Most of the braintrust is in Scotland now as they started their own company Fyne Audio and they are making some fine speakers.
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Another one bites the dust :( This is what will happen ... Production moves to China ... Sales of Tannoy drops even further because why would you pay the same price when the novelty (hand-built in Europe) has worn off ... Tannoy becomes just one more of the many lackluster, run-of-the-mill speaker companies trying to cash in on a 'proud' legacy ... A new speaker company from China pops up, and surprisingly their speakers look, feel, and sound just like Tannoy with almost identical technology/drivers ... Word on the street is that the Tannoy clones are actually not clones, but just re-branded speakers made in the same factory and the same workers, offered at half the price ... Next!?! |
Not certain if it has actually happened yet, but they were supposed to have closed the Coatbridge Scotland factory due to some lease issue and the fact that someone wants to build housing on the property....there is no definitive answer that I can find that confirms this has happened. I bought my Tannoy Legacy Eatons January 2020, maybe they were one of the last pair made there. The date of construction on speakers was late 2019. It would be a shame if the closure does happen, or has already occurred. However, like someone previously pointed out, rejoice in the fact that you own the Tannoys, no matter what happens. |
That's too bad but seems like Tannoy home audio products were not widely distributed in the US to start with anymore plus they tend to be pricey so if that is any indicator I can understand why they just might punt on home audio altogether. Very competitive market! I've always wanted to hear certain Tannoy models but never had an opportunity. No local dealers and never noticed a pair of interest at the local hifi show. |
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Fun video we just did https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYeW5X4GX7Ehttp:// As the importer/distributor of Tannoy in North America, I can tell you Tannoy Legacy and GR products are made in Europe, and that has never changed. The cabinets are made in the same factory where they have been made for decades. Lower-priced Tannoy products are made in Asia, but that’s true for almost every brand. There are other brands where "made in England" means mounting Chinese drivers into Chinese cabinets. Doesn’t make them a bad product. But Chinese, Korean, and Japanese buyers demand Tannoy stay true to being Tannoy. They call the other brands "Clone-oy". They will never have the long-term value that a real Tannoy loudspeaker has. They don’t run a production line like other brands. They are made in matched pairs, one pair at a time. Presently products are shipped to Belgium where they are warehoused and distributed, and it’s not efficient. We cannot get enough product out of them to satisfy the huge demand. Therefore, there is a new factory opening in England where they will be manufactured, warehoused, and shipped from under one roof. From what I’ve read, the Music Tribe Innovation Center in Manchester England has 190 employees alone. It’s a real company with over 4,000 employees. I want to say something else here. I’m 63 years old, and have been in the HiFi industry since I was 18. It’s all I’ve ever done. A simple in-store demo does not explain what it’s like to own a pair of Tannoys. Their ability to express the soul of music is unlike any other brand, which is why people go crazy for old Tannoy raw drivers. An old Tannoy Silver 12" driver can sell for $8k a pair. I normally don’t participate in forums but wanted to set the record straight. Thanks! Have fun! Kevin Deal President Upscale Distribution |
as a relatively new Stirling GR owner (2019, thanks again Kevin for steering me there) I couldn't be happier w/my Tannoys. I would feel sorry for future potential owners if they folded up shop but I feel privileged and very grateful to own a pair of these treasures. The Fyne line doesn't appeal to me. Roger Modjeski passed but it doesn't change my feelings about my RM10 - same would be true of my Tannoys. They are lifetime keepers. |
I failed to realize the erroneous article from 2016 caused this thread. As you can see from the video that we made just this last March...literally weeks ago..Tannoy is producing. Though as usual it's not mass-produced. I took some videos of how it's done and I should use the footage. I've been to speaker factories and oftentimes the speakers being built are on a conveyor belt, and things move quickly. A pair of Stirlings or Cheviots are built in pairs by one man, and it's a slow process of building one, then the other from matched cabinets and drivers. Then they are taken to the test room where they keep the "Gold Sample" which is a PERFECT example of the speaker being built. The Gold Sample is measured, then compared to the speakers just assembled. It made no sense to me why the Gold Sample would be re-measured every time. Why not just store the data once and re-use it for every pair built? The answer is atmospheric changes. Air pressure can change the measurements. That's what I mean. I'll crawl back into my hole now. I leave forums to be forums and it's not a place for industry folk. Thank you and I'm so glad the people that own Tannoy are so happy. |
I purchased a pair of Cheviots a couple months ago from Upscale and have been very happy with the speakers. The quality is just really top notch and the speakers are a perfect fit for my system and home. The salesman I worked with at Upscale was patient with me in answering all of my questions and didn't hesitate to recommend the lower priced Cheviots over some of the more expensive Tannoy models I inquired about based on my musical tastes and other gear in my system. It was a very positive overall buying experience considering it was all done over the phone with no in-person demos until the speakers were actually delivered to me. |
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mapman"Glad to hear it’s a false alarm." So much hear is rumor, fantasy, and wild speculation |
You have to take everything you read on the internet with several grains of salt. Time always tells. I did a google search and came up with nothing saying Tannoy will stop hifi. US distributor just said its not true and OP indicates the French importer informed them. That’s all I’m seeing at this point. It does ring true to me that the high end home audio Tannoys seem to have limited distributorship in the US and always be in short supply here, at least in the US, as indicated. Personally, I am hoping it is not true. Tannoy has always been a line that gets my interest in that I am a fan of coherent sound and concentric driver designs. Also the Prestige series have those unique classic British looks, like true pieces of furniture. Not for everyone but unique and hate to see unique things go. |
Thank you Kevin. I’m in love with the brand and can attest to what you say owning a pair of Tannoy Churchill’s with the ST 100 super-tweeters. They are no limitations to these speakers as they continue to get more refined with every little tweak you do to your system. As long as you have good electronics you can get to their potential. |
The up line Tannoy are truly special. That is, if you like the BBC/British take on music. Some might say “polite”. I was the proud owner of the late Doc Gizmo’s (Harvey Rosenberg) Westminster Royals. Highly modified. They could fill a very large room and voices, especially, were great. They did not have the detail of my current more modern design. 101db but really needed a lot of current to move those 15” woofers. I am very interested to hear the Fyne F1-12s. Looks like they have done a modern version of the Westies. With a 12” seems like the detail is there. And they look beautiful. Not 300lb large wood boxes! |
I can tell you that the new Fynes are awesome. I have had a pair of 502SPs for 3 months now and they are just fabulous. So different than what I was used to but in good ways. Vocals are lifelike, Bass is deep and extended with good resonance of strings. Drums, symbols, rim shots are right there in the room with the rest of the band. |
@twoleftears Not so! With financing in place, Fyne Audio was officially launched in January 2017. At the end of 2019, Fyne Audio had a manufacturing base near Glasgow in Scotland, where mid-to-high-end products are built. Affordable gear, including the entire F500 range, is manufactured in China to Fyne Audio’s exacting standards. |
I have the Tannoy Turnberry speakers. Excellent, full, lush sound. I hear instruments I never knew existed on LPs I have had for over 30 years. I've had many speakers over the years, including some that cost twice as much as the Turnberry. None compare. Best purchase I have ever made to improve my system. |
I live a couple of miles from the Tannoy factory in Coatbridge. I have owned a pair of Eatons, Devons, Little reds, Little Golds and for the last 10 years a pair of D700 which I can't let go! (loved every pair) Thought I'd share a wee Tannoy story from the past. Walked in to the reception with a Devon driver - back in the day (about 30 years ago) I thought it sounded a bit dull compared to the other one, asked if I could book it in with an engineer to have a look at it. An old guy appeared - complete with brown coat - and said "come on through son" he led me through the factory to his workshop - explaining the different workstations on the way - popped my speaker on the scope, made a few adjustments "perfect" he says. I asked what the charge was and he said "free, just come back over if you have any problems" - God I miss those days! |
