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Spica vs. modern bookshelf speakers?

I was a teenager when I first fell ill to the hifi bug.  The first pair of beautiful-sounding bookshelf speakers I heard was a pair of Spica TC 50s.  I fell in love with their imaging & overall sound.  At the time, I didn't buy them because I had my heart set on full range speakers.  Now that I'm older, I want a second system in my bedroom and I am in need of a pair of bookshelf speakers. 

Here's the question:My memory has the Spicas sounding better than any bookshelf I've heard today...but has my memory plus 28 years warped my current perception?
Is there a modern bookshelf under $1,000 that will image as well as a Spica?Am I miss-remembering how good these sound?  I brought this up to my local shop and they laughed and said they weren't as good as I remember. 

This is not a cry for modern bookshelf recommendations.  I know there are a ton of great bookshelf speakers out there.  I specifically would love feedback from people who have heard Spica TC 50s or 60s and how they compare with more recently released speakers. 

Thank you in advance!
halecory
halecory's avatar
halecory OP
11 posts
 
@audiodwebe So I am very aware of speaker positioning and how important it is--and you make great points.  I was using a cheapo pair of M-Audio powered monitors with a chromecast audio puck.  They sounded meh, but I wasn't using them for critical listening.  They shot craps and I took the plunge for a pair of Kef LSX to replace them.  They sounded really good in the room, but the app was too burdensome to live with.  I then replaced them with a Klipsch the 3 ii, it was $400 and I thought to myself that it should be "good enough" for my bedroom listening...unfortunately it was significantly worse than the M-Audios. 

I'd be placing one speaker on a dresser and the other on a stand.  I know this is ridiculously far from ideal, but I'm just looking at better single speaker options, and bookshelf speakers are priced in the same boat. 

The question then becomes, should I consider Spica?  Or to your point, are they more sensitive to room placement than a pair of more modern bookshelf speakers?
Thank you!
brianportugal's avatar
brianportugal
146 posts
 

I have a pair of TC 50s that i love. I was wondering what current day pairing of integrated or amp / preamps people have thought were really glood matches. 
thanks for your feedack.

Brian 

celtic66
1,935 posts
 

Owned Spica TC 50 and upgraded all crossover components and internal wiring to great effect.  Never lost a tweeter, but they are fragile, this is not a speaker to lean into too hard.  Great attributes, but not sure they would hold up to quality transducers comparable in class today.  For its era, a real contender.  Cheers

rooze's avatar
rooze
683 posts
 

I’ve just started using TC-50’s in my main rig. They’re replacing ProAc D40R and a pair of Voxativ speakers that I’ve been bouncing between for a year or so.

 With a pair of REL subs, the Spicas give me everything I want. 
 

 

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