I received some lovely speakers from the UK yesterday.

For the heck of it, last night I swapped my Rega Brio-R in place of the Fisher X-100 tubes, to see if the Spendors prefer a little more power from solid state and, you know, if British speakers prefers British amplification.

I'm actually kind of digging the combination. The presentation is slightly more fulsome (the Rega is a pretty warm-sounding amp), but the tonality is not that different from my Fisher X-100. The difference in imaging vividness is not as pronounced as I expected, and that's offset by finer detail and overall rhythmic tightness. Oh, and I had forgotten how quiet backgrounds are with solid state.

As much as I loath the expression, the Brio-R does have a reasonably tube-like character, in that it doesn't have any hint of a hard edge, and it is capable of producing much of the midrange bloom that makes tubes so inviting.

I'm gonna live with this pairing for a little while and see if prefer it. The Fisher will likewise go upstairs to the bedroom system, and be paired with the Dentons.

Congrats on the Spendors Glenn! I’m a big Spendor fan having had both a pair of SP2/2’s and a giant pair of SP100’s - all amazingly musical with a fantastic midrange. I found they responded best to SS power, although I always thought it would be interesting to try them with higher power tubes (60wpc +). Have fun with them!
 
Congrats on the Spendors Glenn! I’m a big Spendor fan having had both a pair of SP2/2’s and a giant pair of SP100’s - all amazingly musical with a fantastic midrange. I found they responded best to SS power, although I always thought it would be interesting to try them with higher power tubes (60wpc +). Have fun with them!

Nice to have my observations confirmed by you, Tyler!
 
I think we have similar tastes (and friends). I have the good fortune to periodically hang out with Marc Morin. I have Harbeth speakers powered by Exposure electronics. I really like the sound. This winter I will insert McIntosh and Dynaco tube gear into the system. I just don’t think there are nicer dynamic speakers than well executed British bookshelves.
 
I think we have similar tastes (and friends). I have the good fortune to periodically hang out with Marc Morin. I have Harbeth speakers powered by Exposure electronics. I really like the sound. This winter I will insert McIntosh and Dynaco tube gear into the system. I just don’t think there are nicer dynamic speakers than well executed British bookshelves.

Marc's a great guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him in person briefly, up in Vermont, where he and Barb were on vacation. (He handed me my newly marcmorinized AR.)
We keep in touch regularly via email, and his advice and assistance has been invaluable to me over the years.
 
So... I went back to using the Fisher with the Spendors. The Rega was just a little too warm-sounding, and that made certain recordings sound congested and thick. The Rega is back upstairs with the Wharfedale Dentons, and all is right with my world again.
 
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