Tannoy SRM-12B
Overview
The SRM-12B is Tannoy's professional studio monitor built around the company's dual-concentric driver. It picked up a nickname that stuck: the Little Reds. The designation shows up in the field as "TANNOY LITTLE REDS (SRM12B)," which is how working engineers and the secondhand columns alike referred to the box. The model number and the nickname are the same speaker, and you'll find it listed under both.
The SRM-12B had a specific spot in Tannoy's professional line. A Studio Sound (May 1980, p.62) report from the AES show lists Tannoy's established professional monitor range of the period, including the M1000 Super Red with its 15-inch dual-concentric drive unit and the M2000 Buckingham monitor. The SRM-12B sits in that professional SRM family, not the home hi-fi line. That's why surviving examples tend to surface from studio clear-outs and broadcast facilities rather than living rooms.
On the used market, the Little Reds have held a following. A classified listing in Electronics & Music Maker offered a pair of "TANNOY LITTLE REDS (SRM12B)" in very good condition at £500, no offers. That's a useful data point for what a clean pair commanded in the UK secondhand trade. As with any monitor of this vintage, the condition of the dual-concentric driver is everything. Buyers should confirm both cabinets and both drivers are original and working before committing.
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