advertisement


Stirling Broadcast LS3/5a V3 Review.

Reading with interest.
So much of any speaker's sound comes from what is further up the chain in my opinion. This includes LS3/5a's and clones which I 've owned a fair few. You can make an ls3 sound warm and cuddly by putting a valve amp in front of it. An el34 works best I found, probably 30watts per channel.
Creek 4040 another good one for not much cash. Not warm and cuddly, a bit of get up and go. Mate it with a rega planar 3 and you're good to go. Only by boxswapping different amps do you find this (different sounds from different amps) out.

As an aside there was mention earlier of the Spendor Sp3/1r models..excellent speakers.. a larger sound for sure.. very hard to balance on ls3 stands.. they weigh a ton. I tried the R2 newer version. It was fast and boogied well whilst having the traditional Spendor sound. A mixture. Recommended.
 
I bought Stirling LS3/5As 9 days ago. Very happy with them so far and they aren't even on the optimum height stand. I'm working on those in the garage.
 
As an aside there was mention earlier of the Spendor Sp3/1r models..excellent speakers.. a larger sound for sure.. very hard to balance on ls3 stands.. they weigh a ton. I tried the R2 newer version. It was fast and boogied well whilst having the traditional Spendor sound. A mixture. Recommended.

Yes, the SP3/1R2 (and SB88) are very enjoyable and recommended I am still thinking perhaps I should get one of the two.
 
Sorry Stuart, no. I will make them up after restoration but probably not this year.

I have built close to 100 pairs over the last 20 years but getting harder all the time.

Owned every version too, including the ultra rare Rogers 50th Anniversary which I still regret selling. Owned 3 pairs out of the 50 made. Really special and never bettered, even by early Chartwells.
CM, were you making LS3/5a’s commercially?
 
Yes indeed, predominantly between 2000 and 2006, but if I told you more, I would have to.....well you know the rest:)
I know.... you were selling knock offs to Triad bosses in Kowloon and if they rumbled, you’d end up with a meat cleaver sticking out from between our shoulder blades...
 
I know.... you were selling knock offs to Triad bosses in Kowloon and if they rumbled, you’d end up with a meat cleaver sticking out from between our shoulder blades...

Almost right, but Triad based in Hackney...amd they were 100% genuine. I could write a book on LS3/5a's.
If the liquidator's agent for Rogers had not done the dirty on me, Doug Stirling wouldn't be were he is now. Now there's a story...
 
I saw your mention of Raymond Cooke versions in another post. Here's your starter for 10. Do you know why they don't sound as good as other franchises?
That they’ll catch fire and burn your house down? :) In fact I assumed they’d be spot on because KEF drivers and company expertise. The anniversary edition was beautifully finished.
 
That they’ll catch fire and burn your house down? :) In fact I assumed they’d be spot on because KEF drivers and company expertise. The anniversary edition was beautifully finished.
Beautiful indeed but they didn't use Baltic Birchply cabinets to save money. MDF :(

I met Raymond Cooke when he came over to approve us to manufacture Reference Kubes. Lovely guy.
 
I have the Stirling Ls3/5a V2s - they're great.
How does the V3 compare ?

I owned V2s for a while and now have V3s, as you probably know.
The basic sound and balance hasn’t changed, but 3 things ( for me ) have improved.

( 1 ) The bass end is superb. I have never heard bass like it from LS3/5as.

( 2 ) The holographic imaging. Instruments and voices ‘hang in the air.’
You really can position them in the soundstage, which appears better separated than the V2s.

( 3 ) More detail can be heard. This is connected with ( 2 ) in my opinion.

I really think the V3s are the best LS3/5as I have ever had in my house.
Then again, some will argue they aren’t really LS3/5as...
 
Correct me if i'm wrong but the new version is roughly £1000 more than the old V2? Not small change.
For that increase I would need to know what exactly was the difference from the old version.
They both have the same response to meet BBC approval surely? I know it's not checked by BBC any more but still...

I'd argue that rather than squishing the V2 with faint praise as yesterday's news there should be 2 versions at 2 price points.
Similar things are done by Harbeth for the P3Esr and signature version.
Also Proac do a standard tablette 10 and a signature version.
 
Correct me if i'm wrong but the new version is roughly £1000 more than the old V2? Not small change.
For that increase I would need to know what exactly was the difference from the old version.
They both have the same response to meet BBC approval surely? I know it's not checked by BBC any more but still...

I'd argue that rather than squishing the V2 with faint praise as yesterday's news there should be 2 versions at 2 price points.
Similar things are done by Harbeth for the P3Esr and signature version.
Also Proac do a standard tablette 10 and a signature version.

I could be wrong, but I think the price difference is from Falcon moving from a direct sales model to a dealer distributor system. Some of the new V3 additional cost will be the dealers margin.
 
Correct me if i'm wrong but the new version is roughly £1000 more than the old V2? Not small change.
For that increase I would need to know what exactly was the difference from the old version.
They both have the same response to meet BBC approval surely? I know it's not checked by BBC any more but still...

I'd argue that rather than squishing the V2 with faint praise as yesterday's news there should be 2 versions at 2 price points.
Similar things are done by Harbeth for the P3Esr and signature version.
Also Proac do a standard tablette 10 and a signature version.
Stirling Broadcast sent me a price list just a couple of weeks ago.

The difference in price between the V2 and V3 looks to be ~£500.
 
I owned V2s for a while and now have V3s, as you probably know.
The basic sound and balance hasn’t changed, but 3 things ( for me ) have improved.

( 1 ) The bass end is superb. I have never heard bass like it from LS3/5as.

( 2 ) The holographic imaging. Instruments and voices ‘hang in the air.’
You really can position them in the soundstage, which appears better separated than the V2s.

( 3 ) More detail can be heard. This is connected with ( 2 ) in my opinion.

I really think the V3s are the best LS3/5as I have ever had in my house.
Then again, some will argue they aren’t really LS3/5as...

To say that's intriguing is an understatement.
 


advertisement


Back
Top