Do Spendor SA 1 speakers have next to no bass?

This is a hard question to answer as there are so many variables (positioning, amp, room size, cables, decor, personal preference etc)....but (imo) with the right amp and in a small room, they have reasonable bass (depending on personal taste).

amp Marantz SR 7005 125w Room 9ft W 9ft H 14L.

Have you heard the MA RX1s? Would the Spendor bass be much less?

I am rushing with this as i know somewhere that has them for £899 but i would have to buy without listening.

Hi keenly

As good as the SA1's are however i don't feel that they have the same bass weight as Silver RX1's.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

That sucks considering the price difference.

The SR7005 is an AV amp, so is this the heart of a 2 channel system, or are the SA1s going to provide the Front L&R channels of a HT system as well?

yes later i will add the center and i have some bx1s as rears.

Having the SA1s would tie you into the fairly expensive Spendor C5.2 for the centre. Now whereas the SA1s are my favorite small speaker (for a small room) in a 2 channel set up, they wouldn't (imo) be exciting enough for  HT, unless you like it to sound fairly smooth and musical.

The "Sealed Box" Spendors are a smaller speaker than the "Reflex Loaded" RX1s, so I would expect the bass to be deeper and more prominent in the latter, but maybe faster and more accurate in the SA1s.

As has been said other speakers will generate more bass than SA1's but the bass you get from the SA1's is accurate and tuneful with the correct amplification. For an HT system you would likely need a sub as well. I have used my SA1's in an HT system for about a year but with no sub. I have been missing the bass with movies and music so have switched to some older floor standing speakers that I have spare. I rarely use my HT system for various reasons so have mainly listened to the SA1's for music. They do many things very well and have never been fatiguing, and the longer you listen the better they become. They do however have an issue with producing low end bass.

Note: for centre channel Spendor also do the cheaper CR3.

Hi keenly

ATC's SCM11 monitors. No boom, bloom, gloom or bling. Instead a superbly balanced, controlled, natural and uncoloured reproduction 

Btw, ATC also offer C1C and C3C centre monitors to compliment Entry Series main monitors.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Spendor SA-1 are superb speakers, but their achilles heel is the lack of bass. Which isn't surprising given they are sealed cabinets... the bass they do possess is well defined. If you're looking at small speakers that packs a (genuine) punch, then PMC DB1is should be the ticket. Personally, pound-for-pound DB1i offer a better all-round performance.

Quantity of bass is fairly similar to the BX1's, but the definition and speed of that bass will be quite different. Base from speakers this size, and using a similarly sized bass driver will generally have a similar quantity of bass, but quality of the drive units, and the overall design of the speaker can lead to marked differences. One aspect of the design is the cabinet. Speakers like the RX1 that has been mentioned rely on a ported cabinet in order to improve efficiency and make the speaker sound like the bass goes lower than it actually does. This is a common practice these days. The SA1's have gone for a more old school approach whereby the cabinet is sealed. This design doesn't enhance lower bass, but does provide a smooth roll off and a better balanced presentation, with the downside of being less efficient (needing an amplifier with more power). 

You'll also find that midrange and treble will differ quite a lot compared to the BX1's. The SA1's will be smoother, and more refined in the top end, with midrange being cleaner with better definition. They'll also sound more three dimensional, as better quality speakers generally add less into the resulting sound due to a number of reasons. Just play a well recorded piece of piano music through both speakers and you'll hear quite a difference.

If you're just after quantity, go for a bigger speaker with bigger bass units like the RX1's or RX2's, but if you're after better quality for the same money, smaller speakers are usually a better bet. I'm guessing you haven't heard any speakers like the SA1's, so I'd recommend popping into your local dealer and trying out a couple of standmount speakers at differing prices so you can get first hand experience of what to expect.

The SA1's will be fine in a room of your size, but will be more critical of accompanying amplification.

Hey FennerMachine how you getting on with those 782's - ain't it about time you updated your post....

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Spendor SA-1 are superb speakers, but their achilles heel is the lack of bass. Which isn't surprising given they are sealed cabinets... the bass they do possess is well defined. If you're looking at small speakers that packs a (genuine) punch, then PMC DB1is should be the ticket. Personally, pound-for-pound DB1i offer a better all-round performance.

[/quote]

I have looked at them too. Are they smooth with vocals? I found the RX 1s a nightmare with sss and ttt. Do they have a matching center?

Yes indeed an expensive center imo. I mainly listen to stereo and surround music. MOvies are second. I have loads of concert dvds, sacds, dvd as etc. Want a huge sound that is smooth.

Although the SA1s are obviously "Spendor" in the way they sound, they are voiced differently to the A Series. Aside from the more expensive STs, they are my favorite Spendor speakers. They are hugely enjoyable and just have a way of making music engaging....provided they have enough scale. It helps that they sound bigger than they look, provided the room is appropiate.

Spendor do have a smaller centre, but I would worry it mightn't be voiced the same as the SA1s, which may not matter if AV is secondary. If you are getting a reasonable sub, the SA1 will certainly produce enough scale if combined with it.

Now there is another option - The Kef R Series, which are smooth enough for music and lively enough for HT:

R100 (£599) / R300 (£999) / LS50 (£800) + R200C (£649)

Anyway, it's something to think about.

Cno