Spendor plays to its traditional strengths but adds a dose of entertainment
View online review whf.cm/SpendorA4
Looking for a good pair of compact premium floorstanders? Spendor’s A4 could be exactly what you’re after.
They are beautifully engineered, smartly finished and sound great. And, at just over 80cm tall, they are unlikely to dominate, even in smaller rooms.
While it may be tempting to think of these speakers as a development of the company’s well-established A5 model, they are quite different – even if the general styling and cabinet dimensions suggest otherwise.
These are a two-way design, rather than the 2.5-way of the A5 – the change is marked with a move from two 15cm drivers to a single 18cm mid/bass unit.
The low frequencies are tuned by a rear-firing reflex port on the new model, while the older A5 featured a sealed cabinet.
High frequencies are delivered by Spendor’s favoured 22mm wide-surround tweeter, which is claimed to produce a wider frequency range and lower distortion than traditional dome designs – but this time the tweeter has a protective grille in place. The change in drive-unit configuration doesn’t alter the underlying specification too much.
Claimed sensitivity is similar at 86dB/W/m (just a single dB down from the A5) and nominal impedance remains at 8 ohms; any good price-appropriate amplifier will be happy driving these.
We are impressed by the build quality. The cabinet feels immensely rigid, with carefully designed internal bracing combined with the clever use of low-mass constrained polymer damping.
The finish is pleasing too, with crisp edges, neat detailing and smart real wood veneers. There are the traditional finish options, including black ash, dark walnut and natural oak.
Connection is through a high quality pair of single wire terminals. Spendor has moved away from biwiring with its A models in a bid to keep things simple. We’re fine with that – it’s always better to use a single run of quality cable over twin runs of an inferior alternative.
These floorstanders are unfussy about positioning – just give them a little space to breathe and don’t stuff them into a corner.
We angle them towards the listening position slightly, which helps to solidify the stereo imaging.
Outgoing, friendly character
Once up and running it doesn’t take long to realise that these A4 floorstanders are talented. They have a more outgoing and friendly character than the older model. They are expressive, entertaining and, perhaps surprisingly for a Spendor design, fun.
We begin our time with the Spendors with Tchaik
