SPENDOR CLASSICS

In all the time since the company was first established by famous British BBC engineer Spencer Hughes, Spendor loudspeakers have always been designed and built entirely in the United Kingdom, with all models being assembled at the company’s production facilities in Sussex, with the avowed aim of creating timeless, elegant loudspeakers that are easy to live with in any setting. Indeed the company claims it is the only British speaker manufacturer that designs, builds, and manufactures everything in its models, including the cabinetry, in its own factory.

Spendor’s current owner, Philip Swift, says that isn’t about to change. “Over five decades Spendor Classic loudspeakers have earned iconic status as the ultimate reference for many audiophiles, musicians, and professional sound engineers,” he said. “Spendor loudspeakers are easy to set up, work perfectly with whatever hi-fi equipment you have, and transform the way you hear and enjoy every kind of music. Best of all, they deliver a true, transparent, and musical sound ‘way beyond their price point.”

Paul Riachi, managing director of

Indi Imports, which distributes Spendor in Australia, says the company is one of the few that makes it easy for consumers to decide which model will suit them best. “Spendor has only three distinctive product lines carefully tailored for different preferences, needs and budgets,” he said. “The A-Line models offer captivating performance in compact, elegant designs suitable for smaller spaces. Spendor’s Classic line delivers an immersive listening experience that many listeners find missing in other speakers, whilst the D-Line delivers resolution, accuracy and scale to bring out the very best in high-performance audio systems.”

Although the Classic series has its roots in the speakers designed in the 70s, many of which are still in use today, the new Classic models are built around a totally new generation of Spendor drive units that feature advanced polymer and Kevlar cones, cast magnesium alloy chassis, high-efficiency motor systems, and optimised electrodynamic damping.

The top-line model in the range, the Classic 200, is a three-way, four-driver floor-standing model using an infinite baffle low-frequency alignment. It uses two 310mm diameter bass drivers with Kevlar composite stabiliser domes, a 180mm polymer midrange driver and a 22mm dome tweeter to deliver a claimed frequency response of 20Hz to 25kHz ±3dB with an efficiency of 89dBSPL/w/m. Nominal impedance is a very amplifier-friendly 8 . It’s optionally available with a Titanium front baffle (Classic 200 Ti).

The entry-level model in the Classic range, the Classic 1/2, is also a three-way, three-driver bass reflex model using a 210mm diameter bass driver, a 150mm midrange driver and the same 22mm tweeter. It is rated with a frequency response of 30Hz to 25kHz ±3dB and an efficiency of 87dBSPL/w/m. “No matter which model you choose from Spendor’s range, you will experience truly captivating sound with unprecedented transparency and dynamic contrast,” said Riachi. “Their simply brilliant loudspeakers have set the bench-mark in studios and homes across the globe as far back as the late 60s.”

For more information, contact Indi Imports on (03) 9416 7037 or www.indimports.com

‘Grey’ importing, or ‘parallel importing’ where a company imports and sells brands it is not authorised to sell by the manufacturers of those brands, has become a serious issue in the hi-fi industry.

As ‘grey’ importers do not offer demonstration facilities and can be difficult to track down in the event that service or spare parts are required, they are essentially prospering from the investment that the authorised distributor has put into the brand — an investment that has included the cost of Australian electrical safety and compliance certifications, and local stock of spare parts and accessories. “In the past this was merely an annoyance, but today with the increasing effectiveness of social media and other digital marketing platforms it is possible for a grey importer to become very disruptive with little expense or support,” said Tim Wallis, of Audio Marketing, the sole Australian authorised distributor for Musical Fidelity. “We have decided to meet fire with fire and so we have drastically reduced prices of all Musical Fidelity components to combat the threat.”

“We are aware that our newly-announced pricing is unsustainable in the long run but we believe that it is important that our dealer network reaps the benefit of their investment, demonstrations and brand commitment, rather than see their work picked off by faceless third-parties based on price alone.” Audio Marketing says the new Musical Fidelity prices are now the same or very close to those offered by grey importers, while still offering full brand support. “In fact Musical Fidelity is possibly now cheaper in Australia than anywhere else in the world,” said Wallis. “For example their 500-watt integrated amp, the M6Si 500 has a recommended price set by Musical Fidelity of $US4,999 (A$7,937 at current exchange rate) — plus relevant taxes. It is now available in Australia for $5,890.”

Some other price changes are:

MX Vinyl was $1,750 — Now $1,390

M3si was $2,500 — Now $1,950

M6si was $5,000 — Now $3,860

M8xi was $12,000 — Now $9,450

For more information, contact

Audio Marketing on (02) 9882 3877 or at www.audiomarketing.com.au