Spendors SP-100 R.....anybody heard them ?

Jaybo...thanks, have you listened to the Spendors SP-100R's ?

i haven't heard the new anniversary's, but i've listened to every other variation of the 100 that spendor has made. don't get me wrong, spendor makes really nice speakers, and normally i would certainly recommend them. you have however, one of the finest dynamic driver loudspeakers ever made, and thats compared to pretty much anything i can think of. a classic, even by avalon standards....and that pretty much says it all. balanced, neutral, weight, open top end, and they are friggin beautiful to boot.

You got me there, I haven't heard the "R" version, but I have heard almost every other iteration going back to the original BC-3 (I own BC-1). Those are good speakers, but considering that you already own good speakers, I tend to agree with Jaybo.

I have the older S-100s, which use the same drivers. They are very good but since I don't know the Avalons I can't comment on the differences. I have had Spendors since I brought what were probably the first pair into the country. I have used many others but have always found the Spendors to disappear more completely than anything else I have used. They are a wonderful speaker to simply forget about and listen to. BUT, the others are giving sage advice, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Don't change for changes sake. Try to hear the Spendor before you think about changing.

Let me elaborate on my response just two posts above, as I have been facing a similar dilemma from the opposite side: owning a Spendor (BC-1) and deciding whether to buy something else.

If your original selection was good, then relative to other newer offerings in the market, your speakers' dollar value will depreciate far more than their sonic qualities. You can spend a lot of money and end up with no sonic improvement or very little improvement. I know that my speakers are not the best in the world, but they are so good to my ears that a meaningful improvement would have cost much more than what I was prepared to spend.

Two caveats to this: First, if after careful audioning you really like something and can afford the difference, by all means go for it. Second, for experimenting around when you are not sure, buying used eases the pain a little. If you buy carefully, you can usually sell them for no loss, although shipping such heavy speakers back and forth is not something I look forward to (but YMMV).

So if you feel like experimenting, a used "SP-100 R" is listed at A'gon (I have no connection with that sale). If the price is agreeable, go ahead and try them - and please remember to post your findings here. :)