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Many readers will be familiar with Tannoy's Mercury series of loudspeakers, and it's very likely that early incarnations of the Scottish-based brand's entry-level series will have been part of a setup that kickstarted one or two hi-fi habits in the first place. The Tannoy brand is so synonymous with loudspeakers thatits name is even featured in the dictionary, and here it unveils the latest incarnation in a long line of Mercury series models. As the name suggests, the Mercury 7 is the seventh generation of the company’s entry-level range, and Tannoy claims the latest series brings a fresh new style that stands out from the crowd. There's a new wood-grain effect finish, in a choice of walnut, light oak or black oak, and behind the removable speaker grilles the drivers have visible mounting bolts and the Tannoy logo is neatly integrated within the tweeter surround.

Welcome to the February 2016 issue of Hi-Fi Choice – the essential guide to getting the best possible sound from your hi-fi, whether you're buying, tuning or tweaking. . . 

 As a fellow audio enthusiast, you will already know that listening to music is an art, one that gives a tremendous amount of pleasure – especially when the tunes in question are played back at the highest quality available.

Mention noise-cancelling headphones to anyone on the street and there’s a good chance many will think of brands other than AKG. But the big-name headphone brand owned by parent company Harman is making a big noise (so to speak) in the specialist noise-cancelling headphone sector thanks to its remarkably sophisticated sound optimisation technology built into its flagship N90Q headphones. The growth in hi-res portable music players and the fact that more of us are choosing to listen to music on the move has meant that the once humble headphone has seen a massive growth in recent years. As manyof us struggle to find time to listen to our favourite music through our hi-fi systemsat home, more of us are opting for a set of good-quality cans as our first choice for music listening.

It’s Elac Jim, but not as we know it! I have reviewed countless loudspeakers from this established German company over the years, and been impressed by many aspects of the sound, style and design – but the Debut B6 represents a ‘clean sheet’ loudspeaker by a newly hired acoustic engineer, done in a foreign country at a new price point. How’s that for a change of direction? Traditionally, Elac loudspeakers have had a distinctively bright, bracing and detailed sound with a delicate and well resolved treble thanks to the innovative and expensive tweeter. However, the new B6 – designedin Cypress, California – sells at a substantially lower price point than the company’s previous wares – at £299 per pair. For this, says designer Andrew Jones, a completely new approach was required that has meant new, bespoke drive units, careful fettling of less exotic cabinets and a meticulous costing of all the component parts to give the best sound per pound.