A laboratory spectrometer for x‐ray absorption measurements is described which is adaptable to changing experimental requirements. The spectrometer is designed for the use of different types of curved crystals within large ranges of radii of curvature and of Bragg angles. Utilizing a 12‐kVA rotating anode x‐ray generator, Johansson‐type monochromator crystals, and a helium‐flow flexible beam line, photon fluxes between 105and 107photon/s are achieved in the photon energy range between 5 and 20 keV, where the energy resolution varies between 2 and 10 eV.