The Tannoy DC10T is the largest of three Definition series models, which are a very different proposition from the range that carried the same name back in the mid-1990s.

At £5,000 per pair, this is an unquestionably costly loudspeaker, but it's also a very substantial and beautifully built one. The DC10T name translates as follows: the 'DC' bit refers to the Dual Concentric drive unit that does most of the work; the '10' refers to the size (in inches) of both drive units; 'T' is for Tower, the type of speaker we usually refer to as a floorstander.

The DC10T is actually a two-and-a-half-way design, with two 10-inch (254mm) drive units. The Dual concentric driver combines a 180mm paper bass/mid cone with a 25mm hornloaded tweeter that fires through the centre of the cone, so it's effectively a two-way full-range drive unit.

A bass-only drive unit of similar size and construction sits below the DC unit, to ensure plenty of low-frequency output. one interesting detail is that the surrounds of both these drivers are made from heavily doped fabric and formed into a 'double-S' profile.

This rather old-fashioned technique has been coming back into favour recently, as it seems to have less hysteresis than the more common rubber surrounds. Subjectively, this seems to give greater 'speed' at some expense in terms of coloration.

The earlier, more costly Dimension series feature an extra external super tweeter, but the WideBand tweeter used in this Definition model has a 25-micron, titanium dome that extends its frequency response to 35khz. The tweeter horn is the latest version of Tannoy's 'tulip waveguide' and, incidentally, keeps the delicate parts well away from prying fingers and accidental damage.

Other engineering features include a crossover network whose components have received deep cryogenic treatment, while internal wiring is silver-plated, high-purity copper. Twin terminal pairs are fitted for bi-wiring or biamping, plus a fifth terminal that may be used to earth the driver chassis to the amplifier – allegedly reducing RF interference and enhancing dynamic range.

RearCRYOGENICS: The internal wiring of the DC10T has been cryogenically treated for better conductivity

All this considerable engineering is packaged into a large, very elegantly shaped and beautifully finished enclosure, with notably crisp and clean contemporary lines. Our samples came in a high-gloss black finish, dramatically contrasting with the silver trim around each driver and near the base, but dark walnut and cherry (again high-gloss) are slightly less extreme alternatives.

The relatively large main driver means that this speaker has to be quite wide and also fairly tall (in order to get the tweeter horn up to seated ear-level). Behind the consequently rather imposing front panel, the sides are strongly curved towards a much narrower back, so that reflections and internal horizontal standing waves should be nicely dispersed. Two large ports are also mounted on the narrow rear panel.

The grille is held in place by magnets concealed beneath the front panel surface, which are invisible if the grille is not used. Under the surface, the body is constructed from high-quality plywood, made from dense birch grown in cold regions of the world. The bracing incorporates Tannoy's Differential Material Technology (DMT) techniques to couple the driver/enclosure interface rigidly and with appropriate self-damping.

We have one minor criticism, however, regarding the spike floor-coupling arrangements. Although they are well-handled, the narrow back does compromise stability. A plinth would enhance both appearance and stability, though a rear outrigger would be sufficient to improve the latter.