Spendor A7 £3470

It’s four years in a row now that the Spendor A7s have won this Best Buy Award, so it’s clear that we rate them extremely highly. They sound great, they look great, and they’re compact enough to fit into most homes.

There’s nothing flash about the A7s; standing 93cm tall, they exude a simple elegance. Build quality is first rate. You can choose Black Ash, Dark Walnut or Natural Oak for the wood veneer finish; and there’s a Satin White option too – yours for an extra £300.

These are two-way speakers. Each has an 18cm mid/bass driver and a 22mm tweeter with a wide surround that helps to disperse the sound further.

Position them correctly – around 20-30cm from a wall – and you will reap the rewards. The Spendors have rear-firing slot-shaped reflex ports to reduce noise and distortion, and to give better grip on bass than a conventional tube-shaped port can generally manage.

This is a big sound, packed with insight and great dynamics. Detail levels are fantastic, with each instrumental strand and vocal quirk laid bare. The sound is terrifically clean and organised, but where other Spendors prioritise refinement, these A7s also pack in bags of punch to keep things sounding lively. They are wonderfully expressive as well, vocals being a particular highlight.

Despite their relatively compact size, these speakers also go satisfyingly deep, and keep a firm grip on the bassline of Massive Attack’s Angel. Each note is pulled taut, and the edges are precise but wrapped in layers of texture.

More raucous tunes could perhaps do with a bit more brawn behind them – but that’s a trifling concern against the A7s’ stunning precision, clarity and subtlety.

Factor in their hugely enjoyable dynamics and flair for rhythm and we’re once again sold on them as our top premium speaker choice.