Page 68 - Hi-Fi_News_-_December_2020 video

Two-way standmount loudspeaker
Made by: Lu Kang Audio, Taipei City, Taiwan
Supplied by: Whole Note Distribution, Angus, Scotland
Telephone: 0203 9115 549
LOUDSPEAKER Web: www.lukang-audio.com; www.wholenotedistribution.co.uk
Price: £6495 (£995, SP230ST stands)

Lu Kang Audio Spoey230

Designed and handcrafted by the father and son team at Lu Kang Audio, the Spoey230
is the heavyweight flagship standmount of this artisan range from Taiwan’s Taipei City

Review: Mark Craven Lab: Paul Miller

he last time you bought a Priced £995, these come pre-assembled
television you probably came and are probably one of the fi nest

across no more than five or six examples of ‘matching’ hi-fi furniture that
Tdifferent brands. But what about I can remember. Much of their top surface
the last time you bought loudspeakers? is open, a design that Lu Kang Audio says
It’s one of the joyful aspects of hi-fi : the ‘significantly reduces refl ections when

industry is very broad here, supporting compared to a solid-surface base’. Coupled
a diverse range of manufacturers with with their open sides, these stands are
different design ideals, resulting in an somewhat reminiscent of the work of
equally diverse choice for enthusiasts. graphic artist M C Escher. Three bronze
Lu Kang Audio, freshly isolator feet are supplied
arrived in the UK via Whole ‘The cabinets to sit between speaker
Note Distribution, is a and stand – one placed
perfect example, being lock in step to centrally at the front and
a homespun Taiwanese two at the rear corners, as
loudspeaker brand perhaps paint an artful, pictured here.
as far removed from the The Spoey230 measures
likes of Bowers & Wilkins musical picture’ 635x322x305mm (hwd),
and KEF as you might get. but once installed on its
A family business rather than a stand reaches a shade over 1m, putting
corporate behemoth [see boxout, p69], Lu its tweeter likely at ear height. The stands
Kang Audio currently builds only one range for the smaller speakers are taller, to once
of speakers, the Spoey series (aka the SP again position the speaker at the optimum
series). This comprises just three models, listening height.
all standmounts and all very much cut from
the same cloth. Or, more accurately, wood. TWO TO TANGO
Lu Kang Audio says its flagship is ‘designed

CLASSICAL CABINETS to offer modern fl oorstanding speaker
Available as standard in cherry, walnut or performance in a monitor package’. To that
black walnut finishes (plus special order end, it’s a two-way model in a larger-than-

RAL colours), the Spoey230 (£6495 per usual cabinet. Making good use of the

pair) is the largest model in the series. Like available baffle space is a bass/mid driver
its smaller stablemates – the Spoey200 that’s claimed to be 230mm (hence the
(£5495) and Spoey155 (£4255) – it has speaker’s name) – but this measurement
the look of a ‘classic’ speaker, with a actually includes the alloy chassis, so a
boxy aesthetic that’ll surely fi nd approval more accurate figure would be 180mm

with devotees of classic BBC/Spendor including the roll surround.
marques. And while others might wish This is partnered with a 19mm dome
for a more modern style, few will quibble tweeter, where you might reasonably
about the build quality and fi nish. Using expect a bigger unit to better meet the
a handcrafted cabinet made from braced woofer through the midrange [see PM’s
1in-thick MDF, beneath a real-wood veneer, Lab Report, p71]. The simple fi rst-order
and treated internally with ‘acoustic foam’, crossover – one air-cored inductor and one
it feels exceptionally well put together and capacitor – is designed by Lu Kang Audio’s
reassuringly heavy at 23kg. It’s only the use Rox Shih and is notionally set at 2.3kHz.
of push-fix attachments for the supplied

full-length black grilles, rather than RIGHT: Braced, 25mm-thick MDF cabinets are
magnets, that raised my eyebrows. finished in real walnut, cherry, black walnut

All models can be partnered with or RAL colours with matching, heavyweight
optional (heavyweight) wood stands, with SP230ST stands. The loudspeakers are each
the same veneer/RAL fi nishes available. supplied with three, two-part bronze ‘isolators’

68 | www.hifi news.co.uk | DECEMBER 2020