Introduction; The Basics; Unpacking And Visual Checks; Preliminary Recommendation - Tannoy Reveal Active User Manual

1.0 INTRODUCTION

You're thinking, "Come on, a user's manual for speakers? That's like a user's manual for a
toothbrush." You know you should hook them up in phase and then you listen to them. How much
more do you need to know? We know these speakers are headed for the professional or semi-
professional studio market, so we know we don't need to tell you about putting your potted plants
on top of the speakers, or to avoid putting the right one on the bookshelf, and the left one on the
floor behind the sofa. We know you are serious listeners or you wouldn't have bought Tannoy
monitors. We decided that someone needed to produce this type of manual, and because we're
actually interested in monitoring, not just speaker sales, we figured it would have to be us. This
user's manual will tell you how to get the absolute best performance out of your new monitors.

2.0 THE BASICS

The Reveal Active is the latest active playback monitor from Tannoy, a company with unrivalled
experience in studio monitoring. It has an extremely detailed, dynamic sound with a wide, flat
frequency response – all of which are essential for monitoring with reliable accuracy.
The 25mm (1") soft dome HF unit is seamlessly matched to a 165mm (6.5") long throw bass unit.
The drive units are mounted on a massive 40mm thick baffle, curved to minimise diffraction and
creating the loudspeakers distinctive styling. Both drive units are magnetically shielded to allow
the system to be used close to video monitors.
Don't put potted plants on top of your speakers, or solder your signal leads out of phase. Now
that we've got that out of the way, let's talk about some of the technical things to keep in mind.

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 (remember they are packed in pairs). 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 these speakers are
capable of generating over sustained periods of time. Levels over 95 dB for 8 hours per day can
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.