The Benefits of Room Acoustic Treatment
October 26, 2026
We recently had the pleasure of supplying and installing a Hegel H400 integrated amplifier alongside a pair of Spendor Classic 1/2 loudspeakers, mounted on Custom Design OM44 speaker stands. To help extract even more performance from the system, we also fitted a set of IsoAcoustics GAIA II Neo isolation feet to the speaker stands, further isolating the loudspeakers from the floor and helping them perform at their very best.
The dedicated listening room had seen relatively little use in recent times due to ill health, so it was especially rewarding to deliver an upgrade that has brought renewed enjoyment and a welcome distraction for our friend and customer. John and Simon spent time carefully fine-tuning the system, ensuring everything was working in harmony and performing to its full potential.
A passionate enthusiast of both two-channel and multi-channel audio, our customer’s analogue front-end centres around a Michell Audio GyroDec turntable fitted with a Gold Note Donatello Gold cartridge, partnered with a Rega Aura phono stage. For cinema and multichannel listening duties, a much-loved Oppo BDP-205 Universal Disc Player remains at the heart of the system. Its onboard Dolby and DTS decoding, combined with variable volume control, allows the use of dedicated amplification for each loudspeaker channel, while also providing subwoofer outputs for a pair of REL Acoustics T/9i active subwoofers supporting the front channels. A further pair of REL Acoustics T/5i subwoofers underpin the rear channels, creating an impressively immersive surround sound experience.
Those with a keen eye will have noticed no fewer than three Hegel amplifiers residing within the equipment rack. Alongside the latest addition, the Hegel H400, the system also incorporates a Hegel H95 and Hegel H190, configured as follows:
- Hegel H400 → Spendor Classic 1/2 front loudspeakers
- Hegel H95 → Spendor C5.2 centre speaker
- Hegel H190 → Spendor Classic 2/3 rear loudspeakers
A recently installed 100-inch Sony television has replaced the previous projector setup, allowing the Spendor C5.2 centre speaker to be repositioned beneath the screen. This has significantly improved the alignment of the drive units across the three front speakers, resulting in greater tonal consistency and a more cohesive soundstage. To further enhance centre-channel performance, we have also recommended the addition of another REL T/5i subwoofer connected via the high-level input.
The results were immediately apparent. John, Simon and our customer were all delighted by the way the Hegel H400 and Spendor Classic 1/2s brought increased depth, scale and layering to the system, elevating both stereo and multi-channel music playback. Thanks to the Oppo BDP-205’s ability to play Super Audio CD (SACD) in both stereo and 5.1-channel formats, classical recordings in particular sounded wonderfully immersive, expansive and natural.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, and most importantly, wonderful to see music once again taking centre stage in a room designed to celebrate it.
System Components
- Michell GyroDec – Turntable
- Gold Note Donatello Gold – Moving Coil Cartridge
- Rega Aura – Phono Stage
- Oppo BDP-205 – Universal Disc Player
- Hegel H400 – Integrated Amplifier – Front Left & Right
- Hegel H190 – Integrated Amplifier – Rear Left & Right
- Hegel H95 – Integrated Amplifier – Centre Speaker
- Spendor Classic 1/2 – Standmount Speakers – Front Left & Right
- Custom Design OM44 – Speaker Stands
- IsoAcoustics GAIA II Neo – Isolation Feet
- Spendor Classic 2/3 – Standmount Speakers – Rear Left & Right
- Spendor C5.2 – Centre Speaker
- REL Acoustics T9i (two) – Active Subwoofer – Front Left & Right
- REL Acoustics T5i (two) – Active Subwoofer – Rear Left & Right
To follow: REL Acoustics T5i – Active Subwoofer – Centre Speaker
