Spendor speakers, are they boring?

[Floyddroid]

It mat seem a bit of a generalization though I just wondered what the general consensus Is?

[walpurgis]

Not heard many modern Spendors, but what I have heard have been good. Not sure that would make them boring. Dramatic sounding speakers tend to be flawed, the Mk.I AE1 and elderly Linn Sara spring to mind.

[JohnJo]

A dealer told me there are two different designers or design philosophies in Spendor now, the old style classic line which won’t offend and the newer A and D series which are more upfront so definitely impossible to generalise.

[VanDerGraaf]

I suppose it depends on your definition of boring...and definitely there are different generations of Spendors to consider. This all sounds a bit like "Alfa Romeos are all rustbuckets". Lazy generalisations that creep into the collective mindset and stay put.

I mean, if you wanted massive dynamic swings and slamming bass you wouldn't go out and buy a set of BC1 for example. If you made clear what you like to listen to and at what volume, people would be able to advise you better on how YOU would find them.

[Beobloke]

It mat seem a bit of a generalization though I just wondered what the general consensus Is?

Judging by the magnificent job a set of SP100Rs were making at banging out thumping techno at Bristol last year, I'm going with "No". :D

We also used to use a pair of S8s as our refeence speakers at Hi-Fi World years ago and they were superb, albeit somewhat amplifier-dependent.

[RobbieGong]

A dealer told me there are two different designers or design philosophies in Spendor now, the old style classic line which won’t offend and the newer A and D series which are more upfront so definitely impossible to generalise.

+1 That's exactly what I've been led to believe from various quarters. The classic type Spendors are said to be balanced, and non fatiguing with lovely mids, which Spendors became renowned for. Here's a great review / Classic v 'D' line comparison https://darko.audio/2020/01/spendor-the-classic-1-2-versus-the-d7-2/

I have the D7 floorstander and they are great speakers. The above review does describe the D7 accurately.

The 'D' line adds a little more sparkle and 'upfrontness' to proceedings and grab your attention more. It is a new take on what people know as Spendor.

I find them dynamic too. I love mine, they are quality. I'll go to the revised D7.2 in the future.

[anthonyTD]

I have owned a few Spendor Speakers over the years, from SP1, to S8E, and S9E, I wouldnt describe any of them as boring, they are however; quite Amp and room dependant, from memory, the S9E worked better in my set up at the time, but out of all three, the ones i should have held onto were the SP1, they had an uncanny way of delivering music in a way that seemed very right in many areas of the audio spectrum, its hard to explain. Although having three drivers, they are actualy a two way mainly, with the special wide band mid-high frequency unit doing most of the work from 600hz up to around 18k then there is a third driver a super tweeter that extends the frequency range out to around 30k all from memory, so please feel free to correct me! :)
A...

[RobbieGong]

I have owned a few Spendor Speakers over the years, from SP1, to S8E, and S9E, I wouldnt describe any of them as boring, they are however; quite Amp and room dependant, from memory, the S9E worked better in my set up at the time, but out of all three, the ones i should have held onto were the SP1, they had an uncanny way of delivering music in a way that seemed very right in many areas of the audio spectrum, its hard to explain. Although having three drivers, they are actually a two way mainly, with the special wide band mid-high frequency unit doing most of the work from 600hz up to around 18k then there is a third driver a super tweeter that extends the frequency range out to around 30k all from memory, so please feel free to correct me! :)
A...

You've had some nice Spendors there Anthony

[anthonyTD]

:)
As i mentiond, just be careful with partnering, the S8E was the most problematic in my system, they seem to be better suited to high quality solid state amps rather than valve.
A...
You've had some nice Spendors there Anthony

[Clive197]

ERM.....NO

[anthonyTD]

Can you explain a bit more Clive, are you objecting to my view on the S8E, or are you confusing what i said, thinking i was refering to ALL Spendor speakers, and not just the S8E ???
ERM.....NO

[Mr H]

I love the sound my D7s make, but I was looking for a little more depth to the bass. So I tried a matched REL S/510 at the recommendation of my local dealer. Needless to say I was very impressed; the overall sound experience is now richer, more spacious, dynamic all round - so very happy bunny.

[Haselsh1]

Had a pair of S3/5R2's for the last two years and although the mid and treble was stunning I found them largely flat and lifeless. Their midband was just so realistic but alas, I sold them on. To add to that though, I'd love to hear A4's and/or A7's.

[prestonchipfryer]

I use S5e's with a Luxman 509X and in no way could the sound be described as boring.

[Clive197]

Can you explain a bit more Clive, are you objecting to my view on the S8E, or are you confusing what i said, thinking i was refering to ALL Spendor speakers, and not just the S8E ???

Q. Spendor speakers, are they boring?
A. Erm...No

1/ was I objecting to the S8e’s... No, I used to own a pair before I upgraded to D7’s.
2/ Spendor speakers have been and are my favourite speakers since I 1st heard them in the early seventies.

As a moderator, I’m extremely surprised you wanted to call me out on a simple question when I gave a simple answer.

[anthonyTD]

That's fine Clive, mine was the last post before you made your comment, so i naturaly thought you were refering to my post, no worries!
Q. Spendor speakers, are they boring?
A. Erm...No

1/ was I objecting to the S8e’s... No, I used to own a pair before I upgraded to D7’s.
2/ Spendor speakers have been and are my favourite speakers since I 1st heard them in the early seventies.

As a moderator, I’m extremely surprised you wanted to call me out on a simple question when I gave a simple answer.

[RobbieGong]

I can see why Anthony '??' the post as I too wasn't quite sure what was meant. I didn't at all get the impression that he was 'calling out', I read it as he was seeking clarity :)

[cuddles]

It mat seem a bit of a generalization though I just wondered what the general consensus Is?

Would you like to buy my BC1's and find out?

[Macca]

Although having three drivers, they are actualy a two way mainly, with the special wide band mid-high frequency unit doing most of the work from 600hz up to around 18k then there is a third driver a super tweeter that extends the frequency range out to around 30k all from memory, so please feel free to correct me! :)
A...

Main driver crosses to the first tweeter at 3Khz, super tweeter comes in at 13Khz. You need a good main driver to go to 3Khz without break up, a good xover design too.

'The midbass in an example to follow' according to Troels http://troelsgravesen.dk/vintageBC1.htm#:~:text=The%20Spendor%20BC1%20is%20 basically%20a%20three-way%20system,fact%20quite%20similar%20to%20the%20K EF%20B200%2C%20SP1039.

[fatmarley]

Main driver crosses to the first tweeter at 3Khz, super tweeter comes in at 13Khz. You need a good main driver to go to 3Khz without break up, a good xover design too.

'The midbass in an example to follow' according to Troels http://troelsgravesen.dk/vintageBC1.htm#:~:text=The%20Spendor%20BC1%20is%20 basically%20a%20three-way%20system,fact%20quite%20similar%20to%20the%20K EF%20B200%2C%20SP1039.

I take it tweeters in those days weren't as robust as they are now? You can now easlily find a tweeter that could cross at 2khz, and extend to 20khz. The Wavecore I use at the moment is more than happy to be crossed at 1.5khz and extends all the way up tp 20khz (it does need a touch of eq to flatten the response though).

[hifinutt]

most certainly NOT boring ... the a7 `s i heard were captivating

[Macca]

I take it tweeters in those days weren't as robust as they are now? You can now easlily find a tweeter that could cross at 2khz, and extend to 20khz. The Wavecore I use at the moment is more than happy to be crossed at 1.5khz and extends all the way up tp 20khz (it does need a touch of eq to flatten the response though).

I guess they were not, they didn't have the materials we have now I suppose. But if you look at the Troels measurements I linked to the BC1 is actually bloody good by any standard, new or old.

[graham67]

Judging by the magnificent job a set of SP100Rs were making at banging out thumping techno at Bristol last year, I'm going with "No". :D


Adam is spot on, heard them playing kraftwerk and loved the sound, i really felt it in the guts.
They reminded me a lot of the similar sized jbls I use just with a better treble . These are one of very few speakers I would consider changing to if I had the space and money, neither of which is likely to happen 😉

[Mikeandvan]

I can confirm they are extremely boring, Ive had two pairs, really, they are shite. Of course it depends what music you wish to listen to. They completely kill any vibe! If anyone says they are neutral or good with music across the spectum they have never owned a pair, or not the ones I've owned, sr3 and S7, though very different size speakers, almost exactly the same sound. I thought the AN Ks I briefly had were a bit similar, but the Js I now possess are better, for comparison.

[Beobloke]

I can confirm they are extremely boring, Ive had two pairs, really, they are shite. Of course it depends what music you wish to listen to. They completely kill any vibe! If anyone says they are neutral or good with music across the spectum they have never owned a pair, or not the ones I've owned, sr3 and S7, though very different size speakers, almost exactly the same sound. I thought the AN Ks I briefly had were a bit similar, but the Js I now possess are better, for comparison.

Out of interest, what amplifiers were you using with the S7s?

[anthonyTD]

I stand corrected,:doh: just checked the spec on the BC1 [can't seem to find the spec on the sp1] Just goes to show how your mind can play tricks on you, especialy when your getting on a bit :eek:
It was a pair of speakers i built using Bandor drive units that were crossed over at 600hz :doh:
Main driver crosses to the first tweeter at 3Khz, super tweeter comes in at 13Khz. You need a good main driver to go to 3Khz without break up, a good xover design too.

'The midbass in an example to follow' according to Troels http://troelsgravesen.dk/vintageBC1.htm#:~:text=The%20Spendor%20BC1%20is%20 basically%20a%20three-way%20system,fact%20quite%20similar%20to%20the%20K EF%20B200%2C%20SP1039.

[Mikeandvan]

Out of interest, what amplifiers were you using with the S7s?

Good question, that might have had a sizable effect! I cannot remember though.

[StingRay]

Are Spendors similar to Harbeths?