Spendor Classic 3/1
The Spendor Classic 3/1 is a two-way bass-reflex standmount loudspeaker, the middle model in Spendor's trio of two-way standmounts in their 1970s-inspired Classic range — stepping up from the smaller Classic 4/5. It pairs an 18 cm (7″) EP77 polymer bass/mid driver with a 22 mm polyamide-dome tweeter in a thin-walled cabinet with controlled damping, a Spendor signature drawn from the company's BBC engineering roots. The dedicated stand was sold separately.
The record on this model is uneven. Sources agree on the basics — 8 ohm nominal impedance, sensitivity rated at either 87 or 88 dB, a crossover at 3.7 kHz, and dimensions of 395 x 220 x 285 mm (15.5″ x 8.6″ x 11.2″) at 10 kg — but frequency response claims conflict (one source cites 40 Hz–25 kHz, another 45 Hz–20 kHz ±2 dB), and no production years or launch date are documented. Pricing is likewise scattered: £2,730 in a UK group test, and a Canadian MSRP of $5,600.
What reviewers and owners consistently land on is the midrange. Hi-Fi Choice (via the Spendor PDF reprint) noted that while the aesthetics might read as "pipe and slippers" to some, the performance is anything but. A wallofsound.ca review described an "unbelievably smooth and velvety midrange" — something of a Spendor fetish — and found the speaker easy to drive, with maximum output over 100 dB for a pair at 2 m and recommended amplification of 25–150 watts. Forum opinion is more divided: some listeners at an exhibition found them clean and composed on Accuphase amplification, while one stereo.ru commenter reported no bass at all and a strange sound on two different amplifiers, with the drivers seeming to play separately. The speaker is said to be transparent to upstream equipment, so partnering matters.
Known specifications:
- Type: 2-way bass-reflex standmount
- Drivers: 180 mm EP77 polymer bass/mid, 22 mm polyamide-dome tweeter
- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms
- Crossover: 3.7 kHz
- Dimensions (H×W×D): 395 × 220 × 285 mm
- Weight: 10 kg
- Price: £2,730 (UK review price); CDN $5,600 MSRP
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