VINTAGE TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVE / AUDIO / TANNOY

Tannoy

The Dual Concentric driver — one point source, infinite clarity

History

Tannoy was founded in London, England in 1926 by Guy R. Fountain as the Tulsemere Manufacturing Company. The name "Tannoy" came from a combination of tannium and alloy—materials used in the company's early rectifiers. The name became so synonymous with public address systems that "Tannoy" entered the Oxford English Dictionary as a generic term for PA speakers.

The company's breakthrough came in 1947 with the invention of the Dual Concentric driver by Ronnie Hastings Rackham. This revolutionary design placed the high-frequency driver at the center of the low-frequency cone, creating a true point-source with perfect time alignment—decades before this became a common goal in speaker design.

The 1950s and 1960s saw Tannoy Dual Concentric monitors become the standard in recording studios worldwide. Abbey Road Studios used Tannoy monitors for decades, and they were installed in royal palaces, theaters, and broadcasting facilities across the British Empire.

The Gold and Silver series brought Tannoy quality to domestic listeners. The Monitor Gold (15" and 12"), Red, and Super Gold became legendary for their coherence, dynamics, and the ability to fill large rooms with effortless sound.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Tannoy expanded with the Westminster, Yorkminster, and Arden models—large floorstanding speakers that brought Dual Concentric technology to the living room. The company also introduced the Definition and Revolution series for more contemporary tastes.

Key Facts

FactDetail
Founded1926, London, England
FounderGuy R. Fountain
Key InnovationDual Concentric driver (1947)
Famous UserAbbey Road Studios
Name OriginTantalum + Alloy (early materials)
Current StatusPart of Music Group (Behringer)

Legendary Products

Tannoy Monitor Gold (1950s-1970s)

The gold-standard studio monitor. Available in 15" and 12" versions, the Monitor Gold used Tannoy's famous Dual Concentric driver with an Alnico magnet and gold-anodized chassis. It became the reference for countless recordings at Abbey Road and studios worldwide.

Tannoy Westminster (1970s)

A massive floorstanding speaker using a 15" Dual Concentric driver in a large ported enclosure. The Westminster brought Tannoy's professional heritage to domestic settings, offering effortless dynamics and room-filling sound.

Tannoy Arden (1970s)

A more domestically sized floorstander using a 12" Dual Concentric driver. The Arden offered much of the Westminster's performance in a more living-room-friendly package, becoming a favorite among Tannoy enthusiasts.

Tannoy Little Red Monitor (1970s)

A compact bookshelf speaker using an 8" Dual Concentric driver. The "Red" name came from the red surround on the woofer. It brought Tannoy coherence to smaller spaces.

Sound Signature

The Tannoy Dual Concentric driver is a true point source — with the high-frequency horn mounted concentrically at the center of the bass cone, all frequencies radiate from the same physical point. The result is an imaging coherence and time-alignment accuracy that multi-driver speakers inherently struggle to achieve. Add the high efficiency of these large-format drivers (typically 93-96 dB), and you get a speaker that produces effortless, room-filling dynamics with a sense of scale and authority that smaller speakers simply cannot replicate.

The tonal character is warm and musically engaging, with a richness in the midrange that makes vocals and acoustic instruments sound full-bodied and natural. The Monitor Gold series, with their Alnico magnets, have a particularly smooth, sweet treble that integrates seamlessly with the bass output. These are speakers that were trusted by Abbey Road Studios for decades of critical monitoring work — they reveal the truth of recordings while remaining genuinely enjoyable to listen to, a combination that explains their enduring reputation among audiophiles worldwide.

Collecting Tannoy

The 15-inch Monitor Gold is the holy grail of Tannoy collecting — the definitive expression of the Dual Concentric driver with its Alnico magnet and gold-anodized chassis. These drivers were the sound of Abbey Road and countless other legendary studios, and they remain some of the finest loudspeaker drivers ever manufactured. The 12-inch Monitor Gold offers a more practical alternative that still delivers the essential Tannoy experience, with slightly faster transients and easier room placement.

For domestic systems, the Westminster (15-inch driver in a massive ported enclosure) is the ultimate Tannoy statement, while the Arden offers the 12-inch Dual Concentric in a more living-room-friendly floorstander. Crossover variant identification matters to collectors — Gold, HPD, and Super Gold versions each have distinct sonic characteristics and different collector value. When buying vintage Tannoy drivers, verify that the Alnico magnet has not been demagnetized (a risk with these older designs) and that both the bass cone and the high-frequency compression driver are functioning correctly. Properly maintained Tannoy Dual Concentrics can last essentially forever.

Competitors & Comparisons

Tannoy vs Altec: Both efficient designs; Tannoy point-source, Altec horn

Tannoy vs Klipsch: Both high efficiency; Tannoy coaxial, Klipsch horn

Tannoy vs BBC monitors: Different philosophies; Tannoy more dynamic

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VINTAGE TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVE / 03-16-2026 / FEEDBACK