish Black cabinet, Grey painted baffle with brushed aluminium insert
Activ-Assist Activ-Assist PC/MAC based software-measuring system to assist with the setting of the DIP switches to reach a substantially linear and flat response at the monitoring position.
(1) +/- 3 dB , measured at 1m in an anechoic chamber. (2) Peak SPL at mix position for 1 pair driven
Sound:
I found these monitors more detailed than the Mackie HR824 during an audition at my local music store.
I also found the bass was not as generous as in the Mackie HR824s which translates to a punchier bass on other systems. I recommend listening to these beauties.
The sound comes from a single source (dual concentric design) and this is noticeable. I found the Tannoys more comofortable to listen to than the Mackies.
Low frequencies move a lot of air at high SPLs and you can hear the air flow in and out of the rear port, which is not a good thing in my view. At normal monitoring levels this is not a problem.
The mid range is fantastic, I liked the mid range of the Tannoys much more than that of the Mackies, particularly with vocals. It appeared as thought the singer were standing in front of me when I closed my eyes.
Feature:
Comes with a built-in eq so you can calibrate the monitors for your room's specific acoustics.
It also has a built-in Digital to Analogue converter @ 96kHz, which I wish was a 192 kHz one, as my audio interface can work at 192 kHz.
It would be useful if the power switch were at the front of the cabinet. There is a standby switch at the front, but it's not quite the same. Having said that, I have a main switch to turn the whole studio off so for me that's not a problem.
These monitor is rear ported, it would be nice if it were front ported so that I could place it near to a wall. The Mackie HR824 does not use ports which is an advantage as you can place the monitor anywhere.
Finally, I wish the spec sheet were as detailed as the one that comes with the Mackie HR824.
Ease of Use:
Plug and play, as usual. The EQ takes time to set up but following the user manual it's easy. Other than that, it's just a monitor.
Quality:
The cabinet is sturdy, but I find that the front, which is painted gray, can be easy to scratch and damage at the sharp 90-degree corners. In this respect the Mackie HR824 win without a doubt: the Mackies look and feel more robust. The cabinet is quite thich and sturdy, 18 mm thick (19 mm for the Mackies). The cabinet is large and heavy.
In my opinion this monitor could be better built. When you buy two products that are suppossed to look identical but they do not, something has gone wrong. I found minor cosmetic differences between the two. The sound seem to be identical on both however so I am more concerned with sound than looks in this case, and the sound seem identical from both monitors.
Value:
I think the price is right. I got a pair for £619 whic was ok.
Manufacturer Support:
Good support, the tech guys picked up the phone quickly and answered my questions. They said they'd call me back and they did not though, I guess I could call them again...
The Wow Factor:
They do look sexy and unusual due to the dual concentric design. Note one thing: the Tannoy Precision 8D is large. Read the spec in case they don't fit on your desk.
Overall:
Overall, mmm, I some times think the Mackie HR824 would have been nice to have. At the shop I did not have a chance to turn up the volume up as much as at home. It would have been great to have the two models at home and do some test during a whole week. I can only afford one pair, so this was my choice. My choice was based on the sound quality. I must say I liked everything about the Mackies except the sound, which in my opinion sounded flatter in the Tannoys. I spend a good six hours comparing the two with a variety of material.
Style of Music: Dance
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website, an email offer, your local store - and we'll send
you our lowest price offer in a matter of hours.
Simply click the Seen it for less? link
Next to the item you want, or give us a
call at 800-zZounds (800-996-8637).
A temporary customer reference number is assigned to each customer only while they are shopping on zZounds.com. If you call our customer service department for assistance, this number makes it easier for us to answer any questions you have about products, services or purchases.
