Tannoy Saturn S6LR loudspeakers

Tannoy is one of those audio equipment brands that historically had one feet on the professional market, and one on the consumer one. To be noticed with Tannoy is their capability to make good sounding loudspeakers at any size, and configuration, as here in their landmark concentric speaker layout.

The concentric design is based on a very simple fact: will it be a singing mocking jay or Miles Davis' trumpet, the sound comes full from one single point in space, regardless of frequency. And based on this observation, the multiple driver two, three way loudspeakers may face a challenge. 

First developed in 1947, the first true point-source transducer - the Dual Concentric driver - technology has been subject to constant evolution and refinement over successive decades, taking advantage of new materials, manufacturing methods and ongoing acoustic research. Unlike ordinary drive units, Dual Concentric is two drivers physically merged into one. The high frequency unit is positioned on the back of the low frequency driver so that they are effectively on the same axis.

Sound energy is propagated from exactly the same point and delivered through the centre of the low frequency cone. The Dual Concentric delivers a spherical wave front that ensures even dispersion in the horizontal and vertical planes, providing exceptional off-axis performance.

Tannoy refined the technology in their studio monitors, the worldwide famous Monitor Gold series. Exceptional piece of audiophile Hi-Fi, but playing in an other league. 

The genius of this brand is the way they accomodate top notch technology to a smaller form factor. We present here a Saturn S6LR, which is one of the compact dual concentric line models available at the end of the nineties. Still made in the UK, with the 165mm dual concentric in a compact but solid cabinet with a large bass reflex, quality is at every corner in this model that accepts bi-wiring.

Remembering the statement on the better dispersion, a notable advantage standing out from our listening session was the imaging. The monitor style rendition puts you in a real immersive scene where you can virtually measure the distance between two cymbals… the balance is great, the rendition very natural and the spectrum while coming from a single point is very organised.

End of the nineties we said, so not surprisingly these series were also purposedly articulated also for home theater usage, matched in front/rear and subwoofer combinations. We at Vintage Note are absolutely not in this discipline, but we suspect that using this pair as an audiophile stereo system and as front speakers for film, should certainly not be a bad move, will it be for engaging dialogues or action-packed scenes.