Tannoy Precision 6.4 - The Flagship Floor-Standing Loudspeaker

When we reviewed the Tannoy Precision 6.2s in 2012, we said they could well mark the sweet-spot of the range, and even outshine these, their bigger, flagship brothers. We were right.

That’s not to say the 6.4s aren’t a great pair of speakers. They make a good case for themselves. But while the 6.2s blew us away with beautifully balanced sound and excellent stereo imaging, their flagship siblings fall slightly short of the same wow-factor.

Tannoy Precision 6.4

They’re extremely well made, though, setting a good first impression with a gorgeous satin dark-walnut veneer and a curved cabinet. High-gloss dark walnut or black finishes are also available.

Clever driver design

The top driver is the latest of Tannoy’s dual-concentric units, which has a 25mm titanium-dome tweeter set in a 15cm paper-pulp cone mid/bass driver.  Tannoy says this helps improve focus, integration and dispersion.

Below this sits a 15cm bass driver and lower still are two 15cm auxiliary bass radiators. Among other things, these allow the 6.4s to be more flexible with their positioning than rear-ported rivals.

If there’s one thing these Tannoys have over their smaller siblings, it’s authority. These will go seriously loud, reach into the bass in a way the PMC Twenty 23s can’t and showing a sense of scale that rivals the much larger SVSes.

Great looking speakers that offer plenty of scale

The excellent stereo image we loved so much in the 6.2s is here too, but feels bigger still, positioning instruments accurately around the room.

There’s loads of detail to get stuck into here as well, and the 6.4s keep a good handle on dynamics. Faithless’s Insomnia builds steadily, and as each element of the song gets introduced, it’s given the space it needs to be identifiable. When the drop finally comes you can’t help but want to hit the back button and start it all over again.

Not too subtle, but really likeable

It’s fair to say, though, that they’re not the subtlest of speakers. While they’ll easily show up the likes of the SVS Ultra Towers when it comes to fine detail compare them with speakers of a subtler nature, such as the Spendor A6Rs or PMC Twenty 23s, and we find they gloss over some of the texture and insight that the very best excel at nurturing.

And while they’re far from ponderous, the Tannoys do show some signs of being less rhythmic than their livelier rivals. Play A Tribe Called Quest’s Excursions and there’s a feeling of them being just slightly ‘off’ with their handling of the energetic double bass part. It’s agile, considering its weight, but not quite agile enough.

Those things considered it’s still hard not to like the Tannoys. Their scale, detail and excellent stereo image makes them a thoroughly enjoyable, not to mention impressive, listen – all finished off in a design that’s pleasing to the eye.

The Tannoy Precision 6.4s balance good (but not market-leading) handling of detail and dynamics with deep bass, power and scale. In this respect you get the best of both worlds, but not the last word in either.

The Tannoy Precision 6.4s balance good (but not market-leading) handling of detail and dynamics with deep bass, power and scale

There are better-rounded speakers available at this price, which loses them a star but, if bass is important to you these are certainly worth an audition.

Rating

For: Nice build; focused soundstage; good detail; deep bass; go loud.

Against: Not the last word in subtlety; less rhythmic than rivals.

Verdict: Great looking speakers that offer plenty of scale, but fall short on subtlety.