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Spendor BC1 vintage speaker sound review and comparison
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ค. 2020
- Here i review vintage classic Spendor BC1
comparing with Kef LS50 ,Bang and Olufsen S -75
and rogers LS3/5a.
using Naim nap 100 power amp and rotel RC 9708 X pre amp.
plus Sansui au 317
Giving dataied sound review
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Thanks for the review. BC1 cabinet is made from 10 mm Baltic birch. The birch wood was chosen due to its density (i.e. soft) to tune the cabinet to work with the drivers and cross-over. BC1 uses 16 ohms version of Celestion HF1300 as the midrange. The Cole 4001 super tweeter has a 23 ohms DC resistance (quite unusual). It has minimum impedance of 9 ohms and modest phase angles; that combination makes BC1 valve friendly. I have paired BC1 with a number of solid state amps in the past, but none makes BC1 "sing" until I started using a EL34 SET tube amp. BC1 is a great vintage for sure.
Very interesting thanks K
Great review.. I own a Spendor SP1 which is a successor of the BC1. I love it. It just sound right and very enjoyable all the time.
The SP1 is a better speaker measurably and audibly yet it doesn't get the recognition that the BC1 gets.
So enjoyed the enthusiasm and totally agree. As an owner of Spendor BC1s for over forty years I hae derived much pleasure and still do. This really did make me smile and takes me back to why I fell in love with them. One is currently having the Midbass refurbished and can't wait.
Yeah they’re a winner I’m playing them now I play them a lot K
I sold lots of these in the 70s, one of the cleanest sounding speakers of the day. Rated at only 55 watts programme, quite a low power rating really The only real issues was the bass unit. We probably had more problems with bass units rubbing, going off centre and people burning them out than any other speaker (apart from Wharfedale tweeters) They did not like large amounts of bass and did not handle power very well, but I loved them.
Regarding the cabinets, ply was used because of BBC research. It was found that chip board had a lower resonance but was hard to tame but ply had a higher frequency resonance but could be damped very easily with bitumen panels. Ideas later used by Kef and Monitor Audio to name but 2.
The Celestion tweeter was a metal cone driver, nice sound but rolled off very quickly over 15khz so a super tweeter really had to be used to extend the frequency response to over 20khz You would be amazed how many people would complain the super tweeter was not working!! It was simply they could not hear much over 14 khz anyway!! Must be on a stand, sound dreadful on the floor
Hey Kelvin another great Video! I've owned my Spendors since 1981 and would not change them for the world. Since I took my Sugden A48 mkII out of service in the late eighties/early nineties, they have been my front speakers in a 7.1 surround setup. Since then though they have not had full-fat bass passed through them as signals
I must say that your descriptions are giving me the essence of vintage equipment / technology and I begin to appreciate its value . For example I totally agree when you say in another video “lower THD takes the life out of the music “ . Thanks
Really enjoying all these videos with the classic old UK speakers. I've got a pair of B&W DM3s, originally purchased by my great uncle, which have been handed down, and I'm currently in the process of changing the bass drivers and wondering what else (XO etc) I might tinker with.
Always a joy to hear, no pun intended a honest opinion .good work bro.
I LOVE that you made a statement about comparing and contrasting speakers/ gear. That is so much more informative and USEFUL information than just trying to describe the product itself, without comparison or context. I try to do the same thing in my audio gear vids. Cheers!
I live in Montreal and I own the Spendor BC1 speakers and the Spendor D40 amplifier since Oct. 1981. These are really big boxes who allowed me to listen all kinds of music including jazz and classical. Although I have been tempted a few times to buy new speakers, I am always happy to go downstairs to my mancave and to listen CD's from Miles Davis, The Beatles or Supertramp.
I believe I am only another oldfashion guy who enjoys music ...
pro tip : you can watch movies on flixzone. Me and my gf have been using them for watching loads of movies during the lockdown.
@Hayden Dominic Definitely, I've been using flixzone} for since november myself =)
That was a super fun watch. Great review, I still want a pair... I just need that house in the country too, stuck in a flat in London for now as well.
I am the proud owner of a set of BC1's I imported into the USA from a place called Audio T in London. That was way back in 1978. They are finished in Teakwood which was not available stateside at that time. They have had the woofers replaced twice. The first time was from from age. The second was when my first son, who was a toddler at the time, accidentally turned my system up all the way. The BC1's had 150 watts running through them for about 2-3 minutes which severely bottomed out the bass drivers. Anyway, I still LOVE these speakers! And they respond so well whenever I upgrade my amps. I plan on keeping them as long as they keep playing.
Great video Kelvin. Totally agree with your analysis. I have the Roger's version in a few months ago for a crossover rebuild and they just sounded fantastic. They were the LS3/6 for reference. Amazing clarity and detail even more so with good polypropylene capacitors fitted. I tested them with one of my REL Subwoofers to. Even better. Crossed at 60Hz. Really helped that bottom octave. Every system needs a sub 🤣. Anyway top video again. Cheers. Matt
Thanks for the info Matt interesting stuff K
BC-1s are outstanding speakers. Despite more than 50 years old in design, they combine transparency of mid-range so essential for classical music listening with an outstanding bass. When it comes to studio recordings with clear channel separations and that steroid-fed sound, they might not be your best bet. Why? You will notice lack of expected bass that might periodically be non-precise, lesser definition of the 3D imaging expected by many folks today. Keep in mind, most of BBC designers/audio engineers worked with live concert media in large studios or concert halls where most of the mixing is done via natural acoustics of the room.
Thank You as always excellent
Scotland is only remote if you don't live there. I live there and London is remote to ME.
Hi Kelvin, just discovered your channel really enjoy yoiur review,s . Just a quick question . How do think the Spendor BC1, s compare to Rogers LS7,t a review of which I saw recently .
What Spendor did with the BC1 and 75/1 back then would be completely impossible these days. They just allowed the speaker to have an at least -6 db drop at the x-over frequency. This is by no means a flat sounding speaker. The advantage when you do such things is that you drop the chassis distortion massively. That's why it sounds so good. There are barely any mid-range distortions. I never was a huge fan of the BC-1 but if you can get a pair for below 500 I would guess it is the best speaker on the planet in this price range.
True. The midrange recess is noticeable, yet acceptable and allows for hours and hours of non-fatiguing listening. The 10k peak annoys at times, but not the worst either.
Excellent review! Please, if you can, include in reviews about the tests with classical / orchestra music!
Love your delivery and genuine enthusiasm, very engaging. I had some IMF TLS 80 speakers (Kef, celestion, coles) for decades and loved them. Have you reviewed these?
No I haven’t but I’ve literally always wanted them they basically have all the best drivers in certainly from the period.K
I have a lovely pair of B&W DM4 speakers in a fairly big room in a detached house. I really love the mid and upper frequencies, but could do with a bit more bass. The Spendor BC1's are currently around £500 on eBay for a nice set which I think I can do better with either: going for a Rogers LS7 at around £250 - £300 (but I worry I will miss the excellent midrange of the DM4's), or getting a nice Subwoofer (or a pair of) to accompany the DM4's. Thoughts welcome!
Re the bass, I've not heard these without but it looks like these have not had the factory bass port mod, which is foam wrapped around the bass port, this reduces the flabby bass, brigs under better control. You can take it further with a port tube and some drinking straws straws. The later BC1s, I believe, had a ferrite and ceramic magnets on the bass driver which had better power handling.
The cabinets of these speakers and others like them are designed to flex, this mean they must placed on solid, open stands contact points as close to the corners as possible, a minimum of 13 inches off the floor, roughly 3 feet min from the side walls and two feet from the back walls, the correct toe in so you are in a focused cross path. If you have a wall close behind you, hang a thick heavy sheet behind the listening area. Sometimes a sheet behind the speakers helps, sometimes it doesn't.
The BC1s are also a bit current hungry so using an amp capable of high current demands will Improve things too.
Great review! I own the SP1/2, would love to hear your comparison between this and the BC1.
Because the BC1 is from the BBC design heritage it has that classic BBC crossover dip meaning a recessive quality in the presence region and lower treble. Like it or not it's there. I don't care for it but other people don't seem as bothered by it. I'm also bothered by a peakiness to the upper treble (above 10 khz) giving the speaker an over etched quality. Spendor did fix these issues on their replacement... the SP1 mk1 which was (is) a wonderful speaker. No crossover dip, tighter more extended bass and a smoother less peaky treble. Most importantly the gorgeous midrange like it's predecessor the BC1 is still there.
Its not a Spendor BC1, you have the BC2 that has a bigger voice coil and more powerhandling i know that because i have a pair of those..you are spot on with the sound of the Spendors
You’re right of course I wasn’t paying attention cheersK
Hi Kelvin, thanks for the video. Can you tell me what advantages or disadvantages the SP1 upgrade means to the BC1 speaker? Apparently that renders the bass tighter and gives the whole speaker more balance. What do you think? Cheers!
I've a question for you Kelvin. Looking at the woofer in this BC1 and the B&W DM4, they look to be the same driver but I don't know for certain. Do you happen to know if they are the same or sourced from the same factory? The tweeters certainly are the same but the crossovers are quite different so the overall balance of the two speakers are quite apart, the B&W being more analytical in the upper mids and treble while the Spendor sounds a bit shelved down at these frequencies (classic BBC crossover dip).
its not the same driver .spendors are essentially Bassey
This all is very depending on the amp used and the room it’s playing in. Compare speakers is very hard, the LS50 is offered a lot second hand because of buyers that listened to them in a well treated hi fi store with a € 8000 amp, sometimes the disappointment is huge when playing them at home.
Just got a pair of BC1s after searching for a year or two - some early serial no. (2223, 2224) blue alnico ones with the clear rubber around the woofers. A lot more bass than expecting, it really fills the room! High mids are a little crispy sounding, wouldn’t say they sound the most natural but I do like them. Listening with Naim 32-5 with hicap, Nap 140 and a Thorens TD160 with Nagaoka MP150. Really enjoy your videos, thanks!
It’s worth tightening up the screws on the back panel which would often get loose
And possibly tightening up the tweezers which I think is easily done
Superb , love it, would be curious to compare to b&w dm4 ...also bextrene 8 inch bass , not bad cross over...I would give also big vote for a very unknown Studiomonitor that selles low price : kef p60 with amplifier k300 , which is a quad pro, these are one of the best midcompact monitors , capable of 113db , polypro Eton bass kef t33 tweeter that sometimes need new ferrofluid, but those speakers are a steel , explosif dynamics , real powerfully bass, lovely mid-range almost like ls3/5a and holographic soundstage, they are from the 80ies, I bought allready 4 sets, and sold them to friends, but now I keep them ,I don't want to be without...I have tons of other speakers but only listen to them.thats a sign he
Thanks for the info very interesting now I did have BMWDM fours they are nice but the sponsors is outperform them kind of full spectrum just better cleaner bigger lower
I will be interested to know what other speakers you have.
Would be good to know what speakers the kefs outperform
Best K
thanks very much Kelvin, thinking of buying a pair of Spendors, i have a vintage studio in a wooden cabin and wondering what you would recommend re mixing on vintage speakers ? very best tim
I love my BC-1s ❤
I don’t know why they can’t make them like this anymore. Just have a lovely sound.
Very interesting. How about looking into some old dual concentric tannoys?
Very coloured mid range, very old school sound, people that like valve amps like them for some reason.
I used to own a pair of celestion ditton 44. Wish I still had them. Now use tannoy 609 mk 2 with a marantz amp. Wonderful combination. Please look at some vintage tannoy.
Hi, Would you say that Spendor's Classic 100 is their current BC1 speakers? Spendor Classic 100 or Harbeth 40.3 XD for all genres of music? Thanks.
I just purchase a set of BIC Venturi Formula 4 speakers. They were $40 us dollars but the tweeters are not working which I have replacements coming. Would you recommend replacing all the crossover caps?
The B&O are made from reject Celestion parts apparently, according to someone I met who used to work for Celestion.
The Beovox 5700 and 5702 used Celestion components but I don't know of any other B&O models that do.
Well,from what ive seen here its a combination of Valve/Philipps and Seas chassis.
When does the supertweeter come in? Im 58 and limited to 13khz max, higher has already gone.
It might be 10,000 I can definitely still hear it
The spenders a great supertweeter or not
It crossed over at 13Khz in the BC1
Hi Kelvin. How would you compare your Spendor BC2 to Bowers and Wilkins DM4?
Great review for vintage hifi 👍🏽
Just checked alison krauss, baby, now that....etc. The wood sound is a rythmic hand on the side of the guitar.
Yes I was thinking that
Love your videos. I also love speakers without the grills. That speaker you have there NEEDS a grill lol. I believe you that it sounds good but it lacks luster.
But what is the difference between ls5/3a and ls50? Thats the more suitable compairecent size wise? Isn't it? Love your reviews and find them very balanced and truthful & helpfull. Keep on!
Well I did have both
I sold the LS 50s a couple of months ago I didn’t have any sense of loss
Nice review. Was told recently how good BC-1 were. Had KEF LS50 and found them a bit lifeless and monotone bass. Read that B&O is well regarded. Not heard Rogers LS3a from memory. Almost bought Harbeth monitor equivalent for £500 but found them too boxy even though tonally good. Didn't like Linn KAN which looks like a version...?
I recently inherited a pair of BC1s from my parents and I love them (the speakers that is, the parents are ok) but the top of each cabinet is quite badly marked and sun bleached. If I were to sand them down and refinish them what kind of varnish should I use? Or am I better of leaving them as they are?
Well be careful it’s only veneer it’s not even 2 mm thick
I have done this many times try wire wool quite thin wire wool don’t rub it on the edges too much
And then try finishing oil or tea coil just put it on with a cloth check it out on TH-cam
spendor bc1 or new harbeth super shl5 plus XD ❓
agree 100%
Thanks for that of all the Speakers people get angry with me about not liking those little kefs are the number one, it’s because they’re so universally applauded in publications and reviews. Everyone just believes they’re great
When they haven’t heard them 😊
@@stereoreviewx
as you spoke, I bet Kef LS 50 is probably no match against the B&W DM4 or Spendor BC1... have you ever compared a BC1 to BC2, if so which one of those two are better? ... I own a pair of the DM4 and I love them but they are short of just a little bit of bass like you mentioned… I bet Subwoofers would sound good with them... right now I have a pair of Spendor S100 and they're very enjoyable...very large too😜... after watching your video makes me wanna get my DM4 back out, because they have a very sweet sound...perhaps I will put a sub with them and magic?
Ls50 gets my vote pound for pound (in a small to mid size room anyway) as far as refined smooth everyday listener and has the best looks and can image better than you would think, but im sure the spendors are pretty good and can definitely get louder.
Appreciate the feedback
Id like to see you review and compare some ads speakers, those were amazing products,, ads 570, l630, l710 etc., that would be interesting and theres alot of people out there that dont know about ads and certainly need to learn about them.
Could you review the old Celestion Ditton 15's
Hi Kelvin , what's the difference between BC1 and BC2 ? Does BC2 have more bass , or what ?
Yes I have both The BC twos Apparently were higher power versions I think it just sounds better that’s my experience
I know a guy who builds very expensive vac valve gear, mainly preamps. His own system cost @ £50,000 in parts. He uses Kef Celeste’s with the rhomboid? base driverscirca 1970 to test everything he builds/restores (his own system has huge open baffle panels with 15” Tannoy drivers) I asked why he uses such old speakers and he said simply “because new speakers are rubbish!”
The Celeste was a dreadful speaker, the B139 response did not go up high enough and the T15 did not go low enough. Result very coloured mid range with a nice suck out a 1 khz I can still hear them in my head now, not a good memory!!
The BC-II has the bigger magnet on the woofer for a bigger output, supposedly.
True but did not sound as good.
Hi, thank you. Do you think Sansui 221./331 will be able to drive them?
Well almost, and I’ll definitely try it if I could
I replaced the LS3/5a with the BC1 in 1978 and have never gone back. The sheer musicality is wonderful. have found only one other speaker that seems to be as musical is the 12" Tannoy Gold Monitor in a gigantic cabinet.
Yes I am playing the BC ones now they always deliver
which one do you like better BC1, BC2, or BC3.... seems to me the B&W DM4 is the same as the BC1?
Had both BC1 and DM4. BC1 is far superior. Bought my BC1 in 1974 for £147.
@@davidhardaker192
did you ever compare it to a BC2 or what i have now...Spendor S100?
@@briancampbell7712I think when I bought my BC1 there wasn't a BC2. In the current range I think the Classic 1/2 is equivalent to the BC1. I'm sure the newer models are better. Out of interest it wasn't until I paired the BC1 with the Meridian 557 amp that it really showed how good it was. This kept control of the slightly loose bass.Regards
@@davidhardaker192
I'm sure you had it sounding good...I like most vintage better than new...I don't think now that I have a good pair of Spendor S100 that I will need to change...I'm replacing the Resistors and capacitors with mundorf...also rotated all drivers and replaced tweeters with originals, becaus e the ferro fluid dries up after many years...
Great video as always! When testing, are you playing records or CD's?
I am playing CDs and I know it’s a sin
Though I’ve had spendors for years and I just know how they perform .
K
@@stereoreviewx Sure! Nothing wrong with CD's....I play both, in fact I use them more myself went testing equipment.....
Have you ever tested or heard the KEF 101? If so, what do you think.
Interestingly I tried to buy some last week got out bid I do have Cath code out with exactly the same Drivers and Small
It’s just not as refined the crossover is very simple
My information is the 101
I’ll close relation to the LS35A I do want them
Hey man. Tannoy red, vitavox best old speakers.
Have you reviewed the original 2-way Leak Sandwich? I loved mine with a Leak Stereo 70 and really regret selling them. 13" sandwich cone in a sealed box.
I have heard certain leagues sandwich speakers years ago I thought I could really hear the aluminium cone that’s all I’d say not whether it’s good or bad it was a long time
@@stereoreviewx the cones were made out of expanded polystyrene with stressed aluminium foil applied based on aircraft production techniques so were as light as paper but many times the stiffness. Measurements showed very low distortion and the production of an almost perfect square wave at low frequencies. A 13" speaker with a cast chassis and enormous magnet in a sealed box produced wonderful bass. The tweeter was mounted in its own enclosure. These ideas were decades ahead of their time.
Very interesting review, could you review let concerto please
Yes well I’ll tell you about concerto if you like because I’ve had them.
The base is huge maybe not super tight but impressive it’s you in the belly
The B1 10 mid range driver is just a great driver for mid range I love having a cone mid-range it gives you a real soundstage.
And the trebel is pretty dam good to you have to watch how you position and partner but basically they’re great things.
Tighten up the base driver if you get them they’re always loose and the mid range.K
I have Spendor BC1 the wiring the in cabinet is poor I have replace it with better cable you have old Spendor BC1 that have
not the latest base ports done my base ports was up grade by Spendor in about 1985 with tube.With new wiring and the ports this makes great difference sound. The bass much better no boom and high frequency is clearner.
Oh yes I have seen that now you say it I will check this out see if I can DIY it.
Thanks K
What about Kef Reference 104ab against these?
Yes well I have heard the 104 is I would say the spenders would win
Kind of guessing
😅K
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for the reply!Much appreciated!I've got some beautiful Epos ES14's and they sound fantastic.I can't believe how they were able to achieve such results 40 years ago.I bought JBL Studios for £600 few years ago and they are amazing speakers as well and a month ago i found the Epos ES 14s for £200 and got them.I was shocked by the sound quality!Better than those JBL and i even did not connected them to my real source which is abroad 😅
I owned the kef 104ab and they anice speakers but do not compare musically to the BC1. I drive my BC1's with a Quad 303 amp. I have also driven them with a CR1020 and a CR1000, receiver, both of which were a good match.
Roger's Ls3/6 are also super!
Thanks
14:26 - no, that’s your ROGERS LS3/5a, you keep fluffing that up whenever the Kef LS50 is in the video.
Kelvin, howabout a review of Concertos? Good site matey.
The Concerto was one of Kef's worse loudspeakers, no detail at all, muddy just horrible. I had a pair in my showroom for 3 years, never sold a single pair. Made to be a floor standing unit but sounded better on a stand but looked silly! Cross over was very poor, very easy to saturate the bass inductor, some amplifiers did not like this. Buy any speaker but not this one.
@@MichaelBeeny I don't know what you have been listening to but the Concertos are a very good listen for Classical/ Baroque at medium volumes,I have been using them for at least the last 25 years for my listening with Quad amps and a Haffler pre. You seem very self opinionated. So you were selling products you believed to Kef's worst speaker? That doesn't signal any integrity on your part does it? As for your last words "Buy any speaker but his one" Any? Really? You are either a troll or a dullwit.
@@allanpowell7208 Well Allan, I'm sorry you don't like my opinion. That's fine, if you like them then we are both happy. It's a pity you find it necessary to give insults to anyone that does not agree with you but a reply never the less.
Regarding stocked loudspeakers in my showroom. As our markup on our product were exactly the same, it made no difference what a customer purchased. It's not my fault if customers would not choose the Concerto on demonstration but they didn't.
As to my qualification to my opinion. I have worked for Quad in the labs, test engineer for Cambridge Audio , founder member of Monitor Audio, retailer of high end HiFi to name but a few.
@@MichaelBeeny Well jolly good for you.
Watching this as an LS50 owner I was like 'please be gentle talking about my babies'. but I live in London too, in a flat with neighbours on 3 sides. So here's my question, and I think the answers no, is there a way to get satisfying bass with out it travelling? Probably just need a country house lol
You know the answer base is vibration or sound his vibration you vibrate the building
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for the reply but I don't understand.
OK! These suckers are pricey! But they're Spendors so what did I expect?!
Good review.
Thank you
NOICE.....
Review Tannoy old speakers
Can you recommend amps to match BC1?
They let you hear if your amp/sytem is good or not.....I've got very good outstanding results with a Jadis DA30 ( 6550 NOS TUNGSOL tubes )....and also some other amplifiers ...MC 240 ( 7027A nos tubes ).....some Luxman vintage amplifiers etc....
If they don't sing and beguile your listening experience , there is something wrong with the system, source, amp or placement/acoustics of the room...
What type of music or genres do you mostly listen to? BC1s are fantastic for classical. Paired with a 40-80 watt tube amp and a turntable with a fine quality recording and you will be one happy camper.
Spendor BC1 vs B&W DM2 ??
Yes interesting both have the same tweeters I think the spender has a more sophisticated crossover the Bowers and Wilkins is a transmission line
The Spender has a better reputation and go for more money that would tell you something
@@stereoreviewx I've probably posted this on some other video of yours. I really appreciate putting in the effort into making these really informative videos, I just wanted to point out that some of these speakers are quite old. Often times some speakers will have aged crossovers, some amps might have aged transistors so they would not be performing at their optimal speciffications. I remember you doing the Sansui XX1 series and mentioning that you like the 331 most but could it be that indeed that one sounds best or maybe is it down to the fact that it is in optimal functioning condition. No criticism, just my two cents.
I have the 2 pairs of DM2 they weight a ton. A ton being 22.5kg lol. First pair had some issues which I've figured out now. The more recent pair I bought has the crossovers refreshed but I'm just burning them in now. So will do a side by side comparison after 3-4 weeks of listening.
I did a comparison on my channel as it seemed to me that the DM2s were underperforming however someone pointed out to me that the speakers I've put them against are totally different design and different sound signature which I realise it's true now. DM2s seem to need more power to be driven therefore they sound quieter than the others. Mids seem recessed but I have to take into consideration that they were running on the original crossovers.
As I've looked online some would swear they were the best speakers they had, some regretted having passed them to friends or sold them whereas some just said they lacked mids to which others countered that it's not the case. You go figure :))
As you said in one of your videos, best thing is to try them yourself and decide if you like what you hear.
I really wont to try them BC1
£1350-£2400 at least, in good condition around £3000. In perfect - £3000 - to a£5500
You can get a £500 no problem
£400
Are you thinking bc3