Tannoy Autograph 12 speakers pay tribute to iconic driver 70 years after the originals

(Image credit: Tannoy)

In its almost 100-year history, Tannoy's crowning moment is irrefutably its invention of the dual concentric driver, which sees a tweeter sit in the throat of the mid/bass unit for consistent dispersion and improved integration and phase behaviour. In the 77 years since the British company debuted the innovation at the London Radio Show, this driver has featured in more loudspeakers from Tannoy (and other manufacturers) than anyone could count. Indeed, it remains very much at the heart of the legendary brand's speaker line-up.

One of the earlier Tannoy designs to make use of the dual concentric was the GRF Autograph in 1954, some ten or so years before the company's famous Monitor Gold Dual Concentric range arrived. And today, Tannoy has announced it will be flaunting a modern-day Autograph at this week's High End Munich show ahead of a release later this year.

The new Autograph 12 speakers celebrate the 70th anniversary of the originals, which, you might remember, spawned a miniature sequel in the suitably named Autograph Mini in the early 2000s. The Autograph 12 look closer to the size and construction of the 1954 model, however, while Tannoy notes their suitability for "larger living spaces".

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The Scotland-based company will divulge full specifications and pricing of the new Autograph closer to the release date in autumn, but for now, we know that the two-way floorstanders marry a 12-inch version of the iconic drive unit with a "luxurious" walnut-veneered birch ply cabinet that doesn't look too dissimilar from the one used for the recently reviewed Tannoy Stirling III LZ Special Edition.

More generally, Tannoy says the Autograph 12 offer "notable contemporary features" alongside "cutting-edge technology", too. We spy some front-panel settings (tone controls?), for one.

For the best chance of prying more information out of Tannoy before the Autograph 12's launch, you can visit its Hall 4 stand (S06-1/S06-2/S06-3) at the High End Munich show this Saturday and Sunday. And if we get there first and aren't sworn to secrecy, you will be first to know.

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Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of the brand's sister magazines Down Under – Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. During her 11+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.