Tannoy 66 owner manual Introduction, Basics

CONTENTS	1.0: INTRODUCTION	2.5	Power Amplifiers
	2.0: THE BASICS	2.1	Unpacking and visual checks
		2.2	Preliminary recommendation
		2.3	Connecting your speakers
		2.4	Observing polarity
	3.0: INSTALLING & POSITIONING	3.1	5.1 Surround Monitoring
		3.2	Bass Ports
		3.3	Equalisation
	4.0: REVEAL 66 DIMENSIONS
	5.0: PERFORMANCE DATA
	6.0: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
	7.0: SERVICING	6.1	Cabinet finish
		6.2	Driver removal
		6.3	Crossover
		6.4	List of spare parts
	8.0: WARRANTY

9.0: DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

1.0: INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing the Tannoy Reveal 66 Monitor.

Primarily designed as a centre channel to complement the Reveal 6 monitor in a 5.1 studio set-up, it is equally suitable as a low profile stereo desktop near field monitor.

The design compatibility within the Reveal range ensures all models share the same acoustical balance and dispersion characteristics. During mixing and playback this benefit provides a very natural soundstage retaining natural voicing and ensuring that aural effects and speech localisation 'pan' from left to right and front to rear seamlessly.

The 5.1 format allows the mix engineer in the recording studio to assign audio information to one or more discrete channels of playback; providing very vivid and exacting localisation for the apparent sound sources in the listening environment.

The Reveal 66 is fully magnetically shielded, permitting use in close proximity to TV monitors without colour-fringing effects. This manual is intended to provide the user with some useful advice on how to install and use the loudspeaker, as well as more technical information about how the system is designed, and its detailed specifications. The goal being that it will help you get the best results, from this monitoring system.

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2.0: THE BASICS

The Reveal 66 is designed and built by Tannoy, a company with unrivalled experience in studio monitoring. It has an extremely detailed, dynamic sound with a wide, flat frequency response - essential ingredients for monitoring with reliable accuracy. The 25mm (1") titanium dome WideBand™ high frequency unit is seamlessly matched to two 165mm (6.5") long throw low distortion bass units by a precision low-loss crossover network.

Distortion has been reduced in this new monitor by introducing flux control rings and copper caps into the magnet system to linearise the voice coil inductance as it moves in and out of the magnetic air gap - a source of third and higher order harmonic distortion in speakers. Although frequencies higher than 20kHz are inaudible in all but a few human beings, by extending the high frequency response to 35kHz and beyond with a WideBand™ high frequency unit we can correct the phase response within the audible band up to 20kHz. Go to www.tannoy.com for our white paper on this subject.

The drive units are mounted on a massive 40mm thick baffle, curved to minimise diffraction and creating the loudspeakers distinctive styling. The drive units are fully magnetically shielded allowing the system to be used close to video monitors if required.

2.1: UNPACKING AND VISUAL CHECKS

To remove the speakers from the carton without damage open the end flaps fully and bend them right back. Turn the package upside-down on the floor and lift the carton vertically up to leave the speakers resting on their packing tray. Nothing on or in your speakers should rattle about. Inspect each speaker for signs of transit damage. In the unlikely event of this having occurred inform the carrier and the supplier. Keep all the packaging if damage has occurred, as this will show evidence of excessive handling forces. It is also a good idea to keep the carton if possible for future transportation.

2.2: PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION

Initially we would like to give a word of warning on high sound levels, which this speaker is capable of generating over sustained periods of time. Levels over 95 dB for 8 hours per day will eventually cause permanent hearing loss. Because Tannoy monitors have very low levels of time, amplitude and frequency distortion it is not always obvious that the sound level is high while working with them.

For continuous exposure we recommend the occasional use of a sound level meter capable of integrating the sound level over a period of exposure according to noise control standards. This should be used just to check that noise levels are always within safety limits.

2.3: CONNECTING YOUR SPEAKER

The types of cable used to connect the speakers to the power amplifier will marginally affect the sound. The cross-sectional area of the cable should be large enough so as not to affect the damping factor, generally a cable with a cross-sectional area of 2.5 mm2, or greater is recommended.

The lower the resistance of the cable between the amplifier and the speakers, the better the damping factor acting on the speaker. This has been covered in every audio magazine that has ever been written about speakers, so we won't beat it to death here. You don't need to buy speaker wire that costs as much as your speakers to get some benefit from wire size, select a finely stranded speaker cable, and dress the cable ends to prevent "hairs" or stray conductors from shorting across the terminals. If your amplifier will not directly accept that size of cable, you can trim down the cable size at the amplifier end. Ensure that the binding post retaining nuts are screwed down firmly without stripping or over tightening them.

2.4: OBSERVING POLARITY

You already know about connecting the positive terminal on the amplifier to the positive terminal on the speakers, and ensuring that both channels are "in phase" by checking to ensure that there's more bass with both speakers on and not less bass. Absolute polarity is a bit trickier to confirm. Absolute polarity is the maintenance of a positive pressure wave from the microphone capsule to the listening room. A kick drum, for instance, has the drum skin whacked by the foot pedal, and it pushes the air, which pushes the microphone diaphragm, which goes through the electronics and should eventually come out of the speakers as a positive pressure wave, which should have the speaker cones moving towards you, just like the drum skin. It turns out that you can't trust a conventional recorded source to test this because there is no way to confirm that absolute polarity was maintained, it can even change from track to track. This isn't a trivial thing, especially when you're using a true stereo microphone setup, or trying to accurately place things in your mix. This is something that should be rigorously checked with every microphone and every signal line in a studio, but the first step would be to use the kick drum test described above with a few microphones. If you don't believe it can make a difference, set up a little test using a mix you know and flip the polarity of both channels at the same time, while listening to the same program...imaging, vague imaging, imaging, vague imaging. Hear-Believe!

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