Just unboxed the Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge - Could use some advice
- Thread starter Jazzyguy
- Start date
Already on the way! Ordered a big bag of BBQ hardwood pellets from Amazon for the fill, as recommended by Skylan.
alexkirkham
Member
sand filled ls/3/5a foundation stands keep coming up on ebay/ facebook for 50 quid and are very ideal. love the stereo 20 / ls3/5a combo: very very hard to beat...
Amazing info, thank you! I played around with it again and settled on something in between toed flat (not toed in at all) and how I had it before. Good compromise between brightness and imaging now. I have them at 8 degrees toed in from flat. 22” away from the side wall (to side of speaker cabinet) and 27” from the front wall (to front baffle of speaker).Your listening assessment is correct, as in all BBC-style speakers there is some flare at the bottom of the tweeter's passband that not only will stick out in the direct sound coming from the speaker but will also reflect from the side walls and make the sound 'brighter' (but also artificially 'clearer'). As you can see on the table below 'brightness' refers to the 2-5kHz region, not the top end as many believe.
A quick review of the horizontal directivity plot shows that the speaker response is probably flattest when pointing some 12-15º away from the listening spot, but this will depend on how far they're sitting from the side walls and whether or not the walls have some level of absorption or diffusion.
But you may prefer having them pointing straight at you or with no toe-in (with the axis parallel to the side walls), and that's what matters most. No toe-in will produce a dip in the presence region, at broad-ish peak centered at 3.5kHz and some top end roll off, making the sound more 'distant' or 'laid-back', and perhaps a tad 'brighter', but less 'airy', overall 'sweeter' with a a touch of 'zest'.
Hazelberry
sister
After some experimentation with my own LS3/4As, I’ve been happiest with about the same degree of toe-in. Angling them directly at me makes me feel sick, quite literally!
TonyScarlett
pfm Member
Use an old credit card to prise them off, always worked for me.
TS
TS
My Skylan stands arrived today. I filled them with BBQ pellets as recommended.
He made me a top plate for the LS3/5a. Great build quality. Stands looks a little chunky to be perfectly honest and a little bottom heavy compared to the top plate but I guess I’ll get used to it.
The sound is completely “different” compared to the metal (unfilled stands) that these Skylan’s replaced. A huge difference. Better? I guess it is to me…
The sound is more inert, a little less lively and less sparkly to be honest. However, more warm BUT a lot, I mean A LOT less messy! The treble glare that I attributed to my small room is completely gone! I would imagine that in a bigger room I would appreciate what I can only assume to be coloration of the metal stands (or unfilled metal stands?).
I can’t know for sure if the difference is because my previous stands were metal or because they were unfilled. I believe in my heart that it’s the wood/composite that Skylan uses compared to the metal. I think especially in a small room metal can be heard. I’m not technically qualified to be 100%, but it’s what I imagine to be true.
So far, day 1… I very much prefer the Skylan. Some pics…
He made me a top plate for the LS3/5a. Great build quality. Stands looks a little chunky to be perfectly honest and a little bottom heavy compared to the top plate but I guess I’ll get used to it.
The sound is completely “different” compared to the metal (unfilled stands) that these Skylan’s replaced. A huge difference. Better? I guess it is to me…
The sound is more inert, a little less lively and less sparkly to be honest. However, more warm BUT a lot, I mean A LOT less messy! The treble glare that I attributed to my small room is completely gone! I would imagine that in a bigger room I would appreciate what I can only assume to be coloration of the metal stands (or unfilled metal stands?).
I can’t know for sure if the difference is because my previous stands were metal or because they were unfilled. I believe in my heart that it’s the wood/composite that Skylan uses compared to the metal. I think especially in a small room metal can be heard. I’m not technically qualified to be 100%, but it’s what I imagine to be true.
So far, day 1… I very much prefer the Skylan. Some pics…
After living with the Skylan stands a few days, the sound of the falcons is much worse overall than with the cheap wonky Amazon stands I had. The sound is truncated and the bass is sloppy and boomy. Although the highs are cleaner. I believe (am hoping) that the speakers are loading against the MDF top plate, which is causing what I’m hearing. The speakers sit on clear little bumpers that came attached to the top plate. I have ordered some Silent Angel S28 pucks. They arrive tomorrow. I’m hoping that because they’ll allow more space between the speaker and top plate, that the speaker will be able to breathe a little better, solving the bass bloat and truncated sound.
If the pucks don’t work, I will be ordering a metal open rigid frame stand by “Custom Design”. I’m reading this what is recommended with BBC style speakers, with their thin walled cabinet design.
I’ll report back.
If the pucks don’t work, I will be ordering a metal open rigid frame stand by “Custom Design”. I’m reading this what is recommended with BBC style speakers, with their thin walled cabinet design.
I’ll report back.
Tony L
Administrator
LS3/5As do have quite a pronounced bass ‘bump’ around 80-110Hz or so. They should never sound ‘sloppy’ though. Do read the blog I link to upthread as it goes some way to explain how this can really play to their advantage. They likely need more space to breathe in your room. Try pulling them out further.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
I use wooden stands, the HiFi Racks ‘Duet’ models, for my LS3/5As.
I didn’t find much difference from the previous metal B & W stands, except in the bass.
It’s subjectively ‘tighter’ with the Duets.
Also, the stands look really nice in oak.
I don’t like black stands at all.
I didn’t find much difference from the previous metal B & W stands, except in the bass.
It’s subjectively ‘tighter’ with the Duets.
Also, the stands look really nice in oak.
I don’t like black stands at all.
May I ask what you are using between the speakers and top plate?
jfs
pfm Member
All my speakers have benefitted from having 'air' between the speaker base and whatever they have been resting on., finding a decent product over the years has cost an arm and a leg, 'cos I was a sucker for the advertising blurb and hearsay.
The best that I have found ( personal choice) have been ice hockey pucks, 25mm vulcanised rubber, one beneath each corner, they don't look bad believe me and do the job cheaply and perfectly.
The best that I have found ( personal choice) have been ice hockey pucks, 25mm vulcanised rubber, one beneath each corner, they don't look bad believe me and do the job cheaply and perfectly.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
HiFi Racks use flattened ‘bumpons’, which after a few weeks grip the speakers surprising well.
I used Blutak on the old B & W stands.
I would never use Bluetak.
Several times I have seen it rip veneer off speaker cabinets when lifting speakers off it.
How many valuable speakers did I see get ruined by it.
Conan
Loop digger
You probably used too much blu tak
A dot will do
The secret is to twist the speaker, the shear force will break the seal, and of course small rice grain size at each corner is all you need.
However mine have been on the stands for over 30 years, and I hope one day the twisting technique will work for me.
It is a lift that will bring the veneer off the base...
Hazelberry
sister
I’ve never liked Blu-tac under speakers, preferring, like some others here, little plastic bumpers instead. You do have careful not to knock them over though. 