BEST Nearfield Monitor for less than $600, SoundArtist LS3/5A

I've heard my share of LS3/5A speakers, but the SoundArtist version is the one I favor!
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[@lelolee]

Pick up a pair of them after your review, and all I can say is thank you. Best $600 ever spent, love the sound. Turn them up they sound way bigger than they are. Only took a week to get to me, Thanks……..

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Oh that's fantastic, thanks for letting me know.

[@amosperrine1909]

I have only had two sets of speakers during the past 50 years, the Tympani 1D and Rogers LS3/5a, using ARC tube electronics. Took the BBCs to law school with me, and now are my two channel AV system speakers. Could not be happier.

[@socratesbsd]

Listening to this through my vintage Rogers LS3/5As

[@peacetrain3320]

Love that you’re reviewing lower cost hi fi!

[@beetleything1864]

shilling

[@tmdillon1969]

definitely a nice change. He's the only high-end reviewer I trust but I'm still never going to buy a $9000 cartridge no matter my finances. It's good to see him switch it up a little.

[@tommitchell9202]

I’ve owned these Sound Artist’s for about a year. Love them. I use an 8wpc tube amp and it’s great for old jazz. I don’t even use speaker stands. I have them placed on a dresser.

[@alexandervaneijken7741]

for the consumer these are the most useful reviews!All the british manufacturers who produce these type of speakers have a price tag of at least gbp 2000,00!

[@carlosbauza1139]

The DIY version by Falcon Acoustics have graced my system for over 25 years. I love them, and rotate with KEF LS50 META, AND Klipsch RP-600-II. Thanks for the review!

[@jonathanscull7712]

History plus a dose of a great sounding, cost effective LS3/5A. Way to go Steve, keepin' it real. And that Before and After, WHAT a great album. Keep on keeping on I'm still learning stuff.

[@henni1964]

LS 3/5 A afficionado here. Using it with a vinyl record setup in a SE tubed system, nearfield with a pair of REL T-Zero MKIII. Endgame territory for me. 🙂. Nice review. 👍🏻

[@NawMan357]

I would love to hear that setup!😊

[@henni1964]

@@NawMan357 Thanks. 🙂 I will upload a video on my setup next year and report here, when it's ready. KZbin sound quality is of course mediocre.

[@jamescease4280]

Which ls3/5a's do you have,if I may ask. I have had the Falcon ls3/5a silver badge for a year now and absolutely love them. I also use a sub. Happy listening.

[@henni1964]

​​@@jamescease4280 Oh the Falcons, great ones! 👍🏻 I do have the Harwood Acoustics and a well built diy pair 15 Ohm LS3/5As in Pippy Oak veneer from a british gentleman (he sells them on a regular basis on eBay for very reasonable prices). I plan to buy a new production pair from Falcon, Rogers or Sterling. Will have to research a bit more on this topic. Thank you, have a great time with the Falcons too. 🙂

[@vZwicky]

I recently picked up a different Asian variant: the BestVox 15 Ohm LS3/5A’s. I don’t have the experience to compare them to the historic licensed versions, but mine sound lovely. I love the LS3/5A design ethos. The speakers retain a tiny form factor and do not even attempt to produce a pronounced low end. It’s unnecessary when pairing with a sub. The compact SVS Micro 3000 is a fantastic match, imo.

[@MarkMiller-i8q]

I heard the Rogers LS3/5A back in the 70s at Soundscape in Baltimore, and was amazed at how much sound was coming out of that small box.

[@tonykazz2779]

In my Import Company : B & K Imports -- 1985 we sold the LS3/5a from Rogers and others for $500 , no Tax , Free Shipping . We sold Air Containers of these Loudspeakers including the little Linn Kann and the wonderful ProAc Tablettes ( Richard Gerberg RIP ) $500 for these Chinese versions is some sort of modern day BRICS example of what we will be facing for the foreseeable future . Mr.Stoddard and Mr.Moffet keeping Schiit domestic is still an inspiration to industrialists like me and the Trump'ers . The LS3/5a's , Magnepan and Klipsch live on ! Thanks for the memories . Tony in Sarasota

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks for the insights, by the way $500 in 1985 is the equivalent to $1462 in 2024.

[@mikeyang6840]

Got this a few years ago for $600. Excellent sound quality! Other brands will cost you thousands more!

[@DalstonVinyl]

I owned and loved a pair of Rogers LS3's for about 5 years (around 2015-20), and they were shockingly good in my smallish English room...they did bass surprisingly realistically, with a great illusion of depth A very sweet and involving speaker.. Eventually I craved more though, a larger sound field, so sold them and bought some compact floorstanders by Linn. The best bit is that I found the Rogers in a charity shop (aka goodwill), locally...I paid £10. I sold them on ebay to a nice man in Indonesia for £700. That was highly gratifying. Cheers everyone from London, England. 😃

[@ericlo6370]

should try to get a vintage LINN Isobarik~ 10 quit for a 3/5A is unreal , very lucky indeed!

[@DalstonVinyl]

@@ericlo6370 ...yes, possibly the luckiest few minutes of my life, finding those. 😄

[@DalstonVinyl]

@@ericlo6370 I chose Keilidhs, a much underrated speaker in its final version circa 1999. A very high quality infinite baffle design once one swaps out the tweeters...actually the Linn factory sold me a later, drop in replacement silk dome for a very modest cost. I rate the Keilidh (& I'm meaning the later production run, with improved cabinets and drivers, compared to earlier versions), as still a surprisingly good speaker for medium sized rooms.

[@carlitomelon4610]

My vintage Biamp ProAc Tablettes were also bought by a nice man in Indonesia 😊

[@DalstonVinyl]

@@carlitomelon4610 nice speakers those Tablettes. I also own a small bookshelf speaker called The Little Speaker by RCL...largely forgotten now, but many preferred them to LS3s. Its a small, front ported design using SEAS drivers, made in England in the mid 80's, I believe Jim Rogers had a hand in the company (which was very short-lived).

[@carlosbauza1139]

Even better, I took my FalconI / KEF ls3/5a components and installed them in the DIY "Daline" cabinet project from HiFi News, which is a hybrid bass-reflex/transmission line design developed by Robert Fris. My construction project was subsequently published in Speaker Builder magazine, as a front-page article. Thus, the ls3/5a became an impressive Full Range speaker, with a limited bass dynamic range.

[@carlosbauza1139]

@@keplermission What are you smoking?

[@bertroost1675]

I have a pair of Ho's LS2/5A speakers I got in China about 15+ years ago. They aren't bad and look nice. I have no other 3/5A speakers to compare them to. I find them pleasant and easy to listen to.

[@nicholas6823]

My dad has a pair of 30 year old Rogers with a decent sub and now mainly uses them for TV sound. They are at times incredibly realistic, creating a very believable soundstage. This cheaper version seems like a steal at the price.

[@johnmorgan9597]

Nice Steve. 😎🥰 small speakers are fascinating to me.

[@dougg1075]

Got a pair myself. Very nice It’s a just go get them speaker

[@ericlo6370]

If you really are into getting a Chifi LS3/5A, you must try Stirling's ,comes in both 11 and 15 ohms but are getting hard to find and the price is so reasonable . My frd had gotten more than 10 pairs of different 3/5A incluidng the vintage ones and this one is by far the best he thinks!

[@helwic]

adional to your Audio experience i appreciate much your musical tipps

[@howardgraham]

Thanks for your review. I bought a pair and I have to agree. The are very special

[@mikeday62]

Hey, let's get Herb to weigh-in on these new Sound Artist LS3/5A. He know the thing!

[@carlitomelon4610]

@@keplermission Minimus7? Those are my spare bedroom speakers with a Rel t3. Chunky aluminum bricks. Modified crossovers from an eBay seller years ago. No complaints from the guests;-)

[@keplermission]

@@carlitomelon4610 A REL T3 and what amplifier? Back in the late 1970s there were loads of Japanese micro metal cabinet speakers apparently just like the Minimus-7 but they weren't at all similar. As I recall the Hitachi and the J.V.C. had only 81dB and as Steve says, well ... certainly, the Bang & Olufsen C75 would sound better up close, and it too was 81dB SPL (Sound Pressure Level). So about the C75, it was a Jazz Piano speaker, so Art Tatum, and at the entrance to the store, you'd hear these awesome ... you know ... tiny speakers and when we came up close, there was a 3D presence around them, the sound stage hanging in the air and there were deep piano notes, the deepest, and it may have been that they had a sub-woofer at that time but I never saw it and the Minimus-7 is best with a Hitachi amplifier, Radio Shack had a connection with Hitachi and the first ones had a 10 watt woofer, the later ones had a 5 watt woofer, and 5 watt them easier to power, but they need the right amplifier and don't need any sub-woofer. But if we look at Steve's First Watt Sit 4, it's ζ0.5 amplifier ... so what does it mean? Basically we need very short speaker wires or very low |Z| wires and for the Minimus-7 you know? The wires matter a whole lot. But ζ0.5 is Nelson Pass, you know, trying to be clever, because he's so close to the old ... 1950s ... 'Class A' tube sound, and these might sound good with the Minimus-7, so you can try a Sit 4 with your 'spare bedroom speakers' and no sub-woofer.

[@francescotenti193]

Nice review. It would have been interesting to see a direct comparison between the Sound Artist product v/s a BBC approved LS3/5A at several times the price.

[@keplermission]

Well ... the amplifier for a BBC LS3/5A is an H.H. AM8/12 that needs 0.25v at >10Kohms and that isn't available from many Japanese controllers. I am too lazy to even think about a comparison like that, you'd need the ideal connected equipment for both speakers or it they'd both sound awful.

[@davids2214]

I owned a pair of these for a few months. I was most impressed with their bass-very tight, which I think was at least in part to the fact that it is a sealed design. The midrange was really scooped out though. They’re sort of a v shaped sound that was interesting but ultimately not what I wanted.

[@MikeK6046]

Great Review! Nice to know that "Very Good" sound can be had for this kind of money. Also, I look forward to you reviewing ELAC's "new" $449.00 DEBUT 3.0 (DB63-BK), because a few reviews have really praised them.

[@SastusBulbas1]

I have a soft spot for the LS3/5a as it was a speaker I often bought when skint in the early years of moving around in Scotland, it was often available in the late 80's early 90's for around £30 to £40 a pair in the second hand/thrift/pawn shops. I remember at one point having the LS3/5a as a stop gap between large speakers with a Rotel RA1412 amp and diminutive Technics SL-5 direct drive turntable in red. Looked so odd as the amplifier was massive. It is rather nice to see a pair at a normal price, the drivers look very similar to a B110 and T27. Sadly old speakers with the B110 and T27, or even the B200, are rather rare finds in charity shops these days.

[@pablohrrg8677]

For what they are intended, they surely are very good.

[@williamsharp5973]

An understanding of why the BBC specifications were written as they were is very important to comparisons between L3/5A's and other speakers not designed to meet those specifications. The specs can be found on the internet. Generally, this reminds me of the criticisms of Sony MDR-V6 headphones vs. just about any other headphones. As with the LS3/5A versions adhering to the BBC specs, whether approved or not, they sound as they were intended to sound, and there was, and apparently still is, a reason they are still in use. Thanks Steve!

[@claudiusviracocha1651]

Have you tried the Edifier S1000MKII? These active bookshelf speakers are a total audio blast! Even though the Edifier S2000MKIII 2.0 has planar tweeters, the Edifier S1000MKII seems to play a bit better!

[@neps4th]

Hey Steve; I'm your first commentor! Now to watch the vid.

[@auggysimcity]

AMAZING!!!!! can we like..... hang out?

[@CobraChamp]

Great video Steve! In your opinion, irrespective of cost, what is the best sounding brand of LS3/5a?

[@tweakerman]

Be interesting to see how good they could sound if the crossover was upgraded with better parts, great video steve👍

[@seanb3303]

@@tweakerman my Uncle Danny could hot rod these with tube connectors 😉

[@bertroost1675]

@@seanb3303 But for how much? 😛

[@havaac]

@@seanb3303 :D

[@seanb3303]

@@bertroost1675 if you have to ask these upgrades aren’t for you 😉

[@seanb3303]

Amir really loved this speaker 😀

[@peternemeth4947]

you are being sarcastic I hope because from what I read on the ARS site he didn't think very highly of them.

[@seanb3303]

@@peternemeth4947what is sarcasm?

[@dollhausenx]

Those specs he took looked terrible. I wonder what's up with that?

[@seanb3303]

@@dollhausenx it’s an artistic interpretation of an instrument (speaker)

[@brighton_dude]

Like you I've never really got on with the LS3/5A. They are great speakers but not for me. I live in the UK as well so it is kind of illegal for me to not like them much.

[@tmdillon1969]

If I didn't already have a bunch of speakers these might make a good set for my workshop. The China comments are hilarious! Folks bitching about it as they furiously type their BS on Chinese-made phones and computers. Keep up the good work Steve! This comments section is living proof that no place is safe from trolls and cretins.

[@danedes9297]

Broadcast - Berberian Sound Studio in the background. Nice album

[@51bpm]

What a great review.... I have a pair ... thanks

[@Boatzerama]

Falcon are the only official and nearest to the original LS3/5A.

[@AndrewDCDrummond]

Only official ? I assume you mean that they have a BBC license for LS3/5as, but so do Stirling Broadcast, Graham Audio, Rogers. Falcon are the only ones remanufacturing the original drivers, but Stirling and Graham acheive the LS3/5a sound by using modern and more consistent components, and both are designed by probably the person that knows BBC and crossover design the best. If the BBC needed this monitor today and updated the spec accordingly, they would be more like the Graham and Stirlings than the Falcons.

[@georgebliss964]

The original BBC LS3/5As were required to have good speech intelligibility, so making them sound on the sharp side, with not too much emphasis on the bass. The way to establish a preference for both speech and music would be a direct AB comparison with the Rogers. Since Steve prefers this cloned design, I wonder if the tone has been softened and reshaped, either by driver selection or revised crossovers.

[@PasqualeDeRosa-n1v]

Well done again Steve, that Jazz album you mentioned has sure piqued my interest.

[@thomassaner2478]

I kind of like bookshelf speakers as an alternative a.k.a. TV speakers just listening to my NHT now hear this acoustic suspension speakers and they sound great over my para sound FM receiver, listening to a Chicago classical station soft -dome tweeter 4 1/2 woofer very similar The BBC spec I used to subscribe to Stereophile magazine and they listed the NHT as a A+ go to at there overall recommendations oops I think it was a home theater set up but oh well I got a couple pair of KEF’s And grew up, listening to the Klipshs heresays!

[@venooramiah1359]

Steve, hv U considered, vintage Grundig speakers, they sound equally good

[@Sparklepony]

Well heck, after checking out the Belafonte album from your previous review (I fell in love with it) now I have to try the Neil Young!

[@carlitomelon4610]

I wonder how many original 3/5a still perform within the BBC spec.... 🤔... In which case these aren't such a bad proposition, right? I have an original Rogers LSB1 passive stereo subwoofer that was designed for the LS3/5a in storage (It filters bass from the satellites). I used it with ProAc Tablettes until they were retired by KEF LS50s and REL subs. (Sold the Tablettes to a nice man in Indonesia:-) The LSB1 is in storage. Maybe i should get these for the spare bedroom and resurrect the old 'B1.... At this price the experiment could be fun! 🎵🎶😀🎶🎵

[@zounds13]

Another excellent video, thanks. If you are going to be reviewing nearfield equipment now, may I suggest the RSL CG3M ($105) and CG23M ($150)? I have CG3Ms on my desk, with a sub, and it's all I'll ever need.

[@darrellross8609]

S, Gjallarhorn mono blocks w/ 4 ft. Blue jean (Canare) speaker Cables. On 36" Shaker style wood "plant stands". For my beloved SA LS35A's. Best, D.

[@bobsmoot8454]

I think I paid $500 for a pair of 16 ohm Rogers LS3/5a and maybe the same for a pair of Satterberg bass cabinets all driven by NYAL gear NB-1 preamp and OTL-3s (Harvey’s take Futterman OTL) my wife loved the small LS3/5as

[@peterlundskow4061]

Hope you review the kO-R1 horn-loaded loudspeaker soon!

[@michaelvincent8306]

I bought these and thought that they were nothing like ls3 5a I thought they were awful tried them with se valve amplifier and a sugden a21 so moved them on sharply

[@2HatHudders]

Steve!! I own these with powered by an Audio Vista Spark in near field! So happy you reviewed them, i hope you review the tube amps like the Wilsenton valve amps from the same site. What sound signature would you recommend on the front end? Thinking of upgrading my dac for this particular set up. 😊😊😊

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Thanks for watching, check out the Denafrips DACs.

[@2HatHudders]

​@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliacI will check them out. Thank you .

[@dougg1075]

@@2HatHudders I have the the sound artist LS/35a and the Willsenton R8 both are excellent. My Sound artist are connected to a Pioneer SX750 in the guest bedroom and the Wilsenton is my main amp connected to a pair of Heresy IV’s and a Carver Sunfire sub . I’m done:)

[@keplermission]

@@dougg1075 Yeah? Well ... a Pioneer SX-750 has ζ30 and so it's used with EMI 319, and the BBC 15-ohm LS3/5A needs an amplifier with ζ100, but the SoundArtist LS3/5A you know, Steve is trying it out on something he has but we're none the wiser on how it's actually engineered to sound.

[@2HatHudders]

@@dougg1075 Hi Doug, yes I have the R8 too (bed room set up), hooked up to a pair of Klipsh Rp 500 mk1. I did replace the front end tubes with Sylvania tubes, made the system sound better for me. Would love to hear the R8 connected to some Heresys. Sounds like a great paring. Enjoy!

[@bikdav]

You just answered a long standing question as to why “mini monitor” and satellite speakers don’t work well in my rooms.

[@peter_in_alaska]

Nice shirt Steve !

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

I bought their integrated amp a couple of years ago thinking it was a joke for $400.00. Turns out this integrated will drive almost anything and weighs a ton. I’m not sure if they stuffed it with bricks or what, but it’s an amazing integrated amp for the cheap price that it is.

[@matthewtaylor7355]

0riginally sold for 260 USD including pp from china hifi

[@Shaken_AND_Stirred]

@@matthewtaylor7355 Yes, I remember that. In fact, it was that price shortly before I purchased mine. It never went back down to that price, from what I have seen. It’s a pretty good integrated amp for $400.00. At $260.00 it would be a steal.

[@ronaldweed6103]

Great review, thank you. I'll check these out. I'm like a kid in a cookie jar, can't wait. No sub sounds like a good idea to me

[@brucestanley9656]

I owned ls 35as back in the late 70s. I worked in the high end audio biz. I foolishly sold them and have regrretted it ever since. I'm going tto order these😊

[@brucestanley9656]

Thanks Steve, I'm also a huge Neil Young fan!!! GREAT review!

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Great, here is one tip. Insist on the latest model that has a red wire on the tweeter. Like the one you see pictured in my review.

[@markmaloof2984]

Seeing that I have a large pair of electrostatic hybrids, but also I’m looking for a small nearfield speaker for fun listening that does not have a lot of bass (NYC apartment bass issues with neighbors), I’m really intrigued to try a pair of these!

[@timothyfreeseha4056]

It doesnt seem like any of the BBC licensed manufacturers are upset by this competition, even though it is bruising the secret internet market place channels that have reviewed it so far. It has actually gotten decent reviews.

[@johnstone7697]

Except in Audio Science Review where it was actually measured on a Klippel NFS. Not very good at all, and not even close to an authentic LS3/5a.

[@timothyfreeseha4056]

Well, there you are! An arguement for spending the money on the real deal. I like ASR.​@johnstone7697

[@keplermission]

@@johnstone7697 Well just to HELP you know, a 2018 Chrysler 300 car has acceleration of 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds and the 2019 one is 6.3 seconds but rated as the best ever, even as a second slower. You might ask are they both a V6? Well on that basis the authentic 15 ohm LS3/5A is aimed at dead accurate hooked-up vintage equipment and the later 11 ohm authentic one has another set of stuff and Steve's SoundArtist LS3/5a is aimed at yet another ideally hooked up set of stuff. So the Audio Science Review measured on a Klippel NFS you know is baloney.

[@matthewtaylor7355]

​@@johnstone7697yes well if Amir doesn't like it it can't b any good...All the people who like em must b wrong

[@leeandrewclarke]

I loved owning a pair of LS3/5As and couldn't find a more musical and realistic-sounding speaker for under £3000 but I kept missing the bass. In the end, I found a set of second hand LS5/9 speakers and have owned them for 20 years. In that time, I've changed every single component in my system except my LS5/9s. They are just wonderful. But if you don't need big bass, an LS3/5A is the musical benchmark for a small speaker. Others may deliver more detail but the sweetness, humanity and grace? No.

[@wicomms]

Question: why couldn't you just add a Rel sub?

[@leeandrewclarke]

@@wicomms Because I'm not a sub guy

[@wicomms]

@@leeandrewclarke icic respect. Then would Kef Ls50meta suit you over Ls5/9s,?

[@AndrewDCDrummond]

The licensed Stirling Broadcast V3 LS3/5a, which is probably the best version out there, is $1,593. Feel free to pay more for other versions.

[@wprimrose]

Steve, how did they do with the LTA amp? Don’t think I heard you mention it in the review. Sorry if I missed it.

[@nationalsfanaticable]

Off Topic - any plans to review the new Schiit Audio Saga 2 anytime soon? Thanks

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

No, I have reviewed a ton of Schiit over the years. I am taking a Schiit vacation for a while. But I will be back.

[@ethimself5064]

My issue with buying electronics from China is the warranty - Kinda expensive shipping back to N. America

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Yes, but with speakers warranty t issues less likely. In this case you can buy the official LS3 5a for $2 000 to $4000 a pair and have Assurance of assistance when you need it. Or spend $600 for these speakers and take that risk. The choice is there.

[@ethimself5064]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac 🤔Choices choices🤣

[@liamporter1137]

Gear review and comparisons.

[@bruce8429]

I wished you'd review the LS5/9 by them.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

I might, do you already own those speakers?

[@bruce8429]

B​@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliacNo but I have multiple minimonitors Harbeth, KEF, Proac, Rogers, Stirling Broadcast.

[@majsterV]

I buyed this speakers like 2 months ago, but aparently older version. Be aware there are now new version of this speakers which Steve is reviewing in video. New version have supposedly improved tweeter with one red wire on tweeter(older version that i've got have two black wires on tweeter). But there are still a lot of old stock floating around and stores or seller may not mention which version they sell. They may not sound any different, but still. My review on this speakers: In my opinion Sound Artist version are very polarizing speakers. They sound good(sometimes very good) on simple music, but they show big weakness at busy music, where separation and layering just colapse sometimes. New music tend to sound worse than old one if there is a lot of processing used in production. They don't portray soundstage very far. Tweeter lack air. I know is BBC design and by choice not airy sounding speaker, but still. IMO this speakers are not good for orchestral music. Sometimes voices sound fuzy and not clear. I do have feeling those bass drivers have some big technical flaws as speaker ring heavily at some frequencies. Also whole box vibrating. Make sure to have good stands. But biggest problem i have with speakers(apart from really small soundfield, lack of dynamics and low end punch) is need to being in complete listenin center. Especially listening nearfield. Once you move your head just by inch left or right, you start to hear only one speaker. It seems like they have very narrow and very small soundfield dispersion. But surprisingly enough, tone and timbre listening directly at one speaker is very enjoyable and "analog". Something you will never hear from modern speaker for that price. But for me saddly those speakers have to manny flaws to be daily reliable workhorse. They lack consistency in music representation. But if you don't care about narrow, small soundfield dispersion, dynamics, lack of low end and you are all about tone and timbre, they are worth it.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Obviously, my review sample with the red wire sounds nothing like what you describe.

[@majsterV]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Sound Artist was intended to be direct replacement for my wharfedale diamond 9.1. So mostly my conclusions was in comparation with them and i think some things those little diamonds is doing better. Maybe is my listening room which is small, maybe is my average nad amplifier. But i really do believe Sound artist have some design problems, preventing them to be at full potential. So i think price is about right.

[@francescodileo8353]

Bestvox 11ohm or 15ohm are much better. The cabinet Is the same of an original Ls3/5a. It cost 1000-1200 $ that Is a good price. And i think that some brands use their drivers

[@stefpichette7742]

Do you think there better than my kef chorale? that i upgreaded the crossover parts! Or my kef 104 AB?

[@alferro3149]

Falcon 's sound much better and cost much more

[@frischma1]

I have a mystery set of 3 way speakers with the KEF drivers from this design but also an added KEF b200 woofer. Only marking is rs badge on the grill badge. Anyone know these?

[@mrcoolsun3142]

Good speakers they may be but...they're NOT LS3/5a

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

True, but a small fraction of the cost of the real thing!

[@keplermission]

You know the 15-Ohm LS3-5A needs a ζ100 amplifier and the Pass Labs First Watt F7 gives that exactly but we don't know what Steve's SoundArtist LS3/5A needs, he didn't say.

[@Michael-bj4sz]

Humm, I own Falcon LS35A’s; their midrange is wonderful, and I’ve heard the Sound Artist clones and they are not the same. My brother has old Chartwell LS35A’s and they also sound better than the Sound Artist clones. The Sound Artist speakers are not LS35A, true to spec, and are just another Chinese clone of a great product. But, we all like what we like so enjoy them.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Right, I don't sound the same. But right now it seems that the falcon version is four or more times expensive. Not everyone can afford them, hence, the need for less expensive alternatives. I have had Falcons in my system, didn't do much for me. That's the thing Audio is completely subjective. The only opinion that matters is the one laying down the money.

[@unclewilbur8976]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Have you reviewed Magnepan Mini Maggies? You really should!!! Personally, I have become completely averse to any box speakers. No matter how good the box speaker is I hear the sound of a box, and it’s very annoying. Mini Maggies are my choice. And near-field listening is also under-rated because it works around acoustical room problems and allows higher volume without disturbing others. 😊

[@keplermission]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac ...and the Sound Artist SA-200IA with their dedicated SoundArtist 'LS3/5A' are great but ... back in the 1970s there was a British manufacturer ... AMSTRAD, who sold an AMSTRAD 'Acoustra' speaker based on Lowther and you know? Well it wasn't up to Lowther standards but the sound of that Sound Artist system is very good, maybe a little bit smaller in dispersion to the original but it costs less too. It's Top Quality for smaller rooms.

[@garypoole716]

The only thing that looks cheep is the name plate stuck on the grill 🇬🇧

[@Ricky-cl5bu]

Where can I buy a pair 😊

[@fletchermunson6225]

My biggest audio screw up is was to sell a pair of Dynamo MkIII mono tube amps. These had been upgraded and were glorious. Yes, I'm an idiot however I did learn not to sell something until I was dead sure it needed to go. No repeats of the Dynamo catastrophe..

[@alferro3149]

Industrial design copyright expires after 25 years 🤔

[@knowname23]

No link to their website? Nothing on your Insta either Steve, what gives?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Type china fi ls35a

[@graememorrison333]

Is there nothing the Chinese won't clone?! I'm still using the Wilmslow Audio kit versions (with non-matched KEF B110s and T27s that I built for someone who then gave them to me) that I constructed forty years ago. Their soundstage still stands out, even with a relatively crappy source.

[@keplermission]

Yeah but ... the Wimslow Audio kit versions are 8-ohm and have 81dB SPL, so these were things that flew under radar you know? Back then Raymond Cooke you know ... didn't allow any innovation from the recognized LS3/5A. But the Chinese don't clone, they bought over Tannoy and they're very capable at making things better. Yours ears have been trained on these ... 8 ohm ... Wilmslow Audio, wow, 'Swift of Wilmslow' you know ... 'LS3/5A', only they're not speakers and they'll sound good to you, no doubt, but...

[@RathOX]

Or just buy LS50 meta which are much better…these measure terrible

[@RathOX]

@@beefquiche not even that much more, and measure accurately.

[@RathOX]

@@johnnysilverhand1733 no, 8331 sams and above are only good

[@geol7408]

Regarding price. It's always, always, always best to just wait and save more money and buy what you want in the first place. So much cheaper in the long run. This was an expensive lesson for me to learn.

[@RathOX]

@@beefquiche well the ls50 meta is literally what this speaker is based off. As well but yes accuracy always matters, anything else is just coloured and sounds incorrect

[@RathOX]

If you want coloured sound funny enough buying accuate speakers & then using EQ will give a better sound you’re looking for

[@jamesschneider3828]

Is that shirt of you’re wife’s design?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

No

[@ibrahimhakim6232]

500$ speakers with 10k$ electronic’s sound good…? Unbelievable… How would it sound with WIIM Ultra and, let’s say, Yamaha as501?

[@robertwoodward9231]

EXACTLY!

[@donwest5387]

I bought some used Martin/Logans for $500 Cdn

[@auggysimcity]

M.I.C..... no. i will save up for one made in the U.K. people never learn... good luck with Denafrips now that Alvin has moved on... heck not my money... me no worry...

[@AndrewDCDrummond]

Those grills are not nicely finished - look at how wonky the pattern is a 5:34 !

[@robertwoodward9231]

Yeah im sure they sound good if youre using a few thousand dollars worth of gear. Example..No way, say a cambridge xax35 will ever drive these 83dbs..

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

I guess you weren't paying attention, I also used a $579 thirty watt per channel integrated amp, the Vista Zest, review to come.

[@jonathanmoore8886]

"Made in China" and "clone" go together like pb&j.

[@zounds13]

And "theft of intellectual property."

[@thomasschafer7268]

😅😅😅von wegen 600$. 1298€ in Deutschland 🤔🤔👎👎🇩🇪

[@adamjj85]

I'm surprised anybody still likes these today. They are a horribly measuring speaker by today's standards. It's very easy to find alternatives that perform better at even lower prices.

[@NoNameToHave]

You know what, there are several Chinese brands that produce this model. 😂From 200usd to 1000usd. I think this one is no different from the 200usd one.

[@matthewtaylor7355]

They can b had for 300gbp..i kid u not.. China hi fi markup lol... Kef metas 380

[@robbase-f6x]

Steve - I found a speaker that can put these 2 way monitors to shame and they cost only about $600 a pair. Here is the catch -they are active with 140 watts of very high quality class A/B power ......... they are co-axial in design with jaw dropping holographic imaging ,,,,,,,,, they are very dynamic ,,,,,,,, vocals are spooky real ......... and get this - they are small yet play cleanly to 35 hz ...... you don't need amp , pre-amp or speaker cables - so you are removing ALOT of the weak links in the system - they sound phenomenal in a room 20 x 15 - what speaker is this ? its the : PRESONUS ERIS PRO 6 ..... TRY THEM ..... thank me later

[@donnowak4304]

No way you were not missing bass. Too funny.

[@jeroenvermiljoen]

Oh China, never mind then.

[@NawMan357]

Apply the philosophy to everything you own and see what you are left with. Close to nothing😂😂

[@luigicirelli2583]

class d amplifiers aren't c*appy

[@TeresaEngle-k6k]

Emmett Prairie

[@meshplates]

The viewer system of the day is very for want of a better word schizophrenic. it looks like he had one kind of hiend ss system and he's changing over to another tube vintage one. the past fear is left over from the old one.

[@ScottsLifeOffGrid]

Oh perhaps he likes to listen to the warm sound of tubes for vinyl and solid state for CD and streaming.

[@elonmuskrat2830]

Chinese build quality that is allegedly based on a classic British design. What could go wrong? I'd consider it a miracle if they last more than a year. No one takes shortcuts in manufacturing and pumps out disposable junk better than the Chinese.

[@zeissiez]

Well, they don't sell higher than they should neither

[@EMP698]

USA does it even better.

[@matthewtaylor7355]

Iv had my pair 3 years

[@larrylevan3378]

class D is the future.................

[@TheMirolab]

But the future is not here yet.

[@larrylevan3378]

@@TheMirolab PURIFI/HYPEX

[@EMP698]

Also the extinction of mankind but let,'s not hurry

[@badbruise]

Did someone say china?😂

[@fullalbums5675]

audiophiles are hopeless