Tannoy's anniversary lineup begins with special versions of the Westminster Royal GR and Canterbury GR, both based on the Prestige Gold Reference Series and produced in extremely limited numbers that nod directly to Tannoy’s 1926 founding in South London.
Tannoy’s first 100th anniversary Limited Editions will be produced in extremely small numbers: 19 pairs of the flagship Westminster Royal GR and 26 pairs of the Canterbury GR. The production figures are intentional, combining to reference 1926, the year Tannoy was founded in South London. Anniversary upgrades are said to, “incorporate significant performance upgrades, including enhanced crossovers and improved internal cabling.” Additional anniversary models are expected to be added to the range in the coming months.
Westminster Royal GR
The Westminster Royal GR is the brand’s flagship Prestige loudspeaker and one of the most recognizable large-format designs in British hi-fi.
The Westminster Royal GR is a two-way, horn-loaded loudspeaker built around a 15-inch Tannoy Dual Concentric driver, a driver architecture first introduced by the company in 1947. This is not a compact lifestyle box pretending to be heritage audio. At 140 cm tall, 55 inches, and weighing 140 kg, 309 pounds, the Westminster Royal GR is closer to furniture with a passport and a solicitor.
Key acoustic technologies include Tannoy’s PepperPot WaveGuide, Alnico magnets, and aluminium-magnesium alloy diaphragm compression drivers with Mylar surrounds. The massive 530-litre birch ply cabinet uses extensive internal bracing and Tannoy’s Differential Materials Technology, which couples the drive unit to the cabinet using materials of varying density to help control resonance, improve damping, and reduce unwanted vibration.
Tannoy Westminster Royal GR
Tannoy Canterbury GR
The cabinet is finished in oiled walnut veneer with hand-selected burr walnut inlays, because when a loudspeaker weighs more than some motorcycles, it may as well look like it belongs in a country estate.
The Westminster Royal GR has a sensitivity rating of 99 dB. This contributes to better compatibility with amplifiers from high-powered transistors to low-powered tube amplifiers, while bass extension reaches down to 18 Hz for full-bandwidth reproduction.
Tannoy says full specifications, pricing, and imagery for the wider range of special edition models will be released when the lineup formally launches later this year.
Comparison
| Tannoy Non-Anniversary Model | Westminster GR | Canterbury GR |
| Product Type | Floor Standing Speaker | Floor Standing Speaker |
| MSRP (pair) | $60,000 | $30,000 |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 20 to 350 watts per channel | 20 to 300 watts per channel |
| Continuous power handling | 175 watt RMS | 150 watt RMS |
| Peak power handling | 700 watt | 600 watt |
| Sensitivity (2.83 volt @ 1 m) | 99 dB | 96 dB |
| Nominal Impedance | 8 ohm | 8 ohm |
| Minimum Impedance | 5 ohm | 5 ohm |
| Frequency Response | 18 Hz – 27 kHz (-6 dB) | 28 Hz – 27 kHz (-6 dB) |
| Dispersion | 90 degrees conical | 90 degrees conical |
| Dual Concentric Drive Unit | 380 mm (15”) with paper pulp cone and twin roll impregnated fabric surround. 52 mm (2”) round wire voice coil 52 mm (2”) aluminium/magnesium alloy dome with round wire voice coil |
380 mm (15”) with paper pulp cone and twin roll impregnated fabric surround. 52 mm (2”) round wire voice coil 52 mm (2”) aluminium/magnesium alloy dome with round wire voice coil |
| Crossover Type | Bi-wired, hard-wired, passive, low loss. Time compensated. 2nd order low pass. 2nd order high pass. Deep cryogenically treated |
Bi-wired, hard-wired, passive, low loss. Time compensated. 2nd order low pass. 2nd order high pass. Deep cryogenically treated |
| Crossover Frequency | 200 Hz acoustical, 1.0 kHz electrical |
1.1 kHz |
| Adjustments | +/-3 dB over 1.0 kHz to 27 kHz shelving + 2 dB to -6 dB per octave over 5 kHz to 27 kHz slope |
+/-3 dB over 1.1 kHz to 27 kHz shelving + 2 dB to -6 dB per octave over 5 kHz to 27 kHz slope |
| Enclosure Type | Compound horn | Dual variable distributed port |
| Volume | 530 litres (18.72 cu. ft) | 235 litres (3.71 cu. ft) |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 1395 x 980 x 560 mm 54.92 x 38.58 x 22.05” |
1100 x 680 x 480 mm 43.31 x 26.77 x 18.90” |
| Construction | High-density birch ply, walnut veneered, with solid walnut trim and edging | High-density birch ply, walnut veneered, with solid walnut trim, 25mm (1”) thick front baffle. Internally cross-braced and heavily damped |
Westminster Royal GR (back)
Westminster Royal GR Loudspeaker (front with grille)