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Quad 12L2
Launched last autumn, the L2 series is designed to update Quad's popular L-series with new aluminium voice coils, new-look tweeter pod, improved chassis designed to cut down on midrange distortion and improved terminals, spikes and plinths.
The second biggest in the range, they're not the best looking of the bunch on test - big, room-dominating glossy boxes (our test pair came in piano black, which didn't help, although there's a range of less brutal-looking wood finishes) - they're not the shy and retiring type. They are however twin-ported at the rear and offer the opportunity of bi-wiring - the only one of these speakers to offer this.
Thankfully, the sound more than makes up for the lack of subtlety in the design. These speakers do a marvellous job of pulling together all the sonic elements to produce a beautifully presented sonic image. Plenty of punch from the mid/bass Kevlar driver, which exerts a strong degree of control on the low end while presenting the midrange beautifully, with insight and no little taste - you feel you can hear everything, but no element seems to dominate unnecessarily.
The tweeter meanwhile offers a marvellously transparent view of the higher frequencies and blends very smoothly with the rest of the sonic picture - it doesn't offer quite the same degree of space as some of the models here, particularly the Dali or the Focal, but the cohesion of the overall image is exemplary - it's a very fine speaker.
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Plus points
Marvellously integrated sonic image, no shortage of bass
Minus points
Unsubtle, blocky looks, tweeter can feel a bit 'shut in' with very high frequencies |  |
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Tannoy Autograph Mini
Tannoy's deceptively small boxes are actually based on the first speaker the company ever produced, 50 years ago. That's not to say that they're antiques though - the look might be retro but the technology certainly isn't.
The rear of the cabinet is angled inwards, which not only serves to decrease the possibility of standing waves inside, but also allows closer placement within corners, if you're pushed for space.
The Autograph Minis deliver a beautifully presented soundstage - precise in its positioning and teasing out a wealth of detail in the midrange, without coming over as nerdily analytical. They deliver a rich, full sound, without the sense that bandwidth is being squashed. With acoustic music such as Gillian Welch's Soul Journey or Björk's vocal-only Medúlla album, the results are exemplary.
When you want to get heavier, say with Basement Jaxx's bass-heavy Good Luck, they still hold things beautifully together - some will miss the distinct lack of bass punch, but this is a small speaker, and as a great man once said, 'Ye cannae change the laws of physics'.
Placing them close to the wall helps boost the low end slightly, but even without the bass reach of some of the models here, when it comes to precision, accuracy and cohesion, they punch well above their (very light) weight.
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Plus points
Very small and compact, distinctive retro look, beautifully precise sound
Minus points
Distinctive retro look, not much bass punch, not cheap | |
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A very fine bunch of speakers this, and as ever, there are horses for courses. The Focal-JMlab Chorus 807 Vs certainly have their place but it probably wasn't in our listening room. These big and bulky numbers certainly made their presence felt but lacked the ability to pull the sound together in a rewarding way, though a larger room (or the smaller 806 version) might have helped. 
Mick Cox
