Spendor A6R Floor standing speakers

The company's MD Philip Swift 'gets it' that buyers aren't always taken in by the addition of an alloy trim ring, a five percent more expensive crossover capacitor and set of gold plated spikes. When it does something, it's worth sitting up and taking notice. Any 'R' variant (as it's 'Revised') actually may be worth paying attention to.

Now the A show is the issue of Spendor's gaze. They are actually fairly handy, although they look rather underwhelming.

This little-to-medium size box sports a new mid/bass driver that uses the company's latest EP77 'engineering polymer' cone, new environment and suspension materials. All these are said to enhance low-level linearity and mechanical stability. It also gets precision-wound high-linearity tapped inductors. At 4kHz, the new crossover starts feeding the same 29mm wide-environment tweeter with a bi-elliptical acoustic lens, which is supposed to give smooth extended high frequency response.

The cupboards are also breathed on, although you had not understand it from the outside. Spendor's linear-flow interface is retained, sounding much less apparent than many competitors' cabinet apertures. It is also very forgiving when positioning; the A6Rs can run rather close to my back wall with no apparent nasties in the bass. Inside, the company's 'Dynamic Damping' is installed - these are little low-mass constrained polymer dampers at key energy interface points.

The review pair come in an extremely attractive light oak finish; the new speaker appear unobtrusive and tasteful in my listening room. Other finishes include cherry, dark walnut and black ash.

Electrically, the Spendors prove to be a rather benign load; susceptibility that is quoted isn't earth shattering at 88dB, but a lowish power solid state or tube amp will still drive them to adequate levels in a largish room. And sitting merely several inches away from a back wall using a subtle few-degree toe in, the new speaker seem like they have been made for my listening room and Creek Destiny integrated amplifier. Quite few per channel are needed to get adequate sound levels, and it is taken by the Spendors like old masters, when more are deployed.

Sound quality

Every speaker brand has a distinctive sound and Spendor is no exception. But rather than trying to voice in character, Spendors go the other way - they're self effacing , even and neutral. This is both good and poor, because initially they don't sound so exceptional; there is a treble that's so sharp no amazing bass to be bowled over by could be emitting gamma rays, or it. Nor does the midband hit you in the face and come out. But after you've got over your initial, marginally anticlimactic first acquaintance with these speakers, you soon begin to improve your mind. You could locate them around polite in the beginning, but then you start listening in the music itself.

It is the distinction involving the A6R and many more flashy competitors. It doesn't bowl you over, but rather just seems to step aside and let you and the music get along together. Rather just like a car salesman who is happy to leave you in the showroom to play the object of your desire, the brand new Spendor has a really light, but deft and skilful touch. It understands how and when never to interfere, where classy, more impetuous competitors may be falling over themselves to demo their punchy bass or laser-etched treble. Basically then, the A6Rs are so boring that they not distracted you're!

This means that you can play just about any kind of music and themselves'll still let it sing. Contrast this to all amount of Tannoys KEFs and Focals, which seem to be fairly less notable and great with some kinds of programme material with others. Take Manix's Living In The Past; this is a piece of retro techno, a kind of latter day rave anthem. It is pretty much the final piece of music I would imagine Spendor using to express this speaker that is new, but still the A6Rs sing out their hearts - or instead let the music's heart is sung by it out. Having lately lived with the higher-end Spendor D7, it's a case of deja vu - because the A6Rs and the same trick play.

Bass is excellent and I will vouch that Spendor's specific interface design works very well. Even at elevated levels, there is no huffing, puffing or chuffing, as well as the low frequencies remain supple and tight. The effect is a lovely, lilting musicality with only a little bit of softness and looseness, which any ported speaker gives. The low frequencies prove very even too; there's no enormous 'hump' around 100Hz to offer the (bogus) sensation of a strong bass. But when called upon to deliver vast tracts of low frequencies, the A6R doesn't baulk - it proves competent to dispense enough bottom end to flap your flares, if not quite blow off your wig.

The midrange performance is wonderful. It does that quite exceptional trick of being incisive and detailed without seeming like a speaker that is trying to be detailed and incisive! Rather it's a smooth, gentle, fine sort of nature that seems to dissolve away and enable you to focus on the combination; there is no honking or squawking in the cone, no awareness that you are listening to something artificial. In total terms, that mid/bass unit lacks the astounding translucency of a ribbon or an electrostatic panel, but it's never muddy or grey or metallic sounding. Once again, it's absolute even-handedness wins the day! Cue up some lilting jazz and there's an incredible sound to the saxophone - never unpleasant, it is still dripping with rich, resonant harmonics. Behind this, a wonderfully fluid groove gets going courtesy of great drum kit work; the A6R however turns out to be exceptionally rhythmically skillful despite not throwing everything on a plate.

It is very great at soundstaging too; it is among those speakers that seems to have the ability to throw out excellent stereo with precious small fine tuning or setting up. But time spent getting a few degrees toe in, as well as dividends are paid by the listening height right through the front spikes, and they will wind up projecting the music just like a hologram in your lounge. Spring Rounds shows breadth and the depth the Spendors are capable of; of going up to GBP5,000 layouts short, you will struggle to get a bigger, more ample recorded acoustic. Within this, instruments are found with pin-point precision.

Decision

Spendor's new A6R floorstander is actually quite a hard speaker as it really doesn't attract attention to itself. Instead, it permits you to play pretty much any kind of music you like, and offers you an incredibly clean, open, engaging and satisfying rendition. It's one of these loudspeakers that gets direct 'As' across all disciplines, while never quite making it to A-star in any. Its absolute competence across the board means it's extremely difficult, or even impossible, to overcome. You only can't help actually enjoying it, no matter what you are now used to and how expensive it is. As a result, it comes recommended - should you would like your music to do the discussing and not your loudspeakers!

Spendor A6R Floor standing speakers photo