Intriguing. It really unpacked that mix and brought out the performances of the musicians. Perhaps packing the port with straws would be a worthwhile experiment.
Kevin, you are a wealth of information. What a great review. I look forward to watching more reviews from you. Thank you so much. Keep up the excellent work.
I concur with your remark on having Spendor pair with valve amps in the current digital era. I enjoy the convenience of using Roon when I listen to music therefore I am currently driving my BC1 with a valve amp. The combination enables BC1 to deliver its strength - glorious mid range and high extension without the digital “glare” (BC1 being a studio monitor is very revealing of its front end). Even though the sensitivity of BC1 is 86dB, the speaker’s nominal impedance is actually around 9 ohms which enables the speakers to be driven by a low wattage valve amp. My single ended triode valve amp only outputs 8 watts but it has more than enough power to drive BC1 in my living room (12 ft x 24 ft)
Thanks Kevin, excellent review and the speakers sounding really nice this end. Them school days wheeling out the TV brought back some memories oh and the half pint of milk.
My brother owns a set of these and they do sound great but I would agree with you totally There not as balanced across the board of music but with the right piece of music they can sound wonderful. Love your reviews. Cant wait to show bro your review and your information on the history of them. 👍🏻 Realy appreciate the time you put in to bring this information to us. Thanks Again. 😁👍🏻
I went from Kef 104's to SP 1's. Great improvement. Then I went to Spendor S100's, which are Derek Hughes's first complete self designs. The 100's are just leagues better than the SP1's, nice that those were. I still run the S100's, as they still give me more, when anything else within my hi-fi chain is upgraded.
I have just restored my Rogers Studio 1's. The digital resolution and enjoyment is high. I understand just what you are saying. Thanks from tropical Australia.
I bought a consecutively numbered pair of SP1s (one port on the left, one on the right, like these) in about 1991/2. I still use them today, usually with foam stopping the ports, effectively sealing the units. To me they don't sound at all out of place driven by a solid state amp and playing digital source material. Since new I've played them mostly with an Adcom 545 and 565 fed by an NAD 5000 CD player with very good results -- as long as the room is rather soft and the SPL is kept reasonable. They are quite revealing of any harshness or too-present brightness in digital recordings. And though purists might never do it, they're also quite nicely paired with a sealed box subwoofer. That said, I'd love to try them with a decent tube amp.
Listening to a pair right now. They are extremely good at what they do, certainly have a steady spot in my collection! Folk and Spanish guitar? Unmatched. Spencer’s last design.
Many modern loudspeakers have elevated midrange and top end! This sounds fantastic at initial listening, but ends in listener fatigue over time. Many go up for sale.
Great review mate. I think the BC1's had a "foam ring" in the port. Love the sound of these. They represent a wonderful era of home listening. That sound never goes out of style for me. Not the most resolving of speakers, but the voicing is just glorious.
Great sound just from my little Creative computer speakers. Wilton Felder never sounded so good. Had a pair of Mordaunt Short MS400's with the EMI bass/midrange and Coles super tweeter. One of the Coles gave up working after a while and could never get a replacement at that time. I recall the speakers sounded a bit hollow/harsh at higher volumes.
you could try some stiff thin card in the port coat it with fibreglass resin, place it in the middle the port about an inch and a half from either end, in the vertical plane attach it with double-sided tape if you don't want it permanent or blu tack.
Lovely sound. I think Spendors of first Spencer Hughes and later Derek Hughes are designed to have their woofer at this height. The floor box designs Sp 7/1 which was a luxury Sp 2 on steroids, did have the woofer/midrange at approximately this height and combined it with a slight rearward tilt to direct the sound towards the listener. I believe the claimed advantage would or could be that it makes it easier to keep the driver at a substantial different distance from the three nearby room boundaries. It is to often seen that loudspeakers are positioned where the bass drive is say 80 centimeters from floor, 80 side wall and 80 centimeters from the wall behind the speakers. This will as Roy Allison showed in the 1970’s give a monumental dip in the lower midrange room response. As an illustration of how bad this can turn out one just have to look at the measurements (room response) taken in Stereophile of Art Dudley’s Audio Note E. I think the Spencer and Derek knew what they were doing when they designed the speakers and trolley.
Great informative review thank you! I would be interested in your thoughts on the suitability of pairing these with a modern hybrid integrated amplifier such as Dayton which uses tubes in the pre amp and solid state in the amp? I know that I can otherwise find a restored receiver from the 80s at a similar cost but would not have the convenience of integrated streaming over Bluetooth. Perhaps those are 2 separate questions 1) are these going to sound good if using mp3 or cd as primary source? 2) any thoughts on buying a modern hybrid receiver over a restored vintage receiver if I am planning on streaming? sadly I lost my vynil collection many years ago… thanks again!
Love this Kevin.. Makes me want to try a set!! My BC1s are temporarily kicked out of the room and replaced by LS7s because I just know there are low notes there that I was not hearing on them.. If it wasn't for that they would still be there. Do you know if the SP1 actually gets any lower than the BC1?
I have a pair they sound great. Thou I have a question: when I put my ear to the Celestion HF1300 Tweeter I hear nothing. I hear the highs on the Coles tweeter not on the Celestion's on both speakers (maybe my hearing is shot) Is this something to do with the way they sync with each other regarding frequencies. Or are mine not working at all and I can even improve my SP1 even more. If i replace em. ?
@@dittonworks Thank you for your reply. Your review is awesome, love those stands. Yes, it has me boggled! As they sound great but the HF1300 seem not be putting anything out. Can i ask if u place your ear on yours do you hear your minimal next to nothing from the HF1300 and very minimal on the Coles? which would be opposite to mine?
@@user-xp7il2pl2x you could remove the connection and hook up to a multi meter to test if they are working properly or are dead...If I heard nothing...I'd probably hunt down a replacement...
hi. great review as always. can anyone help me? I have a pair of dl6 series 2 that I am thinking of porting to try and get below the spec 60hz. can I do this to these woofers, and what frequency should I tun the port to? thanks in advance for any advice.
When you put them on your wooden stands you said they didn't sound right even though you expected them to sound better because the tweeters would be at ear height. How come this wasn't the case? Thanks for another great review!
Hi.. I explained in the video that port chuffing became apparent when the SP1 were elevated. The vertical off axis in the HF must be very good as they sounded great even on the low stands
Do you like the SP1 better than your spendor Classic 2/3?...have you ever heard a Spendor S100? just wondering because i'd love to hear how you compare the sound difference and how they differ from your favorites
@Ditton Works yea, I guess the caps would need replacing. The coils should be OK. Are these easy to get. ( I believe Spendor are still around to get them recalibrated ? )
@@ammej768 Spendor wouldn’t be interested in the older ones. They’re all way out of warranty. A few loudspeaker geeks like me can get them close to original sound.
most people that like vintage speakers like the music of the 70-80's so when you say they don't keep up with modern music...makes no sense because 70's rock & pop had fast paced music...so I don't understand...the Spendor S1 are to me way better sounding than the 2/3...the speaker combination of the HF1300 and coles super tweeter are awesome...B&W DM4 has them too but the Spendor S1 has a little better bass over the B&W DM4...if one uses a good pre amp and vintage amp like Yamaha M2...then vintage speakers can shine...
Electronic music is what I meant. Not sure what S1 is? SP1 is way behind Classic 2/3 for modern music. Yes Celestion HF1300/Coles is classic combo. B&W DM4’s are not in the same league as Spendor, cheap copy in my opinion.
A spoken review is great, but I always feel very disappointed with a review that doesn't include an audition. Of course, they may sound a bit like one's own speakers!!
What a great bloke, and a lovely clear, information-packed review. The whole picture is way clearer now.
Intriguing. It really unpacked that mix and brought out the performances of the musicians. Perhaps packing the port with straws would be a worthwhile experiment.
Kevin, you are a wealth of information. What a great review. I look forward to watching more reviews from you. Thank you so much. Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks.. great to meet you today
what a nice room you've got there! very impressive!
and amazing sound from yor beautiful setup... what a joy.
I concur with your remark on having Spendor pair with valve amps in the current digital era. I enjoy the convenience of using Roon when I listen to music therefore I am currently driving my BC1 with a valve amp. The combination enables BC1 to deliver its strength - glorious mid range and high extension without the digital “glare” (BC1 being a studio monitor is very revealing of its front end). Even though the sensitivity of BC1 is 86dB, the speaker’s nominal impedance is actually around 9 ohms which enables the speakers to be driven by a low wattage valve amp. My single ended triode valve amp only outputs 8 watts but it has more than enough power to drive BC1 in my living room (12 ft x 24 ft)
Thanks Kevin, excellent review and the speakers sounding really nice this end. Them school days wheeling out the TV brought back some memories oh and the half pint of milk.
Cheers Michael
Third of a pint in my day!
@@Radfordperson Ahh your are correct, mine was to
Just discovered you, great quality of information and clarity of presentation. Sub'd!
Thanks 😊
That brought back memories 😂
My brother owns a set of these and they do sound great but I would agree with you totally
There not as balanced across the board of music but with the right piece of music they can sound wonderful. Love your reviews.
Cant wait to show bro your review and your information on the history of them. 👍🏻
Realy appreciate the time you put in to bring this information to us.
Thanks Again. 😁👍🏻
I went from Kef 104's to SP 1's. Great improvement. Then I went to Spendor S100's, which are Derek Hughes's first complete self designs. The 100's are just leagues better than the SP1's, nice that those were.
I still run the S100's, as they still give me more, when anything else within my hi-fi chain is upgraded.
A sound to bring a tear to an analoguist's eye
I have just restored my Rogers Studio 1's. The digital resolution and enjoyment is high. I understand just what you are saying. Thanks from tropical Australia.
I bought a consecutively numbered pair of SP1s (one port on the left, one on the right, like these) in about 1991/2. I still use them today, usually with foam stopping the ports, effectively sealing the units. To me they don't sound at all out of place driven by a solid state amp and playing digital source material. Since new I've played them mostly with an Adcom 545 and 565 fed by an NAD 5000 CD player with very good results -- as long as the room is rather soft and the SPL is kept reasonable. They are quite revealing of any harshness or too-present brightness in digital recordings. And though purists might never do it, they're also quite nicely paired with a sealed box subwoofer. That said, I'd love to try them with a decent tube amp.
Listening to a pair right now. They are extremely good at what they do, certainly have a steady spot in my collection! Folk and Spanish guitar? Unmatched. Spencer’s last design.
Many modern loudspeakers have elevated midrange and top end! This sounds fantastic at initial listening, but ends in listener fatigue over time.
Many go up for sale.
Great review mate. I think the BC1's had a "foam ring" in the port. Love the sound of these. They represent a wonderful era of home listening. That sound never goes out of style for me. Not the most resolving of speakers, but the voicing is just glorious.
You’re correct Chris, they had foam in the ports on BC1 and SP2 and SP2/2.
Still not checked if these should have or not lol
Great sound just from my little Creative computer speakers. Wilton Felder never sounded so good. Had a pair of Mordaunt Short MS400's with the EMI bass/midrange and Coles super tweeter. One of the Coles gave up working after a while and could never get a replacement at that time. I recall the speakers sounded a bit hollow/harsh at higher volumes.
you could try some stiff thin card in the port coat it with fibreglass resin, place it in the middle the port about an inch and a half from either end, in the vertical plane attach it with double-sided tape if you don't want it permanent or blu tack.
Lovely sound. I think Spendors of first Spencer Hughes and later Derek Hughes are designed to have their woofer at this height. The floor box designs Sp 7/1 which was a luxury Sp 2 on steroids, did have the woofer/midrange at approximately this height and combined it with a slight rearward tilt to direct the sound towards the listener. I believe the claimed advantage would or could be that it makes it easier to keep the driver at a substantial different distance from the three nearby room boundaries. It is to often seen that loudspeakers are positioned where the bass drive is say 80 centimeters from floor, 80 side wall and 80 centimeters from the wall behind the speakers. This will as Roy Allison showed in the 1970’s give a monumental dip in the lower midrange room response. As an illustration of how bad this can turn out one just have to look at the measurements (room response) taken in Stereophile of Art Dudley’s Audio Note E. I think the Spencer and Derek knew what they were doing when they designed the speakers and trolley.
Modern tech seems to make some vintage speakers shine .
Nice. Nearly impulse bought them a few times
Great informative review thank you! I would be interested in your thoughts on the suitability of pairing these with a modern hybrid integrated amplifier such as Dayton which uses tubes in the pre amp and solid state in the amp? I know that I can otherwise find a restored receiver from the 80s at a similar cost but would not have the convenience of integrated streaming over Bluetooth. Perhaps those are 2 separate questions 1) are these going to sound good if using mp3 or cd as primary source? 2) any thoughts on buying a modern hybrid receiver over a restored vintage receiver if I am planning on streaming? sadly I lost my vynil collection many years ago… thanks again!
These were used on fairly modern equipment. They’ll sound fine with your equipment I’m sure
HOW THE SPI1 DO COMPARE WITH THE SP9/1?
Love this Kevin.. Makes me want to try a set!! My BC1s are temporarily kicked out of the room and replaced by LS7s because I just know there are low notes there that I was not hearing on them.. If it wasn't for that they would still be there. Do you know if the SP1 actually gets any lower than the BC1?
Hi 👋
Yes the SP1 has a bit more LF over the BC-1.. way more reliable too.
I have a pair they sound great. Thou I have a question: when I put my ear to the Celestion HF1300 Tweeter I hear nothing. I hear the highs on the Coles tweeter not on the Celestion's on both speakers (maybe my hearing is shot) Is this something to do with the way they sync with each other regarding frequencies. Or are mine not working at all and I can even improve my SP1 even more. If i replace em. ?
The Coles super tweeters are difficult to hear but the Celestion HF 1300’a will be quite obvious.
You might have a problem with them.
@@dittonworks Thank you for your reply. Your review is awesome, love those stands. Yes, it has me boggled! As they sound great but the HF1300 seem not be putting anything out. Can i ask if u place your ear on yours do you hear your minimal next to nothing from the HF1300 and very minimal on the Coles? which would be opposite to mine?
@@user-xp7il2pl2x
you could remove the connection and hook up to a multi meter to test if they are working properly or are dead...If I heard nothing...I'd probably hunt down a replacement...
hi. great review as always. can anyone help me? I have a pair of dl6 series 2 that I am thinking of porting to try and get below the spec 60hz. can I do this to these woofers, and what frequency should I tun the port to? thanks in advance for any advice.
Try and hunt down a pair of DL6 MK1’s. They are already rear ported.
When you put them on your wooden stands you said they didn't sound right even though you expected them to sound better because the tweeters would be at ear height. How come this wasn't the case? Thanks for another great review!
Hi..
I explained in the video that port chuffing became apparent when the SP1 were elevated.
The vertical off axis in the HF must be very good as they sounded great even on the low stands
Do you like the SP1 better than your spendor Classic 2/3?...have you ever heard a Spendor S100? just wondering because i'd love to hear how you compare the sound difference and how they differ from your favorites
Classic 2/3’s are way more versatile than SP1’s.
I’ve never had S100’s.
@@dittonworksare the classic 2/3 the next size down from the classic 100? maybe it even has more detail and cost less...what's your take?
@@briancampbell7712 Classic 1/2 is the next one up. I don’t know the Classic 100’s buddy, sorry I’ve never heard them
We had them big square ones I think they tanoy, 4K now ha ha
......excellent review Kev, my only memory at that time was trying to think of a novel place of disposing of my milk every day
Haha 😂 take it you don’t like cow juice?
If you bought a pair second hand and assuming they had no crossover or drive unit faults, would they sound as good as 40-50 years ago? Discuss ?
No.. the crossovers and drivers would most likely be out of spec
@Ditton Works yea, I guess the caps would need replacing. The coils should be OK. Are these easy to get. ( I believe Spendor are still around to get them recalibrated ? )
@@ammej768 Spendor wouldn’t be interested in the older ones. They’re all way out of warranty.
A few loudspeaker geeks like me can get them close to original sound.
These look like the B&W DM4's similar driver setup but the DM'4 seem to have more damping and heavier build.
B&W copied the design
@@dittonworks rascals!
I would say the sp1s are superior in every way, build and sound
there is one set of speakers I dream of hearing...even a TH-cam video would be nice...
Rogers PM 510 supposedly a Gem...Not the PM510a
I want to buy a pair of these...how can you help?
I don’t have a set for sale but I’ll keep an eye out
😁thanks
Hi, this is working good, what amp is it ?
Meridian 557
most people that like vintage speakers like the music of the 70-80's so when you say they don't keep up with modern music...makes no sense because 70's rock & pop had fast paced music...so I don't understand...the Spendor S1 are to me way better sounding than the 2/3...the speaker combination of the HF1300 and coles super tweeter are awesome...B&W DM4 has them too but the Spendor S1 has a little better bass over the B&W DM4...if one uses a good pre amp and vintage amp like Yamaha M2...then vintage speakers can shine...
Electronic music is what I meant.
Not sure what S1 is? SP1 is way behind Classic 2/3 for modern music.
Yes Celestion HF1300/Coles is classic combo. B&W DM4’s are not in the same league as Spendor, cheap copy in my opinion.
Is the Spendor SP1 your favorite speaker
No, lots of different speakers I prefer over SP1’s
@@dittonworks can you tell us I'm sure others would like to know to
@@briancampbell7712 Quad 57’s, LS3/5A, Celestion 600’s, Spendor Classic 2/3, JR149’s, Dynaudio Heritage, Celestion Kingston, Spendor BC-1 etc etc
@@dittonworks can you narrow down to like two or three...
@@briancampbell7712 Quad 57, Falcon LS3/5A, Celestion Kingston
A spoken review is great, but I always feel very disappointed with a review that doesn't include an audition. Of course, they may sound a bit like one's own speakers!!
Lord of the cobblers, that's what it was. Fancy upsetting kids with codswallop like that?
Mind you, adiology-wise that was a damned good school!