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In Reply to: RE: A Question for Reviewers who Own LS3/5As posted by RGA on May 18, 2012 at 00:28:28
You are indeed correct, each generation of the LS 3/5a sounds quite a bit different. A vintage 15ohm version does sound significantly better in the midrange than the newest generation.
A couple other factors make a huge difference. If the speakers were sitting directly on the AB1 subs, that's the kiss of death - they need rigid stands to sit on and the subs standing next to them - very impractical but makes a big difference. The other critical factor is to by-pass the subwoofer's high-pass filter which decimates resolution - I actually run the LS 3/5a and AB1 in parallel, not in series to get an upper bass overlap (big no-no I know but it sounds richer to me that way).
Finally the Cadet is not my favorite amp by Rogers - I find the KT88s too glassy - I wish you had heard them with the E40a, much better suited.
So to your point, they are finicky divas - when it clicks I still find their ability to reproduce human voice quite hard to exceed - but you can find far more balanced and easier to implement speakers at lower prices in the modern production. When it doesn't click (and there are many reasons for that to happen), they can be hard and harsh.
Follow Ups:
I had a two hour audition with the Audio Space LS3/5a today trying a few of their KT 88 and EL34 based amps. The LS3/5a was sitting on top of their sub. No integration issues. Interestingly across the street I heard two other LS3/5a and a Gini version and neither were remotely as good. So I think it really comes down to who is making it and the parts quality because the Audio Space version was really nice - very high quality wood - you could tell the things were made a cut above the others.
The KT 88s still had a touch glassy sound though still better than many I've heard. One EL 84 was darker and brooding but it also drew me into the music more - the other EL34 they demoed was a tweener - retained the solid foundation of the first EL34 while having a little more air and openness of the KT 88 and was the best of the four (and not the most expensive). I say best when I mean to say best of the four with that LS3-5A - all of them were good so it will come down to taste to a large degree. I found them very musical and engaging so I look forward to getting some for review. It will be interesting to see how they fair in a smaller space. They did well in a large room probably too large for them so I am actually excited to hear what they can offer in a more appropriate demo. And it will be interesting to pit them head to head with the AX Two.
As for John Atkinson using them as a reference I can "hear" why. There may be better techy speakers but this ranks high on the musical factor and that counts for something - err well everything really. It says much that they're still selling and companies are willing to go head to head with other companies in making a set.
I don't like the tipped up bass and recessed treble , or the low efficiency. I want a jump factor in my audio system, and the 3/5s cannot produce it. BTW, the Audio Note Js are, BY FAR, more realistic than the 3/5s, and I would love to compare the AN Js to the 3/5s blind.
Points well taken - I didn't look closely at the amp - I generally agree with you on KT 88s and that very well could have been the issue. I think the KT 88 is better suited to tougher to drive speakers.
Further they had the LS3/5a on top of the subwoofer. I read anbother link that said the same thing you are saying about the AB1 sub. I am likely going to be getting some sort of SET amplifier and likely from Line Magnetic or Melody or Audio Note (if one becomes available cheap - chortle chortle). SET is still king when done right and speakers like the LS3/5a are no problem for SE amps. Seems like a lot of companies make the LS3/5a speaker design parameters under their own brand name.
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