I’ve heard it over the Tannoy.
This expression is commonly heard in the United Kingdom even today. Much like “Kleenex” or “Xerox” in the United States, the brand name has become synonymous with an entire category of products. Ironically, however, the company’s origins had nothing to do with loudspeakers.
Guy R. Fountain founded the company in London in 1926 as the Tulsemere Manufacturing Company, initially producing battery chargers for wireless radios. During this work, he developed an electrolytic rectifier using a tantalum alloy. The brand name, introduced in 1928, was thus derived from the material itself: Tantalum Alloy.
Fountain entered the loudspeaker business in the early 1930s – and made an immediate impact. In 1933, he introduced the world’s first commercially available Dual Concentric loudspeaker. While Tannoy has remained synonymous with coaxial loudspeaker technology ever since, the brand first entered the public consciousness through a different route. During World War II, Tannoy public-address equipment played a vital role in communications for the British military, and in 1945 the end of the war was announced from Buckingham Palace over a Tannoy PA system.
In the postwar years, Tannoy became as well known in recording studios as it was in public spaces. Following the introduction of the legendary Monitor Black in 1947, the company established itself as one of the world’s premier studio monitor manufacturers. During the 1960s and 1970s, Tannoy loudspeakers became fixtures at the BBC and in many of the world’s leading recording studios.
Growing competitive pressure from new market players led to Tannoy’s acquisition by Denmark’s TC Group in 1987. Under its ownership, the brand successfully expanded during the 1990s and 2000s into commercial sound reinforcement, studio monitors – including the popular Reveal series – and custom installation solutions.
Since TC Group was acquired by Music Group (now Music Tribe) in 2015, Tannoy has been part of the corporate family that also includes studio equipment manufacturer Behringer. Yet the brand has remained true to its heritage. The flagship Prestige Series continues to pair modern versions of Tannoy’s iconic Dual Concentric driver with the timeless vintage styling for which the company is renowned, while contemporary studio monitors and custom installation systems carry forward the values that have defined the brand from the very beginning.
We warmly congratulate Tannoy on its centennial anniversary and wish the company another hundred years of unmistakable sound and distinctive character.