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Connecting your Loudspeakers
• To protect your speakers and amplifier from damage it is important to ensure that the amplifier is switched OFF prior to connecting
or disconnecting any cabling.
• Correct polarity of the cable connections between the amplifier and speakers is essential.
• The positive (plus) terminal on the amplifier left channel (marked + or coloured red) must be connected to the positive (red) terminal
on the left speaker. The left speaker is the one on the left as you look at the stereo pair from your listening position.
• The negative (minus) terminal on the amplifier left channel (marked - or coloured black) must be connected to the negative (black)
terminal on the left speaker.
• Repeat this connection process for the right speaker. Remember that the positive (+ or red) on the amplifier must be connected to
the positive (+ or red) on the speaker and the negative (- or black) to negative.
• Select a signal source, such as a CD player; switch on the amplifier and slowly turn up the volume control to check that both
loudspeakers are operational.
Grille Removal
Special acoustically transparent cloth is used in the grilles. However, for ultimate fidelity the enthusiast will find it is best to use these
loudspeakers with their grilles removed during listening.
The front grille is held in place by concealed magnets, and may be removed by gently prising away from the cabinet.
Screening
Loudspeaker drive units contain large magnets. These are capable of generating a substantial magnetic field extending a considerable
distance beyond the sidewalls of the speaker enclosure. This field can cause picture distortion if the speakers are placed too close to
the TV. However, to avoid these colour fringing effects, the Autograph Mini is fully shielded.
Running in
Like all loudspeakers, the drive unit in your Tannoy Autograph Mini requires a while to reach optimum performance, as the stresses in
the materials relax - especially in the suspension system. For this reason, it is beneficial to run the system at fairly high levels at normal
room temperature, for approximately 20 hours to achieve best results.
Tannoy Dual Concentric
One of the unique advantages of the Tannoy Dual Concentric™ principle is that the low and high frequency sound radiation is generated
on the same axis. The high frequency unit is mounted behind, and concentrically with, the low frequency unit. High frequency sound
radiates from the centre of the low frequency unit through a carefully designed high frequency exponential horn. Low and high
frequencies are therefore fully integrated at source. It is this feature that gives the Dual Concentric™ driver such unique sound
reproduction qualities.
There are other significant benefits. The high frequency unit does not obstruct the low frequency unit in any way (a unique feature
when compared with other so called coaxial systems). Polar dispersion of sound is symmetrical in both horizontal and vertical planes.
By careful crossover network design the virtual acoustic sources of the high and low frequency units can be made to occupy the same
point on the axis. Therefore the total sound appears to emanate from a single point source located slightly behind the drive unit.
This means that the loudspeakers, when fed from a high quality stereo source, can recreate a full and accurate stereo image.
The Low Frequency Section
The low frequency section of the Dual Concentric™ driver has exceptional power handling and dynamic range. The low frequency
cone piston is produced from selected multi-fibre paper pulp. This is specially treated to absorb internal resonance modes.
The rubber surround is designed to correctly terminate the moving cone and provide optimum compliance and linearity at large
excursions. The cone piston is driven by a high power motor system consisting of a two layer copper clad aluminium coil suspended
in a precision magnetic air gap. The coil is wound with a special high temperature adhesive system and individually cured to ensure
reliable operation at high peak power inputs. The shape of the low frequency cone is arranged to provide optimum dispersion of audio
frequencies at both the high and low ends of the spectrum. The cone flare continues the high frequency horn profile to ensure a smooth
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transition at the crossover point.
Drive Unit
™
The WideBand
High Frequency Section
™
The high frequency driver consists of a wide dynamic range compression unit giving superb transient performance with a smooth uncoloured
response. The compression unit feeds acoustic power through a phase compensating device or waveguide to the throat of the acoustic horn.
This horn provides an acoustic impedance transformation to match the compression unit radiation into the listening environment.
A titanium diaphragm, formed by a specially developed process, produces a piston with a very high stiffness to mass ratio. Optimum molecular
grain structure gives long-term durability. A very low mass precision two layer copper coil provides the driving force for the diaphragm,
energized by a neodymium magnet system. A rear damped acoustic cavity controls the compression driver response and ensures further correct
acoustic impedance matching to the horn throat.
The compression horn driver incorporates Tannoy WideBand™ technology. The undisputed benefits of extended high frequency performance
have been recognised by audio enthusiasts and recording professionals worldwide. This extends the frequency response to 54kHz, delivering
breath-taking dynamics, detail and sound staging.
The 19mm 25 micron titanium dome in this SuperTweeter™, a key component of the wide bandwidth system, not only allows supremely
accurate fine detail resolution of high frequencies but also effectively enhances the listening experience throughout the entire frequency range.
WideBand™ technology reduces phase error and significantly improves transient performance below 20kHz. This leads to increased tonal
accuracy throughout the whole frequency range, even bass information is faster and tighter, effectively enhancing the total listening experience.
Music, speech and soundtrack effects have an increased immediacy, airiness and impact, providing a performance that sounds more natural
and true to life.
The Crossover Network
During the design of the crossover network the acoustic, mechanical and electrical interactions of the high and low frequency sections
have been fully analysed. The crossover is therefore an integral part of the design of the system. The crossover network provides complex
equalisation in both amplitude and phase for each section and fully integrates the response at the crossover point.
All components are high precision, low-loss and thermally stable. Quality, specially vibration damped DMTtm polypropylene capacitors
are used for the high frequency feed. Air-cored and large laminated iron core inductors avoid saturation effects. The components are
laid out to minimise inter component coupling and are placed well away from the driver magnetic field. Top quality silver-plated van
den Hul wiring is used in the low frequency section, and solid core 99.99% purity PTFE insulated silver wire for the high frequencies.
The complementary design of crossover and drive units means that the loudspeaker system as a whole behaves as a minimum phase
system over the audio band and therefore the acoustic sources of the high and low frequency sections are aligned in time and space to
ensure accurate reproduction of stereo images.
A Note on Auditory Perception
Our hearing mechanism locates natural sound sources with great accuracy by using the naturally occurring phase differences (or arrival
times) at middle frequencies, and intensity differences at higher frequencies, between each of our ears. Naturally occurring sounds pass
through the air to the ears at constant speed (345 metres/second or 1132 feet/second). All frequencies travel at the same speed and
therefore a frequency independent time delay is associated with the distances involved. (The familiar time delay between a flash of
lightning and the associated clap of thunder is an example). Human hearing relies on the constant nature of the time delay with the
intensity to locate natural sounds accurately. A pair of Autograph Mini loudspeakers can uniquely reconstruct stereo images and provide
excellent localisation of recorded sounds. The Tannoy Dual Concentric™ driver principle ensures that the source of sound at high
frequencies is one the same axis as the source of sound at low frequencies.
The careful design of crossover network complements the drive unit to provide a coincident sound source at frequencies where the
human ear derives phase information for localisation. The loudspeaker system exhibits a time delay response that is in essence independent
of reproduced frequencies. In addition, the amplitude (or intensity) response is linear, smooth and consistent. This provides the correct
intensity information to recreate the original sound stage.
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