As I recall from my days as a Tannoy dealer the plywood cabinets are made in, I think it was Poland, then shipped to Scotland. Not positive about this or anything really.
Ha! Some spot-on comments. I wasn't trying to disparage China-made products at all. I was more surprised that long established manufacturers making large, unwieldy and upscale loudspeakers were doing so in China and not the garden sheds of yore.
That’s a bingo, donjr. Incidentally, I own a pair of Wilson Benesch Arcs made in Sheffield, England, and a pair of BMC PureVox designed in Germany and built in China. Their retail prices at time of purchase were within $10 of each other - $6500 vs. $6490, so in terms of price-point it’s an apples-to-apples comparison. The build quality of the PureVox is every bit as good as that of the WB, but the difference is that were the PureVox built anywhere else at higher wage rates I believe they would have cost more and the price gap between the two would have been larger. That I was able to afford the PureVox, thanks to the lower price afforded by lower Chinese production costs, is a gift horse I’m not looking in the mouth.
As an owner of Tannoy DC8, it is my understanding that all Tannoys from the Definition series on up are made in Scotland. All others are made in China. That being said, listen to a pair of Tannoys from either place and you might just be amazed. Gotta leave the biased preconceived notions at the curb, however. Best.....
Made in China means nothing. They're fully capable of making some of the best quality products in the world. I'm sure this MacBook Pro I'm typing on is made in China and it's very nice indeed. The quality of the output and QC level is on the designer and what they're willing to spend.
In another post on this subject someone reported that the Prestige Series would continue to be built in Scotland while all lesser models would indeed be made in China.
That would make sense but I'm not certain if it is true.
The Wilson Benesch Geometry speakers are made in Sheffield England with assistance of the very high tech community surrounding the plant. Made from carbon fiber and aluminum,
I know exactly how you guys feel. Every day I look skyward and thank the heavens that my iPhone and Samsung Curved 4K TV were "crafted" in the UK. The former is instrumental to staying on top of my online business, and the latter is how I'll be enjoying 4K movies for the next 5 years, so I wanted them built in the same country that gave us the Triumph TR-7, the Morris Marina and the Austin Allegro, all models of engineering prowess and reliability. The day I have to watch a TV made in China is the day I move into the woods to live with wolves.
Some time ago I bought a TEAC CDP from TEAC over in Commerce, Ca, a few years before they moved, and it was while auditioning it that they told me about Tannoy and how all the cabinets are finished there before going back to England for final assembly.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
