What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
26 JUN 2007
Tannoy Mercury F1 Custom
Award-winners, and no wonder - if your budget dictates budget speakers, put these at the top of your shortlist
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If you've seen our Awards 2007 issue, then you'll know that these Tannoy Mercury F1 Customs are among our favourite speakers up to £160. Which leaves only one conclusion: the Tannoys are still the best budget speakers around. Which means this review is destined to be something of a lap of honour.
So let's recap: they're nothing special to look at, the F1s – the cabinet and the drivers are prosaic at best. Finish is adequate, but no more – on your shelf (or on your stands, if you're doing things properly), they're unremarkable lookers.
What they have over each and every one of their rivals is an unquestionable all-court game. Whether describing the dynamic charge of David Bowie's version of Let's Spend the Night Together or the stately canter of Lambchop's The Man Who Loved Beer, the Tannoys have the sort of fluency and honesty that's usually the preserve of loudspeakers found in the next price point up.
All-round abilities to savour
The F1s deliver ample scale, plenty of detail and a perceptible sense of excitement. So if you require energy and drive, as well as subtlety and insight, the Tannoys are happy to provide all these in spades.
In fact, there's something perversely gratifying about how humdrum they look when you experience how captivating they are in action – the sound they produce is entirely at odds with their appearance.
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