Hey, Tannoy is now owned by Behringer

[bownose]

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2015/04/behringer-just-bought-tc-tc-helicon-tannoy/

But they didn't get Dynaudio

my take is they’ve started acquiring intellectual property rather than just outright nicking it

 

[cooky1257]

They've owned KlarkTecknik for while now.

 

[Yank]

They've owned KlarkTecknik for while now.

and Midas

 

[Cable Monkey]

They are obviously attracted to the PA and monitor side of Tannoys business, but what does this mean for the domestic and particularly the Prestige range?

 

[merlin]

The Prestige range has long existed primarily for the Asian market - where people seem to appreciate craftsmanship and quality. I doubt anything will change.

 

[Tony L]

Tannoy has changed hands a few times now hasn't it? The proper ones were designed by Guy Fountain and built in That London!

PS I suspect the Prestige range is safe, I get the impression this stuff is all craftsman built in Scotland and I suspect it more than pays its way in the export market. The area I hope new management can reinvigorate is the studio monitor line; it simply amazes me that the most famous name historically in that business does not have a full range dual concentric main monitor or even a decent DC mid-field speaker in the marketplace. A fully active modern take on the SRM, SGM or DMT would be something very good to see. Tannoy were to studio monitors what Hoover were to vacuum cleaners and just about every decent studio had a pair. I'm amazed they dropped that ball to the extent they have.

 

[Cable Monkey]

I think it is just down to costs Tony, and that ties in with multiple owners who buy, cut costs then sell for profit. The Prestige range has to have buyers though and it is only a matter of time before shifting production of these items to China makes a greater case than tradition. Bean counters always win out in this modern era of MBA led business practice.

 

[Steven Toy]

Who would buy Chinese Tannoy Prestige speakers?

It is an oxymoron.

 

[davidsrsb]

Who would buy Chinese Tannoy Prestige speakers?

It is an oxymoron.

Chinese cabinet work can be very good indeed, look at Quad carpentry. Final assembly and test in the UK for the made in UK sticker?

 

[wacko]

We already sold Rolls Royce and Bentley to Germany and they have improved both. Perhaps they will improve Tannoy.

 

[Tony L]

We already sold Rolls Royce and Bentley to Germany and they have improved both. Perhaps they will improve Tannoy.

Huh? The current RR and Bentleys are utterly grotesque IMO. Any sense of grace, style or dignity either brand once had is long gone. Tacky overpriced bling for footballers or oil sheiks.

PS A 1930s 'Blower' Bentley for me please.

 

[wacko]

Huh? The current RR and Bentleys are utterly grotesque IMO. Any sense of grace, style or dignity either brand once had is long gone. Tacky overpriced bling for footballers or oil sheiks.

PS A 1930s 'Blower' Bentley for me please.

A Blower Bentley would cost you about £3m: which club do you play for ?

 

[Cable Monkey]

Huh? The current RR and Bentleys are utterly grotesque IMO. Any sense of grace, style or dignity either brand once had is long gone. Tacky overpriced bling for footballers or oil sheiks.

PS A 1930s 'Blower' Bentley for me please.

What and who do you think a 30's blower appealed to back then?
Yesterday's bling is tomorrow's classic!

 

[Yank]

Huh? The current RR and Bentleys are utterly grotesque IMO. Any sense of grace, style or dignity either brand once had is long gone. Tacky overpriced bling for footballers or oil sheiks.

PS A 1930s 'Blower' Bentley for me please.

Regardless of your feelings about their style, the engineering has improved, the new ones are much better to drive. Whether or not you'd want to be seen in one is another story.

 

[h.g.]

Yesterday's bling is tomorrow's classic!

Is this the case?

I rather doubt the most expensive audio products on the market today will be considered classics in the future. Can you even remember the excessively expensive audio products from 25 years or so ago when the excessively expensive but functionally modest if not outright silly home audio thing started in earnest. I think what is missing is that a large proportion of home audio enthusiasts simply do not lust after these products but consider them a bit naff and give them little attention.

If you go back to the 60s and 70s the most expensive products tended to be the top of an identifiable range, they had higher performance, some were a bit ruggedised and "professional", others had home orientated bling like meters and fancy cases but they were all considered to be high performance and top of the range. My guess is that the classics of today are more likely to come from the top of the normal range of home audio products (i.e. £20k products) rather than the products built as status symbols for the rich (i.e. £200k products).

 

[John]

Tannoy has changed hands a few times now hasn't it? The proper ones were designed by Guy Fountain and built in That London!

PS I suspect the Prestige range is safe, I get the impression this stuff is all craftsman built in Scotland and I suspect it more than pays its way in the export market. The area I hope new management can reinvigorate is the studio monitor line; it simply amazes me that the most famous name historically in that business does not have a full range dual concentric main monitor or even a decent DC mid-field speaker in the marketplace. A fully active modern take on the SRM, SGM or DMT would be something very good to see. Tannoy were to studio monitors what Hoover were to vacuum cleaners and just about every decent studio had a pair. I'm amazed they dropped that ball to the extent they have.

The System 600A and 800A were active DC's but they seem to have moved away from using DC technology in their studio series speakers.

 

[Yank]

Is this the case?

I rather doubt the most expensive audio products on the market today will be considered classics in the future. Can you even remember the excessively expensive audio products from 25 years or so ago when the excessively expensive but functionally modest if not outright silly home audio thing started in earnest. I think what is missing is that a large proportion of home audio enthusiasts simply do not lust after these products but consider them a bit naff and give them little attention.

If you go back to the 60s and 70s the most expensive products tended to be the top of an identifiable range, they had higher performance, some were a bit ruggedised and "professional", others had home orientated bling like meters and fancy cases but they were all considered to be high performance and top of the range. My guess is that the classics of today are more likely to come from the top of the normal range of home audio products (i.e. £20k products) rather than the products built as status symbols for the rich (i.e. £200k products).

25 year old Audio Research stuff is still overpriced.

 

[Martin D]

Chinese cabinet work can be very good indeed, look at Quad carpentry. Final assembly and test in the UK for the made in UK sticker?

So Chinese then, same as food, you put chicken from Italy in a packet in the Uk and (puff of smoke and admin) its made in the UK

 

[paskinn]

I think it's true that 'classic' stuff is often stuff we wanted, and couldn't afford, when a lot younger.
Hands up how many people want all the over-priced 'bling' stuff on sale today?
Quite.

 

[merlin]

I'll take the top modern Gerbils over vintage ones thank you.

I'll take Westminsters over Autographs, Everests over Paragons.

The problem for many of us is the newer devices are more expensive and often unaffordable. That doesn't mean they aren't sonically better though.

We've come from something like this

to something like this

Therefore we cannot argue that improvements in fidelity to the source have not been made. Now subjectively, with the passing of years and declining hearing it's perfectly possible that something sonically "wrong" seems right. But that's a different story.