Spendor A7.2 Loudspeaker
Spendor A7.2 Loudspeaker at Vinyl Sound Buffalo, NY USA The Spendor A7.2 is a 2-way rear-ported floorstanding loudspeaker from Spendor Audio Systems (Hailsham, East Sussex, England , UK), available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. The flagship model of Spendor's redesigned A-Line Mark 2 series — debuted at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 and hand-assembled in the UK — the A7.2 builds on its six-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winning predecessor with a new 27mm soft-dome rear-chambered tweeter, a 180mm EP77 polymer cone mid/bass driver, and a redesigned crossover crossing at 2kHz, spanning a frequency range of 32Hz to 25kHz. With a nominal impedance of 6.75 ohms and compatibility with amplifiers from 25 to 200 watts, the A7.2 delivers striking clarity, excellent bass extension, and a naturally musical presentation in a slim 7"-wide enclosure that fits easily into any listening room. A-Line Mark 2: The Next Generation of a Six-Time Award Winner The original Spendor A7 launched in 2018 and won the What Hi-Fi? Best Floorstander Award in its price category for six consecutive years — a run matched by very few loudspeakers in recent British audio history. The A7.2, unveiled at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February 2025, is a comprehensive rather than cosmetic update: a new 27mm soft-dome tweeter replaces the previous 22mm unit, the crossover frequency drops from 3.7kHz to 2kHz for broader driver integration and improved phase coherence, the port is redesigned for deeper and more controlled bass, and additional asymmetric cabinet bracing with Sorbothane constrained-layer damping reduces resonance and time smearing. Dynamic Damping — small low-mass constrained polymer dampers at key energy interface points in the cabinet — remains central to the A7.2's ability to convert spurious cabinet energy into inaudible heat instantly, rather than storing and releasing it slowly as conventional mass-damped rigid enclosures do. The result, in Spendor's own words, is a speaker that delivers music with striking clarity, excellent bass extension, and a sensitively judged element of fun and charm. 27mm Tweeter, EP77 Midrange, and Redesigned Reflex Port The A7.2's most significant upgrade over its predecessor is the new 27mm soft-dome tweeter, which features a wide-surround diaphragm and an extended rear chamber. The larger diaphragm diameter enables a lower crossover handoff at 2kHz — substantially lower than the 3.7kHz of the original A7 — which places a wider frequency band under the tweeter's control and improves coherence between drivers in the critical vocal and upper-midrange region. The 180mm EP77 polymer cone mid/bass driver retains the proprietary cone material and cast magnesium alloy chassis developed for the D-Line series, providing the tonal warmth, low coloration, and dynamic immediacy that has defined the A-Line sound since the original A7. A redesigned single reflex port handles bass loading, with a shorter airflow path that reduces internal resonances and port-induced coloration for deeper and more articulate low-frequency reproduction down to 32Hz. Internal cables are high-grade silver-plated pure copper with halogen-free dielectric, and a single pair of precision binding posts on the rear provides clean, uncompromised amplifier connectivity. Key Features New 27mm Soft-Dome Rear-Chambered Tweeter: A larger 27mm wide-surround dome with an extended rear chamber replaces the original A7's 22mm unit, enabling a lower 2kHz crossover for improved driver integration and high-frequency coherence across a wider listening window. Lower 2kHz Crossover Frequency: The crossover handoff at 2kHz — compared to 3.7kHz on the original A7 — places a broader frequency range under the tweeter's control, improving phase coherence and tonal smoothness in the all-important vocal and upper-midrange band. 180mm EP77 Polymer Cone Mid/Bass Driver: Spendor's proprietary EP77 polymer formulation with a cast magnesium alloy chassis delivers the low-coloration, dynamically immediate midrange character that defines the A-Line sound and traces its lineage to the D-Line series. Redesigned Reflex Port: A redesigned port with a shortened airflow path reduces internal resonances and interference for deeper, more controlled, and precisely timed bass reproduction to 32Hz. Spendor Dynamic Damping: Low-mass constrained polymer dampers at critical cabinet energy points convert spurious resonance into inaudible heat instantly, eliminating the slow energy storage and release that blurs transients in conventional mass-damped enclosures. Asymmetric Cabinet Bracing with Sorbothane Constrained-Layer Damping: Non-parallel internal bracing geometry with Sorbothane damping inserts reduces standing waves and cabinet talk, improving stereo imaging and transient clarity. Precision High-Linearity Crossover Network: Precision-wound high-linearity tapped inductors in the crossover avoid distortion and allow fine-tuned frequency and phase response for coherent, balanced driver integration. Silver-Plated Copper Internal Cabling: High-grade silver-plated pure copper cables with halogen-free dielectric connect drivers to the crossover for uncompromised signal transmission. Slim Linear-Form Cabinet: A 7"-wide asymmetric braced enclosure in four veneer finishes fits easily into living spaces and dedicated listening rooms without dominating the room aesthetically or acoustically. Technical Specifications Type 2-way rear-ported floorstanding loudspeaker HF Driver 27mm soft-dome wide-surround rear-chambered tweeter Mid/Bass Driver 180mm (7") EP77 polymer cone Frequency Response 32Hz to 25kHz Nominal Impedance 6.75 Ohms (min 5.4 Ohms) Amplifier Power 25 to 200 watts Sensitivity 85dB (1W/1m) Crossover Frequency 2kHz Enclosure Type Rigid, asymmetric braced cabinet with Dynamic Damping and Sorbothane constrained-layer damping Port Type Redesigned reflex port (rear-firing) Input Connection Single pair precision binding posts Dimensions (H x W x D) 37" x 7" x 12" (940 x 178 x 305mm) excluding spikes Weight 39 lbs (17.7kg) per speaker Finishes Black Oak, Dark Walnut, Natural Oak, Satin White Accessories Height-adjustable spike feet; magnetic drive unit protection grilles Origin Designed and manufactured in the UK Sold As Pair Awards and Critical Recognition What Hi-Fi? Best Floorstander Award (predecessor Spendor A7) — Six consecutive wins, 2018 through 2024, establishing the A7 lineage as one of the most consistently awarded British floorstanders of its era. Frequently Asked Questions What is the Spendor A7.2? The Spendor A7.2 is a 2-way rear-ported floorstanding loudspeaker and the flagship model of Spendor's A-Line Mark 2 series, featuring a new 27mm soft-dome rear-chambered tweeter, a 180mm EP77 polymer cone mid/bass driver, and a 2kHz crossover spanning 32Hz to 25kHz. Unveiled at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February 2025 and manufactured in the UK, it succeeds the A7 — a six-time consecutive What Hi-Fi? Award winner from 2018 to 2024 — with a comprehensively updated driver, crossover, and port design. How does the Spendor A7.2 compare to the original Spendor A7? The Spendor A7.2 introduces several substantive changes over the original A7. The tweeter is upgraded from a 22mm to a 27mm soft-dome rear-chambered unit, and the crossover frequency drops from 3.7kHz to 2kHz — a significant shift that improves driver integration through the vocal midrange. The nominal impedance changes from 8 ohms to 6.75 ohms, and the sensitivity is revised to 85dB from 88dB, meaning the A7.2 benefits from a slightly more capable amplifier than its predecessor. The port is redesigned with a shorter airflow path, and the cabinet gains Sorbothane constrained-layer damping in addition to the Dynamic Damping carried over from the A7. What Hi-Fi? reviewed the A7.2 as a capable and easy-to-accommodate loudspeaker while noting the original A7's exceptional warmth and sensitivity made it an unusually forgiving match for a wide range of amplifiers. How does the Spendor A7.2 compare to the KEF R7 Meta? The Spendor A7.2 and KEF R7 Meta are closely matched rivals in the high-performance floorstander category. The R7 Meta uses KEF's Uni-Q coaxial driver — a 1" aluminium dome tweeter mounted concentrically within a 6.5" aluminium mid/bass cone with Metamaterial Absorption Technology applied to the tweeter rear cavity — and a traditional ported three-driver layout. The A7.2 uses a conventional 2-way layout with separate EP77 polymer and 27mm dome drivers, crossing at 2kHz. KEF's Uni-Q geometry produces a point-source dispersion pattern; Spendor's wider surround dome achieves a similarly broad listening window through physical diaphragm geometry. The A7.2's EP77 polymer cone midrange has a warmer, more natural tonal character than the R7 Meta's aluminium cones, while the R7 Meta offers a more clinically detailed, high-resolution presentation. At 85dB sensitivity and 6.75 ohms, the A7.2 is slightly more demanding than the R7 Meta's 87dB/8-ohm load. What amplifier pairs best with the Spendor A7.2? The Spendor A7.2 is rated for 25 to 200 watts into a 6.75-ohm nominal load with a sensitivity of 85dB. At this sensitivity level, a quality amplifier of 50W or more will deliver the best performance, particularly in medium to large rooms. What Hi-Fi? noted that the Naim Supernait 3 pairs well with the A7 lineage, with its current-delivery characteristics suiting the Spendor impedance curve and adding rhythmic drive to the presentation. Hegel H190 or H390 integrated amplifiers are also strong matches. Unlike the original A7, the A7.2 is not ideally suited to low-powered tube amplifiers of fewer than 20W given its reduced sensitivity, though a quality 30W to 50W push-pull design with stable current delivery will work well. What is Spendor Dynamic Damping and how does it benefit the A7.2? Spendor Dynamic Damping is a cabinet vibration control system that uses small, low-mass constrained polymer dampers placed at key energy interface points within the enclosure. When the cabinet panels vibrate in sympathy with driver output — as all enclosures do to some degree — these dampers instantly convert the spurious mechanical energy into inaudible heat rather than allowing it to be stored and re-radiated as delayed sound. Conventional rigid, mass-loaded cabinet designs slow this energy release but do not eliminate it, resulting in subtle temporal blurring of transients and bass lines. In the A7.2, Dynamic Damping is combined with Sorbothane constrained-layer damping and asymmetric non-parallel internal bracing, producing an enclosure that manages resonance across a wider frequency and time domain than either approach alone. Is the Spendor A7.2 suitable for small rooms? The Spendor A7.2 is well suited to small and medium-sized rooms. Its slim 7"-wide cabinet has a minimal visual and acoustic footprint, and Spendor's A-Line design philosophy has always prioritised placement flexibility — the reflex port is designed to allow the A7.2 to be positioned closer to rear and side walls than many ported speakers of similar bass extension. Its 32Hz low-frequency limit delivers genuine full-range bass in rooms where smaller two-way standmounts fall short, without the large cabinet volume of a traditional wide-baffle floorstander. A quality 50W to 100W integrated amplifier provides more than enough drive in a typical domestic listening room. Where can I buy the Spendor A7.2 in Buffalo, NY or the United States? The Spendor A7.2 is available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA, an authorized Spendor dealer serving customers across the United States. Vinyl Sound carries the full Spendor A-Line Mark 2 range alongside amplifiers, streamers, and source components for complete system builds around the A7.2. Contact the Vinyl Sound team for current availability, finish options, and in-store audition appointments.
