The Tannoy Autograph Mini is the scaled-down version of the original loudspeaker, the legendary Tannoy Autograph. Instead of looking like a novelty, the miniaturized Autograph looks unique, elegant, and with a class of its own. More importantly, these loudspeakers have exceptional sonic performance for their size and have moved the hearts of many with their sound quality.
For the Tannoy Autograph Minis to sound their best, it is an absolute must to pair them with a matching amplifier. In order to get the right amplifier for the job, we will need to understand more about how the speakers sound and perform. Once we have a better understanding of their sonic characteristics, we will then prepare a list of the best amplifiers that you can match with your Tannoy Autograph Mini stand-mounters.
Table of Contents
Sonic Characteristics and Merits of Tannoy Autograph Mini
The Tannoy Autograph Mini is not your average modern loudspeaker, it has a vintage and classy look. With or without the speaker grille on, these elegantly designed speakers will look fantastic in any listening room with their intricate aesthetic details. We also believe they would look absolutely amazing as desktop speakers for nearfield listening. It is a compact stand-mounter with a small 4″ (100mm) Dual Concentric driver where you will spot a 0.75″ (19mm) titanium dome driver right in the middle of it. There is also a very small rear-firing bass port located at the back of the speaker cabinet. It may be a rather small bass port, but it is still wise to give some distance between the rear walls and the speaker.
The frequency response of the Tannoy Autograph Mini does suggest to us that we should integrate an active subwoofer into the mix. The frequency response is 106Hz-20kHz (+/-3dB) and/or 60Hz-20kHz (-10dB). The speaker sensitivity is 85dB and has a nominal impedance of 8 Ohms. This does indicate that the Tannoy Autograph Mini speakers are not easy to drive. The power handling is 50 Watts continuous and 200 Watts peak. It will be wise to match amplifiers that have at least 50 Watts per channel power output or more.
The stereo imaging of the Autograph Mini speakers is amazing and when the music starts to play, the speakers simply vanish from the wide soundstage they have projected. The soundstage does lack height but this is as expected from a pair of compact bookshelf speakers. The midrange reproduction is probably their greatest strength, it is very detailed and expressive. Providing us with an energetic performance with a smooth treble that doesn’t sound harsh in the slightest. The vocals and musical instruments sounded natural and realistic, with plenty of intricate nuances and subtleties.
The deep bass performance is lacking and can be resolved by adding an active subwoofer. The low midbass performance is ample enough to help make the overall sonic reproduction sound fuller. Low ends delivery is tight and agile as well, blending in nicely with the rest of the higher frequencies. The highs are open and clear which seamlessly blend themselves into the mids, producing a coherent music delivery. Furthermore, the music presentation is filled with rich details and nuances. The Tannoy Autograph Mini is a pair of revealing speakers that unveils plenty of musical details but doesn’t sound clinical which is great.
The Tannoy Autograph Mini is capable of delivering transparent and accurate music presentations with clear-sounding quality. It may be bright at times but they do not go overly bright. The overall sound reproduction of the Tannoy Autograph Mini loudspeakers is neutral with a hint of brightness and their musicality allows them to excel in most genres of music except for bass-heavy soundtracks. As mentioned, adding a subwoofer will help to improve the overall bass performance and we highly suggest getting a high-quality sealed subwoofer so that it could keep up with the surefooted pacing and alacrity of the Autograph Mini bookshelf speakers. With the amount of information and data we have gathered, we can finally list out the best amplifiers to match with the Tannoy Autograph Mini loudspeakers.
Tannoy Autograph Mini Specifications
- Speaker Type: 2-Way (Rear-Firing Bass Port)
- Drive Units: 4″ (100mm) Dual Concentric driver with a 0.75″ (19mm) Titanium Dome driver
- Frequency Response (+/-3dB): 106Hz-20kHz
- Frequency Response (-10dB): 60Hz-20kHz
- Power handling: 50 Watts (Continuous), 200 Watts (Peak)
- Impedance: 8 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 85dB
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 356mm x 209mm x 156mm | 14″ x 8.2″ x 6.1″
- Weight: 4.4kg (9.7lbs)
Best Amplifiers to match with Tannoy Autograph Mini
The Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III is one of the best valve amplifiers to match with the Tannoy Autograph Mini speakers. For a valve amp at this price point, the musicality and sonic performance it could provide are simply amazing. The way the Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III handles the dynamic swings and pacing of the music is impeccable, able to land an impactful crescendo without compromising the fluidity and organization of the overall music presentation. The level of details that the Magnum III can muster is incredible as well and makes it a brilliant tube amplifier partner for the Tannoy Autograph Mini speakers.
If you are planning to set up a high-quality desktop sound system then perhaps you should take a look at the awards winning PS Audio Sprout100. It has just the right amount of power to drive your Tannoy Autograph Mini and also comes packed with features to cater to your music needs. The notable features such as the premium built-in ESS Sabre 9016 DAC, a Phono preamplifier for your turntable, Bluetooth receiver for music streaming, and more. The sonic characteristics of the PS Audio Sprout100 are a suitable match with the Tannoy Autograph Mini speakers too as it has a smooth, clean, and warm overall sound reproduction.
More Info at Amazon – PS Audio Sprout100 Complete HiFi DAC Amplifier (Real Walnut)
For listeners who are okay with bright-sounding stereo systems and just want an exciting music delivery of their favorite tunes. The Rega Elex-R will be an excellent match for your Tannoy Autograph Mini stand-mounters. The articulate and alacrity performance of the Elex-R will provide an engaging music presentation that will make you feel like dancing throughout the session. This integrated amplifier is pretty revealing as well, digging out subtle music details. The fast-paced music handling mixed with the sonic characteristic of the Autograph Mini and you got yourself a lively sounding setup but you should hear them out first before making your final decision.
More Info at Amazon – Rega Elex-R Integrated Amp
The Cambridge Audio CXA81 is another astounding integrated amplifier to go for if you prefer a lively and bold music presentation. It is an award-winning amp with more than enough power to drive your Tannoy Autograph Mini bookshelf speakers. The CXA81 has an impressive dynamic range and an incredible sense of music timing, coupled with the expressive and detailed mids of the Autograph Mini, you have an engaging sonic delivery that will hook you into the music every time you listen. The overall sound reproduction can be a tad too bright for some listeners, we will suggest hearing them out first.
More Info at Amazon – Cambridge Audio CXA81 – 80 Watts Per Channel (Lunar Grey)
The Peachtree Audio Nova150 is one of the best amplifiers to partner with the Tannoy Autograph Mini stand-mounters. It is a powerful integrated amplifier that can easily make your Tannoy speakers sing and is sanely priced as well. The overall sound reproduction of the Nova150 is neutral with a hint of warmth which makes it easier to match it with the Autograph Mini without adding more brightness. The Peachtree amp also comes with loads of features such as a DAC, MM Phono stage, Home Theater Bypass, and more. With this level of sonic performance and value which the Peachtree Audio Nova150 can provide, it certainly makes it a worthy match for your Tannoy Autograph Mini loudspeakers.
More Info at Amazon – Peachtree Audio Nova150 – DAC (Gloss Ebony Mocha)
Marantz amplifiers will also be ideal choices for the Tannoy Autograph Mini as their house sound are leaning towards the warm side of the spectrum and has a smooth treble reproduction. Due to the Marantz amplifiers’ sonic characteristics, they will not make the Tannoy speakers sound overly bright or cringe. The musicality of the Marantz house sound is quite sought after by audiophiles too. You might want to check out Marantz PM8006 for a start. For subwoofers, we will suggest going with Rythmik Audio sealed subwoofers as their Direct Servo technology enables their subs to deliver high-quality and clean bass responses with articulation and agility.
More Info at Amazon – Marantz PM8006 with Phono-EQ for Vinyl Playback
To Conclude
The listed amplifiers are suitable matches with the Tannoy Autograph Mini speakers and all of them have an exceptional sonic performance which is worth your while to check out. You should shortlist a few of these amplifiers and audition them in your own listening room so that you can immediately find out if that’s the sound quality you are looking for. If possible, you should include the active subs you are going to get or already owned during the amplifiers’ auditions so as to get more accurate results.
