The TFX 5.1 is an upgraded version of Tannoy’s previous mid-range speaker system, the SFX 5.1. The previous version gained a Budget Buy award, so we were keen to how the new TFX 5.1's revamped powered subwoofer, revised satellite designs and all new speaker drivers stacked up.
The satellite speakers are barely larger than a coffee mug. The mixture of angles and curves gives each satellite a modern look, offset nicely by a glossy black finish. Tannoy also makes the TFX in white, but we think the black version looks much better. The small, recessed binding posts on each speaker can make fitting speaker wires a bit tricky, but only if you’re using thick wire – the thin cables included in the box are much easier to feed into position. The set also comes with wall brackets, so you won’t need to buy additional tools to wall-mount each satellite.
The subwoofer has spikes on the bottom, which are meant to stop it transmitting vibrations to the floor. The spikes are pretty sharp, so you'll need to be careful on wooden floors. With power and phase controls, as well as volume and crossover dials, you can control the sub's output directly from its enclosure. The subwoofer has line level RCA inputs as well as stereo binding posts; you can plug a single RCA cable from a surround sound amplifier's LFE output into the sub's left channel if you want to use the amplifier's crossover, or use the stereo line in or speaker binding posts if you want to use the sub's crossover. It's a versatile set of inputs which will suit most amplifiers.
Once we’d set the system up and started playing a Blu-ray disc, it was clear that the TFX system was punching well above its price. Films burst out of every corner of the room, with surprising amounts of volume for such a small system. The centre speaker was always clear and loud enough for us to hear speech clearly, even during explosive action sequences.
