by ichabod » Mon Jan 24, 2005 9:58 am
Maybe I can toss some info into the confusion you are in right now.
I have a spendor limited edition. It has cardas wiring on them. And according to Derek Hughes, spendor owner and guru as well to the LS 3/5a, the special wiring was intended to improve on resolution and detail. I have listened and compared both spendors and rogers (a pseudo 15 ohmer) and owner may react or participate in this duscussion by giving his views as well since he also happens to like spendors and still looking for a nice pair to buy.
Okay on to the sound of each.
Like what you said, I find the spendors a little (a tad) less forward (another explanation if you like in terms of clarity) in the midrange owing to its fullsome sound over what I think is a smoother, mellower highs. Many in the forum have observed the same thing.
If this can be of any help in resolving the sound difference, somebody in the LS forum said, and I'm merely parroting:
"My personal assessment of the three names that I have tried who made speakers is a s follows:
Rogers -- MOst superior vocal in its neutrality.
Harbeth -- Greater heights, punchier bass and marginally lower bass
Spendor -- Smoother all round and sweeter or mellow." End of quote.
I also own a roger studio 3. This model was to replace the LS 3/5a similar to Harbeth's P 3.
Both these speakers have been compared sometime ago in some publication. The studio 3 according to the author sounds a bit forward (voiced a little forward making the notes pitched a little higher and clearer (?) perhaps than the Harbeth P3 which has surpisingly an aluminum tweeter. Now gleaning from the way the Rogers are voiced, and my recollection of the Rogers LS 3/5a (pseudo 15 ohmers), I can safely correlate the voicing of both speakers, the studio and the Rogers LS (15) as essentially sharing the same voicing, "most superior vocals in it's neutrality."" And yes, the rogers studio 3 when compared to my spendor LS will exhibit that kind of difference, a difference that may spell a difference or some diverse opinion on the listener. Which is better? No doubt is that both sound good! And I guess the only way to tell is to do a good listen on vocals.
While the rogers may sound clearer and "neutral," not exactly a favorite word for describing speaker attributes for me, long spent hours of listening and discerning may reveal that it's neutrality may likewise be its own undoing. For instance, on recordings with heavy "sss" you find a rather neutral speaker a tad sibilant due to its neutrality. Why not play that first cut of stacy kent on that 24 bit cd album of hers just for some comparo. It's not remote as well that a more neutral sound can make things clearer but also leaner in nature, thus quite clearer to the ears. Leaner sound is not natural to me. There's nothing lean about live music and intruments on notes. A highish note played on any acoustic instrument still exhibit a certain roundness of tone that may not tonaly set the timber right on a forward sounding too neutral a speaker. But that it may sound easy to listen to to the ears is never the question. Most audiophile speakers appeal to many who wish because of its highish EQ. Don't you think?
So maybe there's no "deadlock" after all to both spendors and rogers?
LIstening at 3 feet against the front wall is not enough. Eight feet would be ideal. You may still find the rogers sound preferable due to its neutrality and that easy to hear (clarity), but the spendors may just pull a surprise you may not expect.