Floorstanding loudspeakers — Tannoy SGM 15

The SGM 15 belongs to the three-model Tannoy Super Gold Monitor series, announced in September 2023 alongside the SGM 10 and SGM 12. Tannoy presents it as a passive studio main monitor that revives the Super Gold name, and the company states that it offers the widest bass response, the highest maximum SPL and the greatest dynamic range of the three. The UK price was listed at GBP 11,495, with about USD 13,200 in the US.

Key specs that matter

Everything is reproduced by one Dual Concentric driver in a 2-way layout. Its 15 inch (380 mm) paper cone woofer sits on a W-type fabric surround, and a 33 mm aluminium-magnesium alloy dome tweeter is mounted on the same axis at the centre. The crossover hands over at 1.1 kHz. Tannoy quotes 35 Hz to 30 kHz, a sensitivity of 93 dB and a nominal impedance of 8 ohm. The recommended amplifier range is 20 to 300 W, and power handling is 150 W continuous under IEC rules with 600 W peak input. The enclosure measures 650.2 x 424.9 x 1033.5 mm and weighs 50 kg.

Engineering and use context

Tannoy builds the motor around modern ferrite magnets with copper demodulation rings. Because woofer and tweeter share one axis, Tannoy describes the driver as a point source with high phase coherence. The main body is built from 19 mm particleboard with internal MDF and plywood bracing, and the maker also cites its Differential Materials Technology for cabinet rigidity. The cabinet is reflex loaded through three ports on the front baffle. A front panel carries three energy controls operated through gold-plated bolts. Treble Roll Off acts above 5 kHz with a range of -6 dB to +2 dB, Treble Energy adjusts the region above 1 kHz by up to 3 dB either way, and a third control covers the band between 1 kHz and 5 kHz over the same 3 dB span. The finish is walnut veneer, and a full-face grille attaches with pins.

Pairing

Five 4 mm binding posts with 24 ct Tannoy customised plating are fitted. Two pairs allow separate feeds to the woofer and tweeter sections, while the fifth terminal is provided for an optional ground connection. Given the high efficiency, low powered amplifiers are within the maker's guidance, while the upper end of the suggested range covers large solid state designs.

Alternatives

The Tannoy SGM 12 is the middle model of the same Super Gold Monitor series, built around a 12 inch Dual Concentric driver with the same ferrite and copper ring magnet design.