WTD :- SPENDOR A3, RUARK TEMPLAR MK1 or similar baby floorstander with rolled off HF.

[Karma Train]

Hi there,

Over the past few weeks I have been trying to get my system sorted out which has involved box swapping to an almost pathological extent, still no joy though unfortunately.
My main bug-bear has been harsh high frequencies and sibilance which I'm now hearing constantly on vocals no matter what speakers I stick on the end of my PC/Primare D20 CDP > Beresford Caiman (with Gator) > Quad 34/306 system.
I've tried Rega XELs which had a wonderfully contained and defined bottom end but the treble response was unbearably thin and bright, likewise to a slightly lesser extent with the Rega Ela Mk2s that I hooked up next, so now in desperation I have reverted to my little Quad 77 10L stand-mounters which are just about bearable but I really don't like stand-mounted speakers even though they are probably best suited for this small and sonically problematical listening room.
Hence this post or cry for help if you will.
My ideal speaker would be a tiny floor-stander, something around the 75cm tall mark with tight/tuneful/non-blooming bottom end and a warm/gentle/somewhat rolled off high end, I am not a great fan of detail by any stretch of the imagination, especially not when it leaves your ear-holes feeling like they have been assaulted by a flock of metallic woodpeckers. Over the past few weeks you could say I have become a confirmed sibilance'o'phobe!
Although I might have a spot of bother with their rear-firing bass ports as whatever I end up with can never be placed more than a foot away from the rear wall, so far the only speaker I think might fit the bill is the baby Spendor A3, I'm a huge fan of the Spendor house-sound and vintage British lushness in general so I'd really love to try a pair of these if I could get hold of a pair. The only other speaker I think might be able to do a job is the original Ruark (Mk1) Templar which being a sealed box might even work in this room a bit better than the Spendors, I wont know 'til I give them a go.
So, are there either of the above out there for sale anywhere? Or does anybody have any other ideas as to what different speakers I might try?
Many thanks for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Charlie.

[Roy S]

Shame you're not a bit closer Charlie, you'd have been welcome to try these out in your system (I've used them with a 306 and they sound great) -

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?32813-FS-Ruark-Prologue-Ones

They are 'restrained' (which is why I'm selling them, I seem to prefer 'shouty') & whilst not as small as you've specified quite a compact footprint, I even have custom made bungs for the rear ports if required.

[Karma Train]

Yeah, isn't it always the way, anything vaguely interesting is always flippin' miles away although as you say, they are a bit on the towering side for my purposes.
Actually my Rega XELs would suit you down to the ground if you were after a bit more detail, they are fantastic sounding speakers and cost around £1150 when new, ah well!
The funny thing is that although I now live in Somerset, I was born in Mile End and resided in Ilford for the first 20 odd years of my life, so I know your neck of the woods really well, I was a frequent visitor to Romford market in my youth and always remember the beer-brewing smell from the Inde Coope brewery as the train pulled into Romford station....happy days.
Tis a small world innit? :)

[Roy S]

Tis a small world innit? :)

Indeed, I was born in Mile End Hospital as well! Just invested in some new speakers so happy (for now!)

[Karma Train]

Brilliant :lol: As Harry Hill would say, "what are the chances of that happening?" both born in the same hospital!
Still, that makes us official cockneys as Bow Bells is only just down the frog.
We'd better not explore this any further, we might find out we were separated at birth!
Enjoy your new speeks.

[Roy S]

makes us official cockneys as Bow Bells is only just down the frog.


As long as we don't start talking like Dyke Van Dick in 'Meeeery Pawpinz' we'll be fine :D

[Macca]

Got some KEF Calindas you can have - fit your brief pretty well and will work close to a wall. The last thing they are is 'thin' sounding so I'd be surprised if they didn't solve your problem. Only trouble is you will need to get up to Staffordshire to collect them.

[Karma Train]

Got some KEF Calindas you can have - fit your brief pretty well and will work close to a wall. The last thing they are is 'thin' sounding so I'd be surprised if they didn't solve your problem. Only trouble is you will need to get up to Staffordshire to collect them.

Hi Martin, many thanks for the reply, much appreciated.
I've been thinking that old Kefs might be one possible solution the only thing that's worried me about them is whether the bass would be too much/flabby in this poxy room I'm in.
I have two problems in here, the thinness has already been mentioned but another issue is a horrible bass hump at around 73Hz, that's why the Regas with their transmission lines tend to work well as opposed to ported speakers. I've never listened to old Kefs before so I really don't know how they'd behave.
One reason why they might be ideal is that I don't listen from the standard sofa position, I'm a low-level bean bag dweller and tend to listen near-field, speakers which have to been thrown up on stands don't work for me at all. I imagine that the Calindas would operate somewhat along the lines of a gigantic pair of headphones and that would suit me fine.
Somerset is a bloody long way away though and that's totally depressing, not sure I could manage that journey at the moment in all honesty, so I guess I'll have to see if anything else turns up a bit closer to home for the time being.
Definitely going to bear your suggestion in mind though, any word on condition of the Kefs and the kind of dosh you'd be looking for?
Regards,
Charlie.

[Macca]

Hi Charlie

Condition is near perfect except for a few slight marks on the top of the cabs where a wifey has put a bowl of fruit or some other female-related clutter at some point in the dim and distant. Easily returned to perfect with some light sanding if that bothers you at all. Drive units are perfect. Grilles are perfect. Crossovers have been completely rebuilt to the original spec. Yours for fifty quid if you want them.

[Karma Train]

Hi Charlie

Condition is near perfect except for a few slight marks on the top of the cabs where a wifey has put a bowl of fruit or some other female-related clutter at some point in the dim and distant. Easily returned to perfect with some light sanding if that bothers you at all. Drive units are perfect. Grilles are perfect. Crossovers have been completely rebuilt to the original spec. Yours for fifty quid if you want them.

Female related clutter :lol: I trust her punishment was meted out swiftly and proportionately.
Bugger, those old speakers sound bloody wonderful.
Never having heard them before, could I just ask you about the bottom end please?
Is it big and boomy as in the BC1 say, or is there an element of tightness to it?
I wouldn't be playing them loud at all and I love scale to bass, just wouldn't want it to dominate the sound and aggravate the humps in my room too much.
Do you think they would work listened to near-field at medium volume in a horrible room? What do you reckon....honestly?
Such a shame you're not planning a holiday down this way soon, Somerset's lovely this time of year tha knows :)
I'm really old and none too well these days so getting up there would probably nearly kill me off but I'm tempted....lots!
What's your postcode so's I can look at a map and have a panic attack.
Charlie (who is off to do a bit more reading about old Kefsters!)

[Macca]

Previous owner used them in a small room either side of the fireplace with no issues. In my large room sited in free space they are a little bass-light so based on that I think they would work for you. Even if they don't the T27 tweeters alone are worth about £100. It is a long way to come just to pick up some speakers though!
You may well be able to find something similar a lot closer to where you are.


Post code is st4 4aj

[Karma Train]

Previous owner used them in a small room either side of the fireplace with no issues. In my large room sited in free space they are a little bass-light so based on that I think they would work for you. Even if they don't the T27 tweeters alone are worth about £100. It is a long way to come just to pick up some speakers though!
You may well be able to find something similar a lot closer to where you are.
Post code is st4 4aj

Sweet Jebus....172 Miles :eek: I think you could be right about it being a bit too far....balls :steam:
Just seen a picture of them in your music room on another AOS thread....guitarist too eh?
Definitely something to consider though and thanks for putting the idea in my head.
Let's just see if anything else turn up vaguely in the same time zone first of all I guess.
Thanks for your help and patience....nice to make your acquaintance :)
Charlie.

[Macca]

No worries Charlie :)

[twotone]

What about JR149s? Great speakers and can go anywhere, fantastic with vinyl. I've a pair and honestly don't think I would part with them, they're not cheap though anything from £200 to £450 on e-bay.

Just a thought.

Tony

[Karma Train]

What about JR149s? Great speakers and can go anywhere, fantastic with vinyl. I've a pair and honestly don't think I would part with them, they're not cheap though anything from £200 to £450 on e-bay.

Just a thought.

Tony

And a good thought at that, actually I've had a pair of JR149s before somewhere in the dim and distant, sweet little tubes aren't they?
The thing is, if at all possible I'd like to use some small floor-standers as they simply provide a bigger, more room-filling sound and tend to be less directional,
That's my current thinking anyway. The JRs tonally are a bit like my Quad 10Ls which I've currently got hooked up and as much as I like them, you really do have to stay
rooted to the sweet-spot to enjoy them the most. So I'm definitely after some small floor-standers if ever any materialise. Much appreciate your thoughts though, thanks.
Regards,
Charlie.

[twotone]

And a good thought at that, actually I've had a pair of JR149s before somewhere in the dim and distant, sweet little tubes aren't they?
The thing is, if at all possible I'd like to use some small floor-standers as they simply provide a bigger, more room-filling sound and tend to be less directional,
That's my current thinking anyway. The JRs tonally are a bit like my Quad 10Ls which I've currently got hooked up and as much as I like them, you really do have to stay
rooted to the sweet-spot to enjoy them the most. So I'm definitely after some small floor-standers if ever any materialise. Much appreciate your thoughts though, thanks.
Regards,
Charlie.

Hi Charlie, no problem mate. I've them on the round wall brackets about 6ft off the floor and either side of a bay window about 10 foot apart, not ideal but the wife loves the look of them, mine are piano black with refurbed covers.

Sometimes though the sounds coming from them are just amazing with a certain record or even a certain time of day when I've maybe cranked the volume up.

I had a pair of Proac studio 140s before the JRs and they were fantastic speakers but a bit too much bass for me, also had some really nice Monitor Audio floor standers with the gold tweeters (MA10s I think) and they were fantastic too, also had Kef floorstanders a couple of years ago but was just getting into to hi-fi then so I've not really got a clue whether they were good or not, they were the then current models quite popular on AV forums at the time.

Personally I think the old Spendor speakers will likely be really good, someone on here was selling a pair about a year ago BC1s I think, looked amazing for their age but big things.

Cheers

Tony