Any currently produced drivers for LS3/5A?

[midrange]

Hi, in answer to your question go to falcon acoustics. It is a British site. They have brand new "B110" drivers at a price. They look like they ought to be really good if you want to reproduce the LS3/5a. I think T27s are not available or anything like them.

 

[raul_77]

Well, I don't know if this cabn be interesting, but perhaps the Focal Chorus 705V can be a cheap option:

Doctorjohn Cheaptubeaudio: Audio Reviews and More: HiFi Letter from New York 2009 (4): Focal Chorus 705V, Linn Kan

 

[system7]

That was an interesting review, raul_77. Interesting that the old LS3/5A clone, the Linn Kan, which used old Chartwell LS3/5A ply cabinets and B110 units, was so indistinguishable from paper cones. Let's remind ourselves that B110 units went downhill when fire-retardent was added to the bextrene mix. 😎

I do think the 11L Troels Gravesen Paper PL14WJ design is a good modern contender:
Vifa PL14WJ-

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

It's quite easy to build in the UK, since Wilmslow Audio have a cabinet and crossover PCB that is just PERFECT for 149mm bass and 104mm treble:
Mercury cabinets

In fact Wilmslow offer a driver + crossover kit using the similar (hell, almost identical...) Tymphany Scanspeak 15W-8434_G00 bass and ScanSpeak R2604/8320 tweeter.
MERCURY - Silver

Troels' selection is probably better since the Vifa PL14WJ is a vented bass, which is a good feature IMO. But Vifa and Scanspeak drivers both available at Falcon Acoustics.

IMO, the sliced paper Scanspeak 15W-8530-K00 is a bit overpriced. Why slice a cone, then repair it with glue? A 6kHz peak on the cheaper units is not hard to fix with a notch filter if you want to get fussy. Try 10uF, 0.1mH and 1.5R, and give the treble filter 4uF at the input. 🙂

 

[sreten]

... Interesting that the old LS3/5A clone, the Linn Kan ....

Hi,

the Linn Kan is about as far from a LS3/5A clone as you
can get using the same sealed cabinet and bass driver.

Horrible speaker, with no BSC and no midrange peak EQ. Still
it did have its fans - but diametrically opposed to LS3/5A types.

rgds, sreten.

 

[Moondog55]

Last I checked the Vifa 5.5' were discontinued.

No still available just re-branded, the last ones I saw were labelled Peerless and probably by now relabelled again as Scanspeak and three times the price LOL

I have thought that the notification of their demise was a way of increasing sales, it made me buy 4 extra "Just in case"

 

[AJDMGM]

I managed to acquire a pair of LS3/5as, assembled in the Far East by an ex. BBC engineer.
The used drive units and crossovers produced in, presumably, China.
The correct foam lining hadn't been used, so I ordered a set from Falcon Acoustics.
I also fitted some superior terminals, also obtained from Falcon.

After some checking I re-assembled them.
They did sound excellent and running them against a pair of 11 ohms Rogers LS3/5as, it
was difficult to tell them apart.
After some negative comments on Far East manufacturered LS3/5as, it appears that some
are excellent.
For instance, the Rogers 65th. Anniversary model is reputed to be one of best sounding models.

 

[theaudiopath]

I think the whole LS3 5A thing is fascinating. You got to hand it to the BBC. Turning a production & QC disaster into a marketing success. With one of the most boring and under perfoming "studio monitors" in pro broadcast history. LOL PT Barnum was so SO right!

 

[DrBoar]

I heard the LS3/5A the KEF 101 and the B&W DM12. I liked the DM12 best but the KEF 101 was also good (and better than the LS3/5A) with less of that lumpy middbass/lower midrange of the LS3/5A.

The BBC LS3/5A was not meant to be a hifi speaker on stands in a room. They were meant as nearfield voice monitors. If as monitors they highlight flaws in the broadcast of voices it not a bad thing. If they have terrible bass and fall apart playing large ochestral music it hardly matter for their intendend use. BBC designed them as a tool for a specific purpose no blame should befall BBC for shortcomings outside there intended use. The blame should be placed on reviwers who use them to estimate the bass performance of KRELL power amps (Ken Kessler in HFN&RR in the 80s if you do not believe me), or similar stunts.

 

[AJDMGM]

I heard the LS3/5A, the KEF 101 and the B&W DM12. I liked the DM12 best, but the KEF 101 was also good (and better than the LS3/5A) with less of that lumpy midbass/lower midrange of the LS3/5A.

The BBC LS3/5A was not meant to be a hifi speaker on stands in a room. They were meant as nearfield voice monitors. If as monitors they highlight flaws in the broadcast of voices it not a bad thing. If they have terrible bass and fall apart playing large ochestral music it hardly matter for their intendend use. As BBC designed them as a tool for a specific purpose no blame should befall BBC for shortcomings outside there intended use. The blame should be placed on reviewers who use them to estimate the bass performance of KRELL power amps (Ken Kessler in HFN&RR in the 80s if you do not believe me), or similar stunts.

OK, the LS3/5a was not meant to be a hifi speaker on stands in a room.
That doesn't mean that it cannot give musical satisfaction.

They can ( and do ) sound superb on some music, especially female vocals.
No doubt they sound less appealing on rock music and the like.
As for Ken Kessler the less said, the better.

 

[AJDMGM]

I bought a pair of Stirling Broadcast’s V3 models in January and
have been very happy with them.
They’re certainly an improvement on the V2, but in an evolutionary way. The bass is better and the imaging is the best I have heard from any LS3/5a.
I’ve also fitted a pair of Stirling’s replacement baffles to brand new Rogers cabinets.
They sound closer to the V3s than I thought they would.
Doug Stirling told me the baffles have been re-calibrated by Derek Hughes.
The world of the LS3/5a is alive and thriving...

 

[Rbertalotto]

I'm well aware this is an old posts...I want to build a pair of LS3/5a speakers. Where are we currently on sourcing drivers and crossovers for the DIY LS3/5a. I'm well aware of Falcon , but $1000 for crossovers and drivers, its a bit more than this DIY project can afford.....Any comments on the "Continuum II" ?

 

[mdpaudio]

Falcon is the only source of actual KEF clone parts by license. You might find some used parts on eBay but who knows what condition they are in after so many years.

 

[tiefbassuebertr]

I heard the LS3/5A the KEF 101 and the B&W DM12. I liked the DM12 best but the KEF 101 was also good (and better than the LS3/5A) with less of that lumpy middbass/lower midrange of the LS3/5A.

The BBC LS3/5A was not meant to be a hifi speaker on stands in a room. They were meant as nearfield voice monitors. If as monitors they highlight flaws in the broadcast of voices it not a bad thing. If they have terrible bass and fall apart playing large ochestral music it hardly matter for their intendend use. BBC designed them as a tool for a specific purpose no blame should befall BBC for shortcomings outside there intended use. The blame should be placed on reviwers who use them to estimate the bass performance of KRELL power amps (Ken Kessler in HFN&RR in the 80s if you do not believe me), or similar stunts.

check out the pdf (German test review) in post #101 under
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/bbc-ls3-5a-original-v-diy-clones.347587/page-6

 

[tiefbassuebertr]

Falcon is the only source of actual KEF clone parts by license. You might find some used parts on eBay but who knows what condition they are in after so many years.

I guess, that not many commercial manufacturers of the LS3/5a purchase the drivers from Falcon Acoustics according the vintage KEF versions T27 (SP1032) and B110B (SP1003) - thus not only the diy versions are clones - even most of commercial versions like this currently manufacturers of finished LS3/5a (except Falcon) because the used drivers from manufacturers like SEAS or Volt Loudspeakers:

Harwood
https://www.lowbeats.de/test-kompaktbox-harwood-ls-3-5a-der-bbc-klassiker-fuer-1-150-euro/
https://www.hifisound.de/de/Hifi-Ko...kation-Palisander-Furnier-Sommer-Angebot.html
Graham Audio (Volt Loudspeakers/SEAS)
https://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/products/ls35a/
https://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/products/ls35/
https://www.audio-offensive.de/testbericht-graham-audio-ls-3-5/
Musical Fidelity
https://www.musicalfidelity.com/products/ls3-5a
https://www.highfidelity.pl/@main-1303&lang=en
https://www.stereo.de/heftinhalt/artikel/musical-fidelity-monitor-ls3-5a-und-vollverstaerker-a1
Stirling Broadcast
http://www.stirlingbroadcast.net/ls35a_v3.html
http://www.stirlingbroadcast.net/ls35a_v2.html
http://www.stirlingbroadcast.net/ls35a_repairs.html
Sound Artist
https://futureaudiophile.com/soundartist-ls3-5a-loudspeaker-review/
found under
https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/c...h-better-performance-durability-and-usability

Some Overviews/Basic Information
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1976-29.pdf
https://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/bbc-ls3-5a/ls3-5a-archive.html
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/kef-reference-series-101-251686418
http://www.g4dcv.co.uk/ls35a/diy.html
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...he-sound-artist-ls3-5a-or-other-clones.22557/
https://medialux.blog/2019/07/14/the-ls3-5a-a-midrange-to-die-for-part-i/
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/prorecordingworkshop/ls3-5a-back-in-production-t19405477.html
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/any-cheap-way-to-clone-ls3-5a.279859/
https://cheaptubeaudio.blogspot.com/2022/11/clone-ls35a.html
Under
https://webcache.googleusercontent....-units&cd=26&hl=de&ct=clnk&gl=de&client=opera
there are to find nice images of a LS3/5a clone include KEF data sheets

From my view Falcon Acoustics is the only supplier, if one want the genuine sound of LS3/5a as close as possible. Also of interest in case of service for old ones.
https://web.archive.org/web/20040813223325/http://www.falcon-acoustics.co.uk/falcon.htm
https://falconspeakers.com/products/falcon-ls3-5a-gold-badge
https://www.fidelity-online.de/test-falcon-acoustics-ls35a-kompaktlautsprecher/
https://www.stereophile.com/content/falcon-acoustics-ls35a-loudspeaker

 

[tiefbassuebertr]

supplement to my previous post #74 - many interesting advices:
https://www.markhennessy.co.uk/rogers/ls35a.htm
http://www.g4dcv.co.uk/ls35a/main.html