Help with measurements for Tannoy Legacy Arden speakers

[ThELiZ]

Hi all.

I'm hoping someone far better at interpreting measurements can help me out here.

I'm currently deciding between 2 speakers, Tannoy Legacy Arden and JBL 4349. We have the review from amir for the 4349, which while showing some flaws in the measurements, seems to of impressed in subjective listening. Personally, without wanting to delve too deep into subjective vs objective, I like to meet somewhere in the middle with speaker measurements and listening... I've heard some very well measured speakers and some of them have bored me incredibly, while others have really impressed me (all in my room).

Sooooo... What I'm really looking for is something that doesn't seem 'too flawed' in the measurements (from an engineering point of view, I can't abide by something which seems 'broken' or poorly implemented). I LOVE the look of the Ardens (not to everyones' tastes, I know). For me, I have to enjoy the look of my gear as well as the sound. I cannot have one without the other.

I like the look of the 4349s (not in love, but prefer to any narrow modern looking speaker). I've never tried a JBL horn speaker. I have a feeling I'll like the way it projects the sound.

I do not like bright sounding speakers. I've heard some say the JBL can be fatiguing. This is my main worry. Could someone please help out and tell me by looking at the measurements how the 2 speakers may differ from one another?

The best set of measurements I've seen are from an Italian magazine: https://www.h-fidelity.com/NewsFiles/Tannoy_Arden_AudioReview.pdf

I know they aren't up to the standards on here, but can anyone see any significant flaws? From my untrained eyes, I can see that the treble is much better behaved on the JBL. Apart from that, I get a bit lost.

Thanks for any help.

 

[ThELiZ]

Anyone with some input before I go rogue and just order 'blind'?

Thanks

 

[ThELiZ]

Thanks Jim. That does sound like some good advice... It can be hard sometimes to keep from just jumping in! I'll wait it out

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

Can't help with your decision, but I have just Googled a pair of your Tannoys at £4000 in the Uk.
When my mate had Tannoys in the eighties, I did find them more fatiguing than my Spendors.
(Could have been the volume he insisted playing all music on!)

 

[Raff]

I can't help with the measurement. I don't know the JBL's. But (as long as you have enough space) buy the Ardens.

I've had them for six months and am delighted with how they play. I happen to listen to them for 6-8 hours straight without getting bored or tired. Previously I had Klipsch Heresy 4 which I appreciated but somehow couldn't love them. After an hour of listening, the horn loaded treble starts to bother me . There was also a lack of deep bass. The Tannoy's are much better balanced, much more universal, they will play any genre of music with lightness but at the same time the sound is powerful, balanced and the soundstage is truly three-dimensional. Compared to the Klipschy the are less detailed. I've read that you can increase the detail by covering the bass reflex ports...but I don't even want to check it as they sound great. They play as they look.

 

[ThELiZ]

Can't help with your decision, but I have just Googled a pair of your Tannoys at £4000 in the Uk.
When my mate had Tannoys in the eighties, I did find them more fatiguing than my Spendors.
(Could have been the volume he insisted playing all music on!)

Thanks for that. They've been up on that website for some time and are actually no longer available.

 

[shal]

I have owned during several years, a pair of Tannoy Berkeley that have exactly the same coaxial that the Ardens.
And now I owns a pair of JBL 4430 .


So I known both world. And they are not the same world. The Tannoy is a very large and deep sound. Always sound good with any music material but can have a lacke of dynamic.
The JBL is more neutral (in comparison), more dynamic.

Both are a 15in boomer and 1inch compression.

Overall I prefers JBL.