Spendor BC1'S.....

A pair up for sale for £100.oo...picture shows them to be cosmetically good,does anyone here have any experience with regard to how they sound?

 

How do the surrounds on the woofers look? That is a common problem that cannot be remedied. Can you provide a picture? The speakers sound transparent, airy and open with a seductive, vivid midrange combined with somewhat rubbery, lumpy bass. There is something alluring about the sound yet upon hearing these, the flaws are immediately obvious: boomy bass that doesn't extend very deep, the highs lack refinement, etc. The tweeter combo tends to sound brittle, stiff, and hissy and is by no means forgiving of poorly recorded material. Use with very warm and full sounding tube amps and place on low-ish stands. I find that they perform well close to the rear wall as well as being able to produce satisfying music while out into the room a ways. In the end, I found the Celestion/Coles tweeter combo to be the deal killer because I found these drivers to be fatiguing and a bit harsh. But I cannot deny the speaker has some kind of special magic just the same.

 

Thank you for that..the reviews I have read mirror exactly what you have said: but given that,if they are mechanically sound would it be worth an outlay of a hundred quid?

 

I can't answer that until I see the pictures of the woofer surround, but I don't think that's a bad price at all.

 

you can't redo the surrounds...?

 

Looks like a tricky proposition, this article indicates that the woofer has an additional treatment that's finicky. I listened to a pair for many ears when I worked at the Musical Offering in Berkeley. Good speaker for classical music.

"I'm pretty sure it's impossible to get the formula for the coating used on the drivers. So, if you are looking for a BC1 speaker, require some very good and sharp photos of the driver membranes near to the rubber surround. On the web I've seen the suggestion of the BC1 midbass driver being replaced by a Vifa 8" paper cone driver, but I would never do this. This is likely to totally change the sonic character of the BC1 speaker. Not even a polypropylene driver may come near this driver. Not that it necessarily would be worse, but only different from how the BC1 was intended to sound."

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/vintageBC1.htm

 

I own a pair of BC1s and I love them to bits. I've had them for about ten years and I listen to all sorts of music, CDs, LPs, SACDs, Blu-Rays and they sound fabulous. For that price, that's a steal!

They sound pretty nice and warm to me but I think it's all about matching them with an amp that will make them sing.

 

Absolutely not. Impossible. But you can find replacement drivers, however, they will not be matched as they are when the speakers are constructed at the factory.

Make no mistake about it, BC1 speakers do NOT sound warm. They Celestion/Coles combo is open-sounding, bordering on bright and unforgiving. The midrange is seductive and the bass can have a plump character, thus their reputation for being "warm". They are not, nor are they particularly refined or smooth. They are like a cat that scratches and hisses, but is soft and wonderful to curl up with every night in spite of the glaring problems.

 

I think you are not as keen on live music or indeed, a properly functioning pair of BC1s. The midrange to treble balance and tonality can at times, surpass many speakers made today! The celestion 1300 , while being a touch pesky at about 10khz is indeed tapped a bit less smoothly than the SP1 which Spencer designed in about 1980. However, the midrange and tonal liquidity did not completely meet the BC1 standard: but close enough on pure concert hall and instrumental tonality... If not for the power handling and maybe treble smoothness... The BC1 would be fetching thousands of dollars in the used market. As for an individual's remembrance of live, acoustical concert hall sound: some people have it and SOME people don't!

 

BC1s were my main speakers for years. They have some shortcomings but also a bit of magic. They were the first speakers I owned that were not only particular about the amp but the speaker wire (Woods extension cord worked well). Below I compare them with JMR Twin Signatures that eventually replaced the BC1s:

Two of my favorite speakers are the Reynaud Twin Signature and the Spendor BC1. The Twin Sig is no longer a current model but is a much more recent vintage than the BC1.

What they have in common:
Both speakers have (to my ears) a rare ability to capture the beauty and tone of acoustic music. They are also forgiving enough to allow listening to less than audiophile approved recordings.
Neither has holographic imaging or extreme detail retrieval. Neither goes super low in the bass or plays super loud.
They are both more for music lovers than hardcore audiophiles.

How they are different:

The Twins
better reproduce rhythmic nuances
have the edge in bass
are better with pop/rock music
have a more up front, immediate presentation
like tubes (and none of my inexpensive solid state gear)

The BC1s
have more depth
with matching associated gear, have a beautifully liquid mid/treble
sound good with decent warm sounding solid state gear