I heard some excellent older Spendor speakers today.
Tony M
Posts: 11,180
These BIG Spendor speakers had 2- 10"woofers a 7" mid and a 1" dome tweeter in each big cabinet with a port in the front at the bottom. They had a gorgeous Burl Walnut veneer on all the sides and top. I don't know about the back. They had inverted surrounds like some KEFs do.
He had some very nice electronics too.
The room had bass traps built into the ceiling corner perimeters built into an enclosed duct-work cornice encircling the room. He did the work himself too. He had 2-6' long 1-1/2" thick Maple Slabs w/ 1" thick Walnut edging on the front and rear, that were destined to be his new audio rack pretty soon. He's going with the gas pipe fitting for the legs and feet but a couple of beautiful thick solid Maple slabs for the upright supports. A woodworkers' dream rack for sure!
I was there to buy a CD player and we enjoyed music for hours! And we didn't take the time for hm to swap from one system to his AWESOME tube amps. He has some very nice things. He's gone digital like most of you have. He has a couple of DACs he uses and I love how he could use his laptop to bring up albums in seconds and then pick a song from it in seconds.
I'll go there soon. I'll get a smart phone and a laptop and pay for a service I guess.
Back to these absolutely gorgeous speakers. They sounded just right. Balanced from top to bottom and kind-of holographic imaging too. I was very impressed. He said these big boys sounded better in his bigger living room but his wife didn't like seeing these big guys in there. So he switched them with his smaller Spendor bookies. The smaller ones sounded just as holographic but lacked the bass that the big boys produced but that's understandable for sure.
He's had them for years and I can see why he has no reason to want to upgrade these speakers. Their cost just for the big Spendors nowadays was guessed to be about 10K. They were 7K many years ago.
Have many of you heard the sound from Spendor speakers? I hadn't till today.
I looked for this model on the web after I got home but didn't see a pair with 2-10" woofers, a mid and a tweeter yet. I think I'll go looking again.
Sorry for the rant but these were "End Game " speakers for sure!
I enjoyed the almost 2 hrs. there very much. He's a great guy too!
If I find the pair I heard today, I'll post a follow-up here.
He had some very nice electronics too.
The room had bass traps built into the ceiling corner perimeters built into an enclosed duct-work cornice encircling the room. He did the work himself too. He had 2-6' long 1-1/2" thick Maple Slabs w/ 1" thick Walnut edging on the front and rear, that were destined to be his new audio rack pretty soon. He's going with the gas pipe fitting for the legs and feet but a couple of beautiful thick solid Maple slabs for the upright supports. A woodworkers' dream rack for sure!
I was there to buy a CD player and we enjoyed music for hours! And we didn't take the time for hm to swap from one system to his AWESOME tube amps. He has some very nice things. He's gone digital like most of you have. He has a couple of DACs he uses and I love how he could use his laptop to bring up albums in seconds and then pick a song from it in seconds.
I'll go there soon. I'll get a smart phone and a laptop and pay for a service I guess.
Back to these absolutely gorgeous speakers. They sounded just right. Balanced from top to bottom and kind-of holographic imaging too. I was very impressed. He said these big boys sounded better in his bigger living room but his wife didn't like seeing these big guys in there. So he switched them with his smaller Spendor bookies. The smaller ones sounded just as holographic but lacked the bass that the big boys produced but that's understandable for sure.
He's had them for years and I can see why he has no reason to want to upgrade these speakers. Their cost just for the big Spendors nowadays was guessed to be about 10K. They were 7K many years ago.
Have many of you heard the sound from Spendor speakers? I hadn't till today.
I looked for this model on the web after I got home but didn't see a pair with 2-10" woofers, a mid and a tweeter yet. I think I'll go looking again.
Sorry for the rant but these were "End Game " speakers for sure!
I enjoyed the almost 2 hrs. there very much. He's a great guy too!
If I find the pair I heard today, I'll post a follow-up here.
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
Comments
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Spendor is best known for their two way monitor speakers because that’s what most people have seen, but yes they have a history of making big speakers too. Their designs don’t tend to change much over the last few decades. Bextrene drivers, thin walled cabinets, and speakers that are very closely matched in pairs. The current SP200 version has dual 12 inch woofers and costs upwards of $25K a pair. Harbeth is somewhat similar. Very pleasant to listen to.
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They were this size, maybe taller. With another 10" woofer under the other one. Same shape port but there was a heavy mesh filter materiel in the port.
These are FL9s. These were 4800 msrp.
The tweeters and mids are different I believe. The woofers look the same though.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=63735.0
Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
No pictures? Bummer man..
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Not with the first visit.
Didn't want to seem like a stalker since I know he travels out of town every week. It took a few weeks to make this meeting with him.
I'll have to ask permission for a pic. or I'll call him next week and ask what model those big boys are. I just searched a lot more on the web. A lot! And didn't see that model anywhere.
It must be a super rare model and whoever owns them, they don't post pictures of them anywhere or want too many people to know where they can get a pr while the owner might be away.
Spendor doesn't seem to have a history page of all the models they've produced over the years either.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Nice story Tony. That's one of the great things about the hobby, all the people you meet. Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
Sounds like FL10s
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In Burl
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That's them!
Beautiful Walnut Burl I think he called it!
They played magic!
Very balanced sound spectrum. They played details so crisp and clear. Piano sounds sounded REAL. Cymbals were in the room. Voices were clear with no sibilance. Bass was palpable too. Very nice bass!
They just sounded GREAT. But his electronics were first class too. I know the electronics play a big part in the way speakers sound. Cables too. He's into music listening like a lot of us are. He takes it seriously! Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
Those are purdy!Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)
There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus -
The Burl is all browns. I didn't see any orange tint to the burl at all.
He had some high-end DAC going to a big Anthem HTR yesterday. The BIG tube amps looked formidable for sure. Maybe another day I'll get to hear them.
Those speakers were gorgeous in appearance and sound. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
I never even heard of the brand Splendor before this thread Tony! Thanks for sharing! Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
I wish all of you could hear these gems. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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I never even heard of the brand Splendor before this thread Tony! Thanks for sharing!
Spendor, my friend, Spendor.
Spell check does put Splendor in some searches I also found out. Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
