What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Appealing and engaging, the DC4s are a front-running compact design
Pros
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Build and finish belie the price
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confident, expansive sound
Cons
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Picky about room position
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won’t satisfy militant bassheads
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
There’s nothing in the way these Tannoys look or feel to suggest that they can't stand up against speakers costing twice as much; far from it.
And, given that they’re no more expensive now than when we first tested them back in 2008, they’re actually more of a bargain than ever.
Given their size and (relative) affordability, the DC4s get an awful lot right.
Even a testing recording like Duke Ellington’s Blues For New Orleans enjoys prodigious detail levels, considerable speed, tangible body and has an unquestionably grown-up, wide-screen quality that’s a match for any rivals.
Attack and determination
Robust and confident, the DC4s describe a consistent, expansive soundstage, and attack with determination.
They’re one of the more position-sensitive designs we've come across, being happier close to a rear wall than out in free space – isolate them too much and the low frequencies, never the most substantial, can waste away.
But pander to them just a little and they’re among the more compelling propositions on test, regardless of price.
See all our hi-fi speaker Best Buys
