Spendor Audio is not the only loudspeaker maker with a BBC pedigree, but perhaps no other line is as synonymous with the British sound.

 

Spendor Audio has added two loudspeakers to their lineup. The Spendor SA1 (inset) is a bookshelf model using brand new drivers. The 6" woofer boasts a magnesium alloy chassis and a new magnet. The 22mm tweeter is a textile dome with a wider than usual surround. The Spendor SA1 does not have a provision for biwiring, which seems to be a growing trend. The SA1 is available in light oak, walnut, ebony, zebra wood and gloss black. The 40" tall Spendor ST1 is a floorstanding design that gets the job done with a 7" kevlar composite woofer coupled with a new 7" Spendor midbass driver and a brand new 29mm wide surround textile dome tweeter. The enclosure of the ST1 is high gloss black lacquer, and the baffle sports an attractive inlay. Choices for the inlay include a range of wood veneer, leather and metallic.  

 

Pricing on the ST1 is approximately $10,000/pair and the SA1 will set you back $2,000/pair.  

AV123 has made their new X-Statik loudspeakers available through their online store.

 

The 48" tall AV123 X-Statik loudspeaker is a 3 way, open baffle design. The driver complement consists of four Peerless 6 1/2" paper cone woofers with polymer chassis, two of which are in a sealed enclosure and two of which are mounted open baffle. A 1" Peerless textile dome handles the delicate frequencies. The AV123 X-Statik loudspeaker is an easy load of 8 ohms and 90.5dB efficiency. The frequency response of the X-Statik only plumbs to 65 Hz, so a subwoofer will be necessary for bass heads. Removable metal grilles are supplied for the front and rear of the X-Statik.

 

The AV123 X-Statik open baffle loudspeaker sells for $699.00 in black satin and $799.00 in palisander rosa satin, palisander natural satin, moho satin or cherry satin. An open baffle center channel, the X-Voce, will be available shortly for those looking to construct an open baffle home theater system. The price of the AV123 X-Statik would be astonishing, but AV123 has made a business of offering incredible audio values at prices that are even more incredible.

era Speakers has garnered a reputation for offering spectacular loudspeakers for very little money. Their bookshelf models have received unanimous praise, and recently they were joined by two new floorstanding models.

 

The era Speakers D10 (inset) is a 34" tall 2 1/2 way that utilizes two 5" woofers and a 1" textile dome tweeter. The D10 represents a light load of 8 ohms with 87.5dB efficiency. The era D10 is front ported, so placement closer to a wall won't represent as much of an obstacle. The era Speakers D14 is a 38 1/2" tall 3 way that adds an era 4" midrange driver to complement the two 5" woofers and 1" textile dome tweeter. Like the era D10, the D14 is receiver-friendly at 8 ohms and 88.5dB efficiency. The era D14 uses a tuned slot on the rear of the enclosure, so this model will need more breathing room than it's D10 sibling.

 

The era D10 and D14 floorstanding loudspeakers are available in cherry or rosewood veneer. The era D10 will set you back $1700 a pair, and the era D14 $2300 a pair and are almost sure to be two of the more compelling floorstanders available in that price tier. 

Yamaha has rolled out some new AV receivers. Notable among the new group is the Yamaha RX-V663 AV Receiver, which boasts an impressive spec sheet for a price that won't break your bank account.

 

The Yamaha RX-V663 AV Receiver offers most of the functionality of it's $1000 big brother, the Yamaha RX-V863. Similar to the new Onkyo Av Receivers that launched last fall, the new Yamahas offer HDMI 1.3 compatibility with onboard handling of all advanced audio codecs. The Yamaha RX-V663 is a 7.2 channel AV receiver that sends 95 watts per channel. Some of the noteworthy features: analog bypass, Sirius and XM satellite radio ready, 2 HDMI in 1 HDMI out with upconversion, USB and ethernet jacks, RS-232c, YPAO room equalization, zone 2 output, and 12v triggers. The HDMI capability of the RX-V663 will handle 1080p24 and pass 120 Hz signals. This sound like any other sub $1k AV receiver to you. Ok, how about Burr-Brown DACs on all channels.

 

The Yamaha RX-V663 has an MSRP of $549.95, which makes it a very good value. Yamaha has never had a reputation of making AV receivers for audiophiles, but the specs on the RX-V663 position it to be considered if you're in the market for a $500 AV receiver.