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Home demo. ProAc D48R and Spendor D9

I am in the process of a home demo. of the ProAc D48R and Spendor D9 from different dealers.
The ProAc guy says it is well run in and the Spendor guy says only about 90 hours on them.

First off, love the D48R so far, midrange to die for & the bass, lots of bass, perhaps a tad too much. Not sure yet, vocals , treble from that ribbon is exceptional.
The Spendor in comparison is not bad at all, I think a bit better definition in the bass, not as full as D48R , seems just as deep, but more tuneful to me. The midrange is OK , it seems to lag behind the ProAc only just. The upper midrange/treble to me is a bit of a let down. For example acoustic guitar seems slightly less crisp, less involving compared to the ProAc.

Question for any D9 owners out there, how long did they take to fully run in ? I assume I am not hearing now what their final run in sound will be like. Will the midrange/ treble open up more, like D48R more, or is the ProAc ribbon tweeter that much better ?
seadog77
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,337 posts
 
Based on your last post, it looks like you have more praises on the ProAc than the D9. But if the bass does not work for you, then go with the D9. Did you try the song I suggested? That should be a good test of what is "listenable" in your environment.Despite being a ProAc D48R, I would suggest that you have at least 24-36 inches behind these loudspeakers to breath, and at least 18 inches from side walls. If you cannot give them this much space, simply go with the D9. Think of your "best 4-5 albums" of all time and take time to play them on both the speakers. If the bass on the D48 is too much, you should give them up. If you are able to live with the bass that they provide, you can go with them.It would be a disservice on my part to misguide a fellow audiogoner into buying the ProAc D48 just because I love them. You can also talk to your dealer to lend the D30RS and Spendor D7, since you are going to give him our business.
Good luck and hope you are able to take a decision soon.
itzhak1969
515 posts
 
The D30RS has one of the best bass I ever heard ; fast, taught , controlled and very deep.
Below a thread how good this speakers are compared to the old version 30R and the ATC SCM40 :

https://hifiwigwam.com/forum/topic/129233-even-briefer-review-of-atc-scm40-vs-proac-d30r-vs-proac-d3...
rsf507
2,251 posts
 
Have several friends who own Spendors and always found them lacking that midrange fullness and just to hot on top. Just not my flavor in a speaker YMMV. 
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,337 posts
 
@rsf507 ,
Very strange because I did listen to the Spendor D7 and they did not seem to lack in midrange or fullness. I am assuming that equipment makes a difference. The D7 I listened to had $$$$ MBL amp, preamp and CD player feeding them. In real life no one would make this kind of a combination; but it showed what the speakers were capable of.
avanti1960
1,422 posts
 
@seadog77

I’m currently doing an accelerated break in of a new pair of D7s. These need LOTS of time. I am approaching 200 hours and they are still changing for the better. The slightly hot upper midrange is gone. The vocals are full and just incredible. The upper treble is softer and still detailed. But the speed and dynamics are what you stay for. Musical notes really pop like no tomorrow!
However I am coming from Harbeth where I do miss a few things they did well- but I would most likely miss the energy of the D7s even more. Almost ready to commit to them. This close...
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