What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 11 MAR 2008

Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 2

£ 450 5

* * * * *

These truly brilliant speakers are just held off the top spot by a rival of even more astounding value

For
Exciting, detailed and precise delivery; excellent cohesion, both in timing and tone; great looks and build
Against
Not quite as muscular or flexible as the B&W 685s

We do a number of comparative tests when we get a new product in, but we don’t always decide which is the outright best at that point, sometimes preferring to save those very close calls for a Group Test, or even our yearly Awards.

The Mezzo 2s are just such a product – when they first came, in we put them up against the class-leading B&W 685s, and we knew they were easily in the same ball-park, but they were so closely matched that we decided to leave the final decision for this Supertest. Even we weren’t entirely sure what the outcome would be.

The first exciting thing about the Mezzos is their styling. The traditional wooden finish combines with a modern, curved cabinet and smart, stylish baffle to create a look that is as much comfy and easy-going as it is chic and aggressive.

Knowing these are immensely capable speakers, we kick off with something that will provide a real challenge – Michael Jackson’s 2000 Watts. This track is incredibly layered, and demands that a speaker takes total control over it, tonally separating the different components and yet reproducing them with perfect cohesion – the Mezzo 2s do just that.

Tons of tonal detail
They dig up all of the detail throughout the tonal range and allow you to identify each synthetic sound and vocal. They also exhibit terrific speed and timing, so the track’s bite is brilliantly left intact.

One thing that this track points out about the Mezzos is that they don’t quite have the muscle and low-end grunt of the B&Ws. They are also capable of producing a smidge of hardness at the top if they’re partnered carelessly – avoid this though and the treble from the clever aspirated tweeter is sweet and detailed.

In the end, then, it’s almost a horses-for-courses call. If you want muscle and flexibility go for the B&Ws, and if you want ultimate speed and precision go for the Mordaunt-Shorts.

If the price of the two front-runners were the same, it would be an even closer call, but, as there’s a £70 price difference, the cheaper pair eventually wins out.