Are spendor speakers competitive in sound quality to KEF, B&W, ProAC, Audio Physic

I think Spendor makes great speakers I've listened to some earlier models in the FL series the FL9 I thought was really fantastic.

SPENDORs are a high-end brand every bit the equal, if not the top contenders for the top of the heap ranking of all your listed choices.

As with any speaker choice, their audio performance is a product of the system synergy with the rest of your equipment : front and centre. To evaluate them in isolation is meaningless.

I've seen them paired with EXPOSURE electronics and VAN DEN HUL  cables array at several audio expos. (The system was lovely!) This pairing has also been mirrored in mag reviews:

https://www.stereophile.com/ssi2009/spendor-exposure-van_den_hul/index.html

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HS82lo3MD-M
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8sMG9Zzx3U
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VurKKNpux6w
https://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/spendor-d7-too-bright-exposure-integrated

I’ve been a major fan of British speakers for many decades.  Spendors “house” sound is lush and lovely.  I have two pair of their ls35a’s as well as an older SP1 that I still use on a daily basis in a second system.
Ran Proac response 2.5 as well.  I have heard the newer house sound on B&W as well as KEF.  While quite nice I do prefer Spendor and/or Proac.  They are every bit as good and possibly better than the others.  Harbeth is also a major contender.  More like Spendor than the others......I love the SLH5 plus......
But you must hear for yourself.

Spendor make, well, splendid speakers.  The D7 and D9 are superlative.  Their SP100 is also very interesting, but is often in the shadow of the Harbeth 40.  Unlike Harbeth, who goes the monitor route, Spendor also make these less expensive floor-standers.  They have a major presence in Britain and Europe; as with Proac, it's a question of distribution and publicity campaigns in the US, compared to the likes of KEF.

I think so, yes.

Of course if you are talking about old Spendor models, they are wonderful sounding and many will say they still do some things "better" than many modern competitors.

But in terms of sheer technical prowess, advancements in accuracy, detail, clarity etc, they have been surpassed.

However Spendor hasn't sat on it's hands.  I remember thinking the sound coming from a pair of Spendor D9s (or was it D7?) was among the best at a recent audio show.   Really convincing clarity and timbre with jazz saxophone, drums, sense of drive, etc.

Spendor were my first foray into high quality speakers and historically they are a top British speaker manufacturer. I have owned the 3/1, 7/1, and 1/2e (twice) all from the Classic Series of days gone by (versus the Classic Series of today). I would not classify their sound as lush, in fact I have found them to be fairly transparent, and in the case of the 1/2e, with a midrange only bested by my Quad ESL 57s and Music Reference ESLs. I found my Spendors sounded better with solid state amps of moderate power vs. tube amps. Many others feel Spendors and tubes are a great match.

Today's series of Spendors are quite different in my opinion, and admittedly I have not listened to any of them. However, Derek Hughes (son of SPENcer and DORothy Hughes) designed the Stirling Broadcast LS 3/6 and from all accounts has recreated the classic Spendor sound.

As a point of reference here are a few links that I have found useful:

http://www.regonaudio.com/The%20Spendor%20SP9%20Loudspeaker%20July%201996.pdf

http://www.regonaudio.com/SpendorSP12Loudspeakers.html 

http://www.regonaudio.com/Spendor%20SP1.html

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/stirling-broadcast-ls36/ 

@clio09 +1

I used to own the Spendor 9/1 and have always regretted selling them.

Currently using the ProAc Response D 40r

ProAc owner here. Was searching for loudspeakers for the past 2 years and heard the Spendors along with many others. If the ProAcs were not available to me, I would have ended up with Spendors. They are really good loudspeakers. You should audition them in a good setting and decide for yourself.

I recently purchased a pair of Spendor D9s after listening to KEF Reference 1, B&W 804S3, Harbeth HL5+, and 40.2.    I had never heard a pair of Spendors and wasn't planning on listening to them, but the dealer suggested I give them a listen and they were my favorites along with the 40.2.

I thought the D9 was very similar to the 40.2 but is ~ $5K less (MSRP) and was much easier to fit in my smallish listening area.

Let us know how this turns out. Spendor is excellent. 

Yup, they have always made an easy to listen to speaker.  Great minds like the harbeth's and a bit on the sweet side of things. I was a long time Proac owner until I went with the Vandy's, but I have enjoyed both Harbeth and Spendors for that luscious mid range.  Not the last word in extension on either end and they don't throw the largest soundstage, but who cares if that's the sound you are looking for.  

Gee, if only Spendor advertised more then everyone would know how good they are.

Spendor has a new US distributor. Bluebird is out and Sound Organization is now handling the account. They also distribute Fyne, ProAc, Rega, and Chord. They are located in Texas.

Have a pair of the Classic 100 on order....traded my Joseph Audio Pearls for them which are too large for my listening space.
   Would never lump Spendor in with Kef/B+W....More like Graham/Stirling/Harbeth. Proac's I have heard are "hotter" in the treble.  Harbeth 40's have MUCH more bass than the Spendor 100's so the 40's wont work in my room.

Why wouldn’t they be?

What riaa said. I own three D series and also SA1, four Spendors in total. Favorite speaker brand under $20k

A lot of great speaker manufacturers in the Uk, Spendor are at the top for sure.