Полочная акустика — Spendor Classic 3/1

The Classic 3/1 is a two-way standmount made by Spendor, the UK firm founded in the late 1960s by Spencer and Dorothy Hughes, whose first product, the BC1, became a monitor for broadcasters and recording studios. Within the current Classic range it is the second smallest model, placed between the sealed Classic 4/5 and the larger Classic 2/3 and Classic 1/2 standmounts. It follows the earlier SP3/1R2 and, like every Spendor model, comes out of the company's own South Yorkshire works, where the drive units and cabinets are also produced. In the UK it has been listed from GBP 3,050 per pair, and the US asking price is USD 4,999 per pair.

Key specs that matter

A 180 mm mid/bass driver works with a 22 mm wide-surround polyamide dome tweeter, with a 3.7 kHz crossover point, a relatively high point for a driver of this size. The box is reflex loaded through a fairly large port on the rear panel. Spendor quotes an in-room response of 40 Hz to 25 kHz, a sensitivity of 88 dB for 1 W at 1 m and a nominal impedance of 8 ohm with a minimum of 5.9 ohm. The recommended amplifier range runs from 25 to 150 W. Each cabinet measures 395 mm high, 220 mm wide and 285 mm deep and weighs about 10 kg. Real wood veneers come in cherry or walnut.

Engineering and use context

Spendor gives the mid/bass unit its own EP77 polymer cone with a Kevlar composite stabiliser dome in place of a conventional dust cap, and mounts it in a cast magnesium alloy chassis with a high-efficiency motor system, optimised electro-dynamic damping and attention to heat dissipation. The tweeter is the same unit found in the Classic 4/5 and across the rest of the range. Rather than chasing maximum rigidity, the cabinet follows the thinking of the original 1970s Classic designs - its thin panels are allowed to flex slightly, and elastomer damping pads bonded to the walls turn part of that vibration into heat. Spendor also revised the crossover network, calibrates each pair against a broadcast reference standard and fits a magnetic grille. Two pairs of terminals on the back allow bi-wiring.

Pairing

A load without deep impedance dips, together with above-average efficiency for a box of this size, keeps the demand on current modest, so both valve and transistor amplifiers within the stated power window are workable, as are analogue or digital sources. Spendor notes that the 3/1 suits smaller rooms and positions near a wall despite the rear port. A matching Classic stand is sold separately and lifts the speaker to the right height for a seated listener.

Alternatives

The Spendor Classic 2/3 is the next standmount up, with a 22 cm bass driver in a 543 x 273 x 338 mm cabinet rated for 25 to 200 W.