How does Arcam pair with Spendor?

[Anonymous]

JamesOK:
igglebert:Well, at least you're assured a fair amount of interest on the Naim kit! It's like selling a Mini Cooper.

Very true. Ive just bought that stuff. Oh dear - what am I going to tell the girlf. Mind you IB, at least I dont have to tell her "sorry, Ive just spent a load of money on exactly the same stereo I used to have, and now the guests wont be able to have a desert at the wedding breakfast", or something along those lines.

No you're right, I've already vetoed guests.

 

[JamesOK]

igglebert:JamesOK:
igglebert:Well, at least you're assured a fair amount of interest on the Naim kit! It's like selling a Mini Cooper.

Very true. Ive just bought that stuff. Oh dear - what am I going to tell the girlf. Mind you IB, at least I dont have to tell her "sorry, Ive just spent a load of money on exactly the same stereo I used to have, and now the guests wont be able to have a desert at the wedding breakfast", or something along those lines.

No you're right, I've already vetoed guests.

Haha, I wonder what a guest is worth. Some cable from Russ Andrews maybe? Or 1/20th of an amp?

 

[chebby]

But what happens in a few months time when you get bored with the Arcam sound again and crave another dose of excitement?

You said... "I still like the Naim presentation now, but maybe I prefer my old sound...".

The important word there is 'maybe'.

 

[JoelSim]

There is much to like about the A85/P85 combo, a very nice sound....and the most important thing, the ability to listen for hours on end and still not want to switch the damn thing off.

If you are really keen on the Spendors then go for a used A32 or A38, the former I've heard and it's very nice, the latter has had superb reviews everywhere but here.

If you are willing to try other speakers then perhaps A85/P85 or A32/P35 biamped into a speaker such as Kudos, Dali Ikon 6, ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signatures, Neat Elite, ProAc Studio 140 and many many more.

Other component brands to consider are Unison Research, Audio Analogue, Quad, NAD.

These will all give you a sound that I think you will like.

 

[JoelSim]

chebby:
But what happens in a few months time when you get bored with the Arcam sound again and crave another dose of excitement?

You said... "I still like the Naim presentation now, but maybe I prefer my old sound...".

The important word there is 'maybe'.

There is a huge difference between the kit we are talking about and the Solo Mini.

 

[chebby]

JoelSim:There is a huge difference between the kit we are talking about and the Solo Mini.

You are the only one to mention the Solo-Mini. I wasn't even thinking about it.

I assume you just needed your... "My Arcam was considerably bigger than yowers" moment back there.

Yes it was. Well done.

 

[JoelSim]

chebby:
JoelSim:There is a huge difference between the kit we are talking about and the Solo Mini.

You are the only one to mention the Solo-Mini. I wasn't even thinking about it.

I assume you just needed your... "My Arcam was considerably bigger than yowers" moment back there.

Yes it was. Well done.

I was simply referring to the bad press that you always give Arcam, based on experience of a mini system

 

[chebby]

JoelSim:I was simply referring to the bad press that you always give Arcam, based on experience of a mini system

Of course you were Joel.

 

[JoelSim]

chebby:
JoelSim:I was simply referring to the bad press that you always give Arcam, based on experience of a mini system

Of course you were Joel.

100% Chebby, but you can choose to think whatever you like.

 

[JamesOK]

chebby:
But what happens in a few months time when you get bored with the Arcam sound again and crave another dose of excitement?

You said... "I still like the Naim presentation now, but maybe I prefer my old sound...".

The important word there is 'maybe'.

Its a fair point. However at the moment I have a system worth what, probably £1K or more, which I am not enjoying as much as I should be. I've the option to have an Arcam system which I enjoyed for 5 or 6 years before persuading myself (probably with a degree of help from this forum!) that I should get something a little less laid back. The most positive point about it being I can have my old system back, sell the Naims and likely have 3 or 400 pounds in my back pocket. Which considering I'm moving house very soon is not a bad thing.

 

[Anonymous]

I hear that the NaitXS is more laid back and refined than the 5i....

 

[JamesOK]

JoelSim:
There is much to like about the A85/P85 combo, a very nice sound....and the most important thing, the ability to listen for hours on end and still not want to switch the damn thing off.

If you are really keen on the Spendors then go for a used A32 or A38, the former I've heard and it's very nice, the latter has had superb reviews everywhere but here.

If you are willing to try other speakers then perhaps A85/P85 or A32/P35 biamped into a speaker such as Kudos, Dali Ikon 6, ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signatures, Neat Elite, ProAc Studio 140 and many many more.

Other component brands to consider are Unison Research, Audio Analogue, Quad, NAD.

These will all give you a sound that I think you will like.

Thanks for your thoughts Joel. I'm going to take a punt and get my old setup back, this should do me for the near to mid future at least! I really like the Spendors, and have only just bought em, so whilst its going to nag in my mind a little that I cant Bi-Amp them I'll be sticking with them for a while yet.

 

[crusaderlord]

If you like the Arcam sound and cant bi-amp to the Spendors then i would seriously recommend the Arcam A32 over the A85 due to the extra power available. The A32 is great value at what is goes for on auction sites.

 

[JoelSim]

crusaderlord:If you like the Arcam sound and cant bi-amp to the Spendors then i would seriously recommend the Arcam A32 over the A85 due to the extra power available. The A32 is great value at what is goes for on auction sites.

Definitely.

 

[JamesOK]

crusaderlord:If you like the Arcam sound and cant bi-amp to the Spendors then i would seriously recommend the Arcam A32 over the A85 due to the extra power available. The A32 is great value at what is goes for on auction sites.

Thanks for the recommendation. Joel actually said the same! I will be driving them via the P85 so I guess power shouldnt be too much of a problem. Maybe I will go down the new route at some time in the future.

 

[JoelSim]

JamesOK:

crusaderlord:If you like the Arcam sound and cant bi-amp to the Spendors then i would seriously recommend the Arcam A32 over the A85 due to the extra power available. The A32 is great value at what is goes for on auction sites.

Thanks for the recommendation. Joel actually said the same! I will be driving them via the P85 so I guess power shouldnt be too much of a problem. Maybe I will go down the new route at some time in the future.

Have you still got a P85? If not then just try the A32 on its own. Then you could get a P35 at some point down the line as an upgrade.

 

[JamesOK]

JoelSim:JamesOK:

crusaderlord:If you like the Arcam sound and cant bi-amp to the Spendors then i would seriously recommend the Arcam A32 over the A85 due to the extra power available. The A32 is great value at what is goes for on auction sites.

Thanks for the recommendation. Joel actually said the same! I will be driving them via the P85 so I guess power shouldnt be too much of a problem. Maybe I will go down the new route at some time in the future.

Have you still got a P85? If not then just try the A32 on its own. Then you could get a P35 at some point down the line as an upgrade.

Yeh got P85 and A85 coming.

 

[JamesOK]

Well I took the plunge and got a A85, P85 and CD82 off ebay for a very good price. Its like I have been reunited with an old friend.

. The Spendors work very well being driven by the P85, and all sounds sweet. As Joel said in a previous post, the nice thing about the A85 P85 combination is that you can listen to it for hours without wanting to turn it off.

I've a feeling I could probably get more out of the system with a better CD player - A second hand CD192 or maybe a CD37. But for the time being what Ive been reunited with will do the trick nicely.

I'll put this one down to experience, you certainly need more than one session of testing before you buy some new kit.