Tannoy Ellipse 10 Passive User manual

PASSIVE
OWNER’S MANUAL

INTRODUCTION
THE BASICS
2.1 Unpacking and visual checks
2.2 Preliminary recommendation
2.3 Connecting your speakers
2.4 Observing polarity
 2.5 PowerAmpliers
INSTALLING & POSITIONING
3.1 Surround Monitoring
3.2 Bass Ports
3.3 Equalisation
EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS
PERFORMANCE DATA
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
SERVICING
 7.1 Cabinetnish
7.2 Driver removal
7.3 Crossover
WARRANTY
DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

1 INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing Tannoy Ellipse Passive Monitors.
Designed and manufactured by Tannoy and incorporating new Dual Concentric™ designs these monitors are suitable
fordesk-topor5.1surroundsituationsatnearandmideldmonitoringpositions.Unlikediscretesystemswithseparate
lowfrequencyandhighfrequencydriveunitsmountedonthefrontbafetheDualConcentric™singlepointsource
properties and characteristics eliminate horizontal and vertical dead spots around the crossover region and maintain
atphaseandamplitudeperformanceacrosstheaudibleband.AWideBand™SuperTweeter™extendstheamplitude
responseoftheloudspeakertobeyond50kHzwhichresultsinanextendedtimeandphaseresponsewithinthe
audible band.
Both Ellipse 8 Passive and Ellipse 10 Passive share the same acoustic balance and dispersion characteristics, and both
typescanbeusedinasingle5.1surroundmonitoringsituation.ForexampletheEllipse10Passivecanbeusedasa
centre channel where more power is delivered and the Ellipse 8 Passive installed as effects/surround channels. During
mixingandplaybackbothmodelsprovideaveryaccuratesoundstageretainingnaturalvoicingtoensurethataural
effects and speech localisation pan from left to right and front to rear seamlessly.
TheEllipse8Passiveand10Passivearemagneticallyshielded,permittinguseincloseproximitytomoretraditional
CRT TV monitors without causing colour-fringing effects.
This manual is intended to provide you with some useful advice on how to install and use the loudspeakers, as well as
providingmoretechnicalinformationaboutsystemdesignanddetailedspecications.Thegoalistohelpyougetthe
best results possible.
2 THE BASICS
TheEllipse8Passiveand10PassivemonitorsaredesignedandmadebyTannoy,acompanywithunrivalledexperience
instudiomonitoring.Theyhaveanextremelydetailed,dynamicsoundwithawide,atfrequencyresponse-essential
requirements for monitoring with reliable accuracy.
The Dual Concentric™ drivers contain both low frequency and high frequency drive unit components aligned along the
sameaxisandpositionedtogenerateanacousticpointsource.AtitaniumdomeSuperTweeter™extendstheamplitude
responseoftheacousticradiationbeyondthelimitofhumanhearingtoabove50kHz.Extendingtheamplituderesponse
in this way corrects the time and phase response of the system within the audible band below 20kHz. A rear switch on
each monitor sets this feature on or off for comparison between WideBandTM and conventional monitoring.
The Dual Concentric™ components and the SuperTweeter™ are seamlessly matched by a precision low-loss crossover
network.Thedriveunitsaremountedonabafeofellipticalshapetominimisediffractionandcreatedistinctivestyling.
2.1 UNPACKING AND VISUAL CHECKS
The Ellipse 8 Passive and Ellipse 10 Passive are individually packed and cushioned for safe transit.To remove
thespeakersfromthecartonwithoutdamage,opentheendapsfullyandbendthemrightback.Turnthepackage
upside-downontheoorandliftthecartonverticallyupwardstoleavethespeakerrestingonthepackingtrays.
Inspect each speaker for signs of transit damage. Nothing on or in your speakers should be loose or rattle about.
In the unlikely event of damage having occurred, inform the carrier and the supplier immediately.Keep all the packaging
asthiswillshowevidenceofthedamageorexcessivehandlingforces.Itisalsoagoodideatokeepthepackagingif
possible for future transportation.
2.2 PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION
Initially we would like to give a word of warning on high sound pressure levels which these speakers are capable of
generating over sustained periods of time. Levels over 95dB sustained for 8 hours or more 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
regularuseofasoundlevelmetercapableofintegratingthesoundleveloveraperiodofexposureaccordingtonoise
control standards. This is an Leq measurement and should be used to check that sound levels are always within
safety limits.

2.3 CONNECTING YOUR SPEAKERS
Thetypesofcableusedtoconnectthespeakerstothepoweramplier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 Ellipse 8 Passive and 10 Passive terminal
panelsoffertheoptionofBi-Wiring.Bi-Wiringprovidesthefacilityforconnectingseparatefeedsfromtheampliertothe
Low Frequency and High Frequency sections of the crossover network. This method of connection can provide better
instrument separation, localisation, and imaging depth compared with conventional wiring for the cost of another set of
speaker cables. Bi-Wiring provides for separate feed and return cables for low frequencies and high frequencies, low
and high frequencies being differentiated by the crossover point of the loudspeaker system; please refer to the technical
specications.Thisreducesintermodulationeffectsathighandlowfrequencieswithinthecables.
Thelowertheresistanceofthecablebetweentheamplier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cablethatcostsasmuchasyourspeakers.Togetthemostbenet,select
anelystrandedhighpuritycopperspeakercableanddressthecableendstoprevent“hairs”orstrayconductorsfrom
shortingacrosstheterminals.Ifyouramplierterminalswillnotdirectlyacceptyourchosensizeofcable,youcantrim
downthecablesizeattheamplierend.Ensurethatthebindingpostretainingnutsonboththeloudspeakersandthe
amplierarescreweddownrmlywithoutstrippingorovertighteningthem.EllipsePassivemonitorsloudspeakersare
shipped ready for standard cable wiring with shorting bars connecting both halves of the crossover together. Keep the
shorting bars in place whilst connecting your cable if not using the Bi-Wire facility.
To Bi-Wire your loudspeakers remove the shorting bars completely from the terminals of the crossover panel. Prepare
2 sets of cables for each loudspeaker, labeling one for HF (High Frequencies) and the other for LF (Low Frequencies)
paying particular attention to the polarity of the conductors within the cable. Keep positive and negative conductors
(Red and Black) connected to the respective red and black terminals. Parallel both positive conductors and both negative
conductorstogetherforthelefthandcablesatthelefthandamplierterminals.Repeatfortherighthandloudspeaker
andconductorsattherighthandamplierterminals.
2.4 OBSERVING POLARITY
Youalreadyknowaboutconnectingthepositiveterminalontheamplier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conrmbutisneverthelessveryimportant.Absolutepolarityisthe
maintenance of a positive pressure wave from the microphone capsule all the way through to the listener. 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 generates a signal through the electronics and should eventually come out of the speakers as a positive acoustic
pressure wave. This means the speaker cones will move towards you, just like the drum skin. All Tannoy monitors have
absolute positive polarity which means that a positive going electrical input pulse to the red terminals will move the cones
towardsyou.However,youcan’ttrustaconventionalrecordedsourcetotestthisbecausethereisnowaytoconrmthat
absolute polarity was maintained throughout the recording chain; 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rst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ipthepolarityofbothmonitorchannelsatthesametime.Theimagingwill
ipfromvague(negativepolarity)tostrong(positivepolarity).Hear-Believe!
2.5 POWER AMPLIFIERS
Thepowerampliershouldbereasonablywellmatchedinpowertothepowerratingofthespeakers(seespecications).
Theuseofamorepowerfulamplier(i.e.inexcessoftherecommendedgure)providesincreasedheadroom,which
is useful especially for highly dynamic programme material. Due to the high peak power handling of Tannoy monitors,
responsibleuseofmorepowerfulampliersshouldnotrepresentadangertothespeakersaslongastheampliersare
not overdriven.

3 INSTALLING AND POSITIONING
When choosing a suitable location for the monitors, bear in mind that the physical mounting of loudspeakers and their
proximitytoroomboundariescanhavealargeinuenceonperformance.Forbestresultsthemonitorsshouldbe
mounted on a heavy rigid structure, supported on four pads making contact with the base of the loudspeaker. The use of
small pads of rubber, Sorbothane, or Blu-Tak is recommended.
Ensure that the console position does not obscure the direct sound radiation from the loudspeakers when sitting at the
mixingposition.Theengineerandproducershouldhaveaclear,uninterruptedviewofthemonitorloudspeakers.
3.1 SURROUND MONITORING
To ensure a uniform acoustical monitoring environment the room should be symmetrical about the centre or dialogue
loudspeakeraxisandanyacousticroomtreatmentsshouldbeappliedsymmetricallyoneithersideoftheroom.Mixed
“Liveend/Deadend”environmentsshouldbeavoided.Iftheeffectsorsurroundsoundloudspeakersarepositionedclose
to walls then the constitution of the wall surfaces should be identical.
When using either Ellipse 8 Passive or 10 Passive as the main effects speaker for the front soundstage, placement is
a critical factor for good performance. In all cases the centre channel speaker should be placed as close to the viewing
screen as possible. The viewing position when seated determines the ideal mounting height, but in all cases this should
beascloseaspossibletoearheight.Ifthisisnotpossiblethemonitorshouldbetiltedtowardsearheightinthemix
position.Thecentrespeakershouldbepositionedalongthecentreaxisofthepictureandtheleft/rightmonitorsjust
outsidethepicture.Ideallythethreefronteffectsspeakersshouldbeplacedwiththefrontbafesinlinewiththescreen
surface. If an acoustically transparent screen is used, the left/right monitors should be placed just inside the edges of
thepicture.Thesurroundspeakersshouldbepositionedatthesamedistancefromthemixpositionasthemain 
front speakers.
A Subwoofer is recommended, chosen from the Tannoy range to ensure compatibility. The Subwoofer/LFE channel
produces low frequencies which are non-directional and therefore the Subwoofer can theoretically be placed anywhere
intheroom.However,fromexperience,optimumperformancewillbegainedbyplacingthesubwooferinthesameplane
asthemainfrontspeakers.TheLFEchannelissetatalevel10dBhigherthantheotherchannelswhenmixingtherefore
it is important to apply the same in any playback situation.
3.2 BASS PORTS
The Ellipse Passive monitors’ bass ports are located on the front panel. You should keep the back panels at least 300mm
(12”)awayfromthenearestwallsurfacetoavoidanoverblownbasssound.Ifyoucannotavoidbeingclosetoawallyou
may want to consider plugging the port tubes on your Ellipse 8 Passive monitors with the closed cell foam-rubber plugs
suppliedasanaccessorywithinthepack.Theyareafrictiontforafullseal.Thiswilloverdampthebassalignmentof
themonitorsmakingthemmoresuitablefor2Pienvironmentssuchasforexampleagainstawallormountedonalarge
atsurface.Ellipse10Passivemonitorsshouldbeequalizedelectronicallyinthesecircumstances.
3.3 EQUALISATION
Our feeling is that you shouldn’t need to equalise monitors at all in a well designed monitoring environment; apparent
variationsinthemonitorresponseshouldbexedthroughroomdesignorspeakerplacement.Butwerealisethat
equalisation is sometimes a necessary evil especially in small rooms or where the monitors are close to room
boundaries.Werecommendagoodqualityspeakercontrollerwithdigitalltering.Anyfrequencyshapingshouldbelow
Q, smooth and you should make use of shelving responses in the frequency range 200Hz to 800Hz. No two adjacent 1/3
octave bands should differ by more than 1dB. If you have a choice of equalisers for monitor applications, less is more.
Thefewerthenumberoflters,thebettertheequaliserwillsound.Overequalisationcanreducesystemheadroom,
and introduce phase distortion resulting in greater problems than cures. Always check out the result of equalisation by
listening to well recorded vocals or male and female speech from a familiar source.
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4 DIMENSIONS
ELLIPSE 8 PASSIVE
ELLIPSE 10 PASSIVE
ELLIPSE 10 PASSIVE
TM
R
TECHNOLOGY
WIDEBAND
250.0
[9.84"]
540.0
[21.26"]
423.0
[16.65"]
350.0
[13.78"]
ELLIPSE 8 PASSIVE
R
BAND
TM
WIDE
TECHNOLOGY
210.0
[8.27"]
460.0
[18.11"]
372.5
[14.66"]
320.0
[12.60"]

5 PERFORMANCE DATA
ELLIPSE 8 PASSIVE
ELLIPSE 10 PASSIVE
1m on-axis frequency response
50
60
70
80
90
100
10 100 1000 10000 100000
Frequency (Hz)
1mon-axisfrequencyresponse
Frequency (Hz)
Sensitivity Mag. dB SPL Watt
Frequency (Hz)
1m on-axis frequency response
50
60
70
80
90
100
10 100 1000 10000 100000
1mon-axisfrequencyresponse
Frequency (Hz)
Sensitivity Mag. dB SPL Watt
Frequency (Hz)
Impedance vs frequency
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
10 100 1000 10000 100000
Frequency (Hz)
Impedance vs frequency
Impedance (Ohms)
Frequency (Hz)
Impedance vs frequency
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
10 100 1000 10000 100000
Frequency (Hz)
Impedance vs frequency
Impedance (Ohms)

6 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Ellipse 8 Passive Ellipse 10 Passive
Frequency Response (-3dB) 155Hz - 40kHz 42Hz - 40kHz
Frequency Range (-10dB) 138Hz - 50kHz 30Hz - 50kHz
System Sensitivity (1W @1m) 289dB (1W = 2.83V into 8 Ohms) 89dB (1W = 2.83V into 8 Ohms)
Dispersion (-6dB) 90degreesfullyaxi-symmetrical 90degreesfullyaxi-symmetrical
Driver Complement 200mm(8”)TannoyDualConcentric™ 250mm(10”)TannoyDualConcentric™
 25mm(1”)WidebandTMSuperTweeter™ 25mm(1”)WidebandTM SuperTweeter™
Crossover Passive 1.5kHz and 14kHz Passive 1.4kHz and 14kHz
Rated Maximum SPL 2115dB (peak) 116dB (peak)
Power Handling 100W (average) 200W (programme) 125w (average) 250W (programme)
Recommended Amplier Power 200W @ 8 Ohms 250W @ 8 Ohms
Nominal Impedance 8 Ohms 8 Ohms
Distortion <0.5% <0.5%
CONSTRUCTION
Cabinet volume / LF alignment 19.5litre/reexported 32.6litre/reexported.Integral 
acoustic resonator.
Cabinet construction Laminatedbirch/MDFbafe,internal Laminatedbirch/MDFbafe,internal
bracing, detachable neoprene base. bracing, detachable neoprene base.
Finish Texturedblackpaint. Texturedblackpaint.
Connectors 4x4mmgoldplatedbinding 4x4mmgoldplatedbinding
posts (bi-wirable) posts (bi-wirable)
Control SuperTweeter™ on/off switch mounted SuperTweeter™ on/off switch mounted
on rear termination panel on rear termination panel
Dimensions (H x W x D) 373x460x350mm 423x540x380mm
 14.68x18.11x13.78” 16.65x21.26x14.96”
Weight 13.5kg (29.7lbs) 17.5kg (38.5lbs)
Notes
1.Averageoverstatedbandwidth.Measuredat1metreonaxis.
2. Unweighted pink noise input, measured at 1 metre in an anechoic chamber
A full range of measurements, performance data, and Ease™ Data can be downloaded from www.tannoy.com
Tannoy operates a policy of continuous research and development. The introduction of new materials or manufacturing methods will
alwaysequalorexceedthepublishedspecications,whichTannoyreservestherighttoalterwithoutpriornotication

7 SERVICING
7.1 CABINET FINISH
To remove marks and scuffs use a soft brush, avoiding the moving parts of the Dual Concentric™ and SuperTweeter™
7.2 DRIVER REMOVAL
Laythecabinetonitsback.Removethefrontmountedporttubeswhichareafrictiontinthecabinet.Removethefront
trimpanelusingasuitableplastictoolstartingaoundtheporttubeholes.Removethetenhexagonalscrewsholding
down the Dual Concentric™ driver and set aside. Ease the Dual Concentric™ driver from the front of the cabinet taking
care not to damage the front surface. Remove the driver, note the polarity of the internal connections and disconnect
the internal wiring from both the LF and HF parts of the Dual Concentric™. Take care not to damage the moving parts of
theLFdriver.Toretthedriver,connectthecablesfromthecrossovertotheLFandHFterminals.Fitthedriverintothe
mounting hole, making sure that the internal connecting cables are not trapped or able to touch the LF cone. Fasten the
screwsngertightandthenprogressivelytightenthemdownwiththeappropriateAllenkey.Retthefronttrimand
port tubes.
To remove the Supertweeter™ housing remove the Dual Concentric™ driver as above. Working inside the cabinet
removethexingnuttoreleasetheSuperTweeter™housinganddisconnectthecable.Dismantlethehousingtorelease
theSuperTweeter™capsulewhichmustbereplacedcompletelyiffaulty.Retallpartsinreverseorderensuringcables
are correctly connected and cannot interfere with moving parts. Some or all of the acoustic absorbent may have to be
removed for access during the dismantling process. Replace each piece in its original position
7.3 CROSSOVER
Thecrossoverismountedontherearoftheterminalpanel.Toinspectit,removethepanelbyreleasingthehexagonal
screws. Take care to avoid undue stress on the cables and components. It is most unlikely that any of the crossover
components will fail during the life of the loudspeaker system.
To remove the crossover completely the cables must be disconnected from the drive units. Please proceed as above to
remove the Dual Concentric™ drive unit and SuperTweeter™ Housing.

8 WARRANTY
NO MAINTENANCE OF THE ELLIPSE MONITORS IS NECESSARY.
Allcomponentsareguaranteedforaperiodofveyearsfromthedateofmanufacture,subjecttotheabsenceof,or
evidence of, misuse, overload or accidental damage.
For further information please contact your dealer or the distributor in your country.
If you cannot locate your distributor please contact:
Customer Services, Tannoy Ltd., Coatbridge, Strathclyde, ML5 4TF, Scotland
Telephone: [phone] (UK) [phone] (International)
Fax:01236428230(UK)+441236428230(International)
Internet: http://www.tannoy.com
DO NOT SHIP ANY PRODUCT TO TANNOY WITHOUT PREVIOUS AUTHORISATION
This warranty in no way affects your statutory rights.
9 DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
The following apparatus is manufactured by Tannoy Ltd of Rosehall Industrial Estate, Coatbridge, Scotland, ML5 4TF
and conforms to the protection requirements of the European Electromagnetic Compatibility Standards and Directives
relevant to Domestic Electrical Equipment. The apparatus is designed and constructed such that electromagnetic
disturbancesgenerateddonotexceedlevelsallowingradioandtelecommunicationsequipmentandotherapparatusto
operate as intended, and, the apparatus has an adequate level of intrinsic immunity to electromagnetic disturbance to
enableoperationasspeciedandintended.
This equipment conforms to the requirements of the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC, amended by 92/31/EEC and 93/68/EEC
and the requirements of the Low Voltage Directive 73/23/EEC, amended by 93/68/EEC.
Details of the Apparatus: Tannoy Monitor Loudspeaker
Model Number: ELLIPSE 8 PASSIVE
Model Number. ELLIPSE 10 PASSIVE
Applicable Standards: EN55103-1:1996 Emission
EN55103-2:1996 Immunity
Electrical Safety EN60065:1993
Signed:
Position: Director of Engineering
Date: 15 May 2009
For Tannoy Ltd

NOTES

Tannoy United Kingdom T: 00 44 (0) 1236 420199 E: [email protected]
Tannoy Deutschland T: 00 49 (180) 1111 881 E: [email protected]
Tannoy France T: 00 33 (0)1 7036 7473 E: [email protected]
TC|Group Americas T: 00 1 [phone] E: [email protected]
Tannoy adopts a policy of continuous improvement and product specication is subject to change.
6481 0549