Tannoy still in business? #confused

I’ve been seriously thinking about a pair of Fynes. Thoughts?

I’ve flirted with a buy & try on Fyne, but haven’t yet. Got way too many Tannoys here already lol. They look nice, though I prefer styling on Tannoy Legacy & Prestige series versus Fyne’s Classic & Vintage. 

Fyne has their own new version / evolution of the DC driver: "isoflare". Of note they don’t do the classic retro Tannoy "pepperpot" / alnico / textile-surround drivers (only seen in the Kensington, GRF90, Canterbury, and Westminster of Tannoy’s Prestige line). Their focus seems to be newer tech & materials, even for lines with the throwback styling. Tannoy’s "pepperpot" drivers generally rendered a more vivid & vibrant sound compared to their cheaper "tulip" DC drivers (which dates back to the 1990s).

For what it’s worth Jim Smith (RIP) replaced his Tannoy Canterbury SE with Fyne 703 and loved them! That seems to be a broadly well-liked model, and IIRC they have an upgraded "SP" version. 

If you look online for comparisons you'll generally find people saying Fynes sounds more detailed & dynamic than Tannoys, with the latter being a bit warmer. Though that should vary by model - e.g. Tannoy DC10A and Yorkminster SE were definitely NOT warm. 

@mulveling 

Quick aside,

Does Audioshark have a forum email like Agon?

Thanks in advance.

Thoughts on Fynes:  I have the Fyne F-702, made in Scotland, although it may be more like assembled in Scotland, given the the cabinets may be made in Poland.  Wherever the component parts are made, these are the finest speakers sounding I have ever owned.  The imaging, tonal qualities, and three-dimensional sound stage are all superb--the music does not appear to be originating from the speakers.  The build quality is superb, with the cabinets--piano black in my case--being beautiful.  The only shortfall of this model, with 8" woofers, is the bass, which was solved by the addition of two Rhythmic subwoofers.  Again, thee are the finest speakers i have ever owned, and I have been in this "hobby" since buying my first music reproduction system ... a Zenith "portable" stereo player in about 1957 that had two 5 and 1/4" speakers placed about six inches apart.

@mike4597 Cool!

I’ve been considering the Vintage Classic Gold VII SP.

Product purism, largely a fantasy.  External forces always exist which inflict realities onto manufacturing and marketing philosophies.  

A designer may want a particular quality of driver(s).  The marketing people rudely remind said designer of profit truths which forbid selection(s).  The problem may be cost, or supply chain reliability, driver manufacturer solvency.  Tannoy has probably run several decision trees to arrive at their product line mix.  It's not easy.

So much comes down to working capital which allows latitude and choice for Tannoy.  Choice with enough capital to survive mistakes made in any of the numerous challenges confronted.

Been in this audiophile game long enough to recognize that customers are now mostly cheap and willing to believe they've scored something of equal quality for half the price.  The free lunch crowd.  I wish Tannoy continued success in a tough environment.