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Tannoy - A Short History
In the early days of broadcasting radio sets needed both low and high voltage
DC power and this had to be supplied by batteries. The lead acid batteries commonly
used in the radio equipment of the time therefore needed regular recharging.
In London, in 1926, Guy R. Fountain perfected a new type of electrical rectifier
with the aim of designing a charger more suitable for use in the home. His
rectifier consisted of two dissimilar metals held in a special electrolyte solution;
one was Tantalum and the other an alloy of Lead. So successful was this
invention that Guy Fountain founded a British company by the name of Tannoy,
a contraction of the words 'Tantalum' and 'Alloy', and this brand name soon
became internationally renowned and highly regarded in all aspects of sound reproduction.
Early experiments with moving coil loudspeakers with DC energised magnets proved to be the company' s first foray into the field of
loudspeaker technology. A discrete two-way loudspeaker system followed in 1933 and shortly after a range of microphones and
loudspeakers capable of high power handling. These developments led the company to become world famous in the field of public
address and sound distribution, with countless prestigious installations completed in subsequent decades. So much so that the Oxford
English Dictionary adopted the word Tannoy as the generic term for a PA system.
Tannoy has always been at the forefront of the communications revolution, developing its own equipment and production technology.
The company has built up a fund of knowledge and experience, which has proved invaluable in the development of loudspeakers for
an exceptionally wide range of applications. The famous Tannoy Dual Concentric™ loudspeaker driver principle was created and
developed under Guy Fountain's direction in the late 1940' s . It is still highly regarded by music enthusiasts, recording facilities and
broadcast studios, worldwide due to its unique point source dispersion properties. Due to the complex design, where the high frequency
unit is mounted behind, and concentrically with, the low frequency unit, the low and high frequencies are fully integrated at source.
It is this feature that gives the Dual Concentric™ driver such unique sound reproduction qualities.
Guy Fountain retired in 1974 but the Tannoy Company maintains his philosophy and, as such, remains dedicated to the accurate and
realistic reproduction of music for those enthusiasts and audio professionals around the world.
The Tannoy Research and Development team has continued to refine the innovative Dual Concentric™ principle. Using the latest
design and material technologies, with sophisticated circuit techniques in crossover design; Tannoy has produced a loudspeaker system
with superb reproductive capabilities and exceptionally wide dynamic range.
Tannoy is now part of the TC Group, whose goal is to design, produce and distribute the best engineered, most recognised and respected
brands of audio products in the world.
The Glenair
In combining the best of traditional crafts with the latest production and design skills, Tannoy presents the Glenair loudspeaker. The
Glenair embodies the Tannoy philosophy and brings a fresh modern approach to our Prestige range of loudspeakers. Cabinets
incorporating selected hardwoods are hand finished to a standard that is unsurpassed. The Glenair is a truly special loudspeaker. The
high performance driver is the latest version of our famous 15" Tannoy Dual Concentric™, and includes a multi-fibre paper pulp cone
and fabric surround for natural midrange and well defined bass. The high frequency section incorporates Tannoy Tulip Waveguide™
technology, giving a true to life performance. The driver is installed in a damped birch-ply cabinet with cherry veneers and solid wooden
mouldings. Silver-plated Van den Hul wiring is used throughout to minimize losses and improve clarity. The carefully optimized crossover
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includes low loss inductors and special audio grade capacitors.
Unpacking Instructions
After opening the carton and folding the end leaves out of the way, remove the packing cushion to reveal the plinth and bottom of
the loudspeaker. Locate the bag containing the four mounting cones and cups. Turn the loudspeaker over so that the cabinet now stands
on the floor inside the carton. Lift the carton upwards to reveal the loudspeaker.
Examine all packing material and inspect the carton for signs of external damage. If there is evidence of excessive mishandling in transit,
resulting in damage to the loudspeaker, inform the carrier and supplier immediately. Always keep the packing in such circumstances
for subsequent examination.
Tannoy strongly suggests that you store the complete packaging set for possible future use.
Initial Positioning
Screw the four carpet piercing cones to each cabinet to ensure stability and best sound quality. These are designed to avoid damage
to the carpet, but for bare wooden floors, they should rest on the metal cups provided.
Locate the loudspeakers so that the favourite listening position is approximately 15 degrees _from the axes of the cabinets. The axes
of both cabinets should intersect at a point slightly in front of the listening position. Remember that the proximity of the loudspeakers
to walls and corners will affect the sound. Some experimentation will probably be needed to fine-tune the stereo image depth and low
frequency sound quality. Close-to-wall positions - and room corners more so - have the effect of increasing very low frequency sound
energy. Reflective adjacent walls may upset the stereo image by causing unwanted reflections.
The loudspeakers are designed to be used at least 1m from any sidewall or reflective surface and at least 0.5m away from a rear wall.
Only in this position will their exceptional stereo image depth capabilities be realised.
Amplifier Matching
Consult the product specification page as this clearly shows the acceptable power range for amplifier matching to your speakers. The
high peak power handling of Tannoy loudspeakers permits responsible use with more powerful amplifiers - please read the Warranty.
As with all loudspeaker systems, the power handling is a function of voice coil thermal capacity. Care should be taken to avoid overdriving
any amplifier, as this will cause output overload resulting in 'clipping' or distortion within the output signal. This, if done for any
extended period, will cause damage to the speakers.
Generally an amplifier of higher power that is running hard, but free of distortion, will do less damage to the loudspeaker than a lower
power amplifier continually clipping. Remember also that a high powered amplifier running at less than 90% of output power generally
sounds a great deal better than a lower powered example struggling to achieve 100%. An amplifier with insufficient drive capability
will not allow the full performance of the loudspeakers to be realised.
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