TANNOY-Mercury MX 2
Tannoy is a well-known British manufacturer that has earned a well-deserved reputation among audiophiles and amateurs starting their adventure with audio. The company's offer includes a wide range of loudspeaker sets, from cheap budget models to expensive exotic audiophile constructions, it is easy to find the right set for yourself.
Tannoy is known for its interesting design and the use of "Dual Concentric" coaxial speakers where the tweeter is placed in the middle of the mid-woofer. The company was founded in 1926 in London by Guy Fountain.
The MX-2 is the mid-range in Tannoy's wide range of budget Mercury ranges, which include many well-known bookshelf and floorstanders. Some of the most successful models in this series include the Mercury 7, M1, M2 and the reviewed MX2.
Mercury MX-2, thanks to the low price and correct sound, found a large group of recipients among the first stereo sets. The well-priced design found its way into home theater applications where using them as surrounds was a cheap extension to multi-channel sound. The speakers were selling quite well, so the manufacturer decided to update the design by introducing the MX2-M version. The MX2-M update introduced minor changes from its MX-2 predecessor. The mid-bass driver was replaced, which in a more modern version has a better impulse response, giving an easier way to be driven by less efficient amplifiers. The enclosure of the Tannoy-i is a box made of MDF covered with Light Maple veneer. The columns use double loudspeaker terminals connected with metal jumpers, which enable the use of double BI-WIRE cabling. The loudspeakers are vented with a Bass-reflex port, which is made of a plastic pipe located at the back above the speaker terminals. The drivers used in the column are a 25mm soft dome tweeter and a 145mm Tannoy SN9EA mid-woofer. The MX 2's crossover is designed to work with double cabling, and tests have shown that it works better in a configuration with a single loudspeaker cable in the company of jumpers made of short lengths of cable. Single speaker wires with well-chosen jumpers bring more culture and equality to music.
SOUND
Looking at the very low price, the Tannoys sound good and dynamic. The bass, although it does not go low, is well accented by the mid-bass, which dynamically emphasizes the rhythm. The sounds of drums and bass guitars evenly match the midrange and are detailed enough to add color to the music. There is a balance that makes us feel no major defects in the sound. What the ears that have heard more expensive and better speaker sets miss the most is the lack of color and character. In music where the background and timbre of the instruments are important (e.g. classical music) there is no velvety and shadow. The whole is illuminated by the foreground, which plays the main violin. The music may not be heavily colored, which is a plus for such an inexpensive speaker set, but it also does not arouse any emotions in the listener. Vocalists and instruments lack warmth and nobility known from more expensive models. The outlines and contours of sounds are hidden behind the main melodic line, where there are no flavors, nuances and a relaxing atmosphere that, combined with a glass of wine and a good record, can relax after a tiring day of work. Mercury MX-2 are designed to work with inexpensive electronics, with which they will create a duo. The top of the Tannoy range does not tire or sting the ears, but it is sonorous enough to emphasize the accents of brass instruments.
The sound these inexpensive speakers deliver is correct and well-suited for daytime listening at mid-power levels. With the MX, we will not hear the noble timbre of the vocalist's voice, or the strong and convincing overtones of the double bass, nor will we fall into discomfort related to the overall quality and price.
TECHNICAL DATA
Construction: 2-unobstructed
Housing type: Bass-reflex
Impedance: 8 Ω
Crossover frequency: 2.8kHz
frequency response: 48Hz - 20kHz
Bass Driver: 6" (145mm)
Tweeter: 1” (25mm) soft dome
Recommended amplifier power: 10 - 80W
Effectiveness: 88 dB
Dimensions: width 185mm / height 330mm / depth 246mm
Libra: 5.1 kg
Elaborated by: Łabędź Przemysław