Extremely interesting website on speaker design from Tannoy. Frank from Tempo is very big on the large vintage Tannoy's for the $.
http://www.hilberink.nl/codehans/tannoy52.htm
What I have learned is that 3/4" Birtch plywood is thought to be one of the best for sound. I always wondered why the low freq tones sounded better from vintage Klipsch. I knew Paul Klipsch liked 3/4" Birch but did not know it to be popular with Tannoy as well. Audio Note use 3/4" Russian Birtch plywood. I also find out that drum makers go to great lengths to have a low glue to wood ratio. I guess MDF would be at the opposite end of the scale.
Vintage Tannoy lovers (as is Frank and Dr. Loesch) thought the vintage Alnico magnets special. Tannoy dropped AlNiCo at around the same time as Klipsch due to cost and supply of Colbalt.
I can say the vintage Tannoy's would be on a short list of speakers I would like to hear.
Tannoy used Auto Formers as did Klipsch and no Electrolytic's in the crossover.
As has been talked about before Tannoy says printed circuit boards are detrimental to sound quality.
So what speakers other than vintage Klipsch and Tannoy use Alnico magnets, no electrolytics, 3/4" Birch plywood, 15" woofers, foil in oil caps?
It is easy to see why cost would be incredible for large speakers right from construction to shipping to store footage space and foil caps.
My dealer always put Tannoy and vintage Klipsch people in the same group? I have only heard there cheaper models.