Post your latest AV purchase(s)......
- Thread starter sam9s
- Start date
In what way do these Spendors sound different to your Revel M12s?
I have had these speakers for a week, with my limited knowledge Spendor does much better Bass, mids and highs that too with Audiolab 6000a amp
Also these speakers have improved my Vinyl listening experience.How are you powering your 2/3's? Do they sound better with tube amplification?
Not with the Willsenton R8 in the configuration that I have - stock preamp tube with KT88 power tube - the sound lacks excitement. In my current setup, the Spendors clearly sound better to ears with the Cambridge Audio CXA81.I have had these speakers for a week, with my limited knowledge Spendor does much better Bass, mids and highs that too with Audiolab 6000a amp
How are you powering your 2/3's? Do they sound better with tube amplification?
With most other speakers however, especially the Dynaudios, the Willsenton sounds better.
I have anther tube amp (a popular YT darling) incoming in a week which was acquired specifically to try out with the Spendors - fingers crossed.
Please post your review once you receive your amp.
PCA
Active Member
vinothkumar
Well-Known Member
Lovely speakers. Perfect for analog source.
Posting pics of my new Amp, the mighty Wilsenton R800i!!!
Mighty for a couple of reasons - it weighs a back breaking 42 Kilos and despite being Class A SET Tubes, produces a welcome 48W + 48W. High power was especially required in my case as I have a number of low sensitivity speakers.
What prompted the purchase? Earlier this year, I acquired a pair of Spendor Classic 2/3s and when I'd auditioned them, they were being driven with a Luxman 509ax-ii which was a Class A amp. While it didn't get me at first go, coming back home and listening to my own setup, which at the time was the Dynaudio Excite X14 powered by the Cambridge Audio CXA81 and WIlsenton R8, i realised that while it did a quite a few things better, the refinement and sweetness in the sound was missing.
Fueled by my hubris, i convinced myself that with the skills i've acquired over the years, i'd manage to eek out much more from the Spendors. I say skill because it is not always the equipment but rather how well you manage to set it up. And manage to set it up i did, at least to my ears. And while it sounded very good, it was still missing the refinement and sweetness that I'd heard earlier while auditioning.
By the process of elimination, the logical conclusion was that it was the Luxman and its mere 20 watts per channel of Class A power in combination with the Spendors that was responsible for that sweet sweet sound and not the latter by itself.
A couple of months passed before i got a message from one of my trusted dealers that he was getting a consignment of Wilsenton R800is to these shores. Seeing that it was Class A and with a colossal 48W per channel for said topology, i booked my piece and tucked in for the long wait hoping that my gamble would pay off.
The parcel arrived a week ago and pretty late at that on a day i happened to be alone and rather worn out due to being on my feet for most of its duration. Said fact of being alone and worn out mattered cuz the wooden crate the Amp arrived in turned out to be a near immovable object. Nevertheless, i mustered the courage and soldiered to peel back the packaging layer-by-layer. First to go was the sack cloth cover which required no more than a pair of scissors. Then came the most daunting step of them all or so i thought - the wooden crate which was nailed a little too meticulously. Not having access to a crowbar initially seemed like a setback but I did have access to a hammer and with a good ol' walkaround, figured that removing a single side of the crate would be sufficient. A bit of elbow grease, a Chai break and two more layers of cardboard packaging later, the amp was finally revealed sitting in the foam padding which is when it struck me, the damn amp was more than 60% my body weight. Supporter in place (if you know what i mean
) and a mighty heave later, the cat was out of the bag which had to wait till the next day as i had a very early morning to attend to.
Having sorted out business, i made a beeline home as early as i could the next day. First on the menu was the Dynaudio Focus 160 (84db Bookshelfs).
At the outset, those 48W x 2 managed to push the 84db sensitive Dynaudio Focus 160s to well over 92-93db in bass heavy tracks from EDM/Hip Hop genres and the like (measured with a UMIK-1 in REW).
But then again, so could the CXA81. So the real question was, did the gamble pay off?
I'm stoked to answer it with a resounding "YES"!
While i expected the Amp to sound better than my existing amps, what I wasn't prepared for was the quantum leap in SQ. When i first powered on the Amp, even without any burn in, the sound was incredibly refined and i was greeted with a huge soundstage that extended very wide and not only was deep but also projected sounds forward when the song so demanded. This was a surprise as the CXA81 and Wilsenton R8 were already very good in this regard.
The second thing that struck me was the depth to the sound and by that, i don't mean the placement of instruments in the soundstage. Rather, it was each note that had more depth as if whole new layers of texture, detail, nuance and dynamics had been revealed. The treble was even more present than the CXA81 but was delivered with such delicacy and refinement that it never once managed to sound bright. The litmus test is always Rock and Metal and it was a pleasure to listen through the R800i as it never sounded harsh while preserving all of the excitement and attack in the songs.
The third thing which i noticed with the amp was the instrument separation. Everything is well spaced in the soundstage and you can hear each note without having to really lean in and listen. It also brings background notes to the fore which are otherwise very easily lost in the medley of sounds emanating from the speakers.
But what really got me was that everything seemed to sound interesting through it, even at low volumes. Songs which i wouldn't bother about were suddenly being added left right and centre to my various playlists. In fact, I don't remember a time when I've added these many songs in such a short span of time. This amp has that intangible which is often referred to but most can't put a finger on - PRAT. While the CXA81 is already good in this regard, the R800i takes it to a whole new level. Every note feels like its being timed right and it manages to infuse a foot tapping quality to everything i've played through it so far.
The build quality is top notch and several orders higher than competing products of a similar price category i've come across, a fact that came as no surprise since I already had the Wilsenton R8 which is also built like a tank and beautiful to boot, if i may so so myself.
The next speaker i tried them with was the 92db Quad S-5 Floorstanders and all I can say for now is that I'm smitten with the combination, so much so that I've not managed to change over to the Spendors yet - The Quads and the R800i are a match made in heaven. I'll post further impressions after having sampled it with a few more speakers.
Pics of the events as they unfolded.
Mighty for a couple of reasons - it weighs a back breaking 42 Kilos and despite being Class A SET Tubes, produces a welcome 48W + 48W. High power was especially required in my case as I have a number of low sensitivity speakers.
What prompted the purchase? Earlier this year, I acquired a pair of Spendor Classic 2/3s and when I'd auditioned them, they were being driven with a Luxman 509ax-ii which was a Class A amp. While it didn't get me at first go, coming back home and listening to my own setup, which at the time was the Dynaudio Excite X14 powered by the Cambridge Audio CXA81 and WIlsenton R8, i realised that while it did a quite a few things better, the refinement and sweetness in the sound was missing.
Fueled by my hubris, i convinced myself that with the skills i've acquired over the years, i'd manage to eek out much more from the Spendors. I say skill because it is not always the equipment but rather how well you manage to set it up. And manage to set it up i did, at least to my ears. And while it sounded very good, it was still missing the refinement and sweetness that I'd heard earlier while auditioning.
By the process of elimination, the logical conclusion was that it was the Luxman and its mere 20 watts per channel of Class A power in combination with the Spendors that was responsible for that sweet sweet sound and not the latter by itself.
A couple of months passed before i got a message from one of my trusted dealers that he was getting a consignment of Wilsenton R800is to these shores. Seeing that it was Class A and with a colossal 48W per channel for said topology, i booked my piece and tucked in for the long wait hoping that my gamble would pay off.
The parcel arrived a week ago and pretty late at that on a day i happened to be alone and rather worn out due to being on my feet for most of its duration. Said fact of being alone and worn out mattered cuz the wooden crate the Amp arrived in turned out to be a near immovable object. Nevertheless, i mustered the courage and soldiered to peel back the packaging layer-by-layer. First to go was the sack cloth cover which required no more than a pair of scissors. Then came the most daunting step of them all or so i thought - the wooden crate which was nailed a little too meticulously. Not having access to a crowbar initially seemed like a setback but I did have access to a hammer and with a good ol' walkaround, figured that removing a single side of the crate would be sufficient. A bit of elbow grease, a Chai break and two more layers of cardboard packaging later, the amp was finally revealed sitting in the foam padding which is when it struck me, the damn amp was more than 60% my body weight. Supporter in place (if you know what i mean
) and a mighty heave later, the cat was out of the bag which had to wait till the next day as i had a very early morning to attend to.Having sorted out business, i made a beeline home as early as i could the next day. First on the menu was the Dynaudio Focus 160 (84db Bookshelfs).
At the outset, those 48W x 2 managed to push the 84db sensitive Dynaudio Focus 160s to well over 92-93db in bass heavy tracks from EDM/Hip Hop genres and the like (measured with a UMIK-1 in REW).
But then again, so could the CXA81. So the real question was, did the gamble pay off?
I'm stoked to answer it with a resounding "YES"!
While i expected the Amp to sound better than my existing amps, what I wasn't prepared for was the quantum leap in SQ. When i first powered on the Amp, even without any burn in, the sound was incredibly refined and i was greeted with a huge soundstage that extended very wide and not only was deep but also projected sounds forward when the song so demanded. This was a surprise as the CXA81 and Wilsenton R8 were already very good in this regard.
The second thing that struck me was the depth to the sound and by that, i don't mean the placement of instruments in the soundstage. Rather, it was each note that had more depth as if whole new layers of texture, detail, nuance and dynamics had been revealed. The treble was even more present than the CXA81 but was delivered with such delicacy and refinement that it never once managed to sound bright. The litmus test is always Rock and Metal and it was a pleasure to listen through the R800i as it never sounded harsh while preserving all of the excitement and attack in the songs.
The third thing which i noticed with the amp was the instrument separation. Everything is well spaced in the soundstage and you can hear each note without having to really lean in and listen. It also brings background notes to the fore which are otherwise very easily lost in the medley of sounds emanating from the speakers.
But what really got me was that everything seemed to sound interesting through it, even at low volumes. Songs which i wouldn't bother about were suddenly being added left right and centre to my various playlists. In fact, I don't remember a time when I've added these many songs in such a short span of time. This amp has that intangible which is often referred to but most can't put a finger on - PRAT. While the CXA81 is already good in this regard, the R800i takes it to a whole new level. Every note feels like its being timed right and it manages to infuse a foot tapping quality to everything i've played through it so far.
The build quality is top notch and several orders higher than competing products of a similar price category i've come across, a fact that came as no surprise since I already had the Wilsenton R8 which is also built like a tank and beautiful to boot, if i may so so myself.
The next speaker i tried them with was the 92db Quad S-5 Floorstanders and all I can say for now is that I'm smitten with the combination, so much so that I've not managed to change over to the Spendors yet - The Quads and the R800i are a match made in heaven. I'll post further impressions after having sampled it with a few more speakers.
Pics of the events as they unfolded.
Last edited:
Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
The amps, your room, the setup and the glowing tubes...everything looks utterly beautifulPosting pics of my new Amp, the mighty Wilsenton R800i!!!
Mighty for a couple of reasons - it weighs a back breaking 42 Kilos and despite being Class A SET Tubes, produces a welcome 48W + 48W. High power was especially required in my case as I have a number of low sensitivity speakers.
What prompted the purchase? Earlier this year, I acquired a pair of Spendor Classic 2/3s and when I'd auditioned them, they were being driven with a Luxman 509ax-ii which was a Class A amp. While it didn't get me at first go, coming back home and listening to my own setup, which at the time was the Dynaudio Excite X14 powered by the Cambridge Audio CXA81 and WIlsenton R8, i realised that while it did a quite a few things better, the refinement and sweetness in the sound was missing.
Fueled by my hubris, i convinced myself that with the skills i've acquired over the years, i'd manage to eek out much more from the Spendors. I say skill because it is not always the equipment but rather how well you manage to set it up. And manage to set it up i did, at least to my ears. And while it sounded very good, it was still missing the refinement and sweetness that I'd heard earlier while auditioning.
By the process of elimination, the logical conclusion was that it was the Luxman and its mere 20 watts per channel of Class A power in combination with the Spendors that was responsible for that sweet sweet sound and not the latter by itself.
A couple of months passed before i got a message from one of my trusted dealers that he was getting a consignment of Wilsenton R800is to these shores. Seeing that it was Class A and with a colossal 48W per channel for said topology, i booked my piece and tucked in for the long wait hoping that my gamble would pay off.
The parcel arrived a week ago and pretty late at that on a day i happened to be alone and rather worn out due to being on my feet for most of its duration. Said fact of being alone and worn out mattered cuz the wooden crate the Amp arrived in turned out to be a near immovable object. Nevertheless, i mustered the courage and soldiered to peel back the packaging layer-by-layer. First to go was the sack cloth cover which required no more than a pair of scissors. Then came the most daunting step of them all or so i thought - the wooden crate which was nailed a little too meticulously. Not having access to a crowbar initially seemed like a setback but I did have access to a hammer and with a good ol' walkaround, figured that removing a single side of the crate would be sufficient. A bit of elbow grease, a Chai break and two more layers of cardboard packaging later, the amp was finally revealed sitting in the foam padding which is when it struck me, the damn amp was more than 60% my body weight. Supporter in place (if you know what i mean
Having sorted out business, i made a beeline home as early as i could the next day. First on the menu was the Dynaudio Focus 160 (84db Bookshelfs).
At the outset, those 48W x 2 managed to push the 84db sensitive Dynaudio Focus 160s to well over 92-93db in bass heavy tracks from EDM/Hip Hop genres and the like (measured with a UMIK-1 in REW).
But then again, so could the CXA81. So the real question was, did the gamble pay off?
I'm stoked to answer it with a resounding "YES"!
While i expected the Amp to sound better than my existing amps, what I wasn't prepared for was the quantum leap in SQ. When i first powered on the Amp, even without any burn in, the sound was incredibly refined and i was greeted with a huge soundstage that extended very wide and not only was deep but also projected sounds forward when the song so demanded. This was a surprise as the CXA81 and Wilsenton R8 were already very good in this regard.
The second thing that struck me was the depth to the sound and by that, i don't mean the placement of instruments in the soundstage. Rather, it was each note that had more depth as if whole new layers of texture, detail, nuance and dynamics had been revealed. The treble was even more present than the CXA81 but was delivered with such delicacy and refinement that it never once managed to sound bright. The litmus test is always Rock and Metal and it was a pleasure to listen through the R800i as it never sounded harsh while preserving all of the excitement and attack in the songs.
The third thing which i noticed with the amp was the instrument separation. Everything is well spaced in the soundstage and you can hear each note without having to really lean in and listen. It also brings background notes to the fore which are otherwise very easily lost in the medley of sounds emanating from the speakers.
But what really got me was that everything seemed to sound interesting through it, even at low volumes. Songs which i wouldn't bother about were suddenly being added left right and centre to my various playlists. In fact, I don't remember a time when I've added these many songs in such a short span of time. This amp has that intangible which is often referred to but most can't put a finger on - PRAT. While the CXA81 is already good in this regard, the R800i takes it to a whole new level. Every note feels like its being timed right and it manages to infuse a foot tapping quality to everything i've played through it so far.
The build quality is top notch and several orders higher than competing products of a similar price category i've come across, a fact that came as no surprise since I already had the Wilsenton R8 which is also built like a tank and beautiful to boot, if i may so so myself.
The next speaker i tried them with was the 92db Quad S-5 Floorstanders and all I can say for now is that I'm smitten with the combination, so much so that I've not managed to change over to the Spendors yet - The Quads and the R800i are a match made in heaven. I'll post further impressions after having sampled it with a few more speakers.
Pics of the events as they unfolded.
View attachment 80188
View attachment 80192View attachment 80195View attachment 80194View attachment 80197View attachment 80199View attachment 80200
Kindly come clean, @DB1989
It’s quite obvious that these images have been lifted from the website of some audiophile salon in Beverly Hills!
The artful decor, mood lighting and plethora of gear give the game away
All joking aside, that’s a wonderful write up! Looking forward to hearing more.
Happy listening!
It’s quite obvious that these images have been lifted from the website of some audiophile salon in Beverly Hills!
The artful decor, mood lighting and plethora of gear give the game away
All joking aside, that’s a wonderful write up! Looking forward to hearing more.
Happy listening!
heliumflight
Well-Known Member
A lovely writeup describing music. Continue to spread the goodness.
Very nice write up DB1989 . Have a great time.Posting pics of my new Amp, the mighty Wilsenton R800i!!!
Mighty for a couple of reasons - it weighs a back breaking 42 Kilos and despite being Class A SET Tubes, produces a welcome 48W + 48W. High power was especially required in my case as I have a number of low sensitivity speakers.
What prompted the purchase? Earlier this year, I acquired a pair of Spendor Classic 2/3s and when I'd auditioned them, they were being driven with a Luxman 509ax-ii which was a Class A amp. While it didn't get me at first go, coming back home and listening to my own setup, which at the time was the Dynaudio Excite X14 powered by the Cambridge Audio CXA81 and WIlsenton R8, i realised that while it did a quite a few things better, the refinement and sweetness in the sound was missing.
Fueled by my hubris, i convinced myself that with the skills i've acquired over the years, i'd manage to eek out much more from the Spendors. I say skill because it is not always the equipment but rather how well you manage to set it up. And manage to set it up i did, at least to my ears. And while it sounded very good, it was still missing the refinement and sweetness that I'd heard earlier while auditioning.
By the process of elimination, the logical conclusion was that it was the Luxman and its mere 20 watts per channel of Class A power in combination with the Spendors that was responsible for that sweet sweet sound and not the latter by itself.
A couple of months passed before i got a message from one of my trusted dealers that he was getting a consignment of Wilsenton R800is to these shores. Seeing that it was Class A and with a colossal 48W per channel for said topology, i booked my piece and tucked in for the long wait hoping that my gamble would pay off.
The parcel arrived a week ago and pretty late at that on a day i happened to be alone and rather worn out due to being on my feet for most of its duration. Said fact of being alone and worn out mattered cuz the wooden crate the Amp arrived in turned out to be a near immovable object. Nevertheless, i mustered the courage and soldiered to peel back the packaging layer-by-layer. First to go was the sack cloth cover which required no more than a pair of scissors. Then came the most daunting step of them all or so i thought - the wooden crate which was nailed a little too meticulously. Not having access to a crowbar initially seemed like a setback but I did have access to a hammer and with a good ol' walkaround, figured that removing a single side of the crate would be sufficient. A bit of elbow grease, a Chai break and two more layers of cardboard packaging later, the amp was finally revealed sitting in the foam padding which is when it struck me, the damn amp was more than 60% my body weight. Supporter in place (if you know what i mean
Having sorted out business, i made a beeline home as early as i could the next day. First on the menu was the Dynaudio Focus 160 (84db Bookshelfs).
At the outset, those 48W x 2 managed to push the 84db sensitive Dynaudio Focus 160s to well over 92-93db in bass heavy tracks from EDM/Hip Hop genres and the like (measured with a UMIK-1 in REW).
But then again, so could the CXA81. So the real question was, did the gamble pay off?
I'm stoked to answer it with a resounding "YES"!
While i expected the Amp to sound better than my existing amps, what I wasn't prepared for was the quantum leap in SQ. When i first powered on the Amp, even without any burn in, the sound was incredibly refined and i was greeted with a huge soundstage that extended very wide and not only was deep but also projected sounds forward when the song so demanded. This was a surprise as the CXA81 and Wilsenton R8 were already very good in this regard.
The second thing that struck me was the depth to the sound and by that, i don't mean the placement of instruments in the soundstage. Rather, it was each note that had more depth as if whole new layers of texture, detail, nuance and dynamics had been revealed. The treble was even more present than the CXA81 but was delivered with such delicacy and refinement that it never once managed to sound bright. The litmus test is always Rock and Metal and it was a pleasure to listen through the R800i as it never sounded harsh while preserving all of the excitement and attack in the songs.
The third thing which i noticed with the amp was the instrument separation. Everything is well spaced in the soundstage and you can hear each note without having to really lean in and listen. It also brings background notes to the fore which are otherwise very easily lost in the medley of sounds emanating from the speakers.
But what really got me was that everything seemed to sound interesting through it, even at low volumes. Songs which i wouldn't bother about were suddenly being added left right and centre to my various playlists. In fact, I don't remember a time when I've added these many songs in such a short span of time. This amp has that intangible which is often referred to but most can't put a finger on - PRAT. While the CXA81 is already good in this regard, the R800i takes it to a whole new level. Every note feels like its being timed right and it manages to infuse a foot tapping quality to everything i've played through it so far.
The build quality is top notch and several orders higher than competing products of a similar price category i've come across, a fact that came as no surprise since I already had the Wilsenton R8 which is also built like a tank and beautiful to boot, if i may so so myself.
The next speaker i tried them with was the 92db Quad S-5 Floorstanders and all I can say for now is that I'm smitten with the combination, so much so that I've not managed to change over to the Spendors yet - The Quads and the R800i are a match made in heaven. I'll post further impressions after having sampled it with a few more speakers.
Pics of the events as they unfolded.
View attachment 80188
View attachment 80192View attachment 80195View attachment 80194View attachment 80197View attachment 80199View attachment 80200
Yogesh
Well-Known Member
What a Beautiful Write up of a Beautiful (Look & Sound) Amp in a Beautiful Home!
BTW, To talk in Memes terms, Tumahre ghar ko ghar kyun bolte hai, Museum kyun nahin ghosit kar dete!
amrutmhatre90
Well-Known Member
A new purchase which brings back the magic what I was missing,
Gustard R26 - R2R ladder DAC.
Gustard R26 - R2R ladder DAC.
PCA
Active Member
Get the Award Winning Diamond 12.3 Floorstanding Speakers on Special Offer
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