Review: Spendor S-100 Speaker
Category: Speakers
The S-100 (now the SP-100) comes in near the top of the companys line and as such deserves better upstream components than I've been able to feed them when I had them; but.... A little history on where these have come from is needed. The first speaker they made was the splendid BC-1; a speaker that still is a wonderfully natural sounding unit. It was developed for the BBC as a studio monitor in the mid 70's! The company went on to produce a whole line based on research done with the BBC, including the LS3/5a. The founders son took up the challenge to produce a speaker with the legendary midrange of the BC-1 with much increased dynamics, better extension at both extremes, and much better power handling. Has he succeeded? Oh yes. Make no mistake, the S-100's will deliver on all of his promises. Having owned a few pairs of the BC-1's, I can only marvel that this company has produced yet another classic.
The S-100's will not throw a soundstage like a Martin Logan, will not image like a Thiel, nor will they give you the supernatural detail of a Quad. What they will give you is music. Female vocalists sound like they are in the room with you, jazz comes through with it's rythym, pace, dynamics, naturalness, and soul, all in such a relaxed and dynamic fashion, that listening is often revelatory of the MESSAGE of the artist. Don't get me wrong; they will image, they will wrap themselves around you, and they will certainly give you details in the recording.
They just go about it in such a natural fashion that seem to be hardly trying.
These don't have the audience that they really deserve. Chris Dudley of Listener Magazine has adopted them I hear, so maybe more people will go out of their way to listen to these overlooked but oh so worthy gems. Give them a listen if you have any inclination towards natural sound.
They will rock you out of your shoes! Then they will make you weep with joy as you are seduced by Joni. These speakers flat out make you want to listen to music. Soul, jazz, classical, folk, rap, rock, pop, new age, blues at live levels, these things WILL make you dance, swoon, laugh, reflect, move, think and above all become involved in MUSIC. They're just flat out great. Listen only if you can buy them.
PS. I've heard the SP-9's SP-7's and the SP-2/3's, SP-1/2's and they are also knockout music makers!
Associated gear
Various integrateds in the $2,000 and less range. Arcam cd or Roksan. Kimber
cables all around. Lots and lots of jazz and folk!
Similar products
All the Spendors past and present. Rogers (Ls3/5as, Ls 7's, Ls1's, Ls 2's,
Studio 1's, Studio 1a's, Ls5/9s), Maganapans (various) Acoustats, Quads (57's and 63's) Snell eIII's, Celestion (6, 600, 300's) etc....you get the picture.
