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Falcon Acoustics re-introduce the Q7 MiniMonitor.

Yes exactly! The Q7s are like a sorted LS3/5a. There's a good reason why Malcolm Jones chose a cabinet size with a Q of 0.7. It would be interesting
to do a blind comparison. IMHO the Q7s would walk it.

The Q7 has a little more bass reach but not that much really. Saying they’d ‘walk it’ versus the Falcon LS3/5a is quite an exaggeration - I’ve heard both in the same system a few times and I’d still prefer the original if I had to choose only one.
 
The Q7 has a little more bass reach but not that much really. Saying they’d ‘walk it’ versus the Falcon LS3/5a is quite an exaggeration - I’ve heard both in the same system a few times and I’d still prefer the original if I had to choose only one.

I worked as an assistant film editor and later a film dubbing editor at the BBC for over ten years mid eighties to mid nineties. I'm very familiar with the LS3/5a they were our
main monitors in the edit suites. I think the Q7s are better balanced.
 
I worked as an assistant film editor and later a film dubbing editor at the BBC for over ten years mid eighties to mid nineties. I'm very familiar with the LS3/5a they were our
main monitors in the edit suites. I think the Q7s are better balanced.

Not exactly sure what you mean by better balanced although the BBC designed them to have the balance they required after a massively costly R&D effort (as you’ll know). If they wanted a different balance they could’ve used a larger cabinet like the Q7 does. I didn’t really find there to be a particularly substantial difference between the two speakers.

I enjoyed my Falcon LS3/5a over the last 18 months very much before moving to Klipsch Cornwall but if I wanted to buy a ‘better’ mini-monitor I think I’d open my options to modern types rather than a tweaked vintage speaker design (however nice), which is what the Q7 is.
 
Those who do not like the LS3/5A: What you forget in your critism is why the LS3/5A was developped, what its design brief was. In essence they were developped for use in places where a larger speaker would not work. They were for monitoring broadcast live events: in other words the spoken word. It does the latter admirably. In the days that these were developped HiFi was regarded as truthfull reproduction between 50Hz and 15Khz and listening at the home was largely done by mantel radios that did not have much response below the 70 ~ 90Hz.

The LS3/5A has a bass hump which makes it not easy to integrate with a sub. The Kef Constructor Series CS1, CS1A and the Falcon Q7 all have larger enclosures improving bass response and making it easier to integrate with a sub. But in the small broadcast vans they might be (too?) boomy due to lower bass capabilty. In the LS3/5A the distortion in the bass region together with the bass hump gives the impression that there is more bass than that there actually is. At the same time it does not trigger resonance in the small enclosed space of the vans.

FWIW: Some time ago I spoke to a panel beater who mentioned that he does not like to work on cars that have large subs in the boot: the panels on the doors and roof flex too much due to metal fatigue that is caused by the bass flexing the panels. When we were looking for a new home some years ago there was a builders "show home" and he had a home theatre installation playing loud with explosions that could be felt. He was very proud of his sound system. Looking at the walls I noticed that the drywall was showing where the fasteners were located and in the corners with the ceiling gaps were showing as gib filler was falling out. I do not want this kind of bass in our home, same as that the BBC did not want too much bass reproduced in their vans.

There is no doubt in my mind that the LS3/5A perfectly matches what it was designed for.

If I listen to music I want to be able to listen to the lyrics rather than a muffled whole with an overpowering bass rhytm, I am not into having parties with modern dance music. Horses for causes, a Clydesdale will not do where an Arabian is needed and visa versa.

YMMV
 
.....
I enjoyed my Falcon LS3/5a over the last 18 months very much before moving to Klipsch Cornwall.....


I'm confused about comparing a Klipsch Cornwall with the LS3/5A: they are totally different beasts with a different prupose - the Klipsch Cornwall is for large spaces with its 15" woofer whereas the LS3/5A is for small places where a larger enclosure will not do . If using the same room then in other words: either your room is too big for the LS3/5A to perform its best or the room is too small for the Klipsch Cornwall with lots of bass resonances.

Having said this: It is all about how you are enjoying your reproduced sound, if you are happy with what you are hearing then who cares if it is accurate or not and has lots of bass or not.
 
The LS3/5A has a bass hump which makes it not easy to integrate with a sub
Well, time marches on and so does technology: The ls3/5a can now find a great sub partnership with the SVS Micro (and other similar subs, I suspect) and the bass hump is no longer difficult to deal with. I was reflecting today, how much more preferable this solution is to me, versus using larger enclosure speakers which I've often tried in my room. It's the best of both worlds: The extraordinary nuanced response of the ls3/5a, and a fully tweakable quality bass extension.
 
Well, time marches on and so does technology: The ls3/5a can now find a great sub partnership with the SVS Micro (and other similar subs, I suspect) and the bass hump is no longer difficult to deal with. I was reflecting today, how much more preferable this solution is to me, versus using larger enclosure speakers which I've often tried in my room. It's the best of both worlds: The extraordinary nuanced response of the ls3/5a, and a fully tweakable quality bass extension.

True. A well implemented sub with the LS3/5A or the Q7 can provide a fantastic result.

When I had the Rogers LS3/5A I made my own small subwoofer based on a design in an Australian magazine. The sub worked OK but it did not relieve the LS3/5A from the bass and I was not overly satisfied with the end result.

Recently I've read of the KEF KC62 together with the LS3/5A and that the users are impressed with the overall result. It may be a valid option, unfortunately a bit too expensive for me.
 
I'm confused about comparing a Klipsch Cornwall with the LS3/5A: they are totally different beasts with a different prupose - the Klipsch Cornwall is for large spaces with its 15" woofer whereas the LS3/5A is for small places where a larger enclosure will not do . If using the same room then in other words: either your room is too big for the LS3/5A to perform its best or the room is too small for the Klipsch Cornwall with lots of bass resonances.

Having said this: It is all about how you are enjoying your reproduced sound, if you are happy with what you are hearing then who cares if it is accurate or not and has lots of bass or not.

I didn’t mean compare the two as such, just mentioning that I’d now changed from one to the other to define the duration of my time with the Falcons.

My room is not large at all, in fact it’s a typical smallish British living room. The Cornwalls are designed to work in corners or along walls (hence corn-wall) and in fact sound superb in my room with what I tend to listen to - mostly small group acoustic Jazz, some vocals, Classical and Electronic music. @Ianp - former Q7 owner and PFM member - was thrilled by the sound this week when visiting telling me to change nothing and I could scarcely want for more. I have them about 8” off the rear wall and 12” from the sides. The Falcons I had before the Klipsch sounded very pure as I was able to have them about 3-4 feet from the walls well into the room, with the listening position about 5 feet from them. Another visiting member and Gold Badge Falcon owner in this thread @The Bish said Sinatra sounded the best he’d ever heard him when hearing my Falcons.

So although the two speakers are indeed very different, surprisingly they can both work in a fairly small room - which enthusiasts in the Far East have known for years. It was a fingers-crossed moment buying the Klipsch but it’s paid off massively. Just a shame I needed to sell the Falcons, I shall miss them.
 
Is that with your profile kit Matt?

( l think it is Matt.):)

It’s Greg! :)

…And yes current kit is listed in my profile, Ian came round Thursday afternoon and heard the TD124 and Lebens. My new cart is an SPU Wood A which has raised things considerably over the SPU #1S. Still love the #1S though and will be keeping it.
 
I'm not one to commonly strongly impose my preference onto a friend, but I did admittedly suggest never changing anything ever again :). Stunning system.

Anyway, I'll have to make do with my little Harbeths !! Tough call ;).
 
It’s Greg! :)

…And yes current kit is listed in my profile, Ian came round Thursday afternoon and heard the TD124 and Lebens. My new cart is an SPU Wood A which has raised things considerably over the SPU #1S. Still love the #1S though and will be keeping it.


Oops! :D That looks like a very musical system indeed- would like to hear a Leben one day.
 
....
So although the two speakers are indeed very different, surprisingly they can both work in a fairly small room - which enthusiasts in the Far East have known for years. It was a fingers-crossed moment buying the Klipsch but it’s paid off massively. Just a shame I needed to sell the Falcons, I shall miss them.

In the years that I lived in Hong Kong (around the handover) I have visited most of the audio shops and don't recall seeing any big classical speakers for sale. Probably there might have been a few but they did not register, I suspect they may have only been available on indent.

I wonder if you would have achieved same (or even better results) of simply adding a sub to the Falcons. To me voice is everything, one can easily hear if voice is natural or not (and if the person appears to be standing in front of you in the room) - how do I know how the sound technician wanted to have the instruments present itself to support the singer?
 
Adding a sub to LS3/5as hasn’t been easy from what I’ve read.

The original Rogers AB-1 wasn’t too successful.
Stirling Broadcast’s AB-2 was better, by all accounts.

Andy Whittle’s recent powered sub-woofer, to suit the Rogers Classic LS3/5a, is
very expensive.
I’ve not read any reviews of it.
 
In the years that I lived in Hong Kong (around the handover) I have visited most of the audio shops and don't recall seeing any big classical speakers for sale. Probably there might have been a few but they did not register, I suspect they may have only been available on indent.

I wonder if you would have achieved same (or even better results) of simply adding a sub to the Falcons. To me voice is everything, one can easily hear if voice is natural or not (and if the person appears to be standing in front of you in the room) - how do I know how the sound technician wanted to have the instruments present itself to support the singer?

I don’t know about Hong Kong but in Japan they have a thing for big horns, JBLs, Tannoys etc in tiny rooms. My Klipsch look quite modestly sized compared to some Japanese rooms I’ve seen.

I strongly doubt adding a sub to LS3/5a would give anything like the dynamics and presence of what the Klipsch can do. The 15” bass drivers go up to 800Hz and the horns are so fast and clear at any volume level. The mid drivers of the LS3/5a just can’t compare in these respects. Dynamics are quite strongly compressed with small speakers to an extent I hadn’t fully appreciated until comparing both these speakers in the same house. A sub can’t change that characteristic as it’s the small speakers making the midrange sounds.
 
I don’t know about Hong Kong but in Japan they have a thing for big horns, JBLs, Tannoys etc in tiny rooms. My Klipsch look quite modestly sized compared to some Japanese rooms I’ve seen.

I strongly doubt adding a sub to LS3/5a would give anything like the dynamics and presence of what the Klipsch can do. The 15” bass drivers go up to 800Hz and the horns are so fast and clear at any volume level. The mid drivers of the LS3/5a just can’t compare in these respects. Dynamics are quite strongly compressed with small speakers to an extent I hadn’t fully appreciated until comparing both these speakers in the same house. A sub can’t change that characteristic as it’s the small speakers making the midrange sounds.

Don't know about the current tiny rooms in Japan, thought they all had rice paper dividers between the "rooms" in one big space. Horns? Often they have no deep bass and the bamboo flutes etc. music that they like to listen to has not much bass content unlike the "western" music.

Back to the discussion at hand: You are forgetting what the LS3/5A was designed for and what they are doing brilliantly.

If you want to listen to music in a larger room than a broom cabinet or a van then perhaps you may want to listen first to a decent setup with a sub where the bass is removed from the LS3/5A and letting the LS3/5A do only midrange and HF duty before just stating that it is no good. You may be surprised how enjoyable that can be as several others can attest to.

I have difficulty understanding where you are coming from: You mentioned earlier that you will be missing the the Falcons which is suggesting that already you feel there is something missing from the Klipsch Cornwall setup. In a certain way it reads like you acknowledge that the HF and midrange of the Falcons is very good (because that is their strength, not their bass) yet in this last posting you say the opposite in that the midrange is no good.

Personally I find that after what 57, 58 years? of having had lots of different equipment the sealed mini monitors like the LS3/5A, ProAc Tablette 10, Kef CS1 and CS1A meet my current requirements the best. I fully expect the Q7 to fall in the same category with an even better voice reproduction of the human voice than the Tablette 10. And to get the best out of these small speakers they'll need an exceptional amplifier but that is another story.

If your needs are best met with the Klipsch and the Leben then I have no issue with that. Enjoy them but stop telling others that the LS3/5A or Q7 are no good.

You don't hear me saying that the Klipsch is no good, it just does not meet my requirements of realistic voice reproduction.

Let's leave it at that.
Peace.
 
Don't know about the current tiny rooms in Japan, thought they all had rice paper dividers between the "rooms" in one big space. Horns? Often they have no deep bass and the bamboo flutes etc. music that they like to listen to has not much bass content unlike the "western" music.

Back to the discussion at hand: You are forgetting what the LS3/5A was designed for and what they are doing brilliantly.

If you want to listen to music in a larger room than a broom cabinet or a van then perhaps you may want to listen first to a decent setup with a sub where the bass is removed from the LS3/5A and letting the LS3/5A do only midrange and HF duty before just stating that it is no good. You may be surprised how enjoyable that can be as several others can attest to.

I have difficulty understanding where you are coming from: You mentioned earlier that you will be missing the the Falcons which is suggesting that already you feel there is something missing from the Klipsch Cornwall setup. In a certain way it reads like you acknowledge that the HF and midrange of the Falcons is very good (because that is their strength, not their bass) yet in this last posting you say the opposite in that the midrange is no good.

Personally I find that after what 57, 58 years? of having had lots of different equipment the sealed mini monitors like the LS3/5A, ProAc Tablette 10, Kef CS1 and CS1A meet my current requirements the best. I fully expect the Q7 to fall in the same category with an even better voice reproduction of the human voice than the Tablette 10. And to get the best out of these small speakers they'll need an exceptional amplifier but that is another story.

If your needs are best met with the Klipsch and the Leben then I have no issue with that. Enjoy them but stop telling others that the LS3/5A or Q7 are no good.

You don't hear me saying that the Klipsch is no good, it just does not meet my requirements of realistic voice reproduction.

Let's leave it at that.
Peace.

I think you’re getting confused. Greg is a big fan of the falcons he owned. And said as much above. He merely states that he wouldn’t expect LS5/5a plus sub to match the dynamics of the Cornwalls. Hardly a damning comment. Missing the attributes of one speaker doesn’t mean another one doesn’t suit you as well, or even better.

Further up the thread Conan states that LS3/5a aren’t suitable for music. Is it that that you’re disagreeing with? In which case I agree with your disagreement!
 


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