Hi-Fi: Spendor A6 Floorstanding Loudspeakers – Review – 79

Speaker designers chart many courses to get to their own version of audio nirvana, from the subtlest of mini monitors to giants that look like they were designed to keep Godzilla out of Tokyo.

Smack bang in the middle of the realm of possibilities are Spendor’s A6 floorstanders, which are as conventional as speakers get – just a pair of reasonably sized cabinets with one bass/mid driver and a soft tweeter per side. There’s nothing ostentatious or over the top, just good design and careful attention to materials. They’re as British as Big Ben, which is understandable when you consider that Spendor got its start building speakers for the BBC.

For smallish speakers, the A6s have impact, to the extent that you’d think there’s a transmission line or hidden driver in there somewhere. Spendor’s claimed bass extension is a modest 53Hz, which seems quite conservative because they more than do justice to most music this side of a boxed set of pipe organ classics. That rear-facing port located close to the floor helps add depth and weight but the bass speed, texture and dynamics are up with the best, as is the luxurious midrange.

I was expecting a relatively laid back presentation but the Spendors get up and go – and they go hard: drums and guitars slam into the air when the volume is up. There’s no sugar coating here, you get to hear exactly what’s on the source. They really are involving speakers, but this isn’t one of those bright performances that sounds so good on the showroom floor. The Spendors just keep impressing, and they consistently keep revealing more over time.

The soundstage is something special, laid out deep and wide at the back of the room, with the speakers disappearing to leave precisely located performers and instruments behind. The low height of the speakers necessitates a low listening position, but dropping the back down slightly with the spikes helps in this regard.

The A6s are finished to a high standard, with neat woodwork and a very classy veneer, although the raised hex bolts around the drivers are an old-world touch (albeit a practical one). Genuine WBT connectors are a good sign of quality internals, though there’s none of that novel bi-wiring on offer here; a single run of high-quality cable will do just fine.

Spendor speakers always seem to review well in the UK press; the A6s in particular have had a rapturous response and it’s easy to see why. Evolution improves the breed, and these are extremely accomplished speakers that are the result of decades of design experience. Don’t let their subdued appearance fool you; these are excellent high-end speakers. They’re new to New Zealand and we’re better off for them being here.

BRETT GIDEON

Synergy

Audio reviewers ramble on about system synergy and component matching, but with good reason. It’s as deadly critical as a heart attack, as vital as water and air. Without the components adding up to more than the sum of their parts, without synergy (or even serendipity), you just don’t get magic. An example: I ran the Spendors in with a mid-level Marantz integrated amp (the PM7003, reviewed in this issue) and despite the price mismatch, the sound was pretty damn good – the 7003 really was a pleasure to listen to. But when I popped in our reference Perreaux Radiance 200i amplifier the difference was pronounced. The magic was in the room and, of course, you’d expect it to be, given the quality of the amp (and the massive price difference).

What’s my point? That if you don’t try, you’ll never know. Beg or borrow (don’t steal) hi-fi gear and listen to everything you can. You may be one component away from a revelation.

Spendor A6 Floorstanding Loudspeakers – Tech Specs

TWEETER: 29mm wide-surround dome with fluid cooling
MID/BASS: 180mm ep38 cone
SENSITIVITY: 88dB for 1 watt at 1 metre
IN-ROOM RESPONSE: -6dB at 43Hz
IMPEDANCE: 8 Ohms nominal
POWER HANDLING: 200W
DIMENSIONS: 875 x 192 x 280mm (H/W/D)
FINISHES: Black ash, cherry, light oak, wenge
WEIGHT: 18kg each

PROS

• Sound remarkable
• Great dynamics

CONS

• Subdued looks
• Not inexpensive

VERDICT

Simple and relatively compact, but their presence and class demand attention

CONTACT

orangeroad.nz@gmail.com

This review is from Tone 79. Click here to check it out.