Falcon v Graham ( and Stirling ? )

[Fatmarley]

im also slapping myself. when I was in the market for a kit, I decided to build jeff bagby continuum over the Falcon
what a mistake

Only just noticed this - Very surprised by this, Most people think they're great but the do need to be tight against a wall apparently. Jeff Bagby often wins diy competitions in the US, and what he doesn't know about loudspeaker design isn't worth knowing.

 

[Martyn Miles]

Martyn, I'm particularly interested in the (Stirling) approach -of pulling modern drivers, traditional cabinet build and crossovers together to meet the BBC spec.
Like you I ended up with HLP3ESRs (after living with the Spendor S3/5R) and I'd love to hear how the Stirling V2 compares with these designs.

After living with various LS3/5as over the years ( Audiomasters, Harbeth, etc. ) I ended up with the Harbeth P3-ESRs. I’d never heard the Stirling LS3/5a V2s. The nearest was a pair of Stirling MS88s.
Recently a pair of V2s were advertised privately and I was interested in actually getting a pair to listen to.
I eventually bought them at a very good price. I could always sell them on if I couldn’t get on with them, I thought.

Well, they are superb. Aural memory can be suspect, but I feel they are the best LS3/5as I’ve heard. The bass
is tighter and subjectively deeper and the top marginally brighter, but that lovely midrange is present.
As for comparison to the P3, you have to take on board it’s a different speaker. It’s smoother, gives a
bigger image and deeper bass and it’s more realistic. The piano sounds more like a piano. Piano sounds superb on the Stirlings, but it has more ‘body’ on the Harbeths.



In the end it comes down to what you can live with. If I hadn’t got the Harbeths I could happily live with the
Stirlings.

 

[Martyn Miles]

There is a pair of Graham LS3/5s on eBay for £1295.
After what ‘monstrous lie’ wrote they may interest PFM members.

 

[regafan]

When I owned V2's I felt I was probably a bit stingy with my amplifiers.
I think they thrive on a bit of current.

They sounded nicest to me with Croft 25 and Quad 405. Also they sounded nice with NVA AP30, Also Creek 4040. A nice cheap good sounding pairing.
For some reason there were some amps they didn't float my boat with.

One was Puresound A30. It sounded nice and valvy, but definitely ran out of puff! Even though 30watts a side. That was a surprise. Also Creek50a, that sounded bland with the V2s to me. Whereas I had heard the Creek sound fabulous with other speakers.

All went to prove to me that you should never take anyone's word about any pairing until you've heard it yourself in your set up!

 

[Martyn Miles]

When I owned V2's I felt I was probably a bit stingy with my amplifiers.
I think they thrive on a bit of current.

They sounded nicest to me with Croft 25 and Quad 405. Also they sounded nice with NVA AP30, Also Creek 4040. A nice cheap good sounding pairing.
For some reason there were some amps they didn't float my boat with.

One was Puresound A30. It sounded nice and valvy, but definitely ran out of puff! Even though 30watts a side. That was a surprise. Also Creek50a, that sounded bland with the V2s to me. Whereas I had heard the Creek sound fabulous with other speakers.

All went to prove to me that you should never take anyone's word about any pairing until you've heard it yourself in your set up!

I ran the V2s using a Quad 34/303 and an expensive Sony CD player. They sounded lovely together. I also tried them
with an Audiolab 8000A and a Linn LP12 / Mission 774 / Denon 103 combination.
I have to say it sounded extremely good.

 

[Panderos]

I ran the V2s using a Quad 34/303 and an expensive Sony CD player. They sounded lovely together. I also tried them
with an Audiolab 8000A and a Linn LP12 / Mission 774 / Denon 103 combination.
I have to say it sounded extremely good.

Following all this with interest. I've had no experience with original '70s vintage LS3/5a's. Own and enjoy Harbeth P3-ES2s - the version just prior to plugging the Radial driver into the little Harb. As to the Radial version; had a good home audition, but didn't find them preferable in any way important to me. Had the Stirling V2 in for awhile; very nice, fine high frequency detail without glare. To me the Harb seemed to have more weight or presence - subjectively more satisfying. YMMV, of course.

I'd love to hear the Falcons and the Graham LS3/5, but find the prices daunting, without having chance for a good audition. Do appreciate what these various legacy versions can do in a small room...I might take a flyer on the promised budget response in the (apparently) coming Swisstone L3 from the Graham folks...

-panderos-

 

[TheDecameron]

Has anyone here actually tried the Falcons next to elderly 3/5as and Stirling V2s? I’d love to hear what a pair of box fresh LS3/5as sound like..

 

[Martyn Miles]

Has anyone here actually tried the Falcons next to elderly 3/5as and Stirling V2s? I’d love to hear what a pair of box fresh LS3/5as sound like...

What we need is a PFM equivalent of the Hi-Fi News June 2001 LS3/5a Shootout.
It could be very interesting.
I have owned Audiomasters, Harbeths and Falcons over the years and recently acquired the Stirling V2s.
Admittedly my long-term speakers are Harbeth P3-ESRs.

 

[Tarzan]

What we need is a PFM equivalent of the Hi-Fi News June 2001 LS3/5a Shootout.
It could be very interesting.
I have owned Audiomasters, Harbeths and Falcons over the years and recently acquired the Stirling V2s.
Admittedly my long-term speakers are Harbeth P3-ESRs.

Agree, would be fun.