Tannoy Revolution R1 Floorstanding Speakers

Tannoy Revolution R1 Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

book-shelf speaker

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 17  
[May 18, 2019]
faifai


Strength:

sweet top and midrange. Compared it with 2019 jbl control 1 pro, the jbl is rough.

Weakness:

needs to be placed on tall stiff stands and in free space, otherwise bass will be compromised and soundstage flattened, but i ve not as yet found any speakers with bass that are not similarly fussy in these respects

Price Paid:
£200
Purchased:
New  
Model Year:
2010
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Jan 08, 2008]
Thermionic
AudioPhile

Hello,

I wanted to share my impressions on the R1.
I don't use bi-wiring so I could not benefit from their bi-wiring connection ability.
I guess that connected in bi-wiring they sound great.
However, when single-wired the speakers sound somewhat dull, the highs are not open enough.
Strangely enough, as the tweeter looks to be a good one.
What I did is that decided to replace the binding posts of the speakers with
single 'Cardas rhodium over copper' binding posts.
I conected the two separate wires connecting the filter to this single binding post
in each speaker.
The result?
It is unbeliavable how the speakers opened especially in the high frequency area.
This is quite obvious although the effect comes after some time of listening.
Have in mind that after the binding posts are replaced and new ones resoldered
the speakers need a burn-in time.
The speakers are quite different now from they were before - they are in another class simply.
I always suspected that the terminals are not good enough but the effect I have described above is really very strong and audiable.
Best regards to everyone

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 07, 2003]
thongvua
AudioPhile

Strength:

Cheap ! Solve your audio problem ! Strong feeling ! Thick sound !

Weakness:

With this price , what do you want to ask more ?

It's the champion in this price ! I play these speakers with ampli Denon MPA-390 , also a cheap one ($70) => It's amazing about the sound ! However, some people will say that these speakers play boomy bass or lack of high frequency , etc. But I will say that they don't know how to use these speakers ! First , in order to play it's bass , you must use Monster Cable , for it's treble , you can use a OFC cable . And you will have expensive sound !

Similar Products Used:

JMlab Cobalt 826 B&W 805

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 28, 2003]
gustavo sorba
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

finish and sound

Weakness:

boomy bass

I thin this is a very good speaker for this price. With this size is incredible. high frecuencies are good. But with low frecuencies this is not the same, but for the size of this speakers is very good response. I put this speakers at 30 cm of the back wall and the listen position in the opposite wall is realy very good. I recommend this speaker fot its sound and finish.

Similar Products Used:

none

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 12, 2002]
Steve
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Delivers music and home theater capabilities matched by very few.

Weakness:

None that I can come up with.

The Tannoy R1 is a great mini-monitor designed for the audiophile. Offers bi-wiring capability, high performance cross-over drive units, tuneable port and a rigid solid wood cabinet (mine is cherry). The R1 provides excellent dynamic performance and superb power handling. Imaging is pure and uncolored. Musical presence is outstanding. Perfect home theater rears as well. Highly recommended. My system: Denon AVR 2802 (receiver) Denon DVD 2800 Tannoy R2 (fronts) Tannoy R1 (rears) Tannoy RC (center) Polk Audio PSW300 (subwoofer)

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch, JBL, Bose

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 14, 2000]
brad
Audiophile

Strength:

expansive soundstage both laterally and fron-to-back; beautiful midband and silky highs; nice "weight" in the lower registers for a mini

Weakness:

long break-in period and very cable sensitive

having been a "mini" fan for a long time and having used celestion sl700se, AE-1's, Ensembles, LS3/5a, JM Labs (you get the idea) these little gems are a refreshing accomplishment at the price point. As with any mini monitor, set-up is critical...i have them very much free standing and on 4X pillar stands and spiked...imaging is stunning: very solid positioning of instruments and able to project very far outside the box...there is a good sense of "correct" weight in the low-end; balanced is a good term...long break-in time; in my system, approx 50 hrs (prior, a tendency towards an etched top end and "hollow" bass)...i think these also sound best NOT bi-wired...i am currently using a new FMS cable that mates very well with them (Audio Quest, Fadel and XLO did not synergize)...overall a tremendous speaker for those that understand and work within the confines of the mini-monitor world...you know who you are!

Similar Products Used:

rega, well-tempered, fms

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 27, 2000]
John Coates
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Very well integrated sound, overall smoothness

Weakness:

Midrange and midbass could more accurate.

I am very impressed by the smooth well balanced sound. They have been reviewed by the UK audio press as polite sounding speaker, however I dont see this as a weakness. When I compare to its peers such as Mission 780, 771, I find the the R1 much smoother and acutally more enjoyable with a wider range of music. The more recent Missions sound as though they are trying too hard by comparison. Imaging with the R1 is good and very stable.

The only criticism of the R1 is that the midrange and midbass could be more accurate, slight intermodulation is audible on complex pieces. This is only of concern if listening to audiophile quality recordings though.

I compared these also to the cheaper M1. The main difference is that the tweeter sounds cleaner and sweeter as though is less stressed in the R1 design. This and the improved aesthetics makes the R1s a better buy in my opinion.

Build quality and finish are first rate. These are very pretty speakers finished in all wood, and extremely solid build that is uncommon at this price.

Similar Products Used:

Mission 760i, Mission 752 Freedom, Monitor Audio Studio 6

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 24, 2000]
Sree -
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

mid-range, detailed, good depth

Weakness:

bass lacks punch, criticle to placement and at times dry

SMALL BIG SOUNDING SPEAKERS

Being a loyal user of Tannoy Loudspeakers since 1982(Cheviots) followed by the 613's (I still do have them), I bought the R1's as a second set. The R1's (driven by my trustworthy companion, Audiolab 8000A)proved to be a diffrent sort of breed in the Tannoy's stable. Unlike the latter where sound reproduction was dramatic, dynamic and involving, the R1's proved to be diffrent. After running them in, which took more than 50 hours, the following was noticible.

1. The soundstage was tremendously transparent (Subjected to placement). Instruments were laid out where they are meant to be. Vocals stood out with warmth. In this area I dare say it is comparable (does not mean equal) to the 613,s, but for the price,I have no complaints. This proves to be one of the plus points the R1's have against the likes of the Mission and Ageis. I don't have to stress myself trying to focus to determine the instruments whereabouts. They are displayed well.

2. Depth was great-as long as you get the correct placement. I have placed them about 1 1/2 feet from the back wall and about 1 meter from the side wall on a 24" stands (filled and weights a "ton"). Placement was one of the first problems I encountered.

3. The mid-range is where i feel the R1's main strenght lies in. It has control. Very good for my sort of music, Classical, jazz and Irish vocals. This is where the mission's failed.

4. Bass lacks the punch. In this area I feel the Mission and Ageis passed with with flying colours. They had better control and depth. However I am sure that this can be rectified by getting the ultimate placements, which I am currently doing on a "trial and error".

To conclude - I would say that the R1's actually excels in most of the areas which make it a pair of speakers worth the auditioning, despite being criticle to its placements and lack of punch in the bass arena. And at it's price, I don't think I have any complaints.

Similar Products Used:

Mission 700's, Ageis 1, Tannoy 613 (Floor standers)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 27, 2000]
Nickolas Horton
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Well finished cabinet work with nice clean wood veneer, not plastic. Nice midrange and sweet treble

Weakness:

Boomy bass, but relevant to size.

I bought the tannoy R1 2 weeks ago as I needed small quality speakers as my MA's were too big to relocate. I used to have a pair of ProAc's, but their current price is over the top here in Australia. I listened to Kef and Bose, but liked the R1's on both sound and price. They used to be $699.00, but dropped to $399.00 aussie $.

I needed bi wiring and wanted a real timber veneer. I use a Quad 34 and 306 power amp and the R1'S sound very natural with the quad as opposed to the Rotel which is powerful e.g. 980BX, but harsh when compared to the Quad.

For a small, cheap, but quality speaker I think the Tannoy R1's cannot be beaten.

Similar Products Used:

Monitor Audio 3 Mk11

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 21, 2000]
Chris
Audiophile

Strength:

Clarity, presents complex music well

Weakness:

lacks oomph and slam

I recently spent some time with my brother-in-law looking for speakers in this general price range. In the end, he went with the B&Ws. I think he made the best choice considering the type of music he listens to. My thoughts on the three speakers:

M2: Lots of fun, best slam of the three. A bit congested and a bit confused with more complex music. Good for pop/rock music. The finish is not very good.

R1: Very clear and more neutral, but at the expense of the fun factor. Best sounding voices of the three. Very well suited to jazz/classical/vocal music. Excellent finish.

B&W: Excellent compromise. Plenty of punch, good clarity and focus. Well suited to all types of music.

Depending on the type of music you listen to, any of these would be good choices. None of them is particularly bad and I think they all do very well considering their price.

Similar Products Used:

Tannoy M2, B&W 601s2

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-10 of 17  

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