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Pioneer SP-BS22 LR
The Devil and Mr. Jones
Neil Gader
What are your expectations for a $129/pair loudspeaker Not all that high
I would guess. At the very least, you’d expect it to work reliably, play
reasonably loud, and not look too schlocky. But high-end sonics That’s
setting the bar way up there. And that was pretty much what I thought when the
redesigned Pioneer SP-BS22 LR was presented to me for review. But there was one
significant difference—the new BS22 sports a discrete signature on its back panel
just above the binding posts: A. Jones.
So what’s in a name This particular A. Jones
is Andrew Jones, the British gentleman known
principally for his exquisite designs for TAD Labs,
the high-end wing of parent company Pioneer
Electronics. However, he’s also the chief speaker
engineer for Pioneer, where the demands of that
global titan include a broader-based, budgetconscious
market. I can’t speak for Mr. Jones’
ability to compartmentalize, but it does speak
volumes about his creative range—a bit like
engineering a McLaren one day and tinkering with
a Mini the next. However, whether it’s designing
the latest beryllium coincident transducer, or
bringing the new TAD Evolution 1 ($29,000, review
to come) or, in this case, the modest SP-BS22 LR
to market—the influence of Mr. Jones’ design
cannot be taken lightly.
To look at, the SP-BS22 LR is as conventional
and unassuming as a speaker comes. It’s a twoway
bass-reflex design that tips the scales at
little more than nine pounds. If you imagined its
driver array as something along the lines of a
TAD-derived coincident driver trickling down to
the sub-$150 price point, think again. Mid/bass
duties are handled by a prosaic four-inch driver
with a structured-surface diaphragm to aid rigidity
and fend off breakup modes. The one-inch softdome
tweeter uses a large, custom-designed
waveguide to control dispersion and increase
sensitivity. Construction and fit and finish appear
solid, consistent with today’s “made in China”
workmanship. The SP-BS22 LR speakers utilize a
curved cabinet design, which adds stiffness to the
enclosure and is said to reduce internal standing
waves. (This last issue is less germane in small
boxes than full-range enclosures.) Although SP-
BS22 LR is small, its relatively low 85dB sensitivity
means that it requires more than minimal power.
Bass is better controlled and there’s more of it
with additional watts; plus, the added power
enlivens dynamics and enriches tonality.
But, like they say, the devil’s in the details, and
the wildcard is the not-to-be-underestimated
Jones Factor. What makes his concoction such
a delight to listen to is how well he applies highend
values to such a small and (let’s face it) cheap
35 Guide to High-Performance Loudspeakers www.theabsolutesound.com
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