Joined the LS3/5A Club

Fairlane

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Picked up these nice 15ohm Roger's up today. Not a "Scroe" by any stretch but still a fair price for unmolested originals I thought.

Everything looks good and original I think based on my research before buying. Will post some listening impressions after I spend time with them.

Always wanted a pair and think these were worth the wait.

Original dust as purchased from the original owners grandson. You can see the grill pattern in the dust..

Grills are perfect just not shown.

These speakers say quality and engineering the minute you touch them then open them up.

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After a good dusting.
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Dusty, dusty.
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Glad to see all looks good inside.

Hooking them up to a pair of Dynaco MKIII'S for their maiden voyage.

Love British monitors. ;)
 
Initial thoughts on them were wow there is not a lot there. Then you really listen and sit back and the sound just kind of floats through the air it is really nice. No blaring highs or jarring lows just the best of
the sound in between that spectrum. Pin point accuracy with voices too with a slight toe-in.

My Beatles albums sound stupendous through these as do my Flac files. Just not going to shake the house but I have speakers for that. In my middle aged years I appreciate accurate sound a lot more than volume these days.

Sorry not the best at describing sound but I like it. Going to do some more listening this weekend and get them on proper stands.
 
I think you now understand why they have the reputation that they have. It sounds like they excel at vocals and accurate presentation. Congrats again!!
 
Picked up these nice 15ohm Roger's up today. Not a "Score" by any stretch but still a fair price for unmolested originals I thought.

Everything looks good and original I think based on my research before buying. Will post some listening impressions after I spend time with them.

Always wanted a pair and think these were worth the wait.

Original dust as purchased from the original owners grandson. You can see the grill pattern in the dust..

Grills are perfect just not shown.

These speakers say quality and engineering the minute you touch them then open them up.

Hooking them up to a pair of Dynaco MKIII'S for their maiden voyage.

Love British monitors. ;)

Congrats on the new (to you) LS3/5a speakers. I saw these for sale on the craigslist and was mightily tempted. I think he has another pair still for sale but I have too many speakers already. But these are classics. Enjoy them!
---Gary
 
These are special speakers deserving of the hype in my opinion. Using them for almost two weeks straight.

They make my JBL L20 T3's which I like a lot sound crude by comparison.
 
also try ls35a.com - complete history and specs. and if you read Chinese there's a coffee
table quality book on the speakers.
 
If you have opened the speakers, best to order a set of baffle seals from Falcon and install them when you get them, then snug down all the woofer, tweeter, and crossover bolts and nuts. Do not overtighten though. Then re-install the baffle, and snug down the baffle screws, again do not over tighten as they go directly into the wood battens and can strip out.

If the seal is good, the woofer can be pushed gently in and slowly rebounds. If the woofer moves rather freely, the speaker is not sealed enough. This is the box test found at www.ls35a.com.

Based on serial numbers, around 1983-85 production.
 
If you use tube equipment and vintage medium powered solid state power they shine but if you use stuff like nad they sound like crap
 
Play around with the positioning a lot. For fun run one as a center speaker.... I did that with a 1979 Chartwell LS3/5a - pretty sweet ..... I am looking for the "duck" icon. :naughty:
 
Right now they are on sand filled steel stands in a near field setup in my modest listening room. This configuration seems to be perfect for my space.

They sound great standing vertically but I had them placed on their sides sitting on top of some large Monitor Audio floor standers and I liked them that way too but the aesthetics bugged me..

Been listening to them exclusively since I picked them up :D

Being a big jazz guitar fan these little Rogers do this type of music so nicely. They get clouded with really fast music but what I listen to they are great. Playing around with some of my music files the other night I hit my Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd by mistake but after hearing "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" sound so sweet I had to hear every song after that. So they can do rock music very well.

Eventually I will hook them up to some solid state power but right now I enjoy them with the old Dynacos.

Thanks for all the advice and information everyone :thumbsup:
 
Right now they are on sand filled steel stands in a near field setup in my modest listening room. This configuration seems to be perfect for my space.

They sound great standing vertically but I had them placed on their sides sitting on top of some large Monitor Audio floor standers and I liked them that way too but the aesthetics bugged me..

Been listening to them exclusively since I picked them up :D

Being a big jazz guitar fan these little Rogers do this type of music so nicely. They get clouded with really fast music but what I listen to they are great. Playing around with some of my music files the other night I hit my Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd by mistake but after hearing "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" sound so sweet I had to hear every song after that. So they can do rock music very well.

Eventually I will hook them up to some solid state power but right now I enjoy them with the old Dynacos.

Thanks for all the advice and information everyone :thumbsup:
I just scratched a 27 year itch. I sold my pair of 15 Ohm LS3/5a's in 1991. I have regretted this move ever since. Yes, I have owned many fine speakers, including the Spendor S3/5a derivative but missed the midrange, imaging and overall quality of the BBC monitor.

I listen primarily to jazz and acoustic music in a tiny room that is perfect for these speakers. I saw a clean pair of Spendors on the internet and snapped them up. Took delivery yesterday and I am in audio heaven.

Coupled with a 7 watt single ended 6550 tube amp, these speakers sing despite their low sensitivity. Scott Hamilton sounds like he is in the room. Classical guitar music is hair raising.

For my listening habits and my 10 by 8 room I am very happy.

I am glad to be back in the LS3/5a club.
 
Interesting. The amplifier repair and service chaps who look after my gear have a pair hooked up in a listening room to showcase the gear they restored/serviced and I always thought they sound exceptionally flat. But maybe that's the point? I'm probably ruined by years of listening to horn tweeters.
 
flat is good. here in the US, we love the JBL (not all) and Cerwin Vegas (D9) with their
bass (some say bumped up by 5-15db on the bass end).

lots depend on speaker and listener positioning and the big one is music
(orchestral classical, jazz, and female vocals).

the LS3/5As have bumps built-in via their crossovers and are easily id'd by way
of music.
 
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