Are there ways to DIY clone LS3-5a at reasonable cost? The cost or cloning difficulties with expensive drivers or crossover? Thanks
The cheap option must be to build a speaker in the same spirit. Falcon offer one:
http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/ls3-5a/ls3-5a-cabinets-kits/falcon-mini-monitor-complete-kit.html
Wilmslow offer a modern interpretation with a Monacor SPH-135AD polycone:
WA LS3 Bookshelf Loudspeaker
Troels Gravesen offers a Peerless 830860 polycone with Scanspeak tweeter design that ticks all the boxes too:
Peerless HDS PPB 830860
Those drivers are easy to get. They really can't sound a million miles away from the LS3/5A. 🙂
http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/ls3-5a/ls3-5a-cabinets-kits/falcon-mini-monitor-complete-kit.html
Wilmslow offer a modern interpretation with a Monacor SPH-135AD polycone:
WA LS3 Bookshelf Loudspeaker
Troels Gravesen offers a Peerless 830860 polycone with Scanspeak tweeter design that ticks all the boxes too:
Peerless HDS PPB 830860
Those drivers are easy to get. They really can't sound a million miles away from the LS3/5A. 🙂
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If you want a LS3-5a clone with superior sound, I suggest Jeff Bagby's Continuum version. Jeff studied the original design and significantly improved and iterated it. A parts kit with plans ($353) is found at Meniscus Audio:
Continuum, Pr
The plans are only available via the Meniscus link but dozens of people on the Parts Express Tech Talk forum have built Jeff's design so help would be available if you need it.
Jeff's Continuum is also available ready-made from Salk Sound at $1200 per pair. See details at this link and click the embedded Continuum links to read the Overview, Features, and Specs/Pricing.
Continuum home
Highly recommended!
Continuum, Pr
The plans are only available via the Meniscus link but dozens of people on the Parts Express Tech Talk forum have built Jeff's design so help would be available if you need it.
Jeff's Continuum is also available ready-made from Salk Sound at $1200 per pair. See details at this link and click the embedded Continuum links to read the Overview, Features, and Specs/Pricing.
Continuum home
Highly recommended!
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The real questions should be - which of the numerous variants of this design have you heard, and why particularly do you want to replicate it, particularly if for use other than the original design goal
There is a wealth of information on the subject, just a click or two away on your browser - starting here is as good as anywhere?
The Unofficial LS3/5A Support Site
There is a wealth of information on the subject, just a click or two away on your browser - starting here is as good as anywhere?
The Unofficial LS3/5A Support Site
This one may be the most cost effective:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/mult...rs150p-rs28-tweeter-60-page-design-guide.html
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/mult...rs150p-rs28-tweeter-60-page-design-guide.html
That's an essential question indeed. Which part of the speaker that you want to replicate. If the answer is ALL then purchase a used one.
Having read about LS 3-5a monitor's response which has bump on low end as these were meant for broadcasting van. What driver size would be required to have the same response (linear) without the need for bass bump ?
Regards.
Regards.
Nearly all small speakers have a bump at low end. To be used in a van means that you don't need high sensitivity or big power so you can convert that high sensitivity potential into lower bass extension. But with modern driver you don't need to sacrifice sensitivity as many small woofers have very low extension. Bigger size doesn't automatically mean lower extension. Check Overnight Sensation, I think the woofer is small but goes very low and very cheap. But then it's not about LS3 anymore...
Thanks. I was curious to know that if there was no constrain of size and were not intended to be used in small place and one sets out to design a two way sealed speaker with response same as LS3-5 (or even better) how big the driver and box would be ?
Regards.
Regards.
What do you mean response same as or even better than LS3/5. There are two types of frequency response. One is flat from bottom to top, another is with downward tilt [Higher response at lows gradually lower at the top]. The former is suitable when the low extension is sufficiently low. For small woofer with limited bass extension, you may want to sacrifice power or sensitivity to get lower bass, and you may want to boost the lows so you will get a perceived lower bass. That's what the LS3/5 has been done. But you better avoid that if your driver is more capable. But sure you better retain the sealed box approach, even tho it tends to mean less bass extension [and transient limited].
Budget should be first determined, then how low you want the bass extension to be. Lower extension always mean more expensive woofer. 60Hz is a good minimum. Lower bass extension also tends to mean bigger woofer and bigger box.
With known budget, you would start to search for suitable woofers. But if you're not a highly experienced builder, you should start to search a suitable project from good designers. The Continuum from Jeff Bagby for example, if within your budget.
Budget should be first determined, then how low you want the bass extension to be. Lower extension always mean more expensive woofer. 60Hz is a good minimum. Lower bass extension also tends to mean bigger woofer and bigger box.
With known budget, you would start to search for suitable woofers. But if you're not a highly experienced builder, you should start to search a suitable project from good designers. The Continuum from Jeff Bagby for example, if within your budget.
Sorry I am not building anything. Just wanted to learn. For a moment lets forget LS3-5a. To be specific lets say for a flat response upto 50hz(+/-3dB from reference level), 2 way, sealed cabinet. how big the driver and cabinet need be ?
Regards.
Regards.
First requirement, the driver/woofer must be capable of reaching 50 Hz. It means, in general, it's resonance frequency [Fs in woofer specification] should be below 50Hz.
Second, to make sure you can get +/-3dB the driver's frequency response should be flat enough such that minor peaks can be easily corrected using notch filter or similar techniques. Dips are almost impossible to correct using passive components.
Woofer size can be anything from 5 inches [but rare] and bigger.
Box size depends on other woofer's specification [Vas, Qts].
One thing missing from Jay's list is the cone area required to cleanly handle musical transients in a room down to 50 Hz. 5" drivers cannot do this. They tend to be comfortable down to 200 Hz or so and a bit stretched if asked to cross to a subwoofer at 80-100Hz. Here are some measurements (click link on RHS) of a high quality speaker with a 5" driver that gives some idea of where the SPL limits lie. Note the frequency response is flat down to 50 Hz but the undistorted peaks in this frequency range are around 85 dB giving a maximum undistorted average listening level of about 75dB. This is when sitting close at 1m. If you want to use them in a room you will be looking at maximum undistorted average SPLs of little more than 60 dB or so. Some people seem to be happy with this but it isn't high fidelity and there is still an octave or so below 50Hz that may contain relevant information these days.
Thanks Andy. Yes thats what I wanted to know. The Cone area. Lets say If one gets even more conservative and wants; 60hz, undistorted, linear, with little deviation from reference level. How bigger the 'typical' speaker driver need be. (Hope I am not derailing the thread.) 🙂
Regards.
Regards.
It's hardly the only thing that missing from the list. We haven't talked about how loud the speaker need to produce the bass 😀
I wrote "[but rare]" next to the 5". The reason is because that is the minimum diameter woofer that I have seen to be able to handle subwoofer duty. Woofers with magnet bigger than its cone are quite common. I have seen a JBL I think [at friend's house] where the 5" cone is very long/deep [so Sd is bigger than normal woofers of the same cone diameter] and the magnet is long also. The shape is very strange, as seen from front the diameter is small but basically it is a subwoofer with very big magnet.
In a sealed cabinet with a roll-off around 50-60 Hz a high fidelity speaker would typically be looking to use something like 2 x 8" woofers with subwoofers to cover the lower frequencies. One can argue a bit either way, ports will help reduce the required cone area, room size can shift things either way, only listening at less than standard levels will reduce the size, etc... But as a rough starting point it should not be a long way off.