This is one of two speakers we’re looking at in short order that make use of design thinking that dates back decades.
Taking its name in the
seventies with its highly innovative BC1 and
a BBC-licensed version of
the LS3/5a compact monitor, Spendor
has always been voiced to be subtle
yet revealing, rather than machine-gun the sound out at you. This
might be the company’s entry level
stand-mount, but its appeal hasn’t
been diluted one little bit.
The A1 is tiny, modestly presented
and has no gimmicks. At its heart is a
150mm EP77 ‘engineering polymer’
mid/bass unit and a 22mm fabric
dome tweeter. 
These are set in a
compact sealed enclosure that comes
in a choice of three real-wood veneer
finishes black ash, natural walnut
and dark oak. The cabinets have
relatively thin side walls –
deliberately so – and are visco-elastic
damped. Magnetically attached grilles
are available, but cost extra.
The A1 proves very easy to position
on a decent pair of 24in stands, and
you can push it close to a rear
boundary wall for bass reinforcement.
The only caveat being its poor 84dB
sensitivity, so you’re going to need a
meatier amplifier than most.
Sound quality
This reveals itself to be another
worthy contender in this fascinating
and varied group.
It has the most
couch and polite presentation here by
quite a way. It’s one of those speakers
that gets better the more time you
spend with it. Bass extension is poor,
but you don’t care because what lows
there are, are very well handled –
being crisp and tuneful. Mid-band is smooth yet vibrant with detail, and
treble is delicate and considered – not
in your face like the JBL..
Engineering innovation from the multi-award winning Spendor SA1, A6R and D7 loudspeakers.
• New Spendor EP77 Polymer cones
• Three elegant natural veneer finishes: Black Ash, Dark Walnut and Natural Oak. Now also Satin White.
• Deep articulate bass
• Calibrated and matched to broadcast reference standard
• British design and manufacture
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