Tannoy SGM 10 speakers
Given that the very first loudspeaker I reviewed, back in 1988, was a Tannoy I was interested to hear how a modern iteration from the same marque sounds. Many millions of published words later and I received the first UK samples of the brand-new two-way standmount 10-inch dual concentric design, the Super Gold Monitor 10. Although, by design, it’s probably going to sound more like that 1988 model than a modern replacement.
Legend and legacy
The Tannoy legacy dates back to 1926, with the formation of the Tulsemere Manufacturing Company in south-east London. Beginning by manufacturing battery chargers for early radio sets, the name was changed to Tannoy in 1928 and registered as a trademark by its Yorkshire-born founder, Guy R Fountain, in March 1932, as an abbreviation of ‘tantalum alloy’; the material used in its electrolytic rectifier.
During WWII the firm made public address systems for the armed forces and it was a Tannoy system that was used in 1945 at Buckingham Palace to announce the end of the war. Speakers were also supplied to many British factories, holiday camps and many will remember them from railway platforms. In the 1970s the company uprooted from London to Coatbridge in Scotland. Such was the brand’s prominence that it entered the English language as a verb ‘to Tannoy’ someone and as a generic term for a public address system.
Ownership changed in 2002 when the business was acquired by TC Group which was subsequently bought by Music Group in 2015 (now Music Tribe) and a decision was made to close Coatbridge and move activities to Manchester. Although in 2016 a reprieve was announced and a brand-new Scottish factory promised. Tannoy is probably best known for its dual concentric coaxial loudspeaker design, which places the tweeter behind the centre of the midrange or bass driver, as in the SGM 10 here.
Design
The original Super Gold heritage loudspeaker was launched back in the 1980s, since when countless high-profile recording studios have used Tannoys when mixing and/or mastering some of the most iconic albums and soundtracks in history. The Super Gold Monitor10 (SGM 10 for short) is the smallest model in a new range of three designs; the number referring to the diameter (in inches) of the mid/bass unit surrounding the central tweeter. We have a paper pulp cone with twin-roll impregnated fabric surround, and 52mm edge-wound voice coil, with a 33mm aluminium/magnesium HF alloy dome at the centre. The low-loss crossover, at 1.2kHz, is second-order low-pass and first-order high-pass.
An unusual feature is the ‘energy control system’ which allows users to tweak the sound according to room acoustic make-up and/or personal taste. On the SGM 10 is a 2-way control of both of treble roll off and treble energy level. These give the listener a ±3 dB control over the frequency range from 1 kHz to 30 kHz with a shelving filter; and a 2 dB to -6 dB per octave adjustment over a 5 kHz to 30 kHz slope. These are conveniently housed at the base of the front baffle and are easily accessible after removal of the grilles which only provided for aesthetic purposes.
At the top of the baffle are a pair of 60mm diameter reflex ports; being on the front they afford the option for closer siting towards the rear wall. The boxes themselves are easy to manhandle at 18.5 kg although their 52cm height dominated my smallish listening room.
The SGM 10 cabinets are of 19mm MDF with plywood internal bracing, finished in rigid walnut veneer and sourced in China, with assembly undertaken in Scotland. The rear baffle houses five sturdy binding posts: two for positive and two for negative amplifier connections (for bi-amping/bi-wiring) alongside an optional earth tag. Shorting leads are provided to make connection to single amplifier wiring, which is what I employed.
Dual Concentric
Tannoy are rightly proud of the Dual Concentric drive unit with the tweeter having a smooth acoustic path through the centre of the low frequency unit to tackle the comb-filtering effects and phase shift of frequencies, notably in the crossover region, which occurs when the tweeter is above or below the mid/bass driver.
In Tannoy’s patented design, the mid/bass unit operates without obstruction because the cone piston apex is well clear of the tweeter. Both units work together to create a single point-source whose aim is to cover the entire audio spectrum. This, it is claimed, creates a soundstage that is better than ‘standard’ drive unit arrangements. Tannoy’s coaxial units are, by their very nature, complex to manufacture and therefore they are reserved for high-end designs and go part way to explain the final product’s price tag.
The famous drive unit was first created by Tannoy’s chief engineer, Ronnie H Rackham, who had acquired considerable knowledge of high-efficiency drive units during wartime public address designs. He combined a two-inch HF compression horn driver unit concentrically with a 15-inch direct radiating bass driver. His skill and knowledge married the two such that the flare shape of the woofer continued the flare rate of the tweeter unit. Clever stuff.
By using this design technique, he achieved a very low-coloration horn device and one with such a large mouth diameter that it had an inherently low cut-off frequency. The crossover point from bass to high frequency was selected at 1kHz; nearly a whole octave above the
natural horn frequency lower cut off point, leading to previously unheard-of low levels of coloration.
The first units made were 12-inch models and, it is reported, after testing were sold to Decca who ordered more and Tannoy progressed to its 15-inch model. In the SGM 10 here we are treated to a 10-inch cone. In 1967 the arrival of the Monitor Gold series increased power handling (to 60W rms) for the 15-inch unit although sensitivity had dropped (to 92dB) with a conventional 8 Ohm impedance. Cone weights were increased for low free-air resonance in reflex and infinite baffle cabinets. It is that era that the SGM 10 attempts to re-create and bring a tinge of nostalgia to twenty-first century audiophile systems. Today, Tannoy uses modern ferrite with copper demodulation rings and high flux magnetic circuit as an enhancement over the original 1970s Alnico design.
Plots
A rough in-room nearfield plot, both on and off-axis reveals that the SGM 10 is a reincarnation of a 1970s neutrality. There’s not the presence region boost seen in so many modern-day designs which push the performance into the listener’s lap. We are also spared the over-used tendency for the ‘hi-fi treble’ which is a continually rising HF response, often beyond 20kHz which gives rise to excitement but can be fatiguing and sound unnatural on much material.
Installation
Connection was via Chord’s latest Signature XL cable to my trusty Hegel H600 streaming amplifier with an Auralic Aries G1 streamer for Qobuz tracks, an internet tuner and satellite receiver as digital sources. The speakers were personally delivered along with some 50cm Custom Design twin-pillar stands (unfilled) with suitably-sized top plate. These brought the centre of the inner tweeter driver almost to ear level when seated. However, I found a better-defined presence region with clearer voices, notably males, by deploying some taller Custom Design stands of 60cm and half-filled central columns.
Certainly, the SGM 10s can in no way be described as discreet loudspeakers, instead they are the visual centrepiece of an audio system. This experience demonstrates how vital it can be to obtain the optimum speaker placement, not only with regards to room boundaries but also the listening position, even with dual concentric drive units.
Sound quality
Before the listening panel arrived, I tried a few well-known tracks on the SGM 10s and started with one apt for the era the speakers are trying to re-create, Tony Christie’s Avenues and Alleyways. Whereas on many modern loudspeakers this is a track prone to sibilance in his voice, and an over-bright and upfront presentation, via the SGM 10s it was a joy to listen to. More than that, a joy to become involved with for involvement is clearly a key plus point of these loudspeakers.
The treble was gloriously detailed, delicate and mixed well with the midrange and bass although this was perhaps not as fulsome as I had expected given the drive unit size and cabinet volume. What LF there was though was delightfully controlled and engaging. The -3dB point is quoted as 40Hz although the lower-response drops slightly around 50–100Hz, but bass junkies can simply add a subwoofer. There was a real sense of 1970s nostalgia generated with a refined and warm upper-bass plus good timing, not that they knew what timing was back then, not until Ivor told them at least!
The panel assembled and we continued my theme of tracks that would have been played, and might even have been mixed, on the original SGM 10s. With Neil Diamond’s Beautiful Noise where the soundstage had sufficient scale to generate listener involvement once again and our feet tapped along to the tune. Vocals were natural, the overall sound slightly warm with a delicious lushness and it brought back memories of listening in my younger days. The nostalgia continued with Kate Bush and Babooshka which had no hint of sibilance although the artist was tangible such that one could reach out and almost expect to touch her, such was the level of realism. Imaging was noted here as being superb.
To my more usual repertoire and the Beaux Arts Trio with Schubert’s Piano Trio Number 1 (Phillips from 1966) and these speakers showed what they could do in recreating the small-scale ensemble in such a realistic way. The instruments sounded so natural, the piano had a lovely tone while the speed and agility of the work was conveyed faithfully, just as I imagine the recording engineer wanted.
We concluded with the LSO, under Bryden Thompson, and Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony(Number 2) to discover just how the SGM 10s handled a larger-scale work. They were unfazed and presented us with a musical image of grandeur and calm; those chimes of Big Ben carried on the harp harmonics bringing a tingle to the back of the neck before the eruption in the allegro as the Tannoys showed how adept they were with the dynamics of the shattering chromatic theme and rousing march.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, the new Super Gold Monitor 10 does what it sets out to achieve, namely to echo the original 1970s model, more akin in their balance to studio monitors than anything else in the Tannoy catalogue. The ability to fine-tune both HF lift and cut, simply by using front baffle plugs is a real boon in a wide range of acoustic settings. The forward-firing reflex ports allow the loudspeakers to be placed close to the rear wall and lessen their domineering effect on the room where they remain a feature, enhanced by removal of the grilles to reveal gold embellishments.
Some users will add a sub-woofer but that’s a simple matter these days with a wide choice of proficient designs available. Thankfully we are spared a ‘boom and tizz’ output which is all too prevalent in many of today’s loudspeakers. Instead, with the SGM 10, we are treated to a relaxing, enjoyable and musical sound that’s completely unfatiguing and draws the listener into fine recordings while, magically, taking the rough edges off some lesser material which would otherwise be over-bright, brash and in-your-face.
It was a delight to revel in nostalgia and be transported back to the glorious heydays of home hi-fi, enjoying some fabulous tunes along the way thanks to the Tannoy SGM 10s. They are bound to be a big hit with the audience seeking to do the same.