Spendor D7.2
We reviewed Spendor’s
original D7s back in 2013. At the time we loved the slim floorstanders’ combination of cut-glass clarity and natural dynamics, while also appreciating their classy appearance. Seven years on, we have the D7.2s before us, and it seems that the company has played it rather safe with this update. But is it too safe? We doubt whether many could identify this new version on sight. But delve deeper and it’s clear that Spendor’s engineers haven’t spent the past few years twiddling their collective thumbs. The big changes are under the skin and, in truth, not particularly headline-grabbing. The cumulative result, however, is that they improve an already-excellent product.
The company has done a lot of work in that slender, 95cm-tall cabinet. It’s always been a solid and well-damped enclosure but, as a result of bracing revisions and subtle refinements to the dampers, the new structure is claimed to be far more rigid than before, providing a better foundation for the drive units to work from.
THE FINISHING LINE
It’s a beautifully made box, too, with crisp edges and a carefully applied, real-wood veneer. There are five options for the finish – black ash, cherry, dark walnut, natural oak or satin white – so there should be something suitable for most rooms. It helps that the magnetically held grilles are shaped so that the speaker’s sound doesn’t degrade much when they are used.
The tweeter remains the distinctive LPZ (Linear Pressure Zone) unit. This is built around the eye-catching circular stainless-steel front plate, which forms a damped acoustic chamber in front of the woven polyamide diaphragm. The front plate’s hole pattern and solid centre are claimed to help minimise phase issues, improve focus and deliver wide dispersion.
These floorstanders have a two-and-a-half-way design, where a Kevlar composite bass unit augments the centrally mounted polymer-coned mid/bass. Both of these 18cm drivers are carried over from the original but have been lightly refined. Crossover points are unchanged at 900Hz in the bass and 3.2khz for the mid-to-treble transition.
Unusually, the cabinet is free from the acoustic filling that traditionally absorbs the bass driver’s rearward output. Spendor claims that this omission gives advantages in low-frequency precision and agility. The thinking is that the damping may absorb the unwanted sound energy but releases it out of time with the music, so blurring the results.
The speaker’s bass output is tuned by the latest generation of Spendor’s linear flow port. This is a carefully shaped twin-venturi design. The claim for this elaborate port design is that it delivers low frequencies with an agility that traditional plastic tube alternatives can’t match. This design is also supposed to make the D7.2 less fussy about their proximity to a rear wall.
And so it proves. The optimum position in our test room turns out to be a very conventional 75cm from the rear wall angled in slightly – but things certainly don’t fall apart if you have to deviate from this ideal.
But these towers are fussy about partnering equipment. They’re highly transparent performers that readily reveal the sonic traits of the partnering system. Depending on the quality of the system electronics, that can be good or bad.
While the D7.2s don’t go out of their way to be rude, if your system electronics are bright or edgy you’ll know all about it. We had no issue with our reference set-up of Naim ND 555/555 PS DR music streamer, Technics SL-1000R record player and Burmester 088/911 Mk III pre/power, but that’s to be expected given the excellent balance of each component. Despite what a claimed power handling of 200W may suggest, the D7.2’s 90db/w/m sensitivity and eight-ohm impedance means they don’t need lots of power to shine.
ALL IN GOOD TIME
Our review D7.2 samples took a few days to come on song. Straight from the box they sound a little too thin and forward for our tastes, but things mellow out over time. Even then, these could never be described as easy-going. They’re taut, agile and about as responsive as speakers get at this level. This much is made obvious within the first few bars of New Slaves by Kanye West. This song hits hard and the Spendors are happy to oblige.
We’re really impressed by the Spendors’ speed and their ability to kick hard when required. They sound wonderfully composed too, staying organised and coherent, even at higher levels. There’s plenty of finesse too. West’s vocals come through with clarity and passion, each word spat out with venom. His voice sounds natural and expressive. We switch to Holst’s Jupiter and the Spendors respond with glee. We’re struck by their even-handed tonality and the seamless integration between the drivers. It’s obvious that the engineers have spent a lot of time matching the drive units and calibrating the crossover.
The D7.2’s render an expansive and nicely layered soundstage – one that is populated by precisely focused sounds and instruments. The stability of the presentation doesn’t waver no matter how complex the music gets.
SONIC AUTHORITY
We’re impressed by the pleasing sense of scale here and, considering the Spendors’ comparatively modest dimensions, the sonic authority on offer. It helps that the D7.2s don’t shirk from delivering large dynamic swings, rendering full-throttle crescendos with enthusiasm. Change down a gear or three to the slow burn of Death Cab For Cutie’s Brothers On A Hotel Bed and the D7.2s still shine. It’s a highly resolved sound but one that stays coherent and rhythmically surefooted.
These towers do need more pampering than we’re used to giving Spendors, but much of this has to do with their impressive transparency and resolving power. Make the effort and get it right with your partnering kit and we doubt you’ll find a more capable alternative for the money.
“Delve deeper and it’s clear that Spendor’s engineers haven’t spent the past few years twiddling their fingers”