Vantage vs Spires?

I was just curious what is the main advantage of getting Spires over the Vantage? Is it just better base and quality of the 10" woofer or are they louder?

I have a small space but could get either pair financially. Any advice?

Bigger panel on the Spire = better sound.

amey01 said:

Bigger panel on the Spire = better sound.

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While this is the simplistic answer there is more to it than that. There is a significant improvement to all aspects of the soundstage combined with a better sense of coherence between panel and bass driver, I suspect a revised and improved crossover to play a part as well.

Localization of instruments being played is another area of improvement.

FWIW, myself, now a Spire owner, owned Vantages for three years prior.

Hello,
I own Vantages and have been quite pleased. The Spires are no doubt better.
The applicable question is are they 2800 Dollars better? If your associated electronics are top class and you have applied room treatments to maximize your room, I would go for the Spires if the difference in price does not make an impact.

The Vantages are truly excellent speakers. The difference in size is Spire (59(h)x12.5(w)x17.75(d) vs Vantage 57(h)x10.7(w)x 16.25(d). So while the panel size is bigger, it is not massively bigger. The Spire does benefit from the newer generation panel, larger woofer, etc.

Needless to say, auditioning the speakers side by side is what should be done.
While I have auditioned and loved the Spires, it was not enough to upgrade. However, I was at a different place having already purchased and owned my Vantages for years before the Spire was released. If the Spires were available when I purchased my Vantages, I probably would have gotten them due to my room size.
Cheers,
ML

$2,800 Dollars better? well when you turn them on you will know where that extra money was spent. the reason I upgraded was Tweeter gave me full credit for my vantages :rocker::rocker::rocker: if it where not for this I may have never done it.even with modest equipment you will hear the difference. I never auditioned them before purchase I just trusted Logan that they would be worth it and they where! I would recommend listening side by side in the same room for audition if you can.

Unfortunately, the local dealer has the Vista's and Vantage (and the non-powered woofer version) in one room. Spires in another and Summit in a 3rd room. So a side by side is hard todo. I believe they are breaking the speakers up into costs.

Infinite said:

Vantage (and the non-powered woofer version).

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??????????? no such animal as far as I know

Infinite said:

Unfortunately, the local dealer has the Vista's and Vantage (and the non-powered woofer version) in one room. Spires in another and Summit in a 3rd room. So a side by side is hard todo. I believe they are breaking the speakers up into costs.

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That's great. And you tell them that if they would like to sell you a several thousand dollar speaker system, then they can move them around and arrange an audition to your liking.

Exactly Rich, good Lord knows these Speakers aren't heavy, so have your dealer put the Vantages and Spires in a room that closely resembles yours , size wise.

FISH_MAN said:

$2,800 Dollars better? well when you turn them on you will know where that extra money was spent. the reason I upgraded was Tweeter gave me full credit for my vantages :rocker::rocker::rocker: if it where not for this I may have never done it.even with modest equipment you will hear the difference. I never auditioned them before purchase I just trusted Logan that they would be worth it and they where! I would recommend listening side by side in the same room for audition if you can.

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I said they were better and had they been available when I purchased my Vantages I would have gone that way. In addition, I recommended auditioning side by side. However, if the rest of ones equipment is not top notch and the room has not been optimized, the 2800 Dollar question is a fair one.

twich54 said:

??????????? no such animal as far as I know

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You're correct--to all intents and purposes, the Vista is an unpowered Vantage.

RichTeer said:

You're correct--to all intents and purposes, the Vista is an unpowered Vantage.

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Technically not true Rich, for the only thing the two share in common is the ESL panel.

Infinite said:

I was just curious what is the main advantage of getting Spires over the Vantage? Is it just better base and quality of the 10" woofer or are they louder?

I have a small space but could get either pair financially. Any advice?

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I have had both and the Spire is the hands down winner in my opinion! There is something that was very appealing in the bass area that the sealed box of the Spire provided over the Vantage.

In addition, I think the mids and highs are more refined and lifelike with the Spire as compared to the Vantage. Spire gives me a much more full and complete picture. The Vantage is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination. Had I not upgraded a couple of pieces of the front end, I could have lived with them without reservation.

Perhaps you may want to look at a pair of Summit's on the A. The way pricing is going now, why not jump to the top and avoid the traffic in the middle? Had the recession hit at a different time, I'd probably have Summit's vice the Spire!!

Gordon

I had the same dilemma recently! Think about it this way:

Would you be willing to pay 31 cents a day for the Spire over the Vantage?

Because, that's what it would cost, over a 25 year timeframe! I replaced my last set of speakers which I had owned that long only because they finally failed.

I listened and really loved both speakers. Either way you can't go wrong. What swayed me towards the Spires, other than the economic analysis above, was the slightly greater sense of realism. The saxophone sounded fatter and fuller, like the real thing. The back-up singers had more presence. The female vocalist seemed to be there right in front of me!

However, as I soon learned when I received delivery of them, acoustics can be a LARGE challenge in getting them to sound as good as in a well designed/treated room. I am still experimenting, measuring, looking at my options on what to do, where to buy, how much to buy in acoustic treatments as I really did not envision making my living room look like a recording studio when I first started this journey!

Best of luck!

twich54 said:

Technically not true Rich, for the only thing the two share in common is the ESL panel.

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I sit corrected; thanks! I thought the Vista and Vantage also shared the same bass driver (albeit unpowered in the Vista)?

RichTeer said:

I sit corrected; thanks! I thought the Vista and Vantage also shared the same bass driver (albeit unpowered in the Vista)?

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Basically what the difference is Rich, aside from the 'non-powered' bottom end is that the bottom end assembley is of Asian descent...including the crossover. Only the Vantages and 'up' have hand assembled crossover networks of USA origin.

Vantage great value but Spire way better

Owned both Spire and Vantage, and SL3s and Ascents before that. Spire is way more natural with a much bigger sound stage and a more accurate tonal balance than the Vantage, (which is overbright against the best references, although very pleasant to listen to) The music is presented more dynamically with greater detail and more musical, better integrated and faster more extended bass. Vocal lines and harmonies are particularly satisfying in their natural beauty - separate yet blended in a similar manner to live performance. As for 2,800 extra that has to be a personal choice but rest assured the sonic improvements are considerable and moves the Spire into a different league. The Vantage remains a fine speaker and good value.

Off to see Philharmonia orchestra at Edinburgh Festival for a reality check!

Good luck with the choice

Dougster said:

Off to see Philharmonia orchestra at Edinburgh Festival for a reality check!

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Hi Doug,
Not wishing to hijack the Thread it's nice to see someone else in the "Edinburgh neighbourhood" who cherishes MLs as a substitute for live music

(BTW...Did you receive the mail shot from the Chester Group ? Seems as if they are seeking to shut down the Annual Scottish HiFi Exhibition in favour of a national "UK" event ? Personally I'd rather fork out an extra £10 on the admittance fee than travel all the way down to Northampton! )

Best regards.........................Victor