Tannoy Prestige Turnberry GR Limited Edition or ProAc D 30 R o RS


I’ve owned a pair of Tannoy Cheviot II for 28 years... Now, I would like to replace them either with a more recent Tannoy model (i.e. Prestige Turnberry GR Limited Edition) or with ProAc D 30 R o RS.
My amplifier is an old Exposure Super XV, which I intend to retire as well.
Which of the two should I go for?

I would be particularly pleased to hear akg_ca’s opinion.
Thank you all for your contributions.

128x128misanthrope
@misanthrope - which of these speakers can depend on which amp you replace the Exposure with - Solid State or Tube

Both speakers are personal favorites of mine, but...

If you were to chose a tube amp I would probably suggest the Tannoys over the Pro Ac - but it really does depend on the tube amp as well. The Tannoys are more efficient at 93 db vs 89 db for the ProAc

Otherwise I might suggest the Pro Ac, because the Tannoys can be a little picky when it comes to placement (i.e. toe-in) and they like a larger room.

I love the Tannoy in a large room with lots of space around them - e.g. they really excell when there is 4-5 ft from sidewalls and 6+ feet from the wall behind them, but I think the ProAc can be more versatile from a placement perspective in a smaller space.

Also, Tannoy requires toe-in such that the axis of the speaker crosses just in front of the listener - this can vary from model to model (you probably know that). With ProAc the toe-in is room dependent, but not as severe as the Tannoy

Either will provide superb sound quality - as you know the Tannoys tend to be a little smoother and relaxed. Diana Krall really does sound velvety on Tannoys

The ProAc are a different sound - great, but just different

Also it depends on you musical tastes

I think since you own Tannoy now - I would recommend the Prestige Turnberry GR Limited Edition. You know the "Tannoy sound" - changing it may not be to your taste.

If possible - listen to them both with the same gear in the same room
My last speaker purchase - I took my amp and speaker cables to the store - SOLD!

Trust your ears - Steve :-)


Hello Steve,

I would certainly opt for a solid state amplifier (Exposure 3010S2D Pre-Amplifier & Exposure 3010S2 Mono Power Amplifier).

I mostly listen to classical music (including opera).

Room size is 213 sq.ft. Both speakers would be less than 2 ft away from the back wall and one a little over 1 ft away from the sidewall...



Thank you so much for your advice

@misanthrope - It really depends on your ears.

I have heard the Tannoys in a more confined space than above and they still sound great, but they may take some adjusting to get them to sound their very best. The Exposure is a good match - a relative has similar Exposure/Tannoy combination and it sounds very nice

The ProAc is a fine speaker and may sound very good in your space - it’s hard to say.

A comment from a friend that works in audio and sells Tannoy - once a customer buys Tannoy - it is for keeps.

For your space, the Tannoys may work very well, because of their required toe-in angle. If you have the flexilibiltiy you should try the Tannoys on the longer wall.

If I were in your position and for the type of music you like - I think I might just go for the Tannoys :-)

The really do excel at vocals and they are built for classical and Jazz/easy listening

Regards - Steve


Hi Steve,
I wish to inform you that I made a big mistake. Eager to radically change, reluctant to spend too much, influenced by a number of enthusiastic reviews, I eventually purchased a pair of Spendor D7. Very appealing at first, after a while they proved to be lean and almost inexpressive - I dare not imagine that the amplifier (Exposure 3010S2 Pre + 2Mono Power), new as well, might contribute to such a disappointing outcome...
So I regret I didn't go for the Tannoy Prestige Turnberry GR Limited Edition, which are no more available. I could fall back on the Turnberry standard or opt for the updated version of my old Cheviot, so-called Legacy Cheviot. Did you happen to listen to any of them?
Best Regards
Paolo 
I would guess that Cheviot is a better choice than either Turnberry or  ProAc D 30 R o RS. Why change?
I bought the new Cheviot a couple months ago. Sublime. Super smooth. It's like they're designed for jazz. 
I appreciate this thread because I'm considering dual concentric speakers. Can anyone talk about how they would image and present the music differently than a more narrow, inert tower design? SO mush of what we her is in the design of the box.  I know Tannoy is very particular about box construction, so how dos this effect image? Is it very dimensional?  Some say image isn't important and that's fine, but they will never be in my living room either. 
FWIW I had Proac Response R2's and found them to be lively with depth, without getting bright. I've never heard the D30.
Fyne Audio is a new speaker company founded by ex-Tannoy engineers. I know one individual who prefers and purchased the F703 to replace his Tannoy Canterbury speakers. The F! series should be even better.

I know this is a year old comment chain, but I am curious of it as I am considering purchasing either a new Cheviot or a new Arden. Turnberry costs the same as Arden but everywhere I looked it seems Turnberry is not an optimal design and was never praised by anyone. Myself I heard an old Cheviot, liked it a lot, but a 15" appeals to me even more. Never heard Fyne, read about how it was established but, again, somehow it does not seem to capture the magic that some Tannoys do, and in the Far East where Tannoys are treated like Royalty, they call Fyne as Clonnoy... curious to hear if anyone completed them side by side...

My Tannoy eatons are in a relatively small/med room, with hardly no room around them, tucked away so to speak, with moderate toe in, and they sound spectacular.