Spendor D7.2 Heads to the Top of the Class in Hi-Fi Choice
Posted by The Sound Organisation on Aug 18th 2022
Spendor has a long and storied history as one of the United Kingdom's premiere loudspeaker manufacturers. But, while many storied brands have struggled to modernize, Spendor has found a way to enter the modern era with their A-Line and D-Line speakers while still carrying the torch for the speakers that made them famous with their Classic series. While the A-Line specializes in enlightened listeners looking to bring new energy to their listening experience, the D-Line speaks to the hi-fi enthusiasts looking for rich detail and spacious soundscapes from their music. While some may find the D-Line's D9.2 floorstander a bit too large for their listening room, Spendor's smaller D7.2 is a great option for those looking to discover every nuance of their playback without overloading or crowding their space. David Price at Hi-Fi Choice tested the D7.2's performance and then sat down with Spendor's Philip Swift to discuss what makes the speaker so special.
The Spendor D7.2 is an updated version of the former D7 floorstanding speaker. Spendor identified some weaknesses or areas of improvement in the original speaker and sought to refine, upgrade, and remedy those in the D7.2. Among those upgrades were the aesthetic updates in the modern plinth and use of magnet front grilles, and performance upgrades including extra cabinet bracing and the use of Spendor's Dynamic Damping technology. Of course, Spendor's greatest achievement was implementing the new technology, materials, and design updates while retaining their signature sound profile:
All the modifications have brought about a subtle but worthwhile improvement to the performance, without throwing out Spendor's trademark civilised sound. What we hear is more of the music and less of the cabinet and drivers. The previous model was already pleasingly neutral and open, but the D7.2 goes much further. It’s as if Philip Swift and his team have zeroed in on the weaker aspects of the older speaker and sorted them in a focused and surgical way. The result is a crisp, open and even-sounding loudspeaker that's now impressively engaging and surprisingly dynamic – especially for a floorstander of this price.
Following the detailed Sound Quality review, David Price talks with Spendor CEO Philip Swift to discuss the D7.2. Swift discusses how the D7.2's twin-venturi linear-flow port was inspirited by the diffuser technology used in Formula 1 racing and how this heavily reduces the distortion and improves the timing, fixing an issue that plagues most ported speakers. He also touches on how Spendor developed their own thermo-molding equipment in order to incorporate the EP77 polymer material into their mid/base cones.
Noting that the D7.2's recessed binding posts may be a bit difficult to use with bare-wire connections, David Price gives the speakers 4.5 stars in ease of drive. Praising the floorstander's "svelte yet musical sound" and "classy styling", Hi-Fi Choice awards the Spendor D7.2 Five Stars in Sound Quality, Value for the Money, and Build Quality. With an overall 5/5 star score, David Price recommends the D7.2 and says the speaker is a "highly capable all-rounder that's excellent value for the money."