Spendor S5e and S6e

[toplad72]

Checked out a few speakers today, the Spendor S5e and the lowest price Dynaudio floorstander, cost about £800, don't know which model

The Spendors took the edge off my Cyrus 8vs and MF A3.5CDnicely and I like the laid back not in your face sound too, the Dynaudio lacked weight, produce a great open sound which was nicely focused, but I feelthey would start to grate over time.

I didn't demo the Spendor S6e, I was wondering if anyone would like to voice any comparisons between the two, I can't demo them for at least another 2 weeks and I'm on the verge of buying the S5e.

The only issue I have is the sensitivity of the Spendor, its pretty low and I do like to turn up the volume on occasion

 

[JamPal]

What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[Polarbear]

Jon R?

 

[toplad72]

HiFiWigWam wrote:

What kind of music do you listen to?

Everything,apart from folk and classically.

Do like a bit of acid jazz and dance music at volume

This weeK I've mostly been listening to Miles Davis and depeche mode

 

[Tel]

I have had the S5e for about a year now and am delighted with them.

I listened to the S6e and found them a bit 'harder' I am loth to say brighter but there was an edge to them for me. I prefered the 5's and certainly couldn't justify the extra money on the S6e.

They are slightly different speakers in design and I would agree with Cloth Ears comments regarding big bass from a small box, that is not to say that the speaker is bassy, far from it but if it is in the recording it is surprising what you get from a speaker of its size.

Since I got the 5's I have changed my system quite a bit going from a Rega Apollo CDP with Rega Mira amp to bi-amping with a Rega Maia to then getting a dedicated pre with the Bryson.Then trying a Copeland 125wpc power amp (can't remember the model) to currently using the Conrad Johnson tube power amp.

In all of these system changes the speakers have been my reference, if there has been a change elsewhere I heard it. The detail is superb, without being bright, you can listen to these speakers for hours (and I do ) and they are not tiring.

As for volume I cranked them up with the Copland and the walls were shaking which was a fun experiment I doubt I will repeat (especially with the tube amp)

As for sensitivity they are quite low (although almost the same reading as the S6). More worrying for me was the review that Stereophile did (you will find it online) where their measurements showed a sensitivity of 82I think it was.

There was then some technical stuff in the back of the review which I don't understand saying that due to certain other characteristics they presented a friendly load to the amp and were fine.

All I know is that I run them up to pretty loud volumes with a 70wpc tube amp which has rather surprised me so I don't think the sensitivity is an issue. The Mira was 60Wpc integrated so I shouldn't think the Cyrus would have a problem.

I have tinkered with (and upgraded) all of my system since I had the Spendors incuding upgrading from the Apollo to the Saturn, I am now thinking about possibly changing the pre. Changing the Spendors has not entered my mind.

Tel

 

[Tel]

toplad72 wrote:

This weeK I've mostly been listening to Miles Davis and depeche mode

[line]

I was listening to 'Kind of Blue' this evening - wonderful!

Tel

 

[Bracko]

I demoed the 5's and 6's and went for the 6's. I didn't think they were harder sounding but more open and a lot more detailed. I felt the 5's were a little shut in compared to the 6's. This is all of course personal preference as the 5's may be more up your street and they are a nice sounding speaker for the money. Wait and try the 6's, as even if you prefer the 5's, you will lay to rest any doubts, that you have made the right decision.

 

[Tel]

Good point from Bracko, firstly it is a year since I heard the 6's so memory is fickle, also the 5's were right at my ceiling price wise and the 6's would have had to have been substantially better for me to justify the money.

 

[toplad72]

Tel

Bracko

Cloth-Ears

Cheers that's some "sound"(wa-hey) advice!

I quite like the shut in sound of the 5's everything else has been to bright

 

[JonR]

Hi,

I used to own Spendor S5e's which I used on the end of my Naim system. My experience of them was of a nice, even tonal balance across the frequency range and I felt their generally laid-back presentation nicely counter-acted the general forward nature of my Naim gear.

However, over time I started to feel that they lacked something in the midrange, and became shouty and flustered if driven too hard, so I chopped them in and got a pair of Neat Motive 2s instead.

HTH

 

[Headcoat]

Got to agree with comments above.

I have the S5E's and demoed them against the S6E's.

The 5's are richer and the highs seem better intergrated, whereas with the 6's the highs are to my tastes over egged.

Also if you have a small room the 5's may well suit better.

 

[Ears]

I use S5e's on the end of MF A3.2 CD and amps. Before buying, I listened to a wide range of other small floorstanders (Monitor Audio, PMC, Quad, Focal, etc.) and they were streets ahead of most in terms of integration. Whereas other speakers drew attention to particular parts of the sound spectrum, the S5e's presented the sound in a much more coherent manner. If you wish to listen to one particular instrument (I listen almost exclusively to classical music in a pretty wide sense), the detail is there but it's not thrown in your face to the exclusion of other instruments. I summed them up as 'more grown up' than the other speakers.

I'm not sure how loud they'll go: I haven't even got as far as 12 o'clock on the amp, 'cos cracks start appearing in the walls at 11.30!

I didn't consider the S6's: too big for me and probably far too pricey.

 

[earl of sodbury]

I tried both way back when, and having heard the whole S-range, much prefer the 3-driver speakers (S5e & S9e) to the 2-driver line-up. Pity they don't do a mid-sized "S7e" - would be the perfect MF/Cyrus-friendly speaker I reckon...

 

[earl of sodbury]

Cloth-Ears wrote:

The only actual three way is in the S range is the 9. The 5 is just a two and a half way.Earl, I'm surprised you weren't taken by the seamlessness and tone of the 8.

That's why I said 3-driver

I never tried it at home only in a dealers demo room: didn't sound a patch on the 9 I'd heard at a show - but then...

As I say, it's just personal preference, and in the end I bought completely diffreent speakers!

churz, eofs

 

[bommer]

earl of sodbury wrote:

Cloth-Ears wrote:

The only actual three way is in the S range is the 9. The 5 is just a two and a half way.Earl, I'm surprised you weren't taken by the seamlessness and tone of the 8.

That's why I said 3-driver

I never tried it at home only in a dealers demo room: didn't sound a patch on the 9 I'd heard at a show - but then...

As I say, it's just personal preference, and in the end I bought completely diffreent speakers!

churz, eofs

smarty pantsthink yer clever......

 

[Ant]

Good buy, I hope they do it for you and your ears.

 

[earl of sodbury]

Cloth-Ears wrote:

...The Castle thread reminded me about the brand. I know the big floorstanders have a nice "natural" sounding tone, you could say "Spendorish" as opposed to "JMish", only I know the Castles to be brighter, confirmed by a dealer who does both - and if you remember the lack of it was my reservation about the Spendor. Anyway, I spied an older version of their top speaker, the Howard, for sale on eBay.They are very smart. If they don't work out I can easily pass them on.Check the price I paid

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280049205729&rd=1&rd=1

I also bought the matching centre speaker from a dealer, in a clearout of Castle stock, for less than half price.

Thus, I have asignificant upgrade for very very little net cost. If the Castles work out, next upgrade after that would have to be way above the Spendors.

Oooh! A bit of a billy-bargain there: congrats - deserve their own thead those: keep us posted

 

[Tel]

Wow, that is a deal and a half!

How old are they?

Depreciation in HiFi gear is frightening. I was relying on my curent gear contributing 'something' when I upgrade!

 

[Tel]

That is the way to do it!

My job involves selling on eBay and from a sellers point of viewI like to see plenty of action with either a couple of newbies slugging it out early with lots of small bids, or someone leaving a large bid early and others nibbling at it.

No action and late bidders is generally not good for sellers although a couple of serious bidders both bidding a late max is fine.( as long as their are two of them!).

When buying the only rule is

Bid Once

Bid your max

Bid late