The British Speaker Thread Old And New!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Tawaun A Williams, Nov 7, 2021.

  1. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I wonder what the modern versions sound like...since IAG owns them now...i remember having good fun listening to various Castle models in the Early to mid 90s....
     
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  2. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Found a Mission dealer in the States!! Think im gonna check out the LX2 or LX3 mkII and pit them against the Diamond 12.2!
     
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  3. Steeve

    Steeve Forum Resident

    Location:
    East of Australia
    Spendor s3/5r which I have run with a Uniti Atom for the last 6 months. They suit each other well. I had a pair of ls50 metas which I tried with the Atom but the Spendors seem to have a more natural real sound. The Metas just didn’t impress the same way.(maybe I didn’t keep them long enough).
    I’ve had the S3/5r Spendors for about 10 years and have always gone back to them.They have some special quality?
    Also have a pair of Proac D18s that I run with a Marantz amp when I can be bothered setting up. Another awesome natural sounding speaker but don’t have the luxury of leaving the out all the time

    Also have had …and enjoyed, but moved on : ls50 original / ls50 wireless (v.1.)/ R3 / Spendor LE 2/3
    Also Wharedale Dentons but never I got a connection with them either.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2021
    Zos93, Tajo1960, jonwoody and 2 others like this.
  4. blind_melon1

    blind_melon1 An erotic adventurer of the most deranged kind....

    Location:
    Australia
    I grew up with a pair of TDL References (my Dads).
    I’ve never heard anything come close. Awesome speakers.
     
  5. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I havent heard the Metas...but i definitely didnt connect with the original ls50, i dont really think they did anything wrong...i just dont think i like the way Kef metal drivers sound, generally i dont like metal drivers but ofcourse their are exceptions. The Denton i just didnt like them very forward in the lower treble and uppermidrange almost like they were screaming at me like they were pissed off at me or something. A shame as nice as the tonality was i just couldn't get past the screachy sound...for basically the same price the 12.1 and 12.2 will run circles around them twice...make that 4 times..
     
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  6. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    I fell in love with my Spendor SP100 floorstanders literally within seconds of first hearing them at the dealer. They have a warm, effortless sound coupled with very good detail and sound staging. They could sound remarkably lifelike with orchestral music. The Spendors served me well for over 15 years but I eventually sold them to make room for large, high-efficiency speakers with open-baffle woofers.

    Sometimes I wish I still had the Spendors around as an alternative. I think I would still prefer them with a symphony at full tilt, but then I remember how cumbersome it was to lift those 80 lb speakers on and off their stands. No trouble at all 20 years ago, but not today!
     
  7. sotosound

    sotosound Forum Resident

    The happy couple.
     
  8. Donivey

    Donivey Forum Resident

    Location:
    NC
    KEF LS-50’s (passed on to my Son), Rogers LS3/5a’s, Nd Audio Note E/Spe HE’s. Love the Rogers nearfield, and the AN’s anywhere.
     
  9. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I would love to have a nice pair of SP100s. To this day it remains one the best speakers I’ve heard, possibly THE best.
     
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  10. layman

    layman Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Which version would you go for? Spendor seems to have revised the model numerous times over it's 40 year run.
     
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  11. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    Probably the SP100s
     
  12. Salectric

    Salectric Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    Definitely the SP100 although the earlier S100 is supposedly very similar. The later SP100R and R2 are significantly different; they have a more “modern” sound from what I read. I heard the R2 version tri-wired at the Capital Audio Fest a few years ago and didn’t like it.
     
  13. Can Utility

    Can Utility Forum Resident

    Location:
    Norfolk,England
    My first "proper " speakers were mission 70s. I then got a pair of 770s. For the last 20 years I have had a pair of 752 Freedoms that I love. With my Cyrus set up they are perfect for my listening.
     
  14. yamfan

    yamfan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Missouri
    Also really enjoyed hearing the Celestion SL 6? The one with the Aerolam cabinet.
     
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  15. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thats a nice setup there....
     
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  16. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    That had to be a fun 15 years....1 of my dream speakers..if i had them they could post up on the stands for as long as they wanted they would be the emperor of the room...lol
     
    Salectric likes this.
  17. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Which British speakers are on you guys dream list 1 or multiples it doesent matter...
     
  18. layman

    layman Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York, NY
    For me:

    Graham Audio BBC LS 5/9 or Rogers BBC LS 5/9:
    [​IMG]
    Graham Audio BBC LS 5/9
    [​IMG]
    Rogers BBC LS 5/9
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2021
    Tim 2, Tajo1960, jonwoody and 6 others like this.
  19. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    This is 1 of mine to! Throw the LS 5/9f in there to....the Rogers is about $2k more expensive tho...
     
  20. willboy

    willboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wales, UK
    I own the original UK made Castle Richmond 3i. I've only heard of one direct comparison between this model and the IAG Richmond 3i. No details, just that the owner reckoned his original 3i bettered the IAG model. I believe the Castle Richmond 3i along with the 7i floorstanders, were the last line of speakers produced by the UK Skipton plant. They were designed by a German called Karl Heinz Fink and were said to have a more energetic, punchy sound than previous models.
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2021
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  21. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Spendor Classic 200 & 100
    Spendor Classic 1/2 & 2/3
    Tannoy Heritage Arden & Eaton
    Mission 770 (the new reboot)
    Spendor BC-1(Vintage)
    Falcon ls3/5a Gold Badge
    Wharfedale Diamond I & III
     
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  22. Tawaun A Williams

    Tawaun A Williams Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I didnt know Fink did the older Castles.....he is the baddest man on the planet right now in speaker design...
     
  23. willboy

    willboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wales, UK
    He certainly did a good job on my Richmond 3i, and on its big brother the hard to find Richmond 7i from what I've heard.
     
    Tawaun A Williams likes this.
  24. Bert Oz

    Bert Oz Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Mordaunt Short Pageant2 1978 (belonged to my Dad - came to me in 1985)

    Mordaunt Short MS35ti 1987 (first speakers I bought)

    Mission 782 2002

    B&W 683S2 2015

    B&W 804D D3 2019
     
  25. Gyrouser

    Gyrouser Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    For two decades I was a huge Bowers and Wilkins fan, well until I heard Living Voice speakers and rest is history. I went from the 803D to Living Voice IBX3. I never owned non-British speakers.

    [​IMG]
     

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