0605WHC42 Tannoy EFX 5.1

19/4/05

12:47 PM

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# Sub/Sat Speaker System

RS EDITO## #

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Tannoy EFX 5.1 T
annoy knows a thing or two about speakers, and the UK brand has been making them since 1926. Speaker systems come in all shapes and prices, and at 300 Tannoys new EFX 5.1 package represents an affordable home cinema speaker package from a respected brand. The EFX 5.1 package builds on the success of the original FX 5.1, and the five speakers look pretty similar to their older siblings yet have a high-gloss silver finish (its also available in a high-gloss black finish). The four sats can be wall mounted (brackets are supplied) or perched on top of dedicated speaker stands (available separately for an additional 55). Each of the four satellite speaker houses a 15mm tweeter driver and 75mm mid range driver, while the larger centre speaker incorporates two 75mm mid range drivers as well as 15mm tweeter driver. The revamped satellites include Tannoys WideBand technology, which extends the high frequency response to 78kHz and helps to reduce phase errors and improve midband resolution and the overall imaging performance.

Silver surfer

The satellite speakers run out of steam at around 140Hz, which is where the packages subwoofer kicks in. The compact front-ported model is nicely finished in a matching silver cabinet. Its a significant improvement over its predecessor, and the active sub incorporates a 100W amplifier that powers a 200mm downward firing driver. At the back, the sub sports level and crossover controls to help integrate its sonic performance with the sats and to your particular tastes. Theres also an auto mode to switch the sub on when it detects a signal, and a phase mode switch to get the best bass performance wherever it is placed within a room. A decent length of speaker cable is supplied, which can be cut to appropriate lengths and the bared ends connected to the rather fiddly binding posts at the back of each of the satellites and your amp. The satellites power handling is rated at 15-100W, which is admirable given their diminutive dimensions.
of the The Day After Tomorrow soundtrack. Effects are well placed around the room, crafting an expansive soundstage as the ice shelf breaks off during the movies spectacular opening. But despite its relaxed sound, you still get a good sense of detail and soundtracks are very involving. The enhancements to the centre are an improvement and dialogue sounds clean and relatively free from the restrains of its compact dimensions. Bass notes from the sub dig deep and blend seamlessly with the partnering satellites. Music sound is also impressive and U2s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sounds impressively coherent as the EFX 5.1 makes a good stab at respectable hi-fi sound. The EFX 5.1 demonstrates once again that Tannoy is very capable when it comes to making speakers, and makes an affordable way to complete a home cinema set up I

TEST SCENE

The Day After Tomorrow
The sound of the breaking ice is clear without sounding brash as it moves from speaker to speaker, and dialogue through the centre sounds pretty good, too

PRICE 300

www.tannoy.co.uk 01236 420199

RATINGS

Style Ease of use Build Sound Value Overall ####$ ####$ ####$ ####$ ##### ####$
Crossover and Level controls

AT A GLANCE

I FEATURES
Satellite speaker: Sensitivity 85dB Nominal impedance 6 Maximum power handling 100W Dimensions: 140 x 97 x 95mm Centre speaker: Sensitivity 85dB Nominal impedance 6 Maximum power handling 100W Dimensions: 120 x 230 x 95mm Subwoofer: 200mm bass unit Power output 100W Dimensions: 345 x 250 x 370 4mm binding posts

WHC VERDICT

A very respectable performance from a small speaker package at an even smaller price.

Breaking the ice

The Tannoy package has an instantly appealing sound that is smooth, even with brashest of soundtracks. It makes light work

I CONNECTIONS

Phono inputs

Speaker terminals

WHC June 2005 81

0302WHC32 Tannoy Speakers

20/12/02

4:13 PM

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Tannoy FX 5.1

Test Scenes

ET: The Extraterrestrial
Tannoy has a public announcement to make it has brought its expertise to the home cinema market. But are the FX 5.1 speakers a sound investment or a sonic damp squib?

Rear we go

As Elliott looks for ET in the cornfield, delicate late-night sounds are well reproduced. The serenity is punctured by ETs shrill screams, and his fleeing footsteps are sharp from the rear channels

Score blimey!

John Williams score during Elliott and ETs iconic flying bike scene sounds simply wonderful. The sweeping strings and bass integrate seamlessly, while Elliotts screams remain audible

Good call

The surround satellites are pleasingly sensitive. During quieter scenes, such as ET testing his legendary phone in the forest, they pick up the gentle ambience running throughout, creating a wonderful, continuous surround soundstage. The sub impressively disguises its location, swathing the whole room in waves of bass. The only weak link in the chain is the centre channel, which occasionally makes dialogue sound shrill at loud volumes. Its particularly noticeable with ETs wails and the excited adolescent voices in our test movie. Stereo CD playback is impressively open and chunky, demonstrated by a bit of 70s disco funk from The Essential Earth Wind & Fire. Each sonic element is allowed to get its point across, be it the piercing brass section, bongos or vocals. Judicious use of the sub also gives it the necessary punch. This is a real surprise package. Whod have thought such small speakers could make a racket this gorgeous? Theyre not the best-looking speakers in the world, and a real pain to set up, but theyre just the ticket with movies and music. The clincher is the price, making Further Info them a cost-effective way to Call or visit www.tannoy.com complete your home cinema.

Good Points

Sound quality from these compact speakers is very surprisingly refined with movies and music, and they can handle a lot of power

Bad Points

The DIY cabling makes it a pig to set up, and theyre not the prettiest speakers ever seen. Dialogue is sometimes shrill

Overall

Big performance from small speakers recommended

Ratings

Style 5555555566 Ease of use 5555555566 Features 5555555555 Sound 5555555556 Value 5555555555 Overall 5555555555
What Home Cinema February 2003

Sub/sat Speakers

oover, Biro, Sellotape: all brand names that became a synonym for a certain type of product. Another such brand is Tannoy, a name that springs to mind every time you think of a PA system. But these days, Tannoy wants its name to be synonymous with home cinema and it hopes the FX 5.1 sub/sat system will make that happen. This package is perfect if youve got a separate DVD player and home cinema amplifier, or combis like the T+A (tested on p77) and only need to add a speaker system. The diminutive dimensions of the FX 5.1 satellites also make them ideal for people with little space to play with. These silver satellite speakers arent the last word in style, but are attractive enough. Theyre also weighty, well-built little blighters, which is an encouraging sign. Housing them is no trouble, as wall brackets are supplied in the box and optional matching floor stands are available. The sub is massive and sports an impressive array of rear controls including a volume dial and a switch to put the sub in auto mode, so that it fires up when a signal is detected. Phono and springclip inputs are provided. A 25m speaker cable is supplied, which has to be cut to length and then stripped at each end. These stripped ends have to be fed into the fiddly binding posts on the back of the speakers (and the back of your amp). Even this poses a problem, as the red stripe on the cable indicating the correct binding post to use is barely noticeable. The satellites can handle

15-100W of power, admirable considering their size. We rigged them up to a powerful Marantz amp with a Pioneer DV-757Ai DVD player, and they coped brilliantly. With ET: The Extra Terrestrial on DVD, the results are exhilarating. The front-channel speakers are surprisingly rich and involving, eking out a huge amount of sonic detail. Particularly impressive is the systems treatment of John Williams classic, sweeping score. The sharply reproduced brass and woodwind sections stand proud above the luscious strings, which meld beautifully with the subs rigid bass.

0302WHC27 VCR Group

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Group Test: VCRs

Taping on the Cheap

Six VCRs are out to prove theres life in the old dog yet. But which one is the mutts nuts?
ith the popularity of digital recorders on the increase, surely the death knell has sounded for the trusty old VCR? Not on your nelly. The market is still thriving, with all the big-name manufacturers churning out Nicam VCRs at ever-decreasing prices. Lets face it, not everyone has the money to delve into the world of DVD or hard-disk recording and until these digital-recording refuseniks change their minds, the VCR will live on. Picture quality has also improved over the years. Okay, it pales in comparison to higher-resolution DVD/HD recording, but considering the technology is over 20 years old, its mightily impressive. So weve rounded up six of the latest VHS VCRs for you to choose from so you can record programmes in Dolby Pro-Logic surround, as well as watching them.

LG LV810

LG LVp82
The LG is the budget offering in our group test. But does its low price mean low performance?

JVC HR-J695EK 130 p83

JVC invented VHS, but is it just riding its reputation with its HR-J695EK?
CR technology is as old as the hills, so praise is due to LG for trying to make it seem new and interesting. Its latest range of VCRs includes one ingenious model that actually talks to you, guiding even the most technophobic user through whole the setup procedure. Clever, but unless youre over 70 or Jade from Big Brother, you may find this gimmick rather patronising. More experienced VCR users should check out this LV810; a cute little Nicam model that provides all the essentials without the small talk. It shuns the large rectangular box shape in favour of a compact, curvy look. Its the kind of VCR that would be most at home in the bedroom, though its smart silver finish will complement any setting. Two Scarts on the rear panel are a prerequisite in the days of digital TV one to accept signals from your digibox and one to send signals to your telly. Thankfully, LG complies, and throws in stereo audio output (useful for piping videotape soundtracks to an external amplifier), plus regular aerial (RF) input and output. The fascia sports stereo audio and composite video inputs, perfect for occasional connection of external sources. Features include auto tuning, Commercial Message Skip (fast forward in 30-second chunks), Optimum Picture Response (a choice of soft or sharp), a seven-event/one-month timer (with VideoPlus) and support for 16:9 widescreen sources. Video Doctor usefully tells you if the head needs cleaning and if you can record on the loaded tape.

Thomson VTH-p83

Its French, so it is no surprise that the Thomson is stylish. We assess its performance

Its only natural

In terms of performance, the LV810 fares very well. SP recordings from our Sky digibox pack plenty of colour, but never make crucial areas like skin tones look unnatural. Also pleasing is the level of detail it retains and the low amount of picture noise over large areas of colour. Some of the images edges are a touch soft, however. Activating the Sharp OPC setting helps, but accentuates fizzing around the edges of bright objects. Leave the Soft setting well alone unless you want EastEnders to look like it was filmed underwater. Bunging in a prerecorded copy of Star Wars Episode I shows up a few inadequacies. Darker backgrounds, such as the forest or the ornate architecture of the Naboo palaces, exhibit a dusting of white misty noise which slightly compromises the overall quality. But lets not detract from the strengths Ratings Style 5555555666 namely vibrant colour and a healthy Ease of use 5555555556 amount of detail. Features 5555555566 Sound quality is as good as you could Picture 5555555566 Sound 5555555566 hope clean and audible with an acceptable Value 5555555556 level of hiss whether via stereo TV speakers Overall 5555555566 or a surround sound system. Further Info All in all, a great budget offering with Call or lots of features and decent picture quality.
visit www.lgelectronics.co.uk

Sony SLV-SEp84

A quality brand, yes, but is it a quality product? We found out by thoroughly testing it

Panasonic NV-FJp84

Although no headturner, the NV-FJ630 is packed with features and promises much

Toshiba V852UK 180 p85

Its one of the priciest models in our test, but does it justify the hefty price tag?