Floorstanding loudspeakers — Tannoy PLATINUM F6-WH

Tannoy sells the Platinum F6-WH as the white finish of its Platinum F6 tower, part of the Select Platinum family designed by an engineering team in the UK. Black (BL) and burgundy (BU) variants use an identical enclosure, and a compact sibling called the B6 pairs one woofer with a tweeter in a 2-way stand-mount box.

Key specs that matter

The F6-WH divides the band three ways among three drivers. The bass unit and the midrange unit are both 6.5 inch (165 mm) paper cones, and high frequencies come from a 25.4 mm silk dome diaphragm. Transitions between them sit at 350 Hz and 2.5 kHz. Frequency response is rated from 40 Hz up to 20 kHz within a -6 dB window, with an 8 ohm nominal load and a sensitivity of 87 dB (1 W, 1 m). The maker recommends amplifiers of 20 W to 150 W, and under the IEC method the speaker takes 75 W on a continuous basis with 300 W peaks. The cabinet is 1078 mm high, 300 mm across and 235 mm deep, and each speaker weighs 17.1 kg net.

Engineering and use context

The F6 is tuned as a reflex design, its port opening at the rear. Its walls are 19 mm MDF, internal braces are cut from plywood, and the interior is heavily damped. Signals reach the drivers through a passive, hard wired filter network that the company calls low loss. On the rear there are two 4 mm terminals with Tannoy customised 24 ct plating, meaning one cable run per speaker rather than bi-wiring. Rubber feet come in the box to cut down resonance, and the manual asks owners to stand the tower on a level floor so it does not topple. The front is covered by a zip-fastened fabric grille. According to the maker the drivers need an initial 24 hours of playing to run in. The brand is now owned by Music Tribe, whose portfolio also covers Behringer, Turbosound and TC Electronic.

Pairing

In its amplifier guidance Tannoy explains that voice coil heat sets the limit on power handling, and that sustained clipping from an overdriven amplifier will damage a speaker. It says a higher power amplifier working hard but cleanly is kinder to the drivers than a smaller unit forced into distortion. The nominal impedance keeps the F6-WH an easy load for typical stereo amplifiers.

Alternatives

For a bigger Tannoy tower, the Revolution XT 8F uses an 8 inch Dual Concentric driver with an auxiliary 8 inch bass unit and is rated at 91 dB efficiency with 25 to 200 W recommended.