Mordaunt 904 review 

 

Mordaunt-Short Decleration 904 

 

-- Ah ... Mordaunt-Short. When this well-loved marque bit the dust back in 1998, we feared another British brand had been consigned to the pages of history, never to tickle our aural palates again. But not so, for the name Mordaunt-Short has risen phoenix-like from the ashes, resuscitated by Audio Partnership's rolling buy-out bandwagon.  

 

Once the deal was secured, its new owner began beavering on an all-new line-up: the Declaration Series. The range is split into two - four stereo speakers and a centre channel with the prefix 9 (all of which are voiced for hi-fi or multi-purpose use), and a gaggle of home cinema speakers with the prefix 5. 

 

The speaker we have here is the 904. It's the smallest floorstander, and like the rest of the range it sports drive units with aluminium diaphragms - a 25mm dome tweeter and 133mm mid/bass driver. The latter's cone is smooth and shallow, without the usual dust cap or phase plug in the centre. 

 

The cabinet is fashioned from MDF and internally braced, with a port for the main driver at the back and a cavity for mass loading. Four spiked feet are supplied with each speaker for a firm floor fixing; solid gold-plated binding posts allow for single or bi-wiring and a choice of black ash or light cherry finishes complete an enticing visual package. 

 

Sound Quality 

 

Smart aesthetics don't always translate to smart sound, but we're pleased to say the 904 is more than just a pretty face. It conveys an unusual degree of poise for a budget floorstander, the initial impression being one of crisp detail and strong clarity. It doesn't quite achieve the exhilarating pace of past budget Mordaunt-Shorts, owing partly to bass that's a little more lumpy, yet the dynamic qualities of that diminutive metal coned driver add a fair degree of panache. 

 

Soundstaging is a touch narrow but the image is well honed, aided by a well-detailed and impressively transparent midrange. But treble is rather exposed and gets aggressive with hard-driving rock or swathes of orchestral strings - both Feeder and Mahler sounded a little too strident on test. To hear it at its best play some smoother, quieter musical strains, something ambient perhaps or some cool, crisp female vocals. Do that and the 904 offers an enjoyably vivid listen for the money.  

 

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