Spendor A2
Based in Sussex, Spendor is a quintessentially British loudspeaker manufacturer. Founded nearly a half-century ago by Spencer and Dorothy Hughes (the Spen and Dor in Spendor), the company’s success was built on the foundations of the Spendor BC1 – a monitor designed by Spencer for use by broadcasters and recording studios.
Today, the product line-up consists of three ranges – the Classic, D-Line and A-Line – all of which share the same Spendor DNA, but target different preferences and budgets.
The recently revamped the A-Line is Spendor’s most accessible offering, with a line-up of four models, of which the A2 under scrutiny here is the most affordable floorstander. But don’t for a moment consider the A2 a budget speaker – both finish and performance prove otherwise.
AT FACE VALUE
As floorstanders go, the Spendor A2s are unexpectedly slim and compact, managing to reach just 755 mm high, and boasting a narrow 150 mm baffle. With a depth of only 250 mm these Spendors are unassuming, and thus easily incorporated into any décor.
That said, the A2s are handsomely finished loudspeakers featuring real-wood veneer. The attention to detail and quality is evident throughout: from the crisply crafted cabinets and the well-executed binding posts to the integrated bases and the solidly engineered, threaded seats for the locating spikes.
The bass-reflex enclosures feature a flared rear port exiting just above the single pair of binding posts. As mentioned, adjustable spikes allow levelling of the enclosures on uneven surfaces, while ensuring that the cabinets are efficiently coupled.
The A2s are not supplied with the usual cloth grilles, leaving the drivers exposed. The result is aesthetically pleasing and acoustically preferable. A metal grille protects the tweeter from physical damage, though.
he two-way A2 makes use of a pair of proprietary drive units. The 22 mm polyamide dome tweeter is liquid-cooled and has a wide-dispersion design.
It’s partnered here by Spendor’s EP77 mid/bass driver, which uses a special polymer cone. The crossover point is at an unusually elevated 4,2 kHz, suggesting that the mid/bass has a particularly broad operating range. The crossover features selected capacitors and hand-wound inductors, both designed for ultimate linearity.
The A2 enclosures use a dense 15 mm fibreboard and are thoroughly braced and damped to prevent vibration and resonance, while providing a stable platform for the drive units.
SETTING UP
At a slightly less than optimum 85 dB efficiency, the A2s are best off partnered with something a little beefier on the amplification front to fully exploit their talents. I powered them with our Parasound Halo A21 power amp, linked to Primare’s clean and versatile PRE32/MM30, which turned out to be a very appealing combination.
The Spendors arrived already run in, so needed no extended break-in period before concerted listening could commence. Set-up was as simple as screwing in the threaded spikes on the base, hooking up the speaker cables, and positioning them in the listening room.
I chose a free-standing location, with the A2s about 70 cm from the side walls and approximately 1,7 metres into the room. They were toed in towards the listening position, which was about 3 metres away.
SOUNDS LIKE …
The Spendors produce a smooth and engaging sound that is immediately appealing. There’s more mid-bass than expected, and when linked to a rich and textured and midrange, the result is a substantive, commanding sonic presence.
No, they don’t deliver the kind of pounding bass that will rattle doors (and the cage of your neighbours), but the low-frequencies are represented with sufficient foundation to provide a robust tonal platform.
