I am going to open this by saying I will offer no POV on Spendor compared to the others. I own a loudspeaker company called Verdant Audio and it is both unethical and a violation of forum rules for me to discuss a competitor. That being said, I don't currently make a floor stander so I am not trying to switch you to my products.

I would say that you should trust your ears. Just because a brand is not getting the love and attention that larger brands get doesn't mean they don't produce a product that is just as good if not better than a more popular brands.

I have listened to at least 100 products in the $1500 to $16,000 price range. I have heard products that are loved and sounded like crap when I heard them because of the room or equipment pairings. Other times, I have heard products that "get no love" that sounded mindbogglingly good because of the room they were in and the equipment match.

Trust your ears but also consider the room and system. For instance, you loved the Spendors with Bryston gear. If you listened to them driven by the wrong amps, you may have been unhappy. When I heard the Spendor D7s they were paired with really warm gear and I found them to be too laid back. Switched to a different amp brand and they came to life.

Think about this as a holistic system. What are you going to drive them with? Is your room heavily damped or is it underdamped? These things all matter.

Great advice by bierfeldt