Have gone though some previous posts I could find on these but curious on current owner thoughts on the D series speakers, specifically the 9.2 (but 7.2 also welcome). From what I gather these are very transparent/revealing speakers & have heard of some complaints about these possibly being too bright or fatiguing. I’m wondering long term owners thoughts on this & also how to they do with not so great recordings? How would you classify the speaker, very neutral or is there a bit of midrange warmth?
With regards to some complaints about being bright/fatiguing, I’m wondering if some are finding this due to the speaker being so revealing & they are just exposing the kit they’re being partnered with &/or being playing in a typical bright sounding room.
My room is ~ 12.5 x 19’ (3.8 x 5.8), sounds like the 9.2 should work well in this size spaced based on some other owners posts I’ve found on here, my room is acoustically treated (dedicated listening space) & has floor & ceiling 16” ASC ISOThermal Tube traps in all 4 corners.
D9.2 owner here and never found them at all bright or fatiguing. I do think they would be a little too bassy for a smaller room having tried them in my second system. Revealing is a good way of describing them though. I can here placement and positioning on even the oldest of recordings which I had never heard before. Absolutely smitten with them. I’ve been running them since Jan 2021 and are still knocked out by them. System is Auralic Aries/Vega/Sirius G2.1 streamer, Rega P8/Hana SL/GoldNote phono, 552DR/300DR
D7.2 owner here. They were a huge upgrade from my A4 speakers. The 9.2 would have been too tall for my room. I did not want to impede our NYC skyline view. I never tried the 9.2. I was concerned about the 7.2 becoming too bright when I moved to the 332/333/NC250, b/c of the NC being more neutral IMHO. That proved not to be the case at all.
I found the Kudos Titan 606s (used) far better than Spendor D7.2s (for similar money) which for me were a bit boring in comparison and lacking in bass. When choosing any speakers I believe a home demo is a must as taste and rooms vary significantly.
For some, home demo is not an option. NYC dealers do not offer home demo. I found the D7.2 highly revealing of cable and equipment changes. My room can be bright while holding on to bass. The frequency spectrum of the D7.2 suited the room well. Over the years I have had a long history of speakers that have worked poorly in my room. Not the Spendors. Everyone’s system and room is different.
Thanks for the reply’s so far, I’m in Canada & as mentioned, home demo isn’t always available, not wanting to take a gamble, so would be looking at buying a secondhand pair that I can move along without much loss if they don’t turn out to work in my space.
With regards to Kudo’s, their not popular here (they haven’t had distribution for some years, not sure if they’re current available), so hard to find & hard to sell if they don’t work in my room. Over the years I’ve heard a few of their speakers & they were hit & miss.
I’ve had my current Audio Physic Scorpio’s for 15+ years (only thing that hasn’t changed). They work well in my room but interested in trying some new speakers. I think these are probably classified as just slightly on the cooler side of neutral, so something with a bit more midrange warmth would be welcome, believe the midrange on the 9.2 is supposed to be one of its strengths & not on the harsh/agressive side? Other aspects are a natural/lifelike timbre & my current speakers are also excellent at imagining/disappearing. Hoping/think these are strengths of this speaker as well?
I do have a good amount of high quality recordings but I also have a lot not so good ones, what are peoples thoughts on the not so good ones? While these will likely expose a not so good recording, do they still make the recording enjoyable/listenable? I’m not a fan of older Sonus Faber type speaker that colour the sound but I’m also not a fan of very analytical speakers (ie Magico), I want something that is still very musical.
My D7.2 “put out” what they are given. Great recordings sound great. Poor ones less so. I can’t tell how much of the transparency is due to the speakers and how much is due to my new 332/333/NC250 or my better cables. After a while I give up trying to isolate and I view the system as a whole.
Former owner of the original 7.0 here. Yes, in my experience, it was bright and fatiguing, with the tweeter sticking out like a sore thumb. My understanding is that this was the main reason for the 7.2 revision (which I have not heard).
An alternative strategy for the OP would be if they have a dealer who has been to their home many times who then can offer a knowledgeable prediction as to whether the speakers will meet the needs of the OP. This worked for me. I do not feel that auditioning at the dealer will predict how the speakers would work at home. I have had many speakers that sounded great at the dealer, yet did not do well at home.
I’ve owned Spendor D7.2s for over three years and absolutely love them. The speakers deliver remarkable detail and dynamic performance, with deep, well-controlled bass and a powerful midrange. I don’t find them dull or lacking in low-end response at all. I auditioned several brands like ATC, PMC and Proac, but the Spendors clearly stood out and were the perfect fit for my system and room – I still rate them extremely highly.
It’s difficult to predict what they’d sound like in your system/room – home demos are really the only option. As this isn’t feasible for you, buying a second-hand pair makes sense because you can easily resell them if they don’t suit your preferences. Good luck!