Spendor s8e Imaging/Soundstage?

I currently own the S8e. Just let me tell you its phemnomenal!

I never bought the S8e for soundstaging and imaging but it was an added bonus and surprise on how well it did this area.

With my equipment I have the deepest layered soundstage I have ever heard in my room. This speaker resolves ambient cues along with only a few others that I know of. Width is as good as most speakers and resolves height if the info is there. Only on hard panned sounds in left or right channels can you indentify the sound coming from the speakers but again few speakers can past this test. So generally, the sound hovers around the speaker slighlt behind the plane and goes waaay back. Properly set up you should be able to see "around the sound" too as reviewers say, as oppose to flat images with no body.

Good Luck!*>)

Garyralph: would you consider the sound of the Spicas "polite"?

Bartok: I have read your old posts re. the Spendors. As I recall you were not terribly impressed.

Kw6: You seem to have had a different experience than Garyralph with respect to the Spendors soundstage. Hmmm...

About the Spicas and soundstage I had a curious and interesting thing happen. In my listening room I have the tc-60's about 8 ft. apart, 3 ft. from walls and back wall. But the back wall has old pocket doors (7 ft. wide), which are left open when I listen. So I see the adjacent room, about 16 ft. deep, as I'm listening. Soundstage depth seems to go all the way back to the far wall of adjacent room. But when I close the doors, the depth seems to collapse. Don't know if this is psychological or physical, maybe a comb. of both.

My search for a new speaker will be slow and deliberate, and there is not much chance of auditioning. But whatever I choose, I do NOT want to give up the tc-60's wonderful s.s. and imaging. From what I've read, the S8e's sound like they might fit the bill. I listen exclusively to classical.

Steve O.

I also listen exclusively to classical. Give us a review when you get the S8"SE". Whats the asking price?

Bartokfan: I haven't decided on this speaker, and it will be a while before I get any; will have to upgrade my amp, too, and a new bathroom is in the offing :( But if/when I do decide on these, will give a full-blown review here.
I have seen fairly new S8e's on AGon for as little as $2000.00.

Steve O.

Steve, not exactly apples and apples, but .....

I used to own, and like, Spica Angelus. Like the TC60s the imaging was very good. I borrowed some spendor S3/5s from a friend, expecting that they would beat the spicas (since they get such rave reviews) and I was extremely disappointed. The S3/5s were extremely vague in imaging compared to the spicas, and were no better in terms of frequency balance.

I would be very wary of moving to spendors if imaging is important to you. Anyone who says that S3/5s can image has never heard a speaker that throws a true stereo image.

I ended up with Green Mountain Audio Europas, which, in my opinion, slightly exceed the imaging of the Spicas, greatly improve on the bass and dynamics of the spicas, but are a little brighter in overall tonal balance.