VERSATILE, AFFORDABLE STUDIO MONITORS
There were a lot of good things about these monitors like the highs and mids, the technology is cool and they look awesome too. On the other hand, it was not all candy and roses, as the bass was heavy and blurred.
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Checking The Tannoy 800a Studio Monitors
These studio monitors are good as reproducing sounds on an average scale but when it comes to serious studio work these are just not going to cut it for many of you.
The Tannoy system 800a near field monitoring speaker is a worthy contender in the already crowded field of mid priced near field home studio monitoring speakers. Tannoy has long employed the dual concentric drive unit in all of their professional audio gear, and the system 800a is no exception. This driver solution is beneficial because all of the frequencies are effectively generated within the same space; although the actual utility of this design has long been up for debate it at least looks and sounds good.
The design of the Tannoy system 800a is sturdy, and solid; measuring in at 18 inches the 800a is rather large for near field monitoring speakers, however not large enough to cause problems. The speakers come padded with high density polyurethane to dampen internal reverberations, and shielded on several sides to protect from EM interference. A cautionary note: not all sides have the same level of EM protection, so be extra careful when placing the speakers.
The sound quality of the speakers was commendable. I found all ranges to be accurately represented and sharp. I have to say though that when it came to bass performance, the half space mode offered significant performance increases over the full space mode, even when oriented in a full space configuration. The high-pass filter Tannoy uses with free space mode made the bass seem unnaturally heavy and blurred. When it came to reproducing the tones of a human voice (both vocal and spoken), I found the Tannoy to be slightly warm, though not overly so- I, myself, prefer this quality.
The Tannoy is competent at reproducing a wide dynamic range, especially for its price, but tends to distort the sound as the limits are reached. This is an acceptable limitation so long as you are a competent audio engineer and know your speaker’s limits. For its price, the Tannoy 800a offers a great compromise between functionality, aesthetics, and price point.
Technical Info:
Driver: Eight-Inch Dual Concentric Type 2046
Magnet: Dual Magnet Assembly
Crossover Frequency: 1600Hz
Freq. Response: 44 Hz – 20 Khz
Built-In Amplifier Power: RMSHF 90W + LF 90W
Input Sensitivity: 10dbu Or +4dbu
Input Impedance: 10kohm Balanced
Dispersion: 90 Degrees Conical
Size (Hxwxd): 275 X 450 X 290 Mm
Weight: 13 Kg (28.6 lbs)
MSRP: $1895
See the Amazon page for TANNOY 800A STUDIO MONITORS Review here