The Spendor Thread..

[gurnmagic]

But some speakers are pure magic...

It's interesting that you both bring that listening to the music issue up.

Criticisms of Spendor speakers often highlight the fact that their neutrality exposes the sonic nature of the upstream components. While some don't understand that this is the case, others look at the purchase of Spendors as a slippery slope that would force system upgrades.
Whether that's a good thing depends on your perspective I guess.

I hear what your saying about a speaker that's revealing, it can be thrilling but also annoying and ultimately fatiguing. I've got a pair of '81 BC1s and they never sound revealing at all, not like my pair of Thiels sitting in the closet! BC1's sound musical all the time.

Ya know, some speakers are good, some are bad and some are magic!

 

[gurnmagic]

Beautiful stands

Hi there! What kind of stand is that its gorgeous...

 

[frperdurabo]

Question: has anyone here compared SP1s to S3/5s? I like the SP1s, but sometimes wonder if S3/5s would be a better fit for my small-ish (11x10x9) listening room?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Edited: model # dyslexia/typo

 

[Art K.]

Hi there! What kind of stand is that its gorgeous...

Box Furniture Company. That was a home demo a few years back I actually get my own tomorrow...good timing!

 

[gurnmagic]

Thanks Art K.

 

[evertonian]

I have the Spendor A6R and love them. If I had the coin I would have the D7's. No audition, just straight up purchase. Folks who I know and who really like the A6R say that the D7 is markedly better. The A6R just bettered the PMC 23's in a group test in What HiFi, FWIW.

Hi Art hope you are enjoying the A6R. They continue to get highly praised here in the UK. Here is a picture of my small Spendor A3 which I use with an Arcam A38. These are lovely really compact floorstanders, if anyone is looking for new speakers, great for a small room. Only 75 cms high. I can give a more detailed review of them if anyone is interested.
Best wishes
Paul

 

[frperdurabo]

Hi Art hope you are enjoying the A6R. They continue to get highly praised here in the UK. Here is a picture of my small Spendor A3 which I use with an Arcam A38. These are lovely really compact floorstanders, if anyone is looking for new speakers, great for a small room. Only 75 cms high. I can give a more detailed review of them if anyone is interested.
Best wishes
Paul

You had me at "great for a small room." Yes, tell us more, please. (Including room dimensions)

 

[evertonian]

You had me at "great for a small room." Yes, tell us more, please. (Including room dimensions)

Just off to bed, work early in the morning but I will write a review when I get a chance
Best wishes
Paul

 

[evertonian]

You had me at "great for a small room." Yes, tell us more, please. (Including room dimensions)

The Spendor A3 is surprisingly compact (as can be seen in the picture I uploaded in the post above).It is only 750x16x250. You do get a real surprise at its size and you do initially doubt its viability as a floor- stander. However, this scepticism is soon destroyed when you listen. The bass driver is obviously small yet the bass that is produced defies logic. Ok it does not go down too low but in a smaller room just enough bass for my tastes. The treble is silky smooth and it has that typically smooth mid band that Spendor does so well. The finish is very understated as you can see in the photo mine are in real light Oak veneer and suit my room well I think. They are rear ported and may require a little room to breath but have not noticed too many problems with positioning. The overall sound is lovely being detailed and they never create any listener fatigue. My Arcam drives them well but it is Arcam's top of the range A38 and it does have a lot of power in reserve. They are slightly insensitive at 86db. My room is approx 3.8m x 3.4 m so do consider them for smaller rooms.
The A3 was reviewed by Hi Fi Choice magazine here in the UK in December 2013 and was a group test winner against five other speakers including Focal, Acoustic Energy, Quad, Tannoy and Epos.
Let me know if you need any additional detail.
Best wishes
Paul

 

[frperdurabo]

Thanks! Yes, this helps.

 

[Art K.]

Hi Art hope you are enjoying the A6R. They continue to get highly praised here in the UK. Here is a picture of my small Spendor A3 which I use with an Arcam A38. These are lovely really compact floorstanders, if anyone is looking for new speakers, great for a small room. Only 75 cms high. I can give a more detailed review of them if anyone is interested.
Best wishes
Paul

Sorry, Paul, it's the work week so I didn't even see this post. Still loving the A6R and getting fantastic performance from them.

The A3 are quite lovely. I would be interested in all the information you can share about them.

Art

 

[evertonian]

Sorry, Paul, it's the work week so I didn't even see this post. Still loving the A6R and getting fantastic performance from them.

The A3 are quite lovely. I would be interested in all the information you can share about them.

Art

Hi Art, glad you are enjoying the A6r I have posted a brief review of the A3 in Post 37 above. Hope members find it useful. I recently contacted Spendor support (who are first class by the way) and asked whether the A3 and A5 will be similarly updated to a revised version but was told that there are no plans at present to do so. I am very happy with the A3 but suspect they would be even better given the improvement found in the A6r!
Best wishes
Paul

 

[Art K.]

The Spendor A series is underrated in my opinion. I'm enjoying mine now while I break in a new Ortofon 2M Bronze!

 

[DOBIEGUY]

"One nice thing about a new model is that the older one becomes available cheaper putting a pair right at the price of the KEF LF50."

They become less expensive but not cheaper! (Hate the 'C' word)
If you could find a clean pair of A6 Spendors for less than LF50s,give them a serious listen. I may be biased but I think the choice would be easy.
Small footprint,great variety of finishes and no need to buy stands.
I own small monitors also but my A6r are a whole different story.
Good luck whatever way you go.
Happy listening!

 

[Art K.]

"One nice thing about a new model is that the older one becomes available cheaper putting a pair right at the price of the KEF LF50."

They become less expensive but not cheaper! (Hate the 'C' word)
If you could find a clean pair of A6 Spendors for less than LF50s,give them a serious listen. I may be biased but I think the choice would be easy.
Small footprint,great variety of finishes and no need to buy stands.
I own small monitors also but my A6r are a whole different story.
Good luck whatever way you go.
Happy listening!

..and you own some very good small monitors, just sayin'!

 

[guscjr]

Spendor S1 midbass drivers: SP3/1P advice

Hi guys...
I'm looking for insight on the midbass units used in the S1 model. I found out that they are no longer available unless it's through special order, custom production runs from the UK plus shipping cost. With that info, I didn't even make the call to the one US distributor for a quote.

Anyone had their Spendor woofer/midbass units refoamed and if so little or major sonic differences? I have no reference to go on as my pair had the surrounds brittle and cracking when I got them. Seems they used a unique material which isn't rubber or typical rubber or butyl which has been known to last a long time and regain flexibility with a little DOT-3(4?) brake fluid applied.

I can only say they sound fantastic to me, but I've lost one potential buyer with the news the surrounds are foam. Think I took the best option on the refoam or should bite the bullet for original woofers? :scratch2:

??????

 

[frperdurabo]

Unless you can get a working second-hand pair cheap, it's likely not worth doing if your intention is to sell.

If you haven't, join the Spendor forum on yahoo and post your question there; I'd also try the vintage forum on pinkfishmedia.com

 

[guscjr]

Thanks for the advice. I will check those two sites. In the meantime Audiodon has a pair and has told me that neoprene surrounds could be ordered from Spendor. I might do that down the road, but for now I'll just keep them as again I have no reference as to how much difference there might be but what I'm hearing is excellent. They would make great bedroom speakers once I move to a new place.

 

[souljay3]

hello guys,
still pretty new around here but would like some opinion's if possible,i have the oportunity to grab some spendor preludes for 295 AU ,what do you think? a bargain? any thought's would be great.

thanks


jay

 

[gonetroppo]

Hey guys,

I'm considering buying an old pair of Spendor speakers and I really need your thoughts/opinions to help me decide. Here's the link - http://www.gumtree.co.za/a-speakers/simon-s-town/spendor-vintage-speakers/1001140529410910002252509

A closeup of the woofer is attached as thumbnail. Please let me know your thoughts and thanks in advance!

The good:

Internet research etc seems to indicate they are wonderful for my kind of musical taste ie old/acoustic/vocal etc.
At $140 for the pair seems like deal ON
They come with stands
I could possibly use the speakers in a guitar amp if they are not functioning 100%


The bad:

They have been stuck in storage for many years
The front cover/grill has disintegrated and is no longer there
They have not been tested
I can't test them as I live in another town and will have to pay an extra $50 or so to have them couriered

Please share your thoughts