Spendor SA1 Vs LS3/5a

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  • Опубликовано: 30 ноя 2024

Комментарии • 107

  • @StevePilgrim2013
    @StevePilgrim2013 2 года назад +12

    Between your recent videos & those from A British Audiophile, the two of you are helping me close in on the speakers I want for the next 10 or 15 years. Spendor, Proac or ATC are on the very short list with an LS3/5a (Falcon or Graham) or possibly the Dali Menuet SE. Love the British midrange sound...even when it comes from Denmark! Thanks for the videos & the very useful descriptions.

  • @astroporpoise7802
    @astroporpoise7802 2 года назад +7

    There was an ease to the sound with the LS3/5a that really just made me think, "Yep, I can live with that." Thanks for the comparison, really reinforced my decision to get the LS3/5a in the near future.

  • @andrewlittleboy8532
    @andrewlittleboy8532 2 года назад +7

    The Falcons are the best speakers I’ve actually ever heard with absolutely fantastic top end detail.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад +2

      Absolutely stunning speakers.. easy in my top 10 of all time

  • @kurthill7030
    @kurthill7030 2 года назад +2

    Thanks for putting all of your time and effort you do a great job and it's nice that you get to hear speakers in a normal front room and not in a special room treatment free witch most of us have a normal front room 🤣😂👍

  • @dansiaopingpong4538
    @dansiaopingpong4538 6 месяцев назад +4

    Wow! That's the difference! Compared to Falcon, Spendors sound like shoe boxes! I would never have thought that! Falcons are simply alive! surprising, considering that Spendors are actually very good presenters.

  • @electronicmusic6609
    @electronicmusic6609 2 года назад +5

    Spendor sa1 sounds so live. Wow !!

  • @D1N02
    @D1N02 2 года назад +7

    The Spendors had the punchier bass but overall I liked the falcons better. They felt more immersive and better detailed. More subtle

  • @peterpanjaeger9546
    @peterpanjaeger9546 9 месяцев назад +1

    Danke, das ist sehr interessant. Aus dem gehörten kann ich die gleiche Conclusio ziehen. Eine Eingrenzung durch die Wahl der Quelle vs. Lautsprecher ist nicht Zielführend - da bin ich ganz bei dir.

  • @nigelgauntlett582
    @nigelgauntlett582 2 года назад +4

    I have to totally agree ! The Falcons are a notch above the Spendors ; they are definitely not too fussy with what ever source you throw at them! Love to compare them with my vintage Rogers LS3/5 ‘s ( with either my Quad 405-2 ( rebuilt) or my Macintosh vintage M60 monoblocks , these are amazing) . It’s all about Tone with me and I suspect it has to do with the tweeter ; the Falcon is superior !

  • @WhitebrookCentral
    @WhitebrookCentral 2 года назад +4

    Interesting comparison and it's fair to say the Falcons edged it over the Spendors. The missing element is cost. I picked up a nice pair of pre-loved SA1 for £450 which left plenty of room in my budget for a REL sub. That compensates for the lack of bass extension as you'd expect but also adds width and depth to the presentation. I shopped around for some quality LS3/5a and couldn't see anything much below two grand.
    Your point about high frequency roll-off is a very good one too. Much as I love my current set up, it just doesn't do cymbals!

  • @92trdman
    @92trdman Год назад +2

    Recently bought a pair of LS3/5A, it might not sound dynamically like others, But it could make you listen non stop...

  • @jandjaczenko8943
    @jandjaczenko8943 2 года назад +1

    Thank you very much for the amazing comparison.

  • @timothyfreeseha4056
    @timothyfreeseha4056 Год назад +1

    Automatically, I love the LS3/ 5a. Amazing that you recorded the difference that I discern. To me- from this, I judge the LS3 to be nimble/ agile/ quick..

    • @timothyfreeseha4056
      @timothyfreeseha4056 Год назад

      I have the 3/1 s. I have to say that they can be a harsh critic of vinyl recordings and of some digital- or, so I've thought. I actually prefer my klipsh Heresys with vinyl.

  • @andredevries4987
    @andredevries4987 2 года назад +2

    Very good test.
    I love them both.
    I spin only cd so my choice is the spendor.
    But the ls 3/5a are wonderfull too.
    Gr André de vries.

  • @Evolved_ue7
    @Evolved_ue7 8 месяцев назад +1

    I think the Sa1's hold up really well, Them falcon's are superb, managed to borrow a pair, like pulling teeth handing them back . When dialed in my Dali menuet se are also Wow . I'm still not sure on my next purchase Proac or Splendor, my baby rel does a fantastic job when required.

  • @shaunyweavey2470
    @shaunyweavey2470 2 года назад +1

    How good does that Falcon sound it's got it all for me . The Spendor great but the falcon, the decay the shaping so close to the instrument's real sound .
    What they must sound like for real amazing ...

  • @thevintagehifiambassador8524
    @thevintagehifiambassador8524 2 года назад +10

    Spendor wins, Falcons too bright, less coloured, less warm, more natural (piano, drums), but too analytical sounding if listening for more hours perhaps ?.

  • @tg6373
    @tg6373 Год назад +2

    Thank you for that. The Falcons all the way!

  • @CC-bg8gf
    @CC-bg8gf 2 года назад +2

    Thanks for this comparison with the high quality sound demos. I just got a pair of SA1s and I picked them over the Falcon LS3/5A and the Graham Audio LS3/5 (not 5A) because of how forgiving they are of edgy digital recordings (plus the lower used price and the great looks). The tonality on the Graham mini-monitors is fantastic, especially on female vocals but I could not live with the stridency that would sometime pop up on vocals. This is just my hearing mind you; some younger folks wouldn’t be bothered at all. If you get a chance to listen to a pair of Graham LS3/5 (not 5A!), don’t hesitate, it would not be a waste of your time. And yeah, I can imagine they would be better than the Spendor SA1 when listening to vinyls.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      I’ve had a pair of Chartwell LS3/5’s..
      Very impressive 👍👍
      Glad to find someone else with SA1’s 👍👍👍👍

  • @kurthill7030
    @kurthill7030 2 года назад +2

    Spendor sound fuller to me anyway and my taste great job nice to see you back on utube 👍👍

  • @chriswright5016
    @chriswright5016 2 года назад +1

    I came to exactly the same conclusion before hearing your views Kev. These are clearly good "sniffer" speakers, pointing out weaknesses in your system to you. I found them easy winners on digital and I would have expected that to carry forward to vinyl and was surprised at what I heard. It's hard to know exactly what's not to their liking, without swapping around things like cartridges, phono stages and indeed the deck itself. It could just be one of those system synergy things, or something more. The key point is, however, that the LS3/5As acquitted themselves really well on the vinyl system and weren't too far behind on digital. One would also need to listen to each speaker across a wide range of genres before making any definite conclusions. My own thoughts, for what they are worth, are that you're likely to be frustrated by these Spendors and they're not likely to get a very long airing when you have the Classics which seem to tick all your boxes all of the time. Interesting and thought provoking video. Many thanks.

  • @trendingsoftware
    @trendingsoftware 2 года назад +3

    I came to same conclusion after both tracks and before your commentary.
    Very interesting stuff.
    The SA1 were more coloured and imagery was inferior to LS35s.
    SA1 warmer which some people may prefer.
    Overall a great test, thank you.
    Cheers
    Phil

  • @harjonoharoen5186
    @harjonoharoen5186 2 года назад +4

    LS3/5a superb!

  • @riccitone
    @riccitone Год назад +1

    Late to the game here. Wondering if you've had a chance to hear the newer Spendor A1's and/or the classic 4/5's? just got a used pair of the 4/5's and they sound great with my partnering equipment (luckily!).

  • @garyalexander5686
    @garyalexander5686 2 месяца назад

    I've owned a pair of these Falcons for several years. Based strictly on this dem I prefer the Spendors.

  • @JunkRemovalPro
    @JunkRemovalPro Год назад +1

    LS#/5a sound much better over all. Clear and vibrant. The SA1 sounds muffled compared to the LS3

  • @MaxZappa1
    @MaxZappa1 2 года назад +4

    If you are in any doubt the Falcon LS3/5A wins hands down. Its simply no contest. Falcons provide a transparent and enveloping 3D sound, the Spendors by comparison are woolly and 2D. The Falcons deliver a musical performance, whilst the Spendors deliver a musical recording. It would be interesting to compare these to my early MK 1 Linn Kans, which produce musical magic, but are very recording dependent. I take the view, that speakers which reveal the differences between good and bad recordings are simply more accurate, which is what the audiophile should be looking for. We should live with the fact that a lot of music is actually badly engineered/recorded, whilst at the same time celebrate those recordings which come alive, principally due to the work of extremely skilled recording engineers. I have some recordings from the 1950's which simply blow me away, yet some stuff recorded in the 1990's is by comparison very poor, often over engineered.

  • @rohannarangoda1305
    @rohannarangoda1305 2 месяца назад +1

    I have Spendor s3e. I can hear it’s much similar here too. It’s has characteristic of iPhone 15. Not accurate . Mid range and treble hidden, Squashed. Les enjoyable.

  • @spooner1
    @spooner1 2 года назад +1

    Spenders seem to go through you whereas the Falcons seem to surround you more with more detail. Both are very revealing. Tough choice. I would have to listen to more genres of music to choose one over the other.

  • @gaborozorai3714
    @gaborozorai3714 2 года назад +1

    Funny how the SA1's and vinyl don't get along. Do they perhaps emphasize the range where vinyl noise is?
    I only have Mistrals, Chinese ls3/5a clones. You must use them as intended, in a near field listening setup, for them to open up, get balanced and punchy.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      I listen in near field myself.
      I think the SA1’s show up flaws in my tt set up, the falcons are more forgiving.

  • @markbajkowski1171
    @markbajkowski1171 Год назад

    This test confirms that the LS3/5a speakers have a relative weakness in reproducing the sound of a piano. The sound is described as "lyrical," which may be due to two main factors: the LS3/5a's limited transient response, which helps to create a smooth tonal quality that works well with vocals and speech, and the relative absence of high frequencies, which again contributes to the overall tonal balance. These characteristics may be why, for example, the Proac brand, which allows for more "unrestricted" high frequencies, tends to produce a more realistic piano sound. It's worth noting that this test did not examine the impact of DAC-speaker pairing or amp-speaker matching on piano reproduction, which can also be a factor to consider when trying to find a personal compromise between restriction and emphasis, particularly when using high-resolution speakers. All this also relates to personal music type preferences that often include favorite recording studio labels/producers that sound surprisingly different too.

  • @Jil8840
    @Jil8840 2 года назад

    Great test. Thank you. Can you make a test with the Rogers LS??

  • @jeanclaudelavallee4919
    @jeanclaudelavallee4919 Год назад +1

    wish you review the proac tablette 10 also

  • @colinbenfield326
    @colinbenfield326 2 года назад +2

    Drums sound so much better on the falcons. I do like the zebrano finish on the spenders though. Cracking album by the way.

  • @Yogi-Megan
    @Yogi-Megan 8 месяцев назад +1

    Great video

  • @morayjames92
    @morayjames92 Год назад

    Falcon LS3/5A with sub roll off the monitor at the bottom with a mini DSP and you can play as loud or as quietly as you like.

  • @DougMen1
    @DougMen1 2 года назад +1

    The Spendors are good, but on the Jazz piece, they are more colored and less dynamic than the LS35A, which were astounding sounding, literally more than perfect. I'm gobsmacked by the Falcons.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      The Falcon’s are phenomenal

    • @DougMen1
      @DougMen1 2 года назад +1

      @@dittonworks I'm just astounded by how perfect they sounded, and I'm a big fan of Spendor too, but they couldn't compete on that track. I still can't believe the perfect tonality and explosive dynamics that I heard from those little boxes on that tune. And the amp was the Bluesound? And, you're right, on the first track, the Spendors were much better, but on the vinyl track they couldn't keep up.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      @@DougMen1 my Spendor Classic 2/3’s sound phenomenal on that track.
      Way more power and dynamics over the LS3/5a

    • @DougMen1
      @DougMen1 2 года назад +1

      @@dittonworks I fell in love with the 2/3's on your channel too. That started my love affair with Spendor

  • @andreansaragihaja
    @andreansaragihaja 2 года назад +1

    the voice is good, the clarity is there, but it sounds dry on my cellphone

  • @willfollow
    @willfollow 3 месяца назад

    Sa1 speaker stands and positioning have some problems, i used Sound style stand with damping.

  • @andrewlittleboy8532
    @andrewlittleboy8532 2 года назад +1

    Just noticed the TEAC CD Player, Signals had one of them as a trade in sometime ago.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      That’s is it 👍

    • @andrewlittleboy8532
      @andrewlittleboy8532 2 года назад +1

      @@dittonworks I was very tempted myself when Andy showed it to me!
      I’ve got the S35r2 Spendors myself but keep hankering after the Falcons, I’ve tried the ATC standmounts also but ended up keeping the Spendors for now! They seem to be a good all rounder.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад +1

      @@andrewlittleboy8532 the S3/5r2 are better than the SA1 in my opinion but the Falcon are a league above..

  • @hoobsgroove
    @hoobsgroove 2 года назад

    yes turntable could be down to set up you have to make sure you can get a pure mains power that can lose a lot of detail and smear the the sound if not. and interconnects people use the wrong type and length , use 50 ohms from turntable to the phono stage/preamp even 30 ohms triple shielded will make the cartridge more lively.
    length will altering it's capacitance and inductance, going with a longer length will give you more of a top end and reduce bass. and vice versa.
    all analogue interconnect should be 50 ohms digital 93+ ohms
    you haven't cleaned the record be an issue if it's not washed properly.

  • @DougMen1
    @DougMen1 2 года назад

    I see now, from your video of your system, that the Bluenode is your streamer from them, not their amp, and the amp is your Meridian.

  • @shuckylad
    @shuckylad Год назад +3

    Wow what a difference, the Spendors sound awful in comparison. 😳

  • @Alexeymariupol
    @Alexeymariupol Год назад

    большое спасибо

  • @armanddimeo6575
    @armanddimeo6575 2 года назад +2

    The Spendors are more accurate and more revealing of bad sources. The Falcons (LS3/5as) have a more romantic sound, which will tend to make bad sources sound better than they really are. I checked the measurements on the Falcons and they measure terrible! I think the problem with the Spendors on analog sources is your turntable. I have never heard a Technics ( presumably direct drive) turntable that did not sound mechanical to me. Get a better turntable! I think Rega would be a good place to start.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад +1

      Thanks for watching.. the Technics is fine for me and sounds great through my Spendor Classic 2/3’s 👍

  • @Boatzerama
    @Boatzerama Год назад +1

    The Falcon’s have more space and airy the Spendor’s sound more enclosed.

  • @Mario-pn5lp
    @Mario-pn5lp 2 года назад +2

    Hello, I really enjoy your videos and I hope that you continue making them for a long time to come! However I do wonder: what’s up with the no toe in? I’ve owned a pair of gold badge Falcon’s for over a year and moved them around in every possible place and direction in my small and difficult listening room, trying to find the optimal placement for them. Frustrating as it was, I really feel like I’ve gotten to know the speakers well. From my experience, listening to them from the near to midfield like you seem to do, the LS3/5a sound the best with the toe in such that you don’t see the sides of the speakers. Also try to move them out roughly 40 cm from the back and side walls. Finally, if you can, try them with a EL34 or EL84 tube amp. Like a Leben or a Line Magnetic. Trust me you won’t regret it;) Keep up the good work! /Mario

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      LS3/5a should be run flat with no toe in firing the length of the room.

    • @Mario-pn5lp
      @Mario-pn5lp 2 года назад +1

      @@dittonworks unfortunately not true.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад +1

      @@Mario-pn5lp I’m afraid it is true my friend.
      That is exactly how you “should” set up LS3/5a. I didn’t say you “must” do that, it’s totally up to you how you set them up in your room getting the best results for you 👍👍

  • @CinemaDemocratica
    @CinemaDemocratica Год назад

    As I recall you didn't care for the s5e? It didn't seem as qualified as this sound demo -- there wasn't the duality of digital vs vinyl, e.g.

  • @mikecees2230
    @mikecees2230 2 года назад +1

    As expected the Falcon were an easy pick, even the bass sounded ''adequate''. Having owned Rogers LS3/5a back in the day I know that they need plenty of juice to sound good in an average living room, otherwise it's near field applications only. Back then I had a 125w/ch pure class A Threshold Stasis 3 space heater 🥵driving them so it wasn't a problem. What amp was used in your comparison?
    @ Steve Pilgrim I also owned the Dali Menuet for a very brief period, with a 70 w Naim integrated they were only listenable when sitting directly in front of them otherwise they sounded like a $29 transistor radio.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад +1

      Yes 👍
      The meridian 557 will pretty much drive anything. The Falcons are a hard act to follow but on digital the SA1’s weren’t bad.
      Time to tweak the TT now

    • @mikecees2230
      @mikecees2230 2 года назад +1

      @@dittonworks I checked the Meridian and I can imagine that it could manhandle most speakers. Unfortunately very hard to find second hand ones in my neck of the woods

  • @gavinralph2910
    @gavinralph2910 2 года назад

    Lovely open LS3/5A mids......BUT....as with all LS3/5A's that are not being used in the back of a mobile BBC unit or very small room....you must use a good sub.......only then can you enjoy the rest of the lower frequency's.....which are clearly missing🤫

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      The only sub I would consider is the AB1 but I honestly don’t miss the lower octaves.

  • @pawekwas8815
    @pawekwas8815 11 месяцев назад +1

    This is no longer a class difference.
    Falcon is in a different league.
    Falcon is a live performance.
    Spendor sounds like he's coming from the other room.

  • @mikeeygauthier2959
    @mikeeygauthier2959 2 года назад +1

    Absolutely correct the Spendors sound better with the CD! Maybe try the Ortofon Red cartridge.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад +1

      I’m using 2m Blue now..
      I’ll try the 2m Black

  • @Maccaboy1984
    @Maccaboy1984 Год назад +1

    I stupidly sold my SA1s, bad decision

  • @laptcheung2717
    @laptcheung2717 2 года назад +1

    beautiful sound

  • @kamydabrindisi
    @kamydabrindisi 8 месяцев назад

    Hi, which Is the amp?

  • @samc269
    @samc269 2 года назад

    Always use the same stands when comparing and at least 1 ft away from the back wall.

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      Sorry I can’t do that on SA1.. they are correct stands for the speakers

    • @samc269
      @samc269 2 года назад

      @@dittonworks not true

    • @dittonworks
      @dittonworks  2 года назад

      @@samc269 100% true.. Terry miles designed the SA1 with these stands. How do I know?? I asked him 😉
      And you measure distance from the the front baffle not the back of the cabinets.
      the SA1’s were way further out that 1ft.

    • @samc269
      @samc269 2 года назад

      @@dittonworks 😆

    • @samc269
      @samc269 2 года назад +1

      @@dittonworksshow for beginners only.

  • @tasosat6807
    @tasosat6807 2 года назад +1

    understand it better with voices

  • @peterbuckland6332
    @peterbuckland6332 Месяц назад +1

    Falcons defo a better spot

  • @sylvio1980
    @sylvio1980 2 года назад +2

    3:03, 4:01

  • @laptcheung2717
    @laptcheung2717 2 года назад

    what power amp?

  • @jozefserf2024
    @jozefserf2024 2 года назад +2

    LS3/5a sounds more correct.
    There's something tonally quite wrong with these Spendors.

  • @enricoguasta2843
    @enricoguasta2843 2 года назад

    Come casse, sono abbastanza penose....nella loro leggerezza...il suono, è bello quando tende all' obesità controllata...esiste, ma per ottenerlo ci vogliono molti soldi...

  • @stevechapman6551
    @stevechapman6551 Год назад

    Just chuck a load of money at these over complicated stands instead.

  • @Dododaler
    @Dododaler 3 месяца назад +1

    LS3/5a better

  • @melchior-chr.v.brincken8006
    @melchior-chr.v.brincken8006 5 месяцев назад

    Shouty. Pushy. Not grounded. Annoying. Where are the lower mids? Bass?

  • @sarahX..
    @sarahX.. 2 года назад +2

    LS3/5. Easy

  • @maverictomcat
    @maverictomcat 2 месяца назад

    stupid music to check cause no vocals

  • @burakharley272
    @burakharley272 2 месяца назад

    5:18 8:18