by Kurt Gibson

The Tannoy name is no stranger to the studio scene, with their British-made studio monitors being among the most popular designs for critical listening applications. Fewer people know about Tannoy's ventures into the live sound market, where their product line includes a full range of subwoofers, touring cabinets and speakers for permanent install.

As with their studio monitors, many of Tannoy's sound reinforcement speakers utilize a coaxial design. Coaxial speakers combine the low- and high-frequency drivers into one unit, with the high-frequency horn integrated right in the middle of the woofer. In this issue, we test out the compact coaxial Tannoy T300 speaker ($2,525 each) and TX3 processor ($549).

The Speakers
The T300 speaker is a compact two-way speaker using Tannoy's Dual Concentric SuperDual (coaxial) speaker technology. The T300 has a 12-inch woofer and compression horn, the latter having a conical pattern with a roughly 90-degree dispersion pattern.

A passive crossover is standard, with 12 dB/octave filters centered at 1.7 kHz. You can bi-amplify the T300, but the speaker's jack panel must be replaced with a different panel (available from Tannoy). The standard jack panel features a pair of four-pin Neutrik SpeakOn connectors wired in parallel.

The T300's crossover is fuse-protected against driver failure, and the T300's horn sits behind a halogen protection lamp designed to shunt off potentially damaging excess power. The speakers are rated at 300 watts average (long-term) power handling, and 600 watts program. With a one-watt efficiency of 100 dB, the T300 is capable of generating average SPL levels approaching 130 dB.

Coaxial drivers have two main advantages over traditional designs with a separate high- and low-frequency driver. The first is that high- and low-frequency sounds originate from the same point in space. This "point source" delivers the full range of sound frequencies in correct phase alignment, resulting in a smoother frequency response and improved clarity. The second advantage is one of simple speaker real estate. Because the high- and low-frequency drivers are combined (with no separate high-frequency horn), speaker cabinets and faceplates can be smaller.

Thanks in part to its coaxial design, the T300 speaker delivers large sound from a very compact enclosure. The T300 is just 23 inches tall by 14.5 inches wide by 15 inches deep, with the speaker's faceplate covered almost entirely by the 12-inch driver. Four ports surround the driver, one in each corner. A sturdy, perforated metal grille protects the T300's vitals from impact, and the driver's water-resistant construction will make it less likely to fail due to moisture.

The T300 boasts a rock-solid and well-braced enclosure of birch plywood, covered with a durable gray paint. Integrated fly points join with steel reinforcements within the enclosure, and a fly kit is available for the T300 through Tannoy. Though small, the T300 is rather heavy at 77 pounds. A comfortable recessed handle on top of the T300 makes it quite easy to move in spite of its weight.

In addition to overhead mounting, the T300 is well-suited for both stand mounting and floor wedge use. The bottom of the T300 has a stand mount socket for a 35-mm (1 3/8-inch) speaker stand. Though front-heavy when mounted on a stand, the T300 will work fine with most standard speaker stands. To give the T300 added versatility, one corner of the T300's cabinet is cut at a 45-degree angle for floor monitor use.

The Sound
Perhaps the most striking thing about the T300 is that its sound is much bigger than its footprint. This little box is full-sounding, efficient and loud when mated with a suitable amplifier and Tannoy's TX3 stereo EQ/crossover (specifically designed to complement the T300 speaker). The amount of deep bass the T300 puts out is impressive, especially in light of its compact size. With the T300's bass response dying off around 55 Hz, however, you'll need to add some sub-bass speakers beneath the T300 to do justice to the lowest octave.

The T300's conical high-frequency dispersion pattern is very even, with no noticeable hot spots or voids in upper frequencies. The horn's pattern narrows at higher frequencies (a trait shared by most horns), closing to around 60 degrees above 8 kHz. This means listeners sitting in the outer edges of the T300's pattern hear less hi-fi "sparkle." The T300 has a rated high-frequency response out to 22 kHz, but only those folks sitting directly in front of (and quite close to) the speaker will hear these frequencies.

The only anomaly noticed in the T300's output is a slight build-up of midrange frequencies (in the 1 kHz to 2 kHz range) directly on-axis. This makes the speaker actually sound smoother about 15 degrees off-axis. This buildup is likely due to beaming effects of midrange frequencies off the 12-inch driver, which are most noticeable right around the crossover point. Though not objectionable, some engineers may choose to apply a little corrective equalization to tame this small buildup.

The T300 exhibits little compression or "breakup" of its sound at higher SPL's. Most speakers will get edgy and harsh when pushed to their SPL limit, however, and the T300 is no exception. The solution is always the same-build enough headroom into the sound system to avoid driving speakers out of their linear range. Good internal bracing and high-quality construction make the T300's cabinet rock-solid, and there's virtually no resonance of the cabinet even at high SPL's.

The Verdict
With its 90-degree conical pattern and compact size, the T300 is perfect for many church applications. Smaller venues will find it to be a very capable cabinet for main speaker duties. Flown overhead or stand-mounted, a pair of T300's should deliver excellent sound for facilities up to about 100 seats. The relatively wide conical dispersion pattern of the T300 makes it less suitable for larger venues where a tighter pattern and longer throw is required.

Other applications for a compact, great-sounding speaker are numerous (many of which involve a coat of paint). The T300 would be excellent as a balcony fill speaker, or as a delay speaker hanging inconspicuously on the sidewall of a large hall. If flown overhead or mounted into the front of a stage, the T300 would be perfect for covering the first few rows missed by a larger (flown) sound system.

The T300 delivers excellent sound in monitoring applications as well, both as a floor wedge and a side-fill speaker. Bands looking for a versatile speaker investment might want to give the T300 a closer look-it could work as a top-notch monitor for large gigs, then easily handle main speaker chores in smaller venues.

From construction to sonics to five-year warranty, it's apparent the Tannoy T300/TX3 combo is a class act. And though you can certainly find less expensive speakers than the British-made T300's, you'll be hard-pressed to locate a compact cabinet that matches its sound quality and versatility.

Special thanks to Leo Gunther Enterprises (Orland, CA) for help with this review.