- based manufacturer of professional sound equipment, originally based in Cambridge, the company built up an enviable reputation for quality speakers and amplifiers. Many readers who have been around the industry for a while may well be familiar with the iconic red H|H logo and I myself owned a pair of the company’s speakers ‘back in the day’. Following a period of quiet over the past decade or more, the brand has recently been reinvigorated by Birmingham-based Headstock Distribution, which launched a new range of HH Electronics active and passive speakers last year.

68 68 sponsored by A couple of issues ago [87 – Jan/Feb] Ian Forest the TNE-1201 active cabinet and now I have been given the chance to test-drive that unit’s bigger brother, the TNX-1201. At first look, it could be very easy to confuse these two models. There’s only one letter different in their names and they share a very similar external cabinet design. However, on the inside, the TNX-1201 – which is part of HH’s premium TESSEN-X range – is a completely different beast!

It has an improved Celestian TF1225 low frequency driver, a larger (1.4”) high frequency compression driver and a more powerful amplifier. This allows it to deliver a higher maximum SPL (132dB) and a slightly wider frequency response (45Hz - 20KHz). My first impression of the TNX-1201 on removing it from its box was of a high-quality workhorse. Its design is fairly understated, and it isn’t loaded with bells and whistles, but it does have design details that make it stand out from the crowd and show it to be a professional-calibre speaker.

Built from lightweight multi-layered plywood, it is finished with a thick textured black coating. Its black heavy-gauge steel protective grill has a distinctive central inset and is backed with black acoustic foam, while the LED-lit H|H logo sits proudly at the bottom (there is a switch on the back panel to disable the LED if you’d prefer). The cabinet is fitted with a standard 35mm pole mount and also has four chunky rubber feet on its base. It also has a wedge shape and four further rubber feet on its back panel, which means that it can also be used as a stage monitor.

This adds an element of flexibility but also has a downside. As Ian pointed out in his TNE-1201 review, the shape means that the connection panel is located on the side (not the back) and therefore the input/output cables protrude slightly when it is stand-mounted and you look at it from the front. In his TNE-1201 review Ian also raved about the low weight of that cabinet, however, predictably – due to the beefed-up amp, the TNX-1201 is heavier – 5kg to be exact.

In total it weighs in at 20.7kg, which I wouldn’t describe as ‘light’ but is certainly manageable. This is helped by the two large recessed handles located on each side, which are comfortable to hold and make it easy to carry and also lift the cabinet up onto a stand. As I’ve already said, HH have kept the ‘bells and whistles’ to a minimum on the TNX-1201. Its recessed control/connections panel features two input channels each offering combination XLR/jack HH ELECTRONICS TNX-’T LET YOUR SUBS BECOME A DRINKS TABLE!

SUBSAFE AUDIO A SOUND INVESTMENT FFAACCEEBBOOOOKK..CCOOMM//SSUUBBSSAAFFEEAAUUDDIIOO /SUBSAFEAUDIO HH Electronics TNX-1201 sockets and dedicated gain controls. I took the pair of A slight oversight (again, previously was loaned for this mentioned by Ian in his TNE-1201 two gigs. The first review) is the lack of line/mic level event in a fairly switching. This means that you can’t bar.

I found that connect a corded mic directly to the produced a rich, speaker without using an external had great definition mixer (however, you may be able to hi-fi quality. The connect a wireless mic if yours has and instruments a line-level output, as some do). A which made for a Linkout XLR socket is also provided, experience for the for the connection of a sub or mingled early additional active speaker, which is was time for dancing, switchable between just Channel 1 delivered a powerful or a mix of both channels. dancefloor (even control dialled right A simple, but effective, Equalisation section offers LF and HF trim My second event controls as well as three EQ pre- 1201s was a large sets: Bass, Monitor and Vocal. cavernous church hall.

There are also a variety of LED space, with pretty indicators, including one to show so a real challenge that power is being received, one However, I’m pleased to show that an audio signal is report that they rose being received and one to warn if the signal is clipping. The only other control on the panel is an ‘Anti-Feedback’ switch which is meant to suppress microphone feedback when engaged. However, following a lot of experimentation, I didn’t find this to be of any practical use.

For a start, I didn’t find these speakers to be particularly prone to feedback in the first place, but when I deliberately put my mic right in front of the speaker it fed back regardless of whether the switch was activated or not. So, now that we’ve covered the TNX-1201’s looks and connectivity, let’s get down to business, how does it sound? Well, as has been written in Pro Mobile many times before, sound is a very subjective thing. All of our ears are slightly different and we all have different ideas of what sounds 'good'.

That said, I can't imagine anyone could say that the TNX-1201 sounds ‘bad’ and – personally – I LOVE it! 70 70 speakers that I filling the room well across the review out to whole frequency spectrum. The was an intimate lows were deep and rich, the mids small lounge/ clear and the highs cut through the TNX-1201s without being shrill. Despite the size warm sound that of the venue, I decided not to take and an almost separate bins and, with hind-sight, vocals were clear think that was the right call.

In fact, were detailed, I’d say that the TNX-1201s generate great listening enough low-end rumble to get away guests as they without separate subs for 99% of evening. When it the events I work. the speakers sound to the So, to sum up, the TNX-1201 has an with the Gain inconspicuous design and minimal down). feature set but delivers where it counts, in raw power and audio with the TNX- clarity. This is a professional quality party in a speaker that is portable enough for This was a big mobile DJ use but has the clout to fill poor acoustics, large function rooms and has a price for the speakers. tag within the realms of affordability to be able to for most established DJs.

Put simply: to it admirably, highly recommended! HH ELECTRONICS TNX-1201 21+ BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW: LYNDSEY@