• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Finally Got Hold of Some Spicas!

sealy

sealy

Addicted Member
I've always wanted a pair of these little beauties. Very occasionally a pair would come locally, but would quickly be gone. I was fortunate to be first in line for these. They certainly don't disappoint. Beautiful sound stage and imaging. Also very unforgiving of poor sources, so they should be paired with very good ancillaries. Swapping between pre amps I can hear a palpable difference in tonal quality.

The cabinets need a bit of work, and one speaker badge is missing. The important thing is that the drivers are original and in excellent shape. This pair is matched, as noted on the back of the speakers. I've never before had a matched pair of speakers.

Lucky me.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6933.jpg
    IMG_6933.jpg
    28.8 KB · Views: 68
  • IMG_6934.jpg
    IMG_6934.jpg
    45.7 KB · Views: 110
Register to hide this ad
I remember those when they were new, very nice speakers indeed! :yes:

Congrats! :thmbsp:

Scott
 
spkrdtr said:
Check out this site thoroughly, if you haven't already.
http://spicaspeakers.com/

There's also a Yahoo Spica group.
Click to expand...
I just had a good, long look at the Site. What amazed me is the complexity of the crossover design and how it was achieved. The speakers are superb. I have a very good sub(PSB Subsonic 3) that has been sitting used for years, which I may try to mate with these remarkable little speakers. For strings and vocals, I've not heard better. With a sub providing the bottom octaves, I'll really have something.

Thanks for the input.
 
Wonderful! A friend had a pair of T-50's that I was so impressed with that I swapped out my original KEF 104/2 tweeters for the Audax used in the T-50. With very good results.
 
Not only are the Spicas unforgiving on sources, they are most unforgiving on room placement. The TC-50 and TC-60 were sold in matched pairs. That's part of why they image so well.

Edit: For best sound your TC-50's should be placed on ridged stands, 2 feet high placed 1/3 of the way into the room well away from all walls, toed in slightly toward the listener. If placed this way you will get the closest thing to surround sound there is from a two channel stereo.
 
Last edited:
sealy said:
I just had a good, long look at the Site. What amazed me is the complexity of the crossover design and how it was achieved. The speakers are superb. I have a very good sub(PSB Subsonic 3) that has been sitting used for years, which I may try to mate with these remarkable little speakers. For strings and vocals, I've not heard better. With a sub providing the bottom octaves, I'll really have something.

Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

Sub matching TC-50 is difficult. i wish you luck.
 
archie2 said:
Not only are the Spicas unforgiving on sources, they are most unforgiving on room placement. The TC-50 and TC-60 were sold in matched pairs. That's part of why they image so well.

Edit: For best sound your TC-50's should be placed on ridged stands, 2 feet high placed 1/3 of the way into the room well away from all walls, toed in slightly toward the listener. If placed this way you will get the closest thing to surround sound there is from a two channel stereo.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info. You must have read my mind, because that is how they're placed. I currently have them spaced about 7 ft. apart. I will have to experiment a bit to get the optimum placement. The sound stage they present reminds me of the LS3 5A, though of course they are tonally much different. Comparing them to what I can remember of my JR 149's, I would say that they are brighter in the treble than the JR's. I would judge the sound stage width and depth to be about equal. However, I feel the instrument placement within the sound stage is superior in favour of the Spicas. It is uncanny at times. I've been listening to them every since I brought them home.

I wonder how the Spicas would do with KEF T27 tweeters? The efficiency would be about the same, but the difference in impedance would be significant.
 
Last edited:
Great little speakers, I remember the first time I heard them. Great for acoustic music. Which is not surprising as I think the designer played acoustic guitar if memory serves. I knew a Spica dealer back in the day very well. The Angelus did not sound right, their was a wierd sort of nasal honk to them but the little brother did. I did buy the LCM's instead but I liked them.

marc mc
 
sealy said:
Thanks for the info. You must have read my mind, because that is how they're placed. I currently have them spaced about 7 ft. apart. I will have to experiment a bit to get the optimum placement. The sound stage they present reminds me of the LS3 5A, though of course they are tonally much different. Comparing them to what I can remember of my JR 149's, I would say that they are brighter in the treble than the JR's. I would judge the sound stage width and depth to be about equal. However, I feel the instrument placement within the sound stage is superior in favour of the Spicas. It is uncanny at times. I've been listening to them every since I brought them home.

I wonder how the Spicas would do with KEF T27 tweeters? The efficiency would be about the same, but the difference in impedance would be significant.
Click to expand...

Be kind to your Spicas. They don't hold up well to high power input. Besides doing crossover upgrades, I've repaired a number of issues including toasted tweeters and damaged voice coil formers caused by over stroking and slamming against the rear magnet plate. The sub is a good idea to fill in the very bottom end as the T-50's don't go very low.
 
i remember when the tc-50 came out - i was very impressed, but i needed something w/
more output for rock'n'roll (i was 16, okay...).

interesting photo above w/ the grille missing ..... did spica use old advent ,klh ,and AR
as a reference for the "who's going to see what it looks like back here " philosophy :D

looks like those cutouts were made freehand w/ a saber saw, likely made by
the engineer/designer himself !

really, though- who cares what's under the hood if it sounds that good.
 
Those felts are 3/4 inch thick and were die cut - very difficult to do. I tried doing some 3/4 SAE F-13 felt with a razor knife and found the felt extremely difficult to cut because it was so well needled.
 
Just FYI: the crossover in the TC-50 has a high-pass slope, approximately first-order, 6dB/octave; low-pass slope, fourth-order, 24dB/octave, Bessel; both drivers connected with the same polarity.
 

Attachments

  • spica-tc50-schematics.gif
    spica-tc50-schematics.gif
    24.1 KB · Views: 5
After much experimentation, I've found the perfect ancillaries for the speakers. I have them hooked up to a Yamaha A720 Class A/B integrated amp. The first 10 watts of output is pure Class A, so at any sane loudness level, I'm listening to them in Class A. The total output of the amp is 105 w/rms/ch. It is a rather rare bird, even has rack handles.
The pre amp tames the potential brightness of the tweeters beautifully, without diminishing the clarity. Listening is pure bliss, or should I say, pure Class A? Vinyl should also sound very good on a nice Sansui t/t with an Empire moving coil cartridge.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom