The Spendor conundrum

[himadri]

I looked up Croft, thank you for the suggestion but they are beyond my budget right now.


I agree here too. In this case though I quite like the speakers and so will stick to them. As for substantially raising the budget, well that can not happen at the moment. May stick with what I have if I can not find a good used option.

You can check out Sangram too. I'm using his First Watt inspired Class A amp to drive the Harbeths.

 

[Mayasandra_l]

Hi,
After having lived with my current system for quite sometime, I am on an upgrade spree. I have ordered Indiq Platinum Floor standards and I plan to connect this speaker to my Audiolab 6000A that would be served by Audiolab 6000N network receiver. As all this is digital, I was thinking if adding some tube warmth. Hence would like to know from Gurus, if tube pre amp can be a solution to connect between 6000N and 6000A?
I was thinking of acoustic portrait Swara Tube pre amp. The output imp of the Swara Preamp is 280 Ohm while input impedence of 6000A is 10K ohm.
Sonically, would this be workable? Or do I need to explore Lyrita Preamp? Any other suggestions?
I dont want to replace the 6000 set now.
Thanks for the advice!
Regards
Lokesh

 

[magma]

You can check out Sangram too. I'm using his First Watt inspired Class A amp to drive the Harbeths.

I'm.using these with my atc
Really neutral
What goes it comes out
You hear the speaker nothing else

As jai said their 50 watter is a great neutral amo too
Just be content with no remote

 

[vivek_r]

I love my Spendor A5, first thing's first and now that is out of the way.

There were some changes to my stereo set up at the beginning of 2021. I got the Spendor A5s used, I also added the RME ADI 2 as DAC. At the moment as you can see from my signature, the Spendors are being driven by Marantz PM8005. The Spendors initially sounded a bit dull, change of speaker cable sorted that out and right now they sound just right. I love how dynamic they sound, epic in moments, capable of inducing goosebumps.
Unfortunately we, the bespoke audiofiles are rarely to stay content for long. Disclaimer aside, I have had the feeling that these can do more, quite a bit more.
To be absolutely candid, I am not certain that I will be splashing cash but I want a possible discussion on it.
My Marantz can be used as a power amp, that got me thinking (never good I know)..., how good is it an idea to add a preamp to sample maybe a different sound signature? Being different is alright but then to stand truly out of the crowd you have to be outstanding, so just being different will not fly for long. I do not wish to spend and find that this was a lateral movement. What do you think of this idea of sampling a preamp? If so then some suggestions will be helpful.
I do feel Spendors need the grunt and authority to bring the very best out of it. Something that is a bit lively in nature, energetic to make it burst into a song and a dance.

Then, I went to read on the interweb. People talking about Naim and Spendor combo. Well, I would not say no to a Naim, who would in reality? But Naims are once in a lifetime buy, they are expensive. Nait 5i is only 50 Watts in power, is that a little too low for Spendors?
How about Rega or Musical Fidelity maybe. For me used gear has always been the right way forward, it is no different here either.
Budget is a miserly 1L.

Since I am on this trip… thank heavens there is no marriage vision. Or it may go like this.

“I love my spouse . But we have been married for xx years and the thrill has gone. Will the spark come if I chase the kids out, murder the in-laws or my parents or buy her a nose ring/get him to have a beard, which I hear are popular turn ons.

On giving advice and pairing etc we are all experts. The fact remains that only you know the sound that you like. All the amps you are trying out are good and reputed.

Also good is that you clearly mentioned it’s the audiophile in you. So try away!

I would take this heat it for yourself one step further. Don’t take your speakers there, but try borrow an amp. You hear your room more than anything else. Perhaps in the wanted section put a want to try and perhaps you will get someone with an amp (hopefully not to sell or push) who may like listening to the Spendors.

 

[Analogous]

I'm.using these with my atc
Really neutral
What goes it comes out
You hear the speaker nothing else

As jai said their 50 watter is a great neutral amo too
Just be content with no remote

Hi @magma,
I was going through the old thread (2016?) on the amp manufactured for you by Cranky.

My New Class A Amplifier - Make in India

Hi guys i just received my new amplifier last week Sharing some thoughts and pics about the same since its a made in india product that makes me proud to own designer and builder is an ex forum member "cranky" - in Kolkatta Below is the power amp that arrived last week heres the primary...

www.hifivision.com

I was wondering if this amp and any other new amps are being made by this company..,

 

[keith_correa]

“I love my spouse . But we have been married for xx years and the thrill has gone. Will the spark come if I chase the kids out, murder the in-laws or my parents or buy her a nose ring/get him to have a beard, which I hear are popular turn ons.

Getting her to grow a beard usually works!

 

[arj]

On giving advice and pairing etc we are all experts. The fact remains that only you know the sound that you like. All the amps you are trying out are good and reputed.

+1 to that, and there will be as many opinions as there are people and in this hobby there does exist a very strong ownership bias, especially if you have bought something recently . Long term ownership ie perhaps a little more reliable.

As a guideline , similiar to most of classically british speakers, most classic british amp with a little bit of oomph will match them very well.

 

[magma]

They make class A power amplifiers only on order
Or balanced preamps also only on oreder

As per your specs and taste


Their only ready product they have is their 50w class AB



Their class A power is what they are really known for

 

[Kannan]

@shibashis Sugden is in your town. You can possibly seek an home audition though their pricing is I think about your budget. But you can still get a demo to have the flavor of Class A.

 

[shibashis]

Since I am on this trip… thank heavens there is no marriage vision. Or it may go like this.

“I love my spouse . But we have been married for xx years and the thrill has gone. Will the spark come if I chase the kids out, murder the in-laws or my parents or buy her a nose ring/get him to have a beard, which I hear are popular turn ons.

On giving advice and pairing etc we are all experts. The fact remains that only you know the sound that you like. All the amps you are trying out are good and reputed.

Also good is that you clearly mentioned it’s the audiophile in you. So try away!

I would take this heat it for yourself one step further. Don’t take your speakers there, but try borrow an amp. You hear your room more than anything else. Perhaps in the wanted section put a want to try and perhaps you will get someone with an amp (hopefully not to sell or push) who may like listening to the Spendors.

Believe me, over the years watching me shuffle through speakers and gear, my wife has mentioned her doubts how long I will 'stay happy' with her. Going so far as to say if she had known this before marriage, she would have had strong misgivings about our eventual nuptials. I have done my best to make her rest easy, its been 7 years and so perhaps that has allayed her fears somewhat....if only she knew or perhaps 'they' knew what it is that bugs 'us' when it comes to audio.

+1 to that, and there will be as many opinions as there are people and in this hobby there does exist a very strong ownership bias, especially if you have bought something recently . Long term ownership ie perhaps a little more reliable.

As a guideline , similiar to most of classically british speakers, most classic british amp with a little bit of oomph will match them very well.

That is sound advice and it makes sense. Lets see what I end up with.

@shibashis Sugden is in your town. You can possibly seek an home audition though their pricing is I think about your budget. But you can still get a demo to have the flavor of Class A.

Yes, I have been wondering about Sugden. At the same time though, perhaps it is a bit stupid to look at it this way...but imagine how inefficient a class A amp is, maybe just maybe I can forego a class A at this juncture of our journey as a species.

 

[Analogous]

Believe me, over the years watching me shuffle through speakers and gear, my wife has mentioned her doubts how long I will 'stay happy' with her. Going so far as to say if she had known this before marriage, she would have had strong misgivings about our eventual nuptials. I have done my best to make her rest easy, its been 7 years and so perhaps that has allayed her fears somewhat....if only she knew or perhaps 'they' knew what it is that bugs 'us' when it comes to audio.

Maybe this thread could bring some solace for her:

The Audiophile's Wife

A gathering place for the victims of sound.

www.theaudiophileswife.com

 

[shibashis]

That actually is quite a good read! Perhaps 'the wife' designates could consider starting a forum to share their torturous cohabitation experiences!

 

[vivek_r]

Believe me, over the years watching me shuffle through speakers and gear, my wife has mentioned her doubts how long I will 'stay happy' with her. Going so far as to say if she had known this before marriage, she would have had strong misgivings about our eventual nuptials. I have done my best to make her rest easy, its been 7 years and so perhaps that has allayed her fears somewhat....if only she knew or perhaps 'they' knew what it is that bugs 'us' when it comes to audio.

7 year itch explains it. It is a fun hobby ans I wish somehow we could actively bring over components to each other’s houses for a long listen.

My friend in the US paired his A5 with a Luxman and was blown away. Way above your budget I know.

I am not giving any suggestions as there are too many combinations available. And sometimes a more exciting sound on first listen can also be an exhausting sound.

What music do you listen to mostly? I listen to many genres so I just sacrifice tonal realism and PRAT for many other attributes. I prefer a mid hall perspective (that is where the instruments are not too upfront, but spread a little behind the speakers)

Once you describe what you want or another sound that you like, it may be easy to narrow down. Even that is difficult.

May the force be with you.

 

[arj]

What music do you listen to mostly? I listen to many genres so I just sacrifice tonal realism and PRAT for many other attributes. I prefer a mid hall perspective (that is where the instruments are not too upfront, but spread a little behind the speakers)

Interesting perspective. I also do listen to a wide genre and am happy that as long as there is tonal richness, resolution and bass presence, and nothing else going south am usually happy,

Lack of this tonal richness is what puts me off any sound irrespective of what all it does better

 

[shibashis]

Apologies, I have been quite busy and could not update the thread.
I have decided to take a break from the amplifier hunt, the reason being I think I should up my budget substantially and go for a proper tangible upgrade, if that means I have to wait for a few more months then let it be that way.

The thread can keep on going though (especially if others find it useful now or in future), it is wonderful and refreshing at the end of the day to be in such company.

7 year itch explains it. It is a fun hobby ans I wish somehow we could actively bring over components to each other’s houses for a long listen.

My friend in the US paired his A5 with a Luxman and was blown away. Way above your budget I know.

I am not giving any suggestions as there are too many combinations available. And sometimes a more exciting sound on first listen can also be an exhausting sound.

What music do you listen to mostly? I listen to many genres so I just sacrifice tonal realism and PRAT for many other attributes. I prefer a mid hall perspective (that is where the instruments are not too upfront, but spread a little behind the speakers)

Once you describe what you want or another sound that you like, it may be easy to narrow down. Even that is difficult.

May the force be with you.

I listen to all sorts really. Although almost 75% of my listening revolves around classic rock, blues and then classical, both Indian and western.
So yeah, as much as I love tonal realism, what I deeply want is realism in the rhythm, so PRaT is important for me.
Sometimes my music listening can be quite quirky, I'll give you an example. I was writing a short story, a kid's story very much, about a kid who falls asleep and when he wakes up finds himself on a Viking longship with a single Viking onboard. To write this, I was doing some rudimentary research and really got in the groove of listening to Viking/Nordic music in Spotify, kind of trying to feel at home with the setting of the plot.
Perhaps you can get some idea from this little anecdote.

 

[vivek_r]

I listen to all sorts really. Although almost 75% of my listening revolves around classic rock, blues and then classical, both Indian and western.
So yeah, as much as I love tonal realism, what I deeply want is realism in the rhythm, so PRaT is important for me.
Sometimes my music listening can be quite quirky, I'll give you an example. I was writing a short story, a kid's story very much, about a kid who falls asleep and when he wakes up finds himself on a Viking longship with a single Viking onboard. To write this, I was doing some rudimentary research and really got in the groove of listening to Viking/Nordic music in Spotify, kind of trying to feel at home with the setting of the plot.
Perhaps you can get some idea from this little anecdote.

Hey I too look for a combination of both as I mentioned. For your mood music can I recommend Finlandia by Sibelius. I have a couple but am sure one is by Osmo Vanska. Dramatic with huge soundscape

 

[manek]

I love my Spendor A5, first thing's first and now that is out of the way.

There were some changes to my stereo set up at the beginning of 2021. I got the Spendor A5s used, I also added the RME ADI 2 as DAC. At the moment as you can see from my signature, the Spendors are being driven by Marantz PM8005. The Spendors initially sounded a bit dull, change of speaker cable sorted that out and right now they sound just right. I love how dynamic they sound, epic in moments, capable of inducing goosebumps.
Unfortunately we, the bespoke audiofiles are rarely to stay content for long. Disclaimer aside, I have had the feeling that these can do more, quite a bit more.
To be absolutely candid, I am not certain that I will be splashing cash but I want a possible discussion on it.
My Marantz can be used as a power amp, that got me thinking (never good I know)..., how good is it an idea to add a preamp to sample maybe a different sound signature? Being different is alright but then to stand truly out of the crowd you have to be outstanding, so just being different will not fly for long. I do not wish to spend and find that this was a lateral movement. What do you think of this idea of sampling a preamp? If so then some suggestions will be helpful.
I do feel Spendors need the grunt and authority to bring the very best out of it. Something that is a bit lively in nature, energetic to make it burst into a song and a dance.

Then, I went to read on the interweb. People talking about Naim and Spendor combo. Well, I would not say no to a Naim, who would in reality? But Naims are once in a lifetime buy, they are expensive. Nait 5i is only 50 Watts in power, is that a little too low for Spendors?
How about Rega or Musical Fidelity maybe. For me used gear has always been the right way forward, it is no different here either.
Budget is a miserly 1L.

When you say the spendor can do a lot more, the only way to find out is go up the chain the on integrated amps maybe a couple of levels higher and see what the result is. Buy doing that you get a much better amplifier overall. I would go up the chain with the same brand of amp for familiarity of the house sound but in your own home. Evaluation in your home setting is crucial. If the speakers scale well you have your answer, then its upto you to stay with your current brand or change. Many people upgrade but stay with the same amp brand unless what you have right now is not to your liking at all.
Just my thoughts. Others mileage may vary.

 

[goget]

I listen to all sorts really. Although almost 75% of my listening revolves around classic rock, blues and then classical, both Indian and western.
So yeah, as much as I love tonal realism, what I deeply want is realism in the rhythm, so PRaT is important for me.
Sometimes my music listening can be quite quirky, I'll give you an example. I was writing a short story, a kid's story very much, about a kid who falls asleep and when he wakes up finds himself on a Viking longship with a single Viking onboard. To write this, I was doing some rudimentary research and really got in the groove of listening to Viking/Nordic music in Spotify, kind of trying to feel at home with the setting of the plot.
Perhaps you can get some idea from this little anecdote.

Hi so what is the amp brand and model u r using now with your Spendor A5 speakers.

1.What is the difference between the 3 types of Spendor speakers -Aline, Dline and Classic in terms of tonality, resolution and Bass.

2.Will be thankful to you, Kishore Fifty Fifty, Vivek and other Spendor speaker owners if they can advise on the above point 1.

3. Which low budget amp, mid budget amp and top budget amp to audition to see if goes better to use with Spendor speakers ?

Cheers

 

[Fiftyfifty]

Hi so what is the amp brand and model u r using now with your Spendor A5 speakers.

1.What is the difference between the 3 types of Spendor speakers -Aline, Dline and Classic in terms of tonality, resolution and Bass.

2.Will be thankful to you, Kishore Fifty Fifty, Vivek and other Spendor speaker owners if they can advise on the above point 1.

3. Which low budget amp, mid budget amp and top budget amp to audition to see if goes better to use with Spendor speakers ?

Cheers

Hi @goget !

The best way to understand the difference between the A , D and Classic Series would be to personally hear the difference at any of the Audiolounge showrooms - Pune, Bangalore or Mumbai. I use the Classic series so my comments are restricted to that line:
1. Cables and positioning make a huge difference. I find that they work well when sufficiently pulled out from the front wall (mine are about 2m in front, placed relatively close to each other (mine are at 1/3rd the room width and very slightly toed in). A combination of 12 awg pure copper and tinned copper work best for me. The challenge is to suppress the mid bass bump a bit, clear the midrange and ensure that the bass in general is driving the music well.
2. I have heard the speakers with the Nagra Classic INT (this is a 100wpc SS amp, no tubes) and they sound very very musical. They did not sound good to me with the Nagra 300i ( 20wpc Class A tube based ). I am told that they pair well with EL34 based tube amps. like the Conrad Johnson CAV45S2. You may be able to find insights on https://groups.io/g/spendor.

I would love to read comments from other Spendor users on ideal pairing.

Best wishes

 

[shibashis]

Hi so what is the amp brand and model u r using now with your Spendor A5 speakers.

1.What is the difference between the 3 types of Spendor speakers -Aline, Dline and Classic in terms of tonality, resolution and Bass.

2.Will be thankful to you, Kishore Fifty Fifty, Vivek and other Spendor speaker owners if they can advise on the above point 1.

3. Which low budget amp, mid budget amp and top budget amp to audition to see if goes better to use with Spendor speakers ?

Cheers

Since I only have owned the Spendor A5, I can not really comment on their other products, I have not heard any of the others. This also was a blind buy, on word of my mouth and internet recommendations, extremely gladly this was a great purchase.
I find my speakers to be warm and fluid. It can extract details but they are not in your face. They do not go to the lowest of lows, these being petite towers that is understandable but the low frequencies this hit are well hit. You will find lots of definition and beautiful tone. A bass line will stand out and you will see the different guitar strings, it can be that good.
These do need power, this is what I have found out, as a result they scale amazingly well with quality gear. I was after a Naim or Rega, unfortunately that hunt has gone cold now. Since most of my listening is on the work desk, I am listening to music on headphones more.

The Spendors will stay with me for a while, that much is certain.