Hi,
I have just purchased an ex-demo Uniti Star from Hi-Fi Corner and I am very pleased with the system (and their service), replacing my rather non-hifi Arcam AVR250 and Arcam DV88+ DVD player!.
I have it hooked up to my B&W DM603 S3 speakers that once formed part of my surround system, and feel that perhaps they do not do the system justice!?
What are your thoughts of this matching, terrible or an okay match?
Probably a very frequently asked question, but before I take the plunge and spend a few grand on new speakers, assuming my B&W’s can be bettered for that sort of money, will the Spendor A4 or A7 be a far superior match? or should I look at Focal 926 or Harbeth??
I am using Silver Anniversary cable, which I understand is pretty good?
If thinking Spendor I would go A4 over A7 with a Star, speakers are very personal and really a lot is down to your preferred sound signature and the genres of music you mostly listen to. Dont make the classic mistake of over stepping your source with speakers that are probably better paired with higher end electronics, next thing you’ll be upgrading the Star to keep up with your speakers and on it goes - so synergy is really important. The A4’s are nice though and would match a Star well, they’re well worth an audition but make sure it’s at home.
Thanks Hollow,
Hi-Fi Corner suggested that either the A4 or A7 would suit the Star.
I’m guessing the major difference between the two would be the base being deeper on the A7 due to the larger enclosure?
Any thoughts on my B&W’s? are they trash??
sorry I have no experience of the B&W’s , the A7’s produce a lot more detail then the A4’s hence why I would avoid with the Star and go for the A4. I’ve had both btw and I found the A7 with my Nova was not quite right - they deserved better and were much improved with the SN3 whereas the Nova and A4 was pretty good - just my experience etc
Hi @993BOY, I have a pair of Spendor A4’s with one Nova and PMC Twenty5 23’s with another, both good matches I think. I have no experience of your B&W’s so can’t comment, the Harbeth’s may need a bit more power depending on the model. Hificorner is a great shop to deal with, congratulations on your new Star.
My room is 5m x 4m so speakers don’t need to be too large, but I do prefer floor standing speakers over stand mounts for stability, looks and deeper base.
I understand that most of the parts for the PMC speakers are bought in and then assembled in Luton, whereas Spendor manufacture and assemble the whole lot in house in Sussex?
I would rather support UK manufacturing, especially at this time over parts made in China or overseas, so if I am honest, my thoughts are steering towards the A4’s or A7’s used with my QED Silver Anniversary cables?
Spendor do make their own drive units, but conversely it could be argued that the ability to purchase drive units from across Europe enables a wider choice .
However if you go to Spendor website there is a three minute video of them making the entire product
I did watch the video, and it does look impressive, but get your point.
Having seen neither of them in the flesh, which of them is finished to the higher standard?
When it comes down to cost, there seems to be nothing much between them really, so I suppose I should have a listen to them…difficult time to do that!
I have the A7’s with a SN2 in a larger room than yours. I had an in home demo of the A4’s. I thought they sounded very good. I picked the A7’s based on my room size. I would be happy with the A4’s too. It’s all personal of course… your room, gear, and ears, etc.
In terms of overall finish in my view the PMC’s just shade it but both are very well finished. Different sound though so listening to them both advisable, as with any speaker purchase. I’m sure Hificorner would do a home demo with a few alternatives if you explained what you are considering.
I have the Focal 926’s with the predecessor to your Star - a Uniti 2. I bought this as a complete ‘Naim’ package in 2013 when Naim promoted them as having been voiced to suit the Uniti 2. I did trial them in the shop against Spendor D7’s, KEF floorstanders and a few other speakers and these suited my tastes the best.
I have no idea how they’d sound with your system or room but I’ve been very pleased with them over 7 years. They get daily use as a 2.0 system for the TV and occasional use for music when the family are all out (which is never at present). There are however a lot of posters on this board who do not like Focal, so I would advise you trial a number of speakers before purchase as they are so much a personal choice. They are also hugely affected by the specific characteristics of your room.
Whatever you get, take your time choosing them and I hope you have as much pleasure from your system as I have had from mine
Thanks for the advice everyone, it seems that a trial is imperative before purchase.
So the D4, D7, PMC Twenty5 23 and Focal 926 seems to be the consensus.
The Focal 926 looks quite a large speaker, so not sure that will suit my room, but if it sounds better…!
Only you can judge. But if you like B&W but simply want better speakers, why not look at better speakers from them? In case it helps, I have the 702s2 with the Star and am really happy with the combination.
I had a Focal Aria 926 with Uniti Star and it sounded pretty good. I recently replaced them with a Spendor A7 and for the first few days, it sounded really bad. Then I changed the cables from Qed Revalation to Atlas Hyper 3.5 and it was the right combination. Now there is a far bigger sound scene, better instrument separation and far better and more precise bass compared to Focal.
Thanks for the cable recommendation, hadn’t considered I may need an upgrade there ?
Currently have QED Silver Anniversary, thought they were pretty good?
Not sure what the consensus is on these?
Should I be replacing them too?
