The Spendor Thread..

[Wado]

I just picked up a really nice set of SP1’s with original stands. Cabinets are perfect but a cat got the best of one of the grill cloths.
I’ve been searching to no avail for the original or closest to original cloth (will want to replace both at same time so they match) but cannot find a source.
Can someone please point me to a place to purchase? Very much appreciated and looking to have these looking like new in no time. I will post up some pics as soon as I am done.

 

[Art K.]

I just picked up a really nice set of SP1’s with original stands. Cabinets are perfect but a cat got the best of one of the grill cloths.
I’ve been searching to no avail for the original or closest to original cloth (will want to replace both at same time so they match) but cannot find a source.
Can someone please point me to a place to purchase? Very much appreciated and looking to have these looking like new in no time. I will post up some pics as soon as I am done.

You may want to email Spendor as well as post on well known British HiFi forums like Pink Fish Media and HiFi Wigwam.

 

[Multimode]

After the pictures of interior of Harbeth speakers appeared in the magazines and some began to question the price to material value of the speakers Stirling probably decided to " tune " their speakers with the torque of a back screws Nothing wrong with a little mysticism. It sells best in certain circles. Could be as mundane as screws losing grip after disassembly like in Ikea furniture and rattling at different frequency ...

That's a very wrong assumption.

Stirling's LS3/6 is built under BBC licence to very closely follow the Spendor BC1. The back panel screws are torqued to a specific degree that allows a pre-determined flexibility of the box. This "tuning" isn't mysticism at all - the BBC would have had no interest in such - rather it makes a vital contribution to the fundamental sound quality.

Harbeths and the later Spendors (my SP1/2R2 for example) are rigid boxes by design, and not necessarily the better for it.

 

[FauxHall]

There's a three segment YouTube channel by Spendor that's interesting.

Here's one of the three that shows the manufacturing process. What I found very interesting was at about 1:20 minutes in, they show what looks to be bitumen or butyl anti-resonance pads being stapled to a panel.

 

[Tor-S]

Hello all spendor owners.

I'll try a lucky shot here

I am looking for a new midbass unit for my BC1 speakers. Does anyone have one unit in spare like this? Or where to find a midbass unit?

My second speaker have replaced unit from a another brand and want to get them up running again.

 

[Sansui77]

View attachment 2130555 View attachment 2130556

Hello all spendor owners.

I'll try a lucky shot here

I am looking for a new midbass unit for my BC1 speakers. Does anyone have one unit in spare like this? Or where to find a midbass unit?

My second speaker have replaced unit from a another brand and want to get them up running again.

Is the mid woofer not working.... Check the braided wires between the terminal and the wire going into the voice coil?

 

[Tor-S]

Is the mid woofer not working.... Check the braided wires between the terminal and the wire going into the voice coil?

I have 2 speakers with different bassunits.
One speaker with the original unit (picture above)
One unit with a replaced unit with another brand.

 

[Sansui77]

I had this issue

 

[Sansui77]

I'm

 

[Sgt.Pepsi]

Today is the day I became a Spendor owner for the first time.
I bought a pair of SP 2/3. Here is a picture below.
I will say they are gorgeous and photos don't do them justice.



I have spent a short time with these. I noticed the surrounds are very stiff. I read about that but did not expect them to be as stiff as they are.
They are flexible though. Its hard to explain.

I think after I have spent some time with these I'll talk about them in the Speaker forum.

 

[Helom]

Today is the day I became a Spendor owner for the first time.
I bought a pair of SP 2/3. Here is a picture below.
I will say they are gorgeous and photos don't do them justice.

View attachment 2180195

I have spent a short time with these. I noticed the surrounds are very stiff. I read about that but did not expect them to be as stiff as they are.
They are flexible though. Its hard to explain.

I think after I have spent some time with these I'll talk about them in the Speaker forum.

Sorry if I’m the bearer of bad news but this is not how the surrounds are supposed to feel when in proper working order.
Some of these older models are prone to the surrounds hardening over time. There are threads about this over on the Spendor Group:
https://groups.io/g/spendor

Allegedly it can be somewhat remedied by carefully applying DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid to the surrounds. That’s a poor “fix” in my opinion as it is simply making the rubber more pliable by breaking it down. I would rather investigate whether they could be replaced with a foam or after-market surround that wouldn’t alter the original character much, though you wouldn’t know what that character is unless you heard a pair that hasn’t suffered this problem. This is why I can’t bring myself to purchase any pairs of 1/2Es that come up for sale.

 

[Sgt.Pepsi]

Sorry if I’m the bearer of bad news but this is not how the surrounds are supposed to feel when in proper working order.
Some of these older models are prone to the surrounds hardening over time. There are threads about this over on the Spendor Group:
https://groups.io/g/spendor

Allegedly it can be somewhat remedied by carefully applying DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid to the surrounds. That’s a poor “fix” in my opinion as it is simply making the rubber more pliable by breaking it down. I would rather investigate whether they could be replaced with a foam or after-market surround that wouldn’t alter the original character much, though you wouldn’t know what that character is unless you heard a pair that hasn’t suffered this problem. This is why I can’t bring myself to purchase any pairs of 1/2Es that come up for sale.

I read this as well about the hardening of the surrounds on some of the models.

The seller said they had used brake fluid on the surrounds but I feel they are still stiff. I remember this was a short term remedy used on JBL woofers that utilized a surround called Lansaloy. I agree the brake fluid isn't a great fix.
I think maybe we should look into what the JBL folks have done to fix the Lansaloy surrounds. I know some went with replacement surrounds of a different material like foam or something else.

This is good stuff to know and I don't think you're the bearer of bad news. In fact I think this is very valuable information for folks who are interested in the brand. I had Epos ES-11 and ES-14 that had problems with their rubber surrounds. They were prone to crazing and cracking. Folks talked about replacing the surrounds but I never found any info on that.

 

[Helom]

I read this as well about the hardening of the surrounds on some of the models.

The seller said they had used brake fluid on the surrounds but I feel they are still stiff. I remember this was a short term remedy used on JBL woofers that utilized a surround called Lansaloy. I agree the brake fluid isn't a great fix.
I think maybe we should look into what the JBL folks have done to fix the Lansaloy surrounds. I know some went with replacement surrounds of a different material like foam or something else.

This is good stuff to know and I don't think you're the bearer of bad news. In fact I think this is very valuable information for folks who are interested in the brand. I had Epos ES-11 and ES-14 that had problems with their rubber surrounds. They were prone to crazing and cracking. Folks talked about replacing the surrounds but I never found any info on that.

I do wonder if one of the current Seas or Scanspeak woofers would fit into these baffles without any modification. Maybe this one for example:
https://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/d...-drive-units/seas-p21re-p-h0313-8-woofer.html

I think my SP2/3R2s have similar dimensions. I might measure them later. If the mount hole pattern is compatible (since original 8-holes are equidistant, the 4-hole pattern could work) then I bet that Seas woofer would work.

 

[Sgt.Pepsi]

I do wonder if one of the current Seas or Scanspeak woofers would fit into these baffles without any modification. Maybe this one for example:
https://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/d...-drive-units/seas-p21re-p-h0313-8-woofer.html

I think my SP2/3R2s have similar dimensions. I might measure them later. If the mount hole pattern is compatible (since original 8-holes are equidistant, the 4-hole pattern could work) then I bet that Seas woofer would work.

That would be an option as well.

I'm contemplating replacing the surrounds on mine. It seems the surrounds hardening is inevitable. But on the other hand I'm not certain these are that bad. I found a post on Audioasylum talking about KEF and Spendor drivers. The post asked owners to push down on the cone and count how long it takes for the cone to spring back. User said their cones took 2 seconds. Mine come back instantly. So I don't know.

Or I might leave them alone. I don't know.

 

[Helom]

That would be an option as well.

I'm contemplating replacing the surrounds on mine. It seems the surrounds hardening is inevitable. But on the other hand I'm not certain these are that bad. I found a post on Audioasylum talking about KEF and Spendor drivers. The post asked owners to push down on the cone and count how long it takes for the cone to spring back. User said their cones took 2 seconds. Mine come back instantly. So I don't know.

Or I might leave them alone. I don't know.

Yours might be fine then. The surrounds on my 2/3R2s have always been a little stiff compared to many speakers I’ve owned, even though I bought them new. My Stirling 88s are similar.

It’s my hypothesis that the stiff surrounds are why these types of speakers are not very dynamic in the midbass. All these classic BBC-lineage speakers are lacking in mid-bass punch when compared to the likes of Epos, ProAc, and many others. Even my Maggie .7s produce more mid-bass slam.

 

[macgolf]

Today is the day I became a Spendor owner for the first time.
I bought a pair of SP 2/3. Here is a picture below.
I will say they are gorgeous and photos don't do them justice.

View attachment 2180195

I have spent a short time with these. I noticed the surrounds are very stiff. I read about that but did not expect them to be as stiff as they are.
They are flexible though. Its hard to explain.

I think after I have spent some time with these I'll talk about them in the Speaker forum.

Nice find! I had a pair of Preludes(same drivers as the SA1) which I think might be the predecessor to your SP 2/3. I thought them stiff also until I compared them to a pair of KEF Reference 103.2's. I left them as is and enjoyed them for years before recently giving them to a co-worker. Congrats and I do hope you enjoy your new Spendors.

 

[mozcho]

Nice find! I had a pair of Preludes(same drivers as the SA1) which I think might be the predecessor to your SP 2/3. I thought them stiff also until I compared them to a pair of KEF Reference 103.2's. I left them as is and enjoyed them for years before recently giving them to a co-worker. Congrats and I do hope you enjoy your new Spendors.

How do the Preludes compare to the SP 2/3 or the SP1/2 (which I own)?

 

[Sgt.Pepsi]

Nice find! I had a pair of Preludes(same drivers as the SA1) which I think might be the predecessor to your SP 2/3. I thought them stiff also until I compared them to a pair of KEF Reference 103.2's. I left them as is and enjoyed them for years before recently giving them to a co-worker. Congrats and I do hope you enjoy your new Spendors.

I think I'll leave them be and enjoy them. Also a thanks to @Helom for the Spendor group link. I really should join.

 

[dkalsi]

Hi All,

I have a pair of Spendor SP1/2R2s in rare Madagascar Ebony that I may be looking to sell in the near future. They are about 8-years old. Any guidance on what they are worth in today's market. Despite the exotic veneer, I'm not looking for the highest price - just whatever is fair to both buyer/seller in today's market.

Thanks

 

[opnly bafld]

@dkalsi
Go to hifishark.com and search for item under sold/expired.