What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 02 MAR 2005

Tannoy TS-12

£ 499 4

* * * *

If you're after a gutsy, yet compact subwoofer give this one a go

For
Fast, detailed and punchy performer; excellent build; fine at high levels; compact size
Against
Other subwoofers at this price level can go deeper

This is a fine little sub. But before we heap a dollop of praise on its compact frame, let’s get the shortcomings out of the way first.

Put simply, you can get greater low-end extension and weight for the same money. If those things are paramount to you, buy a different subwoofer. However, it's fair to say that opting for extra low-end muscle typically requires a bigger box.

Measuring 37x34x34cm, the TS-12 comes in a very well-built, but surprisingly light enclosure. It’s a sealed design, using a downward-firing 30cm driver and a meaty 500-watt amplifier. The result is fast, punchy bass with the minimum of overhang. The TS-12 will go loud, too, without sounding overstrained when pushed.

Socket-wise, there are line-level inputs in both RCA (phono) and XLR flavours, with matching outputs limited to the latter. You’ll also find a filter to control low-end extension, as well as the more usual crossover frequency. Oddly, there’s no speaker level input.

That aside, this is a fine sub, but it misses the top grade by a small margin.