From its early days as a manufacturer of high-quality studio monitors, Tannoy has built its success on concentric technology. Unlike a typical speaker that has multiple drivers mounted side-by-side, a concentric speaker nests the high-frequency driver inside the low-frequency driver. Sound from both drivers originate at the same point, making for better sonic cohesion and less distortion. Phase cancellation— the arch-nemesis of speakers with multiple drivers—is banished.
In recent years, Tannoy has brought concentric technology out of the studio and into world of sound reinforcement. The V12 ($1,119 list) continues the refinement of Tannoy’s live sound offerings (such as the notably similar V300 speaker), but at a more budget-friendly price point.
The V12 boasts a 12-inch woofer and compression horn in a compact, vented enclosure. The V12’s horn exits through a constant directivity lens with a conical 90- degree pattern. A pair of Neutrik Speakon connectors on the back panel feed a passive crossover at 1.4 kHz; bi-amplification is possible with a few minor changes to the jack panel.
At first glance, you might think the V12 is a stocky, compact floor wedge. And you’d be right. Both sides of the V12 have angled sections which make it perfect for floor monitor applications. One side pitches the V12 up at a 30-degree angle, the other at a 50-degree angle. Though not exactly light (at 44 pounds), a cut-out handle on the back of the V12 makes carrying the speaker easy. When placed in harm’s way as a floor wedge, the V12’s face is protected by a sturdy metal grille covered with foam.
Take notice of the V12’s many mounting points, and you may conclude the V12 is meant to be flown in front-of-house or fill applications. And you’d be right. Numerous mounting options are available for the V12 (more on these later), including an optional pole cup for stand mounting. Kudos to Tannoy for making the V12 and all mounting hardware available in white as well as black.
Here, There, Everywhere
Getting a speaker positioned for optimum sound and minimum visibility is always a challenge. To make this task easier, Tannoy offers a host of mounting options for the V12. The VMY yoke bracket holds a single V12 either horizontally or vertically, at a range of angles and heights. This yoke bracket will attach to a number of different mounts: the VMB wall mounting bracket, the VCS ceiling saddle (which hangs the speaker from any length of threaded rod), and the VPC pole clamp (for attaching a V12 to a bar, truss or similar).
Internal steel braces and flying points make the V12 suitable for traditional overhead flying. Flip one V12 and mate its 30-degree side with that of another V12, and you’ll have a tidy mini-array with a dispersion pattern approximately 140 degrees by 90 degrees. According to Tannoy, this angle perfectly complements the V12’s concentric output to generate a very smooth coverage pattern with minimal interference or lobing.
Whether you fly it, hang it, clamp it or plop it on the stage, the V12 should perform superbly everywhere. With a stated frequency response of 70 Hz to 25 kHz and generous 400-watt program power handling, the compact V12 makes an excellent fill, delay or monitor speaker all by itself. Add some help in the bottom octaves, and a few V12s would fill even a large church with top-quality sound. About all this little speaker isn’t suitable for is long-throw applications, or venues where unfavorable acoustics require very tight coverage patterns.
Sonically, the V12 stands tall. At once both full and clear, the V12 has a much larger sound than one might expect from so compact a speaker. Bass output is better than its specs would indicate, and the V12 delivers a substantial mid-bass that pushes the speaker’s overall character slightly toward the dark end of the scale. Balancing the V12’s full low end is the pleasing “focus” of its sound, which is one of the hallmarks of concentric technology due to the elimination of phase cancellation.
The V12’s frequency response is quite flat without equalization. As with all speakers, though, the V12’s sound can be improved with careful application of EQ once placed in the actual venue. In a stage monitor application, the reinforcement of low frequencies from the floor prompted me to roll off bass and low-mid frequencies slightly. This also reduced stage rumble and cleaned up the house mix. In a main speaker setting, the V12 should require little or no EQ.
If a ruler-flat response is your goal, the optional Tx2 and TDx2 (digital) controllers apply some EQ nudges here and there to flatten the V12’s response even further. This includes a bass boost that lowers the V12’s low-frequency cutoff to an impressive 45Hz. Adding a subwoofer is the preferred way to improve deep bass response, however, and the Tx2 and TDx2 include a 100Hz high-pass filter mode for when a subwoofer is present.
Harmonic distortion from the V12 is extremely low, measuring less than two percent at over 110 dB output (at one meter). Distortion from a speaker is one benchmark our ears use to determine how loud sound is (and whether it’s too loud for our own good). The V12 doesn’t give out much in the way of distortion clues, even when the speaker is loud enough to cause hearing damage. The V12’s sound stays clean even when pushed hard, yet another indicator of a well-designed speaker.
Versatile Performer
By nature of its broad frequency response, high output and compact size, the V12 proves itself to be a flexible, all-purpose speaker. Tannoy has graced the V12 with a smorgasbord of mounting options: floor, pole, wall, ceiling or mid-air. If you can’t find a way to position the V12 where it needs to be, you may need to consider a new building!
The V12 is all about versatility. Point this little speaker wherever you want—at the congregation, at the band, or at those stoic faces in the back row. The Tannoy V12 will perform admirably in virtually any church sound application.
