Good as I remember them to be? - Tannoy XT8F Speaker review 

Tannoy XT8F speakers: www.tannoy.com/product.html?modelCode=P0C3X This video is not sponsored for more info on how we work: nbtsmedia.com/about-us/

I’ve owned the XT8Fs for 3 years now and I’ll never sell them . If (when) I upgrade, I’m keeping these for a second listening room. They do everything really really well. I found these tannoy’s sound best when they are toed into the listening position , about 2-4 feet from the walls. Jay is correct about amp matching. A single ended amp will sound great but a nice push pull tube amplifier is the best match. It’ll give you the holographic soundstage and solid bass response.

They measure well and sound like it too. Highs not as extended or refined as more exprensive loudspeakers but has more coherence than most.. Excellent tone too.. It is essentially a 4 Ohm speaker though (dips to 3 Ohms), not sure why Tannoy stated 8 Ohms nominal.

I've had a pair of the XT8F for the last 3 years in main system. It's the only component I haven't changed in that time, very happy with the Tannoy's I don't want for anything :-) Agree the imaging is fantastic!

Have the xt6f in my living. Nothing in my experience is as good so close to the wall and being driven by cxa81. Just incredibly neutral and energizes my space with a beautiful soundstage, imaging and forward presentation due to cxa81. I was concerned with some negative reviews but took a chance and trusted my ears. These are keepers for life

Owned these speakers and tryed them with moon intergrated, Hegel rost , chord qute 2 dac , few combinations but never could tame the brightness and Sibilance on a lot of the vocals .. there is lots to love about the XT8F but I couldn’t live with the brightness and Sibilance so I sold them ...

I have the XT8F's in the Uk. They are simply awesome and I can't think of a speaker that I would rather own south of about 4k GBP. Currently, I use them with amplifiers from Roksan, the Kandy K2 integrated + the Kandy K2 Power Amp used in Bi-Amp configuration. Funnily enough I wanted to order a valve amp from China HiFi, the Willsenton R8 but the waiting time was huge due to demand, so I blindly ordered the Willsenton R800i instead. It has not arrived yet but I am so glad to hear that it pairs well with the Tannoys. By the way, the Roksan's when paired together cost in the region of £1500 make the Tannoys really sing their hearts out. Can't wait for the Valve amp to arrive!

It is my understanding that a lot of Tannoy engineers moved on to create Fyne Audio

Sadly, Tannoy is not Tannoy anymore. The Tannoy team left in 2017 when Berhringer took over. They went off to create fyne audio. Dr Paul mills and 5 others. I have to say the entry level fynes are OK, but once you hit up the sp range it gets better. The sp range needs a good 200hours running in. As for the f1 range, they are mind blowing straight out of the box

Jay - this is a really good review, it might be your best yet, both from a technical perspective and your commentary. I’ve been interested in these speakers for quite a while, and this review has rekindled my interest in auditioning them. TBH, I think Audio Excellence should pick up the Tannoy line.

Thanks for doing a review on a great product others ignored.

Title implied some comparison with the vintage Tannoy's but apart from intro, didn't give any context of how these modern ones compare to the classic ones

I had the XT6F with the Willsenton R8 and I found them fatiguing. Very "horn style" sound. I exchanged them after a few months.

Hello, I have tannoy xt8f as frontal, xtc as center and finally xt6f as rear. They are wonderful. I describe them with only one word:" homogeneous". Some speakers are impressive in details, others excels in dynamicd and so on but they are less good in another field s. With these tannoys you have all but with not exagération. I paid 1000 € for xt8f including xtc and 600 for xt6f all connected to Denon 4500h, audiolab 6000a and Cambridge cxa81 that I sold and kept audiolab.

Marantz Amps and Sacd players are a match made in heaven with Tannoy

I have a set of Tannoy Gold Reference Sterling's. They are not only beautiful but sound incredible. I was fortuneate enough to get them at a bargain basement price brand new. Each set of speakers is assembled from start to finish by the same person who signs a certificate of inspection. It comes with a set binding post jumpers and a can of furniture polish. They are a work of art.

I've been waiting for these speakers Review ! I think they are My goal.,.. great review

That listening room looks G R E A T. Well done on that. And been a fan of Tannoy since my audio recording days. They were at like every studio I ever went to. Those and Yamaha's of course. Glad to hear (pun intended) they are back.

I know this is old but, I just heard you say your first speakers were the Ardens? You're very, very lucky. I actually think I still prefer those over many, many of today's speakers. They are so expensive now but, I'd be happy with them as an end game system at this point in my life. I still think the legacy speakers of Tannoys are the best of all of them.

The modern version of XT8F would be Fyne Audio F502 (made by ex-Tannoy engineers)

Got the XT8f with Hegel H160 and Chord Qutest. They make a great combo together.

Is Tannoy & Fyne are same ? Which one is better?

Jay, interesting analogy. made me think of the Zu DEF speakers. do you have any comparison or to any of the Zu line up?

Do any near field listening? I keep wondering about the Tannoy Gold studio monitors. Any thoughts on dual concentric for near field use?

I'm in love with my XT6Fs. I could hug them. Actually, you're an expert on Hegel, would these pair well with the H120? I'm near to purchasing one as an upgrade to my Cambridge CXA60.

I want to get a pair of subwoofers with mine & high pass them at about 40hz. Otherwise I love them. Do not toe in these speakers much, if at all, unless you like super bright highs. An affordable amp that pairs very well is an Avantone CLA200. People that complain about the mids are likely using the factory jumpers. I'm using antiCable 3.1 speaker wires & jumpers. Makes a huge improvement in the mids clarity, while also making the mids less forward in the mix, i.e. not at all shouty/peaky/sibilant.

Best review of these speakers I've come across. I'm not sure the Xt 8f is still being sold. You must not have any obstructions between the speakers in line with fronts. I got mine for £750 new! And I drive with a Linn LP12 and Musical Fedility separates. I totally agree about imaging and need for slight toe in. I have the 60cm from the back wall to optimise bass reproduction. My 6s PRX power amplifier seems like a good match.

Thanks for the review jay, I have owned the xr8f since launch and really enjoyed them. I am currently running them with Primaluna dialogue premium power amps and audio research reference 3 pre amp. I have a pair of rel subs hooked up too. I am really very happy with their imaging, soundstage, coherence, midrange sweetness and treble accuracy especially given the modest price.

Hello again, recently you tested the new klipsch reference 8000F II. Would replace tannoy revolution xt8f by the new klipsch‽ Which would your choice be between them‽

How are these comparing with KHL M5 or Tekton SET 2-10

I have XT6F ( got them second hand from ebay under 400 €) paired with Emotiva PT-100 preamp and XTZ Edge A2-300 power amp and I think it's quite good pairing. I tried them also with my Rega Elex-R, but because I have with them so good bigger 3-way DIY speakers with ribbon tweeter, that was not quite fair comparason. I have also Tannoy Eclipse 3 speakers witch are absolutely bargain. Smoother version XT6F but now can only buy second hand.

Great review. What type of equipment rack are you using?

I had it with Rega Elex R, but couldn't get it to work in my room, bass resonance was very noticeable, no matter how far the speaker is in the room (was between 30cm to 1.5m). I tried few other speakers that dig deeper on paper, but they didn't have that bass boom issue. Xt8f sounds huge, dynamics is amazing, imaging is good, its on open/bright side but with enough warmth in mids and lows (you can hear metal dome tweeter, which you might or not like). It can be a decent speaker, but as Jay said, pairing can be difficult, and I also think they require huge room. Replaced with Focal 1028be, which is tonally much more correct, highs are more detailed, refined but also drier, and mids and lows have better control on Focals. Specially vocals are much better on some other brands, like Dali, Focal, Dynaudio, but for example drum kick and dynamic contrasts are better on Tannoy.

They will be a good match for my Freya and 2 Aegirs for monoblock?

I have been thinking about these for some time. Really wondering how they would compare to the Fyne Audio offerings?

Thanks Jay. I have been curious about these speakers for some time. Kevin Deal (Upscale Audio) did a segment about them for his store where he referenced a review that Dick Olsher had given them that was pretty much a rave review.

I've treated my listening room with mid band absorbers, treble diffusers and sealed limp membrane bass traps. The sound I get from my XT8F's is neither bass boomy or treble sibilant. The sound stage is extremely wide and three dimensional. The mid and treble detail is astonishing and not at all fatiguing. Also bi-amping makes them sound even better.

Im listening to this review through my XT8fs. Love them.

So is it better than vintage or not? The video doesnt explain it.

Musical Fidelity electronics seem to work well with Tannoy Dual concentrics in my experience.

Must must must compare them to the Monitor audio silver 500 and the Fyne audio F502. Nice review 🍻

I always liked that song Forget Me Nots perhaps because I friends in a jazz band that played at their gigs. They got more pop/dance gigs than Jazz but played them so well.

Better than the Totem Tribe?

Any chance we’re going to get a review of the Alta Alyssa?

I have these with a PS Audio dac and a Prima Luna tube amp and it sounds amazing.

Kinda inline with what I experienced. Pretty much all Tannoy concentric speakers prefer Class-A solid state or tube amplifier. It does not work with Class-D amp at all (including the Purifi). One can say the Tannoy are a bit sensitive to the upper registers.

Extreme toe in works for this speakers best. Just try it for a day or two

Do you think they really get down to 34 hz? I own older 15" Tannoys which were rated down to 40 hz.

I read the review from the TAS magazine which gave a good review. What made the difference was the isolation devices under the feet, which the brand it was eludes me right now.

Looking at replacing my old Martin Logan sequel II speakers from the early 90’s. Running Primaluna 200 tube preamp to a pair of Allen Organ model 75 monoblocks (recapped). I want detail, wide sound stage, depth, holographic, and air. I want to experience the room. Thinking of Sonus Lumina V, Tannoy Xt8F, or equivalent Focal 8## or 9##. Watched Audioexcelence video on Sonus Lumina III & V. Your video here and others. I listen to a wide variety of music from classical,Jazz,Pop, and Rock. Your thoughts?

Jay you didnt talk about the bass quality? I am looking at the this speaker and the Fyne Audio F502 and it appears that the old Tannoy team has put more technology into the bass port on the Fyne Audio. Would you ever review the Fyne Audio F502?

The heritage line with tubes are my favourite along with many Sonus Fabers. I still wish they could source those alnico magnets though.

R800i has more power than I need and would also be a space heater in my small listening room, but while we're on the subject of seemingly impossibly inexpensive "Chi-Fi" any such input on the MUZISHARE X9 300B Tube Amplifier Integrated? Do these things stack up to the mainstream Cary, Wavac and Audionote SET amps with similar wattage and tube sets?

Great video, but you never really come to a conclusion. I have xt6f, and have also owned tannoy srm 10b, gold 15’s, system 6 etc. How do you like these in comparison to the vintage? It’s obvious you like these a lot, but I’d like to hear more of your insights in relation to the classics, and other modern speakers.

Where can I buy a pair now?

I acquired a pair of these from Upscale Audio about a year ago. They had them on clearance bc of a damaged shipment but the speakers arrived in almost perfect condition. One minor chipped corner that was easily fixed. I got them at a steal and was very pleased with them overall .

I'm not an expert in amps, would this sound good with an Emotiva XPA 7 Gen 3? Trying to pair with a center for home theater set up.

You need to have the tweeter out of phase running a two bass drivers what probably isn't the case, so there's true phase alignment, flip the polarity round on the tweeter If it feels a bit bright in the lower trouble what I'm guessing 2-3.5k try 0.5 ohms resistors ideally film resistors 50 watts and a 0.5 - 0.6 160v polystyrene capacitor or polyurethane capacitor parallel with the tweeter that should sort it out

Yo Jay, when you review the R800i, is it possible to make a comparison with the R8? I think many owners of R8 are looking forward to upgrade to the R800i, but unsure what changes would that bring. Thank you.

Great review...was so curious about these! Wonder what you think about the Fyne Audio offerings, as (I think) they are a team that broke from Tannoy to develop their own take on the concentric design approach.

I wonder if anyone knows how this "Tannoy" REVOLUTION XT Range would do as a surround sound system... And what good pairings may be?

Hey Jay. Wanted to check with you real quick. I ordered a rose 201e streamer and haven't heard from them at all. Do you know anyone I can speak to check the status of my order. Wanted to check with you since you have a rose streamer too. Thanks.

How this tannoy compare to KEF R series?

Is the the Tannoy design different from the Altec design like the 603 or 604 series. Also how do you compare the vintage Tanoys to the vintage Altec drivers of similar design. Thanks for the video Jay, great way to enjoy a morning coffee. I love when you compare vintage and contemporary gear.

how would these sound with a Yamaha amp?

Excellent review if this interesting speaker

After hearing tannoy Westminster royals in the Royal Albert Hall London, other speakers pale in comparison, having used tannoy duel concentric speakers since the 80s on a few systems I've always liked the enjoyed the duel consentic sound,

Nice review, those look cool. Love the new? aesthetic of your room. I’m pretty sure it sounds good as well.

You should review the new Tannoy Super Gold monitors.

I'd hoped the British-on-British combination would have worked wonders, sad to hear the NAD didn't gel with you. I wonder if Naim or Icon would work out?

Would room correction such as Dirac solve the issues you discussed with the NAD power Amp?

Get the JBL Studio 530 (on sale for $370 or less) "Hugely likeable sound focused, precise midrange and treble powerful, agile bass" What HI-FI? 5 stars. No wonder, driven by Luxman L-550AX class A integrated amp and REL 212/SE Sub-Bass System sound as good as Quads ESL-63 one of the best speakers ever (both I have in my system).

Hi, I would like to know what kind of skyline diffuser is there on the wall? It looks beautiful!

The downfall for me if the XT8F was the Tweeter sound. Fyne is the real deal right now. I moved from my older Tannoy to Fyne.

I had a pair of these, there was some good elements especially music with drums and these sounds quite realisitc, but they had a harshness in the upper frequency that I could not get on with, even wiht using an Rme Dac for EQ with a measurement microphone to nail down the frequency that had the problem, and still couldnt get on with them. Sold the and got a pair of Revel concerta2 f35, far better sound overal, but not quite as good low down, but not far off. a bit overated in my opinion, Im glad a bought the xt8f at a discount and not full RRP

the acoustic panel link doesn't work. any ideas?

When are you releasing the new Willsenton review?

Nice job, Jay! FYI- Sade is pronounced, “SHAW” “DAY” not Sad Eh. These speakers are made in China and retail for $1800 USD. A great review comparison vid would be these Tannoy’s vs Wharfedale EVO 4.4 at similarly price points. The Tannoy’s are surprisingly good sounding speakers but I’ve not heard the EVO’s yet.

They are tannoys last great speaker, but these need a great amplifier they are 10k speakers really with a budget price they need a high end amplifier i love mine

Is it available in India 🇮🇳?

I had these speakers, bought them for a great price. The bass was very good and i really wanted to like them but they were just too bright and silibant, things got a lot worse when you increased the volume. I have heard some people say that they worked very well with tube amplifiers though.

Does anyone have an opinion on the Tannoy XT6Fs pairing to a Musical Fidelity M2si and a Denafrips Ares ii dac?

How about pairing these with Hegel?

New apartment, swinger? Moving up! When you gonna get your own brick n' mortar salon?

Wonder how they would sound with Naim.

What take you so long to recognize these?

Did Darren buy a tube amp after this review? :)

Lol. Love how you used a generic lite funky jazz soundtrack while listening to an Aerosmith album. No getting flagged for you!

If you want Tannoy speakers like how the Tannoy speakers sound once, buy the Fyne Audio speakers.

I have these speakers hooked up to a mystere pa21 amp/rotel rc1572 pre amp/dac. They are good and sound best with acoustic music and vocal performances. Simply mind bending with female voices. The Achilles heal is anything very busy and flatter rock n roll recordings. They fall apart and loose their accuracy and detail in the midrange also the bass can become very muddy and cheap sounding. So I’d agree these are very sensitive speakers that are Jekyll and Hyde in their performance ability. Special for sure just not going to be an every man’s utility speaker.

well, if with the nad sound bad the speakers, the FR of that speaker is thin and bright. Meh FR. I saw the measurements and the speaker FR is just broken, that explain why the Nad make it sound thin and bright, because it is. The coherencie is just horrible, the FR is broken.

Cant wait for you to compare tannoy to fyne

How do these compare to the Tekton Lore?

This speakers are no longer in production. Luckily I bought the last xt6 standmount speakers available in my country which are no longer in production as all this excellent series.

Sade? It sounds like "Sharday " Jay.

Please review the ohm walsh 2000

Good video. I like the kef ls50, but they do lack a little in bass for obvious reasons. I might have to give these a listen, if these are similar to the Kef's with more bass, then these would almost be the perfect speaker.

I was waiting for a review from you of the elac uf5.2 towers? Not to many reviews online

You didn't answer your own question, are vintage better than modern??

I thought these where discontinued