In this review, we will be comparing Classic 1/2 and Electa Amator III, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Spendor and Sonus faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Spendor Classic 1/2 and Sonus faber Electa Amator III first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Spendor Classic 1/2 | Sonus faber Electa Amator III |
|---|
| Brand | Spendor
United Kingdom · founded 1969 | Sonus faber
Italy · founded 1983 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.87" | 1.1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.91" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 8.27" | 7" Paper |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30-25k Hz | 40-35k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 35-125 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.00kg / 48.4lbs | 12.50kg / 27.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 24.4" x 12" x 14.7"
619.8 x 304.8 x 373.4mm | 14-3/4" x 9-1/4" x 14-3/16"
375.0 x 235.0 x 360.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Spendor Classic 1/2 and Sonus faber Electa Amator III speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Spendor Classic 1/2 |
Sonus faber Electa Amator III |
| Near-field |
Good |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
No way |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Classic 1/2 is a 3-way design whereas the Electa Amator III is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Spendor Classic 1/2Sonus faber Electa Amator III
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Spendor Classic 1/2 |
Sonus faber Electa Amator III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.87-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.91-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8.27-inch
|
1 x 7-inch
|
Classic 1/2 features a 0.87" Tweeter, a 5.91" Midrange and 1 x 8.27" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 415 Hz, 2.7 kHz. On the other hand, the Electa Amator III features a 1.1" Silk Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 7" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500 Hz.
Frequency Response
Classic 1/2 has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz whereas Electa Amator III has a frequency range of 40-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Classic 1/2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Electa Amator III's min frequency of 40Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Classic 1/2 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Electa Amator III which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Electa Amator III can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Classic 1/2 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Electa Amator III's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Sonus faber Electa Amator III a more sensitive speaker compared to Spendor Classic 1/2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Sonus faber Electa Amator III
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Electa Amator III features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Classic 1/2 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Spendor Classic 1/2's and Sonus faber Electa Amator III's external dimensions. Spendor Classic 1/2 has external dimensions of 619.8 x 304.8 x 373.4mm (24.4 x 12 x 14.7inch) whereas Sonus faber Electa Amator III has external dimensions of 375.0 x 235.0 x 360.0mm (14-3/4 x 9-1/4 x 14-3/16inch).
Spendor Classic 1/2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 69.8mm wider, 244.8mm taller and 13.4mm deeper than Sonus faber Electa Amator III.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Spendor Classic 1/2 needs about 35% more floor or shelf area. Spendor Classic 1/2 is 245mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Spendor Classic 1/2 is approximately 1138.1cm2 / 176.4inch2 and base area of the Sonus faber Electa Amator III is approximately 846.0cm2 / 131.1inch2. The Classic 1/2 requires 35% more surface area than the Electa Amator III which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Spendor Classic 1/2 weighs 22.00kg / 48.4lbs and the Sonus faber Electa Amator III weighs 12.50kg / 27.5lbs. This makes the Classic 1/2 76% heavier than the Electa Amator III.
Here is a comparison of how Classic 1/2 and Electa Amator III's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
Sonus faber Electa Amator III
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8.27 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
9998USD
vs
10000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
375mm
vs
619mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
846cm2
vs
1138cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Spendor Classic 1/2 |
Sonus faber Electa Amator III |
| Brand |
Spendor |
Sonus faber |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30-25k Hz |
40-35k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8.27" |
7" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Paper |
| Tweeter Size |
0.87" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.91" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
415 Hz, 2.7 kHz |
2500 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
619.8mm (24.4") |
375.0mm (14.8") |
| Width |
304.8mm (12") |
235.0mm (9.3") |
| Depth |
373.4mm (14.7") |
360.0mm (14.2") |
| Weight |
22.00kg (48.4lbs) |
12.50kg (27.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Mounting Bracket |
|
|
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Spendor Classic 1/2 digs deeper - 30Hz against 40Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Spendor Classic 1/2 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size | depends | Sonus faber Electa Amator III is easier to place; Spendor Classic 1/2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Sonus faber Electa Amator III: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($9,998 vs $10,000 a pair). |
A Spendor Classic 1/2 B Sonus faber Electa Amator III
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Spendor Classic 1/2 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Spendor Classic 1/2 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Sonus faber Electa Amator III is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.