Hey folks, it's Kevin - Jeepers. Everybody reading the bad Stirling III LZ review wants to know if I agree with it. The answer is YES. I would not buy them unless you can return them. Or at least spend time listening to them. The Fyne Classic XII is WAY up the ladder and a little bit fewer $$$. I want you to know that if you bought Tannoy from us you should be proud of what you own. For the last couple years we have opened and QC every speaker we received from them. You are important to me, my audio friends. I'm honored to work for you.
i will have to find a dealer in the Uk that stocks them si ican listen to That Tannoy model myself, i have a birth defect that means my brain does not filter out disitortions in sounds so i hear what phase errors and missplaced inspace harmonics do to sounds, non coincidence drivers do not sound right to me. only point sorce sound right,if quality is that poor i will most certanly hear it as i know what that driver should sound like (midrange instruments have harmonics that apear in the treble range and vice versa)
Excellent report, Kevin. Thank you for the great news. I owned a pair of vintage Tannoy Arden's for many years and I still keep thinking about the great sound and the great times. I am fortunate to have had them. By the way, I compared them to MANY other speakers in my house (some very expensive speakers) and I will say that there was a night and day result in the comparisons each and every time. I compared them to modern speakers - but not the very high-end ones - but still, to hear such a difference in sound quality is important to share with others as there are different levels of sound that we can experience. But now that we know that Fyne has the Tannoy DNA, I don't need to listen to them. I'm just gonna go and get a pair of 501s right now and get back to sound that gave me everything I asked for in a speaker. I know there are many other great speakers out there, but these I know have the heritage as you stated and I understand the history of this brand.
Hey man that's great. Glad you dig your Ardens. There is the 501, and the 501SP. I have not heard the 501 but I understand they are crazy good. The 501SP is made in the UK and I have heard them. Amazing. And the 502SP is Bonkers.
My wife and I heard and spoke with the Fyne folks at the last RMAF. I was intrigued and liked the sound considering the room they were in. Good to see these and wonder how they would sound
Hi Kevin, I've had Tannoy's since the late 1970s and I just sold my Arden's a few months, I replaced them with a pair of Fyne F701s. I couldn't be happier with the decision, the quality is outstanding. I was originally looking at new pair of Tannoy's, but found out they were purchased by a corporation that closed down the factory in the UK. I totally support Fyne Audio and they're future success, proudly Made in the UK, manufactured, researched, & developed in Scotland. Excellent video and I happy you addressed what's going on with Tannoy. Cheers 🥂
The Super Gold Monitors are not an entirely "new" speaker, according to what we were told. They are more or less Eaton, Cheviot, and Arden. The only difference that I'm aware of is they moved the controls on the front to make them look different. AS of this moment the drivers and cabinets are made in China. I do not know where they are assembled.
Quite informative as usual, heard the Tannoys at Axpona last year I thought impressive for a motel room. Will have too check out Fyne Audio now . Having a smaller pair of Tannoys in my collection I could see the similarities and differences. Any a suggestion when you go do the psa/prostate fun time 😊 wear a t- shirt from Uranus Mo. it will make their day !
I knew nothing about Fyne but I had heard of Tannoy and thought they were a great speaker. Now I have all new thoughts on these companies and their products. Thank you for the education.
I was lucky enough to buy 1 of the 11 Tannoy Churchill Wide-bands back in the day in search of the whole SET amp craze that was becoming big at the time. And I have never looked back. What a shame as to another great company surrendering to the enemy of the free world I would never buy another Tannoy, thank God for Fine though!
The Tannoy is Aluminum and Magnesium. I don't think there is a pat answer to that except to say Dr Paul Mills was given the chance to design the drivers any way he wished, and it looks like he has chosen Titanium. The think to remember this was his chance to do it HIS way, not being tethered to any "this is the way we've always done it".
Been the Roger's BBC rep in North America 14 or so years ago. I love the Britts. FYNE, one to watch!!! Bass tracks! WOW! Rarely do I comment on equipment reviews. Love the fine tuning on Fyne! Indeed a visit to your store is worth the trip!
Hi Kevin, I've been using tannoy speakers for decades, and tried some fyne audio as well, been wearing loakes most of my life since my military days,hopefully your, foot swelling goes down and you can get those loakes back on.
Kevin, I communicated with Jordan that I would like to see a full review of the bookshelf F1-5 and particular, the F1-8s from Fyne for those challenged to the cubic inch as we are in NYC and other cities. However, that could extend to a full review of the Fyne Audio lineup as well as how these interface with tube versus solid state or Class A, AB or D amplification. If you could do this in long form, even with a representative from Scotland, that would be the ice cream on the cake. Thanks for all your hard work Kevin. When I lived on the West Coast, I visited with you at Upscale when I was a member of the LAOCAS.
I own a pair of F1-8s I drive them with a 30watt TS-120 and couldn't be happier. Big Soundstage with weight in the lower midrange. I find they have a large sweet spot as well.
I dig both speakers. They are both amazing. I don't give a crap what What Hifi says. Tannoys are amazing speakers. I am intrigued by these Fyne Audio speakers though. It is way out of my wheel house financially, but it still intrigues me none the less. By the way, I keep thinking you guys are shooting Sony Cameras. I keep thinking FX cameras maybe. FX3 or FX30. Looks good. I shoot Sony by the way. Fun to see Kevin again. Hope the whole Upscale Audio Family is doing well.
The Classic X and XII were designed by the master from the ground up. I'm impressed thus far. You must know your cameras. Yes...we spent a lot of jack on Sony cameras. I'm fine with it, but truth is I would be just as happy doing it on a phone in my office. It's all stream of consciousness when I'm screwing around in the store.
A high-end audio store in Florida I won’t name (oh, fuck it, it was Suncoast Audio) that I called to see if they carried the Tannoy Kensington speaker, poo-poo’d the brand, saying it was outdated technology. Then, not too much later, they became a Fyne dealer…🤡
Tannoy have made a change of CEO and change of distribution in US and many other places. But the owners are still the shitty Musictribe which trash a beautiful brand.
Great review on the Fyne brand, but sad that it seems the 'bean counter's ' at Tannoy have taken control and will destroy the brand for the sake of a few pounds thinking loyal distributor s and customer's won't notice...
The IIILZ was one of the best speakers at Axpona? Fyne was present also and they had great sound also but it wasn’t comparable to the IIILZ display. I’m confused?
They weren't playing at Axpona. They shipped in a pair specifically to play them. My employee Craig and others spent hours trying to get them to sound good, but could not. So we put them up high to show them but not play them. The sound was similar to the What HiFi review. Unpleasant midrange and ill-defined bass response. We explained it to the public as they weren't broken in. Now with this review, they want to use the same narrative. That they shipped them from a distributor, and they are not sure how many hours are on them. I've shipped tons of products to reviewers. It's common knowledge you get ONE SHOT and nothing can be left to chance.
@@upscaleaudiooh ok I think you are right it was a bigger unit I heard I snapped a picture of them and looked at it. I know it sounded better than the Fyne room though. It was the Kensington.
@@kevinsmith885 Yes. Kensington. Fyne make a similar model, though it is much better (and more expensive). The cabinet design with Basstrax is a game changer, and the HF driver is crossed over a lot lower, and WOW! It's simply beautiful.
@@upscaleaudioWhich Fyne model is better and why? I assume you have done an AB test? Are you sure you’re not trying to promote a brand for which you are the distributor? Bit like Prima Luna, that I believe you partially own? Absolutely nothing wrong with that - in fact I bought one of their integrated amps based on your brilliant review and I couldn’t be happier - really makes my Tannoy’s sing.
I’ve always loved Tannoy speakers. I think they are beautiful. But would anyone prefer or think that these speakers in the video,, are better or just as good as the Klipsch line of speakers? Like the Klipsch Heritage IV, Cornwall IV or Forte IV?
Actually yes. Before I bought my current Tannoy Sterling GR Prestige (the last series that was made in Scotland) I auditioned them against Sonus Faber hi end (costing twice) speakers and the Klipsch Forte IV (which I also loved) and picked up the Tannoys which were my favorites. They are powered by the Luxman 507 UX II.
Tannoy have had experts before and will have after Dr Mills, Tannoy have and had voice comunication systems that the voice is clear sounding and were used in WW2 using an elecronic version of didgital signal proccesing to make sure the voice was clear. Tannoy was a company that was listed as extremely important for the war, tank to tank systems and self power mics plus more, Tannoy are still in the top league. point source like in these speakers is the only way for harmonics to be replyed correctly and is how the brain knows a musical instrument correctly.
I trust Kevin. He has been honest about the good and the bad. What I'm getting here is don't buy these Stirlings III LZ. I bought Cheviots a few months ago and want a second pair of something even better. Fyne makes a model called an F702 and I think Kevin should have compared those.
that Tannoy model has a pepperpot dual concentric i have over 40 years experience of that drive unit, which is used in hi-fi choice magazine speaker built into the walls to eliminate cabinet vibrations, t they test how audio equiptment really sounds, those speakers all those years ago was so accurate they were used to test microphones, they will show up errors in recordings that other so called speakers hide.they do need a long time to settle in. it also shoes up shortcummings in equiptment , the peperpot is not used so much by Tannoy nnow because the engereering im making that unit is very expensive thus making it expensive to manifacture
Hello Mr Kevin…you are great and one day when I am in CA I would like to come to see your shop….i live in Japan so it is not easy but I will do it. About this topic, please from your pics i noticed that some Tannoys have a back label where clearly it is written designed, engendered and manufactured in UK with the UK flag. It means that they are made in UK. My Stirling were tested in March 2021. The factory was closed at the end of September 2021 as some newsmagazine from UK reported. Some of your Tannoys do not have the same back label, so it means Tannoy could not state they were made in UK otherwise they would do it, I guess. Where were they made? I do not know and also you do not know and Tannoy does not say anything, lack of transparency. It sounds to me something similar happened with a noticeable audiophile label. I am happy to own an “original” UK Tannoy. I am sure that they will get more value being the last of them. Please if you get to know more info about it let us know. You are great, and if I bought Tannoy it is because of your video, just I had to do in Japan, from Esoteric, the importer of Tannoy.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm honored and you are always welcome at our store. I have asked them where the factory is, and I really think people are owed an explanation.
@@upscaleaudio when a company like Tannoy is not open and teansparent...it leaves only one explanation... Tannoy has screwed up...isn't the Legacy series either built in china or parts are from china?
@@upscaleaudio I feel ya buddy. After 30 years as an Ironworker in the field, my knees and lower back remind me every day. Especially when I'm packing speakers and gear around the house. 😂😊😀
I watched this video twice to try and digest what is being said here, and am kind of perplexed. To me historic lineage and branding legacy is somewhat important, but at the end of the day I'm looking for maximum value for my dollar. Moving past the nostalgia bit of where a product is produced and who designed it, what I and I'm sure many others want to know is whether current Tannoy products with components produced in Asia perform as well as those that were produced several years ago in the UK. For example, does a current Cheviot or Eaton with Asian based drivers sound the same, better, or worse than than those that were made in Coatsbridge five years ago, and is the quality control similar? The reason I'm asking this is I have multiple photos of current Tannoy drivers produced in Asia, (Cheviot Turnberry Kensington GR), and Uk manufactured drivers produced around 2018, (Cheviot, Eaton Kensington SE,) and the differences are not what I expected. In the photos I have, the fit and finish of the Asian drivers is visually better than their UK counterparts in the areas of casting seams, paint finish, glue joints at the cone/spider junction, lead dressing etc. The top plate on some of the Asian models is now cast and machined rather than punched out of roll or plate steel in the UK versions. The cone pulp is blacker and less blotchy looking on the Asian version, but it's affect on sound quality is unknown. I've opened up and inspected several Tannoy products produced in the UK over the decades, (Kensington SE being the latest) and the the fit and finish of cabinet was excellent both inside and out, but the back of the driver looked like pretty shitty to be honest. (There was no paint on the back of the basket, the outer cylinder of the magnet assembly was corroded) When comparing prices for the two brands in Canada, Fyne Audio comes in about 10-15% higher than comparable Tannoy products, and the question is whether it's worth the difference or not. If anyone has compared current Tannoy products with those produced a few years ago, I'd love to know their findings as Tannoy still seems to be a better "deal" of the two product lines.
Hi Greg we have been doing QC on our Tannoy shipments for about two years. Every speaker gets opened because the QC was not very good, especially in 2021/22 and early 2023. The Stirling III LZ SE was delayed because many drivers had to be sent back to China, according to what we were told by Tannoy management. I am not knocking on China. Some of the best electronics that I sell are made there. I just tell it the way it is, warts and all. The Classic X sounds better at $8999 vs the Tannoy at $12,500. It's much less money and the Classic XII at $11,799 is crazy better.
Heard The Fyne audio classic XII , with mcintosh c70 / mc2152 ,….to be honest found the sound uninteressing, boring and anti climax show off ,……. What that tells me ? Well, contrary to most part of people would do, i am now more interested in hearing them , I have learned aplomb time ago , that what it seems the most boring speakers at first listen, are indeed the most rewarding and interesting in the long run
MDF is actually BETTER sounding than plywood for speaker cabinets. Plywood is stronger, but not dead-er or better damped than MDF. Plywood would be better for Pro speakers that need to be lighter and stronger for touring.
Kevin would you be willing to send these units to Erin's Audio Corner? I (and many others) like his no-nonsense methodology to reviewing AND measuring speakers. Above all he's fair. Thank you.
Tannoy died a few years ago. Fyne audio rose from their ashes. They sound fantastic but value retention is poor. Vintage Tannoy still rule in the used market though this may change in the future.
It's changed a lot now. Fyne is what Tannoy should have become had Uli Behringer protected the brand heritage. He owns Behringer City, a massive factory. This high-end audio thing is a minor annoyance compared to the dollars he can make in synthesizers.
@@upscaleaudio My only regret/question is that I bought Tannoy Cheviots from you. While they can sound divine on vocals and some jazz, they sound really congested for dense music. I’m just wondering if Fynes would have done better.
The industry is globalized and we cannot do anything about it. I was excited to buy Wharfedale Lintons thinking they were made in UK but surprised when the box said Made in China.
THANX G. I-Am Still Kickin it WITH MY OLD SCHOOL KENWOODS, Ya My Poor Little O'll KL-777Z's Baby. I Earned Um" USN. Sir. Paid like dirt? Worth A MILLION Too Me, Ha Peace Bob
Just take any well established brand and take production to China or Mexico. How many brands have done this? Quite a lot : Rayban, Timberland, Doctor Martens, Essilor. The shareholders just love this! It’s up to us,the buying public , to say STOP! Get your information from whatever source and use it by putting your cash into decent companies. Every product that has taken production to Asia and profits to an offshore bank account has an some good alternative ! I support REGA, Jean Marie Reynaud Loudspeakers, Pro-Ject and the same goes for everything else I buy. Thankyou
First time is this model, but I also had a replacement driver for a Cheviot, and it's marked "Designed in the UK, Made in China. I am comfortable in saying as of now all drivers are made there.
Hi Kevin, thank you very much for this informative video. I know you as a Tannoy lover, so must be sad to see them get worse. I have a pair of lovely Tannoy Legacy Eaton. Fortunately, they were still made in the UK, including the drivers. Furthermore, their cabinet made of HDF.
Strange how Kevin doesn't want to compare the 2 brands. Because he knows whichever 1 he prefers will get all the sales... These shopkeepers are blindingly obvious😂😂😂😂
retire. koopy vid. like phono cartridges,, $$$$ rarely indicative od usability, performance. ditto as usual in N.A. produvtweight is very important to this gent. audition,audition,audition. in your listening rooomm on your on your front ends and amplification on approval, and negotiate price. his vocabulary rarely extends beyond ^cool'- Tannoy sales will likely improve, when he retires, does not occupy bandwidth. )
Thanks for talking your loyal customers into buying Tannoy! Tapping on the cabinet suddenly means the structure is weak? Really? Used car salesman! You need a reality show called hard core audio!
The Fyne audio are ugly, for the price i don,t like the look. the tannoys are georgous. when a put a pair of speakers in my home, and considering the price i d'ont want a black box jbl's like in my living room.
Hey folks, it's Kevin - Jeepers. Everybody reading the bad Stirling III LZ review wants to know if I agree with it. The answer is YES. I would not buy them unless you can return them. Or at least spend time listening to them. The Fyne Classic XII is WAY up the ladder and a little bit fewer $$$.
I want you to know that if you bought Tannoy from us you should be proud of what you own. For the last couple years we have opened and QC every speaker we received from them. You are important to me, my audio friends. I'm honored to work for you.
You were raving about these Tannoys a years ago at the Axpona 2023 to The Absolute Sound. I don’t know which Kevin I should listen to.
i will have to find a dealer in the Uk that stocks them si ican listen to That Tannoy model myself, i have a birth defect that means my brain does not filter out disitortions in sounds so i hear what phase errors and missplaced inspace harmonics do to sounds, non coincidence drivers do not sound right to me. only point sorce sound right,if quality is that poor i will most certanly hear it as i know what that driver should sound like (midrange instruments have harmonics that apear in the treble range and vice versa)
Excellent report, Kevin. Thank you for the great news. I owned a pair of vintage Tannoy Arden's for many years and I still keep thinking about the great sound and the great times. I am fortunate to have had them. By the way, I compared them to MANY other speakers in my house (some very expensive speakers) and I will say that there was a night and day result in the comparisons each and every time. I compared them to modern speakers - but not the very high-end ones - but still, to hear such a difference in sound quality is important to share with others as there are different levels of sound that we can experience. But now that we know that Fyne has the Tannoy DNA, I don't need to listen to them. I'm just gonna go and get a pair of 501s right now and get back to sound that gave me everything I asked for in a speaker. I know there are many other great speakers out there, but these I know have the heritage as you stated and I understand the history of this brand.
Hey man that's great. Glad you dig your Ardens. There is the 501, and the 501SP. I have not heard the 501 but I understand they are crazy good. The 501SP is made in the UK and I have heard them. Amazing. And the 502SP is Bonkers.
Glad you did this one, Kevin. I've been really curious about how the two compare. I love Tannoy, but the Fyne sure look FINE! Thanks!
My wife and I heard and spoke with the Fyne folks at the last RMAF.
I was intrigued and liked the sound considering the room they were in.
Good to see these and wonder how they would sound
Nice genuine review. Keep us the good work.
Great review Kevin. However, are you comparing apples with apples. Would the Fyne speaker be better compared to maybe a Legacy Cheviot ?
We’re super excited to hear some of the Fyne speakers. 😍😍😍
Hi Kevin, I've had Tannoy's since the late 1970s and I just sold my Arden's a few months, I replaced them with a pair of Fyne F701s. I couldn't be happier with the decision, the quality is outstanding. I was originally looking at new pair of Tannoy's, but found out they were purchased by a corporation that closed down the factory in the UK. I totally support Fyne Audio and they're future success, proudly Made in the UK, manufactured, researched, & developed in Scotland. Excellent video and I happy you addressed what's going on with Tannoy. Cheers 🥂
The Parts r sourced in China for peanuts assembled in the UK with a huge mark up... To make u proud to be ripped off
The new Tannoy SGM line, where are the drivers and speakers made? and great video as I am considering the Fyne701s.
The Super Gold Monitors are not an entirely "new" speaker, according to what we were told. They are more or less Eaton, Cheviot, and Arden. The only difference that I'm aware of is they moved the controls on the front to make them look different. AS of this moment the drivers and cabinets are made in China. I do not know where they are assembled.
Quite informative as usual, heard the Tannoys at Axpona last year I thought impressive for a motel room. Will have too check out Fyne Audio now . Having a smaller pair of Tannoys in my collection I could see the similarities and differences. Any a suggestion when you go do the psa/prostate fun time 😊 wear a t- shirt from Uranus Mo. it will make their day !
Damn hate typing , music is better.
Kevin, you have a great ear. I still have my Ah! Tjoeb 4000 CD player (two of them actually). I still cannot believe how good it sounds.
I actually just bought a pair of Tannoy Ardens from Upscale, are my speakers made in UK or China?
This is Kevin the Stirling III LZ is the first speaker I was told has Chinese drivers. Love your Ardens. We QC every Tannoy we sell.
Great review!
I knew nothing about Fyne but I had heard of Tannoy and thought they were a great speaker. Now I have all new thoughts on these companies and their products. Thank you for the education.
I was lucky enough to buy 1 of the 11 Tannoy Churchill Wide-bands back in the day in search of the whole SET amp craze that was becoming big at the time. And I have never looked back. What a shame as to another great company surrendering to the enemy of the free world I would never buy another Tannoy, thank God for Fine though!
The advertising department has been busy at Fyne - now supported by Kevin. HDF being expensive 😂
God Bless you for doing this sir. Greetings from Canada
What are your thoughts on the Magnesium Vs. Titanium tweeters on the Fyne?
The Tannoy is Aluminum and Magnesium. I don't think there is a pat answer to that except to say Dr Paul Mills was given the chance to design the drivers any way he wished, and it looks like he has chosen Titanium. The think to remember this was his chance to do it HIS way, not being tethered to any "this is the way we've always done it".
Been the Roger's BBC rep in North America 14 or so years ago. I love the Britts. FYNE, one to watch!!! Bass tracks! WOW!
Rarely do I comment on equipment reviews. Love the fine tuning on Fyne! Indeed a visit to your store is worth the trip!
Kevin, tell it like it is! Yes parts, parts, parts and engineering are critical. Love the classic look.
Hi Kevin, I've been using tannoy speakers for decades, and tried some fyne audio as well, been wearing loakes most of my life since my military days,hopefully your, foot swelling goes down and you can get those loakes back on.
Man......they are stiff leather when new. My wife bought some boots and I bought oxfords. Shopping for them was a hoot. I dunno....I just dig the UK.
Kevin, I communicated with Jordan that I would like to see a full review of the bookshelf F1-5 and particular, the F1-8s from Fyne
for those challenged to the cubic inch as we are in NYC and other cities. However, that could extend to a full review of the Fyne Audio lineup as well as how these interface with tube versus solid state or Class A, AB or D amplification. If you could do this in long form, even with a representative from Scotland, that would be the ice cream on the cake. Thanks for all your hard work Kevin. When I lived on the West Coast, I visited with you at Upscale when I was a member of the LAOCAS.
I own a pair of F1-8s I drive them with a 30watt TS-120 and couldn't be happier. Big Soundstage with weight in the lower midrange. I find they have a large sweet spot as well.
I dig both speakers. They are both amazing. I don't give a crap what What Hifi says. Tannoys are amazing speakers. I am intrigued by these Fyne Audio speakers though. It is way out of my wheel house financially, but it still intrigues me none the less. By the way, I keep thinking you guys are shooting Sony Cameras. I keep thinking FX cameras maybe. FX3 or FX30. Looks good. I shoot Sony by the way. Fun to see Kevin again. Hope the whole Upscale Audio Family is doing well.
The Classic X and XII were designed by the master from the ground up. I'm impressed thus far. You must know your cameras. Yes...we spent a lot of jack on Sony cameras. I'm fine with it, but truth is I would be just as happy doing it on a phone in my office. It's all stream of consciousness when I'm screwing around in the store.
Hi Kevin, do you still have got your Westminster at home?
Yes I do. If anyone want to buy Westminsters, we have plenty, and we have opened and QC'd every pair.
That magazine cannot be trusted for reviews. Five star bias towards brands that advertise in their magazine.
They all do.
I would be more curious how the classic X sounds against something like the Tannoy Arden.
Kevin do the Fyne Audio speakers you have heard have all the great and distinctive sound character that the older Tannoy had when dr mills was their?
We would love for you to get a demo from us or your local dealer to hear for yourself! We love the sound of Fyne speakers and we think you will too!
Here is my review of the Fyne Audio speakers: ruclips.net/video/3afdo6omJ40/видео.html
Fostex lead the way 30 years ago with that fyneflute stuff with their Sigma series. good to see others finally figuring it out.
A high-end audio store in Florida I won’t name (oh, fuck it, it was Suncoast Audio) that I called to see if they carried the Tannoy Kensington speaker, poo-poo’d the brand, saying it was outdated technology. Then, not too much later, they became a Fyne dealer…🤡
Tannoy have made a change of CEO and change of distribution in US and many other places. But the owners are still the shitty Musictribe which trash a beautiful brand.
Great review on the Fyne brand, but sad that it seems the 'bean counter's ' at Tannoy have taken control and will destroy the brand for the sake of a few pounds thinking loyal distributor s and customer's won't notice...
The IIILZ was one of the best speakers at Axpona? Fyne was present also and they had great sound also but it wasn’t comparable to the IIILZ display. I’m confused?
They weren't playing at Axpona. They shipped in a pair specifically to play them. My employee Craig and others spent hours trying to get them to sound good, but could not. So we put them up high to show them but not play them. The sound was similar to the What HiFi review. Unpleasant midrange and ill-defined bass response.
We explained it to the public as they weren't broken in. Now with this review, they want to use the same narrative. That they shipped them from a distributor, and they are not sure how many hours are on them. I've shipped tons of products to reviewers. It's common knowledge you get ONE SHOT and nothing can be left to chance.
@@upscaleaudiooh ok I think you are right it was a bigger unit I heard I snapped a picture of them and looked at it. I know it sounded better than the Fyne room though. It was the Kensington.
@@kevinsmith885 Yes. Kensington. Fyne make a similar model, though it is much better (and more expensive). The cabinet design with Basstrax is a game changer, and the HF driver is crossed over a lot lower, and WOW! It's simply beautiful.
@@upscaleaudioWhich Fyne model is better and why? I assume you have done an AB test? Are you sure you’re not trying to promote a brand for which you are the distributor? Bit like Prima Luna, that I believe you partially own? Absolutely nothing wrong with that - in fact I bought one of their integrated amps based on your brilliant review and I couldn’t be happier - really makes my Tannoy’s sing.
I've heard that one of the best Tannoy Speakers is the vintage Tannoy Arden Mkl❓
I’ve always loved Tannoy speakers. I think they are beautiful. But would anyone prefer or think that these speakers in the video,, are better or just as good as the Klipsch line of speakers? Like the Klipsch Heritage IV, Cornwall IV or Forte IV?
Hey man love Klipsch. You can call my store to talk about it. They are well-read and not on commission.
Actually yes.
Before I bought my current Tannoy Sterling GR Prestige (the last series that was made in Scotland) I auditioned them against Sonus Faber hi end (costing twice) speakers and the Klipsch Forte IV (which I also loved) and picked up the Tannoys which were my favorites.
They are powered by the Luxman 507 UX II.
Tannoy have had experts before and will have after Dr Mills, Tannoy have and had voice comunication systems that the voice is clear sounding and were used in WW2 using an elecronic version of didgital signal proccesing to make sure the voice was clear. Tannoy was a company that was listed as extremely important for the war, tank to tank systems and self power mics plus more, Tannoy are still in the top league. point source like in these speakers is the only way for harmonics to be replyed correctly and is how the brain knows a musical instrument correctly.
I feel you brother.. I am in my 60s and falling apart also. Better than dying young though.
I love Kevin's cabaret clown style to lift the heavy HIFI boxes into something floating happily in your living room
I trust Kevin. He has been honest about the good and the bad. What I'm getting here is don't buy these Stirlings III LZ. I bought Cheviots a few months ago and want a second pair of something even better. Fyne makes a model called an F702 and I think Kevin should have compared those.
that Tannoy model has a pepperpot dual concentric i have over 40 years experience of that drive unit, which is used in hi-fi choice magazine speaker built into the walls to eliminate cabinet vibrations, t they test how audio equiptment really sounds, those speakers all those years ago was so accurate they were used to test microphones, they will show up errors in recordings that other so called speakers hide.they do need a long time to settle in. it also shoes up shortcummings in equiptment , the peperpot is not used so much by Tannoy nnow because the engereering im making that unit is very expensive thus making it expensive to manifacture
Hello Mr Kevin…you are great and one day when I am in CA I would like to come to see your shop….i live in Japan so it is not easy but I will do it. About this topic, please from your pics i noticed that some Tannoys have a back label where clearly it is written designed, engendered and manufactured in UK with the UK flag. It means that they are made in UK. My Stirling were tested in March 2021. The factory was closed at the end of September 2021 as some newsmagazine from UK reported. Some of your Tannoys do not have the same back label, so it means Tannoy could not state they were made in UK otherwise they would do it, I guess. Where were they made? I do not know and also you do not know and Tannoy does not say anything, lack of transparency. It sounds to me something similar happened with a noticeable audiophile label. I am happy to own an “original” UK Tannoy. I am sure that they will get more value being the last of them. Please if you get to know more info about it let us know. You are great, and if I bought Tannoy it is because of your video, just I had to do in Japan, from Esoteric, the importer of Tannoy.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm honored and you are always welcome at our store. I have asked them where the factory is, and I really think people are owed an explanation.
@@upscaleaudio
when a company like Tannoy is not open and teansparent...it leaves only one explanation...
Tannoy has screwed up...isn't the Legacy series either built in china or parts are from china?
I saw the thumbnail and thought it was George Carlin at first!
Let’s go Kevin!! 😂😂. COMING IN HOT with the old man syndrome. 😂. Man those speakers were some of my favorite at Axpona last year.
Yeah I shouldn't talk about it but some people relate,
@@upscaleaudio I feel ya buddy. After 30 years as an Ironworker in the field, my knees and lower back remind me every day. Especially when I'm packing speakers and gear around the house. 😂😊😀
I watched this video twice to try and digest what is being said here, and am kind of perplexed. To me historic lineage and branding legacy is somewhat important, but at the end of the day I'm looking for maximum value for my dollar. Moving past the nostalgia bit of where a product is produced and who designed it, what I and I'm sure many others want to know is whether current Tannoy products with components produced in Asia perform as well as those that were produced several years ago in the UK. For example, does a current Cheviot or Eaton with Asian based drivers sound the same, better, or worse than than those that were made in Coatsbridge five years ago, and is the quality control similar? The reason I'm asking this is I have multiple photos of current Tannoy drivers produced in Asia, (Cheviot Turnberry Kensington GR), and Uk manufactured drivers produced around 2018, (Cheviot, Eaton Kensington SE,) and the differences are not what I expected. In the photos I have, the fit and finish of the Asian drivers is visually better than their UK counterparts in the areas of casting seams, paint finish, glue joints at the cone/spider junction, lead dressing etc. The top plate on some of the Asian models is now cast and machined rather than punched out of roll or plate steel in the UK versions. The cone pulp is blacker and less blotchy looking on the Asian version, but it's affect on sound quality is unknown. I've opened up and inspected several Tannoy products produced in the UK over the decades, (Kensington SE being the latest) and the the fit and finish of cabinet was excellent both inside and out, but the back of the driver looked like pretty shitty to be honest. (There was no paint on the back of the basket, the outer cylinder of the magnet assembly was corroded) When comparing prices for the two brands in Canada, Fyne Audio comes in about 10-15% higher than comparable Tannoy products, and the question is whether it's worth the difference or not. If anyone has compared current Tannoy products with those produced a few years ago, I'd love to know their findings as Tannoy still seems to be a better "deal" of the two product lines.
Hi Greg we have been doing QC on our Tannoy shipments for about two years. Every speaker gets opened because the QC was not very good, especially in 2021/22 and early 2023. The Stirling III LZ SE was delayed because many drivers had to be sent back to China, according to what we were told by Tannoy management. I am not knocking on China. Some of the best electronics that I sell are made there. I just tell it the way it is, warts and all. The Classic X sounds better at $8999 vs the Tannoy at $12,500. It's much less money and the Classic XII at $11,799 is crazy better.
@@upscaleaudiobut your not comparing products in a similar price point are you?
Heard The Fyne audio classic XII , with mcintosh c70 / mc2152 ,….to be honest found the sound uninteressing, boring and anti climax show off ,……. What that tells me ? Well, contrary to most part of people would do, i am now more interested in hearing them , I have learned aplomb time ago , that what it seems the most boring speakers at first listen, are indeed the most rewarding and interesting in the long run
13:58 I thought Tannoy would be using Plywood not MDF for their cabinets 😞
MDF is actually BETTER sounding than plywood for speaker cabinets. Plywood is stronger, but not dead-er or better damped than MDF. Plywood would be better for Pro speakers that need to be lighter and stronger for touring.
@@TheMirolab The Tannoy mini autograph is made with 24 ply birch plywood
Tannoy Westminster is top quality birch plywood.
MDF is cheap and boomy. Thick ply is much better in terms of reducing resonance.
MDF is more commonly used because it's cheap.
Kevin would you be willing to send these units to Erin's Audio Corner? I (and many others) like his no-nonsense methodology to reviewing AND measuring speakers. Above all he's fair. Thank you.
Would that request make a lot more sense if Erin asked Kevin directly? Not sure it makes sense for you to ask Kevin on behalf of Erin.
Just trying to get the ball rolling. Kevin is a distributor and sometimes these things prove beneficial.@@Simplyveej
There is already a review of them: ruclips.net/video/3afdo6omJ40/видео.html
Tannoy died a few years ago. Fyne audio rose from their ashes. They sound fantastic but value retention is poor. Vintage Tannoy still rule in the used market though this may change in the future.
It's changed a lot now. Fyne is what Tannoy should have become had Uli Behringer protected the brand heritage. He owns Behringer City, a massive factory. This high-end audio thing is a minor annoyance compared to the dollars he can make in synthesizers.
Looks like a bridge video before Kevin throws his lot in with Fyne, and ditches Tannoy.
Ha! Well I have maybe $1.5m (retail) in Tannoy. My experience thus far with Fyne is incredible.
@@upscaleaudio My only regret/question is that I bought Tannoy Cheviots from you. While they can sound divine on vocals and some jazz, they sound really congested for dense music. I’m just wondering if Fynes would have done better.
@@Simplyveej If you bought them from us I can tell you they are right on. Amazing speaker, and you should be proud.
@@upscaleaudio Why do they sound congested on dense music, though?
The industry is globalized and we cannot do anything about it. I was excited to buy Wharfedale Lintons thinking they were made in UK but surprised when the box said Made in China.
THANX G. I-Am Still Kickin it WITH MY OLD SCHOOL KENWOODS, Ya My Poor Little O'll KL-777Z's Baby. I Earned Um" USN. Sir. Paid like dirt? Worth A MILLION Too Me, Ha Peace Bob
What Hifi has honest reviews, I like that.
Sounds like the Tannoy bean counters sold their soul. Oh well…
Just take any well established brand and take production to China or Mexico. How many brands have done this? Quite a lot : Rayban, Timberland, Doctor Martens, Essilor. The shareholders just love this! It’s up to us,the buying public , to say STOP! Get your information from whatever source and use it by putting your cash into decent companies. Every product that has taken production to Asia and profits to an offshore bank account has an some good alternative ! I support REGA, Jean Marie Reynaud Loudspeakers, Pro-Ject and the same goes for everything else I buy. Thankyou
Is ur phone made in Europe including parts... 😂
Coatbridge not Coatsbridge.
Kevin, when did Tannoy started making there drivers in China….
First time is this model, but I also had a replacement driver for a Cheviot, and it's marked "Designed in the UK, Made in China. I am comfortable in saying as of now all drivers are made there.
@@upscaleaudio Okay! Thanks
Hi Kevin, thank you very much for this informative video. I know you as a Tannoy lover, so must be sad to see them get worse.
I have a pair of lovely Tannoy Legacy Eaton. Fortunately, they were still made in the UK, including the drivers. Furthermore, their cabinet made of HDF.
Uh oh….
i will continue to own older Tannoy products but if Tannoy is distroyed by cowboy owners i will switch to fyne Audio for future products
We love the history of Tannoy, but Fyne has groundbreaking new technology and it feels like what Dr. Paul always wanted to build!
Strange how Kevin doesn't want to compare the 2 brands. Because he knows whichever 1 he prefers will get all the sales... These shopkeepers are blindingly obvious😂😂😂😂
I don't want to be mean. If you have Tannoy you bought from us, be proud.
The video that started it all? ruclips.net/video/jloSNU3s670/видео.html
This video above was launched just before I started doing business with Fyne. It is worth watching, but most entertaining is the comments.
So you push Prima Luna (made in China) but now you shit on Tannoy!?
🙄🤔original...
retire. koopy vid. like phono cartridges,, $$$$ rarely indicative od usability, performance. ditto as usual in N.A. produvtweight is very important to this gent. audition,audition,audition. in your listening rooomm on your on your front ends and amplification on approval, and negotiate price. his vocabulary rarely extends beyond ^cool'- Tannoy sales will likely improve, when he retires, does not occupy bandwidth. )
Thanks for talking your loyal customers into buying Tannoy! Tapping on the cabinet suddenly means the structure is weak? Really? Used car salesman! You need a reality show called hard core audio!
Refreshing to see an honestly BAD review!
Audio is basically overpriced anyway.
The Fyne audio are ugly, for the price i don,t like the look. the tannoys are georgous. when a put a pair of speakers in my home, and considering the price i d'ont want a black box jbl's like in my living room.
Ive got to say , this guys hilarious. If I lived in us , I'd buy off this guy
Yeah man we can still be friends. Greetings to you in the down under I suspect.
@upscaleaudio nearly ,but not quite ..I'm in the uk ..
Best regards Mike