My dealer is suggesting I upgrade my Spendor A4 speakers. He is suggesting I consider the Spendor classic 1/2.
My system is:
SN3
CD5Si
HicapDR
NDX2 with SPSDr PS
Rega P9/Exact
Chord EpicX
Equipment racks are on the wall opposite the speakers.
I am in NYC.Hone demo not possible.
My listening area is of huge (12 feet by 24 feet). Eight foot ceiling. The right wall is shorter b/c it opens onto our dining area.
Can these work well in this small area? The reviews I gave read note larger rooms and placement farther from walls than my current A4 speakers. Should I consider something else in the Spendor classic range or other Spendor speakers? Thank You.
I have a not dissimilar room. I have A7s and love them. I tried both the A4s and A7s at home and thought the A7s substantial better - bigger sound, and in particular the bass was much more cohesive and less bloaty.
I wanted to upgrade the power supply on my NDX2 to a 555PS. My dealer suggested that I focus on better speakers first. Any thoughts on the Spendor 1/2 or another version in the Classic series.
I think your dealer is right that a speaker upgrade would be a good move. The only problem here is that speaker/room interaction is one of the hardest things to get right, especially if you move to a larger floorstander with more bass extension. Experimenting with different room positions can help a lot, but sometimes a speaker simply isn’t going to give you a sound you enjoy in any particular room, so there will always be risk when buying without the option of a home demo.
I started out with the A4’s, quite liked them, I reckon they’re the sweet spot in the A series. Ended up in a similar situation to you and upgraded to the A7’s. Initially impressive but they ground me down after a year or two, possibly room related but I found them too hot in the upper mids and bit overly precise. In the end I chopped them in for a pair of Classic 3/1’s - a huge relief after the A7’s - a much easier listen but with lots of nice detail and textures and timbres that were previously missing, this is all with a SN3 & NDX 2. Also, they easily fill a large open plan listening area with a high pitched ceiling. I really like the Classic series and am tempted by the 2/3’s. You do need good stands with these though - preferably open frame, Spendor do dedicated stands but they’re pricey. The 1/2 is a big & expensive speaker so might be worth checking out the 3/1’s or 2/3’s, I’m not convinced you need to spend as much particularly with a SN3. The 3/1’s are a little faster than the 2/3’s, you’ll probably need to get used to the more BBC esque presentation of the Classic series but once you do they’re lovely. Home Audition a must.
My dealer is fine. I had wanted to upgrade my Power Supply for my NDX2 beyond my SPSdr, which I already had. He felt the money would be better spent upgrading the speakers. I know the dealer for more than 40 years.
Very nice system you have!
Spendor classic 1/2 or any speakers to be honest without a home demo is a roll of the dice (I get it. I’m in the US and yes home demo’s are not easy here) that being said and it sounds like you have a great relationship with your, dealer I’d take his advice. I will add that I tried the Spendor’s A4 and A7 but found Proacs worked better for me.
I wouldn’t be spending that money without a comparative demo, even at the dealers. They are a beautiful looking speaker but seem to need space around them (no furniture nearby). I preferred the D9.2 both for the space required and the room they had to fit in.
That is far from being a small area, being larger than average in terms of British living rooms- while opening further at one side could tend to “suck out” bass depending on speaker and listening positions. I would have no hesitation trying decent floorstanders in there.
First question is can you audition? Ideally at home, but if not then comparing directly with your speakers and amp, and preferably with any decision to purchase backed up with refundable if not satisfied when you get them home. And of course it would also make sense to also audition other speaker contenders…
It’s unclear to me what your HicapDR is powering. The obvious weakest link in your system is the CD5si. What is your primary source? Has your dealer heard your system in your home?
As others have said, not evaluating a speaker in your listening environment is a complete roll of the dice, unless in my opinion you go for a constrained bandwidth limited speaker which is unlikely to be satisfying from a hifi perspective, but great for background music or entertaining.
Hifi speakers are designed and expected to couple to the environment they operate in, so that becomes a big dependency… and not just about dimensions.
You say were wanting an upgrade with your power supply etc… but your dealer suggested speakers.
What is it in the performance you are not happy about and therefore wanting to upgrade… what is it you like in your system performance? That might give more of a clue of what to suggest.
The HighcapDR is powering the SN3. The dealer’s staff has visited many times for setup support and are very familiar with the room and system. My CD5si and TT ARE infrequently used. About 85% of my listening is through the NDX2/SPSDr.
What’s the cost to change xpsdr for a 555ps?
That’s probably the simplest thing to evaluate - there is just one option, and you will either hear and appreciate an improvement or you won’t.
If that is the case let them lend you some for a home demo! If you are a good customer (as it sounds) then push for that. Being ‘familiar with your room’ is no substitute for hearing them in your room.
The dealer wants to sell you some speakers. The Forum has no such self interest! I think the advice here is ‘tread carefully’. The dealer’s advice might be good, but you asked the Forum hive mind after all so presumably you aren’t so sure.