British audio manufacturer Spendor, a legacy name in boutique high-fidelity loudspeaker design, has introduced the Mark 2 version of its popular A-Line Series. Founded in the late 1960s by Spencer and Dorothy Hughes—whose names inspired ‘Spen’ and ‘Dor’—Spendor began with Spencer’s engineering expertise from the BBC’s sound department. His pioneering design, the BC1, quickly became the preferred monitor for broadcasters and recording studios worldwide.
The updated A-Line series is designed, engineered, and manufactured in the company’s manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Sheffield, UK. The new A-Line series includes the A1.2, A2.2, A4.2, and A7.2 models. Rather than completely redesign the product, Spendor chose to focus on perfecting the existing A-Line and each speaker in the range has been upgraded offering a balance between performance and value.
The A1.2, has introduced key advancements by enhancing internal bracing and constraining damping. By repositioning the bracing directly behind the driver and incorporating a constrained damping layer of Sorbothane, Spendor has minimized unwanted vibrations that can colour the sound. This design effectively absorbs vibrations from the driver, reducing cabinet interaction, minimizing time smearing, and lowering the noise floor. Sorbothane is a viscoelastic, polyether-based polyurethane material known for its superior shock absorption, vibration damping, and vibration isolation characteristics.
A standout feature of the enhanced A2.2 is also a constrained damping layer of Sorbothane, designed to eliminate unwanted vibrations between the driver and the enclosure boundary. Through this integration, Spendor states that vibrations are effectively absorbed, resulting in a purer and more accurate sound. The addition of Sorbothane significantly reduces colouration and distortion, delivering a clearer and more natural listening experience with improved stereo imaging.
The A2.2 also features a refinement to the port tuning, addressing issues of timing and accuracy. Spendor engineers have tuned the port to produce tighter, more well-defined bass that complements the midrange and treble frequencies.
Significant enhancements have also been made to the A2.2’s internal architecture, particularly in its bracing. The restructured bracing strengthens the cabinet and minimizes unwanted resonances that can colour the sound. An improved airflow within the cabinet ensures consistent acoustic performance, allowing the A2.2 to deliver a cleaner and more precise sound.
The dynamic damping, refined port tuning, and enhanced internal bracing combine to create a loudspeaker that delivers a clearer, more musical sound, exceeding expectations at every level.
The A4.2 also features an innovative damping system containing Sorbothane that significantly reduces unwanted vibrations. A specially selected damping material is strategically placed between the driver and the enclosure boundary to absorb vibrational energy, from the chassis and magnet assembly which stops it reradiating back into the cone and cabinet maintaining sound purity.
Spendor has fine-tuned the port design in the A4.2 to improve bass response, addressing common issues like port compression and timing inaccuracies. The result is less transient smearing and a tight, controlled bass, delivering a balanced and involving listening experience.
The A4.2 benefits from enhanced restructured internal bracing, which strengthens the cabinet and optimizes airflow around the cabinet enclosure. This improvement reduces resonances, leading to a more stable soundstage and a purer, more focused musical output states Spendor.
The crossover network in the A4.2 has been redefined to enhance driver integration and overall performance. By simplifying the network and lowering the crossover point, Spendor says the A4.2 achieves a more coherent and natural sound with improved stereo imaging and smoother off-axis response. These adjustments also make the A4.2 more amplifier friendly, accommodating a wider range of amplifiers.
Most importantly, The A4.2 introduces a brand-new soft dome rear-chambered 27mm tweeter designed to deliver a more open, dynamic, and natural high-frequency response. With an extended frequency range and improved transition between midrange and highs, this tweeter enhances clarity and accuracy.
Lastly, the A7.2 boasts a re-engineered port design, positioned closer to the driver to shorten the path length to minimize any pipe-resonances up in the frequency band and no midband interference. This results in more accurate and controlled bass, as the port now directly channels rear energy from the cone, improving frequency and phase response for richer low frequencies.
With restructured internal bracing, again featuring Sorbothane, the A7.2’s cabinet is reinforced, reducing unwanted resonances and allowing better airflow. This design minimizes cabinet modes and vibrations, leading to clearer mid and upper frequencies.
The A7.2’s new soft dome, 27mm tweeter offers enhanced high frequency performance. with a lower crossover and broader frequency range and better coherence compared to the original A7.
Erikson Consumer, the exclusive Canadian distributor for Spendor is currently taking pre-orders for the enhanced A-series, and shipping will commence later this spring.
The new A-Line range comes in a variety of finishes, including Oak, Walnut, Black Oak, and Satin White veneer.
Canadian Pricing: A1.2: $3,000.00 per pair. A2.2: $2,000.00 per pair. A4.2: $3,000.00 per pair. A7.2: $4,000.00 per pair