Robert E. Greene (REG) gave a very detailed review of this speaker in the December 2011 edition of The Absolute Sound. It would be worth your while to run it down.
He also did a review of the original SP1/2 several years back. It was perhaps one of the most glowing reviews he's ever given.
I own a pair of SP1/2Es that I have zero urge to replace. They are a wonderful speaker for the reproduction of voice and acoustic music, which are my top priorities for a speaker.
I haven't heard the "R" version, but I've always found REG's reviews quite accurate. In reading his TAS review for the new speaker, it sounds like Spendor has tweaked things to get a slightly more modern audiophile sound, but retained much of the original character.
If they are in perfect shape, the $3K price tag sounds about right for the new model (I believe retail is around $5K), but the other poster is right in stating the older SP1/2 and E versions typically go for under $2K and are an incredible bargain if medium volume acoustic neutrality is your main goal as opposed to deep bass, high volume, or a more "Kodachrome" sound.
