Spendor A5 or Monitor Audio rx6?

[peterpan]

I saw the Spendor A5 in a webshop for a interesting price, but haven't heard them. Around me there is no dealer.

I have heard the MA rx6 with Marantz 8003, but in dubt. I like a full body sound without brightness or too much treble. Music rock and pop and it seems to like that this will sound not so good on the MA rx6.

The A5 is better?

 

[Frank Harvey]

What amplifier are you using?

 

[6th.replicant]

Demo'd Spendor A5 this morning.

FWIW, thus far it's topping my list of maybes - it has a very balanced sound, lots of detail, good bass, and no trace of brightness, which I loathe.

IMHO, MA RX6 has impressive bass but a disproportionately bright top-end and an 'empty-ish' mid-range.

Although I'm sure many will disagree with all of the above...

 

[peterpan]

FrankHarveyHiFi:

What amplifier are you using?

I was thinking of a Roksan Kandy K2 amp. and cdp.

 

[Craig M.]

i heard the a5 with exposure 3010 (?) and the sound was as you describe, a bit 'dark' to my ears.

 

[jaxwired]

Nice choice. I've listened to the K2 and it's extremely good for the money. I just saw a "like new" one go on ebay for $600 USD. That's a screaming deal over here since they sell for $1600 new.

 

[Anonymous]

The Spendor and K2 combo works very well IME. The amp seems to have the right amount of bass and bass control for the speakers. But it's all down to taste!

 

[SteveR750]

igglebert:The Spendor and K2 combo works very well IME. The amp seems to have the right amount of bass and bass control for the speakers. But it's all down to taste!

+1 they do indeed seem to work very well together indeed. I haven't found anything yet to better it at similar prices break.

 

[peterpan]

Some people says the Spendor is not suitable for (older) rock. But is this right?

The MA RX6 who find many poeple good lacks body and i find the highs a little bright especially with rockcd's who are not so good recorded.

 

[SteveR750]

peterpan:
Some people says the Spendor is not suitable for (older) rock. But is this right?

The MA RX6 who find many poeple good lacks body and i find the highs a little bright especially with rockcd's who are not so good recorded.

If I told you I owned a Gibson SG in heritage cherry, a couple of amps named after a certain James of Milton Keynes, and when it would, grew my hair long; is that sufficient evidence that they do indeed rock.

Brash and cheap thrills they are not, and perhaps so are often described as boring or dull, but to my ears they are simply classy and reveal the music and nothing much else. Spin Donington Live! and I am immediately transported back to that balmy August evening in 1991....

 

[Anonymous]

The A5 is a lovely budget floorstander, and better balanced than its bigger brother. Both are a class above the MA in my opinion (but that will depend on your music choice too I guess). The spendors are more 'Hifi' in tonality, but the MAs give a bit more end-of-your-seat effect with punchy music. Good for movies, popular music etc. The Spendors are what you need if you want to pick out the pizzicato viola in Beethoven string quartetts. Of course there is much better if you can go an extra thousand or so (Sonus Faber, Harbeth, Vienna etc).

 

[Cypher]

IMO there is no contest. The Spendors are so much better than the monitor audios.

The RX6 is a good speaker but the A5 is a class above.

 

[peterpan]

I hope they will work well with the Roksan Kandy K2 amp and cdp and with my music. I find Naim too expensive.

I'm afraid that the rx6 with my music is too bright and lacks body.

 

[jaxwired]

Kevin1:The A5 is a lovely budget floorstander, and better balanced than its bigger brother.

Interesting point. After months of thought, that's the conclusion I finally came to regarding the Spendor A6 and why I got rid of it. It wasn't the quality of the sound (which was superb), it was the balance. I can live with rolled off bass, but I couldn't live with the way it was balanced because I kept wanting to turn it louder to make the bass more impactful, but that resulted in the highs getting to shouty. I suspect I would have been happy with the A5 from everything I've read about them. Ironically I originally was going for the A5s, but the dealer talked me into the A6 instead at the time...

 

[6th.replicant]

jaxwired:
Kevin1:The A5 is a lovely budget floorstander, and better balanced than its bigger brother.

Interesting point. After months of thought, that's the conclusion I finally came to regarding the Spendor A6 and why I got rid of it. It wasn't the quality of the sound (which was superb), it was the balance. I can live with rolled off bass, but I couldn't live with the way it was balanced because I kept wanting to turn it louder to make the bass more impactful, but that resulted in the highs getting to shouty. I suspect I would have been happy with the A5 from everything I've read about them. Ironically I originally was going for the A5s, but the dealer talked me into the A6 instead at the time...

Recently demo'd the A5 and A6 and mostly agree with the above, although the A6 sounded awesome with classical/jazz/acoustic IMO - instruments had amazing sense of scale and timbre/3D. Thought the A5 actually had a wee bit more subtlety/separation when playing rock/soul/electronica, though, which doesn't make sense - does it??

 

[peterpan]

I've heard today the A5 with my music, (older) rock, pop and metal (Hammerfall). With the Creek amp and cdp a very dark and dull sound. With NAD more lively, but the highs became more bright. Overall; it souns good, very neutral, but i missed someyhing. I think it is for my music not lively enough, too boring.

Maybe it will be the MA rx6. And will (again) listen to a B&W.

 

[poldo]

Hi Peterpan.

Very good that you listened to it by yourself, many people like the Spendor but some people don't like it because of their music preference I think.

But you did not demo them with the Roksan K2? or Naim XS?

 

[peterpan]

This dealer hasn't Naim or Roksan. I don't know yet which speaker it will be. Possible the spendor too small for my music. En yeah; the bass of the RX6 is far better than from the A5.

 

[poldo]

How big is your room?

 

[peterpan]

My room has a L-form. But the pace where i listen is 6 x 4 metres. And the speakers 50 cm. from the wall.

 

[poldo]

you have exactly the same room as I have

I have my rs6 50cm from walls, against a 4 meter wall.

The bass can be overpowering with some bad rock records, maybe you should demo some speakers at home.

Spendor can sound more punchy in your room then in the demo room!

 

[peterpan]

Dali ikon 6?

 

[poldo]

Dali 6 MK2 is a big speaker, bigger then rx6 and they need room to breath. I think about 1 mtr from wall.

I must say my rs6 sounds best when 80-100 cm from wall, but I have a wife so 50 cm is max.

I think spendor will be fine with 50cm, so that is 1 advantage.

 

[peterpan]

I find after listening the Dali too bright.

Anyone knows the Tannoy dc6T? Better than Ma Rx6 or Rx8?

 

[poldo]

You have to demo the Tannoy it is a love/hate speaker. Some love it, some hate it.

I love the Tannoy sound, bit analogue sound, bass on MA RX is better.

Demo the Tannoy with exposure I think you will like that.