The SP1 and the Rogers sound surprisingly similar. No surprise given that they were both voiced as BBC monitors so the sound balance was carefully crafted to adhere to BBC standards. I do hear a bit of metalic effects on the Rogers that gives away it's metal dome tweeter.
Good review. Obviously compromised listening to it on my phone, but the Rogers had noticeably more detail at the top end. Perhaps a tad brighter too, which I can imagine being a bit fatiguing as you said (seems to be the way with most metal domed tweeters). Overall your Spendors are probably still the better all-rounders if comparing all three. At least to my ears they are, but I personally like less colouration from the speaker.
Great video and thanks for the info. I recently came in to possession of a pair of pretty mint condition, powered Spendor BC1A. The ones with built in M50 amplifiers. Not had a chance to hear them yet but looking forward to it.
Solid power and current delivery, fairly neutral presentation which is ideal for reviewing speakers…. And listening to them 😊 The only amp utterly blew it out of the water was the Accuphase E480. I’ve tried Naim, NAD, Pioneer, LFD, Quad to name a few. The meridian held its own every time.
Listening through headphones the Rogers sound noticeably fuller than the SP1, but definitely preferred the Spendor Classic overall. Which bodes well since I’ve ordered some SP200s along with a Accuphase 480 and dCS Bartok, should hopefully sound sweet. What was the tune your were playing sounds like something I should have in the collection. Bukem?
LTJ Bukem is a good guess but it was Jay Michaels Summer Jazz. I’ve just reviewed Accuphase E480 and it was a match made in heaven for my Spendor’s.. Enjoy you’re stunning new purchases..
these are great medium size speakers...and love the sound but...they sound a little weak when compared to my larger sized Spendor S100...missing a fullness the larger S100 delivers...
Liked all 3 but preferred the Rogers because they sound the most neutral to my ears, I guess that's what you might expect. I also thought they sounded quite modern but then today's speakers often exagerate the top end. And as you mentioned, the timing seemed really good and quite like a modern speaker in that regard too.
Tannoy were pretty quick to launch their own polypropylene driver back in 1982 with the Mercury and Jupiter models, so there must have been a lot of research going on in the very late 70's to get these poly drivers through R+D, into production and on the shelf by 1982?
@@dittonworks I think most of Tannoy from that range of speakers were made from bought in drivers. Tang Band etc. Even the paper cones for HPD DC were made elsewhere AFAIK.
I use a set of Rogers LS6/a and I changed the Seas Hard dome for the Seas soft version and its a for more enjoyable listen, no top end spikes and results with one getting zero listening for Teague. So I wonder if there would be a soft dome that could be supplied for those Studio 1a's and that may well result in a far better over all audio presentation and smoothen down the top end extension. Hmm
Nice comparison mate. Personally i prefer the studio 1A. I used to own the original studio 1 & wonder how they compare to the studio 1A. I have compared the original studio 1 to harbeth SHL5 & the harbeths were more open, transparent & involving. I suspect the studio 1A to sound closer to the SHL5s since both loudspeakers spot metal dome tweeters.
@@dittonworks yeah i thought so too. Anyway, i always like the Classic BBC 2 cubic foot sized cabinets. There’s magic in these cabinet size. Speakers like Spendor bc1, sp1, Rogers studio 1, studio 1A, harbeth HL Mk 1 to mk 4 & SHL-5. Oh & not forgetting the venerable Rogers export monitor.
@@dittonworks OK. I thought GEC closed the division which also made the famed GEC metal cone speaker. Arnold Weinstock had taken over the running of GEC and closed a lot down if divisions didn't match up to his salient ratios accountants approach. GEC threw away a lead in domestic hifi. I thought Celestion bought up the design and the tools. GEC was one of our biggest manufacturing companies at the time.
@@nickdoughty518 Hugh Brittain developed the metal cone speaker. According to an ex GEC guy they used GEC branded Celestion HF1300’s with them. Probably five ex celestion guys including me have looked into the history of the HF1300, not easy to find info all the way back in the 50’s.. Thanks for watching. 👍
I'm just not a fan of plastic drivers you can improve on them quite simply so they have a more paper sound. the best drivers are the leak sandwich 600 driver, I think made by wharfedale, looking for a pair of 390s if you come across any complete.! the 600 series is not bad and usually goes cheap but what are the condition of the drivers? a lot of them looks like they've been reformed can be ok if it's done sympathetically. but as a woofer goes they are the best of all time.
Spendors kinda depressed in the midband hf region kinda gritty but, it's more involving than the Rogers. Rogers sounds too hot for my taste, it may sounds open and impressive but ultimately fatiguing on prolonged listening. imho, Celestion sl 6 or sl 600 sounds better.
Hi Kevin.
They sound both very good.
But I love the rogers more they sound more realistic to me.
Nice video.
Gr André de vries.
Love my rogers studio monitors 1A. Still soft and clean and soft. Totally agree. Sounds different but love them.
The SP1 and the Rogers sound surprisingly similar. No surprise given that they were both voiced as BBC monitors so the sound balance was carefully crafted to adhere to BBC standards. I do hear a bit of metalic effects on the Rogers that gives away it's metal dome tweeter.
Good review. Obviously compromised listening to it on my phone, but the Rogers had noticeably more detail at the top end. Perhaps a tad brighter too, which I can imagine being a bit fatiguing as you said (seems to be the way with most metal domed tweeters). Overall your Spendors are probably still the better all-rounders if comparing all three. At least to my ears they are, but I personally like less colouration from the speaker.
Great video and thanks for the info. I recently came in to possession of a pair of pretty mint condition, powered Spendor BC1A. The ones with built in M50 amplifiers. Not had a chance to hear them yet but looking forward to it.
Nice find 👍
Kevin, what made you select the meridian 557 and did you compare it to many others power amps?
Solid power and current delivery, fairly neutral presentation which is ideal for reviewing speakers…. And listening to them 😊
The only amp utterly blew it out of the water was the Accuphase E480.
I’ve tried Naim, NAD, Pioneer, LFD, Quad to name a few. The meridian held its own every time.
Listening through headphones the Rogers sound noticeably fuller than the SP1, but definitely preferred the Spendor Classic overall. Which bodes well since I’ve ordered some SP200s along with a Accuphase 480 and dCS Bartok, should hopefully sound sweet. What was the tune your were playing sounds like something I should have in the collection. Bukem?
LTJ Bukem is a good guess but it was Jay Michaels Summer Jazz.
I’ve just reviewed Accuphase E480 and it was a match made in heaven for my Spendor’s..
Enjoy you’re stunning new purchases..
these are great medium size speakers...and love the sound but...they sound a little weak when compared to my larger sized Spendor S100...missing a fullness the larger S100 delivers...
thanks good video.
wonder if you have had the opportunity to listen to the Rogers LS5/9classic SE?
Way to go! I preferred the vintage Spendor speakers. They sounded more natural. The other speakers were a little bit boomy in the listening room.
Thanks for watching 👍
I heard a pair of ditton 66 speakers on a TH-cam channel called Kenrick sound. They sound fantastic. Watch that video. You will be amazed.
@@poonkinsun6251 cool, I’ve owned two pairs over the years.. loved them
Liked all 3 but preferred the Rogers because they sound the most neutral to my ears, I guess that's what you might expect. I also thought they sounded quite modern but then today's speakers often exagerate the top end. And as you mentioned, the timing seemed really good and quite like a modern speaker in that regard too.
I like all three too. The Rogers actually impress me every time I try them.
Tannoy were pretty quick to launch their own polypropylene driver back in 1982 with the Mercury and Jupiter models, so there must have been a lot of research going on in the very late 70's to get these poly drivers through R+D, into production and on the shelf by 1982?
Harwood filled a patent for polypropylene use for speaker cones in 1976.
I really quite like those Tannoy’s.. not bad at all.
@@dittonworks I think most of Tannoy from that range of speakers were made from bought in drivers. Tang Band etc. Even the paper cones for HPD DC were made elsewhere AFAIK.
I use a set of Rogers LS6/a and I changed the Seas Hard dome for the Seas soft version and its a for more enjoyable listen, no top end spikes and results with one getting zero listening for Teague. So I wonder if there would be a soft dome that could be supplied for those Studio 1a's and that may well result in a far better over all audio presentation and smoothen down the top end extension. Hmm
have you compared these to the spendor S100 ❓
Now I haven’t sorry
Nice comparison mate. Personally i prefer the studio 1A. I used to own the original studio 1 & wonder how they compare to the studio 1A. I have compared the original studio 1 to harbeth SHL5 & the harbeths were more open, transparent & involving. I suspect the studio 1A to sound closer to the SHL5s since both loudspeakers spot metal dome tweeters.
Hi 👋 thanks for watching.
The SHL5 would probably be cleaner but less warm compared to the Studio 1a.
@@dittonworks yeah i thought so too. Anyway, i always like the Classic BBC 2 cubic foot sized cabinets. There’s magic in these cabinet size. Speakers like Spendor bc1, sp1, Rogers studio 1, studio 1A, harbeth HL Mk 1 to mk 4 & SHL-5. Oh & not forgetting the venerable Rogers export monitor.
@@ganck1147 I had the export monitor a few years ago.. yes BC-1 etc sound fantastic
I thought that the GEC presence unit was designed at GEC's Hirst Research Centre in Wembley.
So did it but after a lot of investigation I’ve discovered Celestion actually made it for G.E.C
@@dittonworks OK. I thought GEC closed the division which also made the famed GEC metal cone speaker. Arnold Weinstock had taken over the running of GEC and closed a lot down if divisions didn't match up to his salient ratios accountants approach. GEC threw away a lead in domestic hifi. I thought Celestion bought up the design and the tools. GEC was one of our biggest manufacturing companies at the time.
@@nickdoughty518 Hugh Brittain developed the metal cone speaker. According to an ex GEC guy they used GEC branded Celestion HF1300’s with them.
Probably five ex celestion guys including me have looked into the history of the HF1300, not easy to find info all the way back in the 50’s..
Thanks for watching. 👍
@@dittonworks we'll probably never really know. I'm an ex-GEC telecoms engineer and director.
@@nickdoughty518 nice to virtually meet you Nick.
Great comparison , i wonder how they would compare to the Ditton 33 or 44s?. Same era!!🍺
44’s are a bit earlier and one of my all time favourites 👍
I'm just not a fan of plastic drivers you can improve on them quite simply so they have a more paper sound.
the best drivers are the leak sandwich 600 driver, I think made by wharfedale, looking for a pair of 390s if you come across any complete.! the 600 series is not bad and usually goes cheap but what are the condition of the drivers? a lot of them looks like they've been reformed can be ok if it's done sympathetically. but as a woofer goes they are the best of all time.
What's the name of that tune......?
Summer Jazz by Jay Michaels
Roger’s by a whisker
06:55 | 07:53 | 08:51
Spendors kinda depressed in the midband hf region kinda gritty but, it's more involving than the Rogers.
Rogers sounds too hot for my taste, it may sounds open and impressive but ultimately fatiguing on prolonged listening.
imho, Celestion sl 6 or sl 600 sounds better.
Epos ES 14 is way better speaker than those.
Sure ✔️