Stirling ls3/5a v2 and v3 drivers
- Thread starter Philv
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mr sneff
pfm Member
This from the Stirling website:
Building upon the strengths of the well-received Stirling Broadcast LS3/5a V2, the Stirling Broadcast LS3/5a V3 “Ultra Low Distortion Monitor” retains the same drive units and thin-walled cabinet but adds a new, higher-specified crossover to attain much lower levels of distortion and higher levels of transparency.
BigBlue2020
pfm Member
'Reputed to be a genius with crossovers, Derek Hughes developed a sophisticated network that managed to make the new proprietary drivers, sourced from SEAS and Scan Speak, mimic the response of the original KEFs. But as they’re not KEF originals, honest man that he is, Stirling added a “V2” or 'V3' to his model designation, even though his LS3/5a is fully licensed by the BBC'
From https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/stirling-broadcast-ls35a-v2-loudspeaker/
From https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/stirling-broadcast-ls35a-v2-loudspeaker/
Jodet
pfm Member
I have reason to think that is old information and the current drivers (at least the tweeter) are different.
BigBlue2020
pfm Member
Mysterious
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
I understand the bass/mid. & tweeter are both made by SEAS.
The earlier versions of the V2 used Scanspeak tweeters, but SEAS bass units.
Laters V2s used a SEAS tweeter, which is still in use and also appears in their SB-88 and LS3/6s speakers. The SEAS tweeters are more robust than the Scanspeaks turned out to be.
I don't think they are custom, just a variant that doesn't use ferrofluid cooling, or something like that.
The SEAS bass units used in the V2 and most V3s have some custom dopiong on them, to make them behave more like the SP1003 B110.
The very latest V3s use a driver which I think is a Volt (from a review I've seen) and is also used in a competitors speakers. It has very similar characteristics to the SEAS driver, and a very slightly modified crossover is used to make the speaker behave the same - this is all under Derek Hughes guidance.
This is my understanding, gleaned from talking to Doug at the factory.
Laters V2s used a SEAS tweeter, which is still in use and also appears in their SB-88 and LS3/6s speakers. The SEAS tweeters are more robust than the Scanspeaks turned out to be.
I don't think they are custom, just a variant that doesn't use ferrofluid cooling, or something like that.
The SEAS bass units used in the V2 and most V3s have some custom dopiong on them, to make them behave more like the SP1003 B110.
The very latest V3s use a driver which I think is a Volt (from a review I've seen) and is also used in a competitors speakers. It has very similar characteristics to the SEAS driver, and a very slightly modified crossover is used to make the speaker behave the same - this is all under Derek Hughes guidance.
This is my understanding, gleaned from talking to Doug at the factory.
Here's some more info...
The first versions of the V2 used a SEAS bass unit and a Scanspeak tweeter.
The bass unit had a custom level of doping applied by SEAS, according to requirements by Derek H, hence they are only available from Stirling.
The bass units are labelled SB4424-130008 and say "Produced for Stirling Broadcast by SEAS".
The Scanspeak tweeter had a red canister and was labelled D2008/851100 - which is a non-ferrofluid cooled tweeter.
According to this article:
audioxpress.com
this tweeter was discontinued in 2023 and has been replaced by D2008/852100.
Stirling stopped using this tweeter in 2016 as it proved to be less robust than they would like.
V2s that use this tweeter can be identified by the tweeter being covered by the standard LS3/5a type metal grill, as seen on all the LS3/5s that used T27s.
Later V2s and the V3 used a SEAS tweeter, labelled 19TFF/G.
This tweeter has a metal grill intergrated in it, so V2s using this tweeter have a smaller metal grill that sits within the bevelled edge of the plastic tweeter surround.
More recent V2 and V3s may be using a different bass unit than the SEAS as I think SEAS stopped supply this driver to Stirling. This driver is also used in a competitors LS3/5a and, based on a review article I saw, might be made by Volt.
Slightly modified crossovers were made to accomodate any slight differences in the drivers performance, and the resulting LS3/5as show identical performance.
This newest driver can be readily identified form the outside of the speaker by looking at the dust cap - on the SEAS it is soft and presses in easily if you touch it, on the new driver it is slightly shinier but it solid when touched - and doesn't depress under the pressure I applied (obvously I didn't push too hard!).
The first versions of the V2 used a SEAS bass unit and a Scanspeak tweeter.
The bass unit had a custom level of doping applied by SEAS, according to requirements by Derek H, hence they are only available from Stirling.
The bass units are labelled SB4424-130008 and say "Produced for Stirling Broadcast by SEAS".
The Scanspeak tweeter had a red canister and was labelled D2008/851100 - which is a non-ferrofluid cooled tweeter.
According to this article:
Test Bench: The D2008/2010 Revised Classic Dome Tweeter from Scan-Speak
Vance Dickason measures the Scan-Speak D2008/2010, the revised version of the classic dome tweeter from the Danish brand. The D2010 and the D2008 are two revised classic Scan-Speak 19mm soft dome tweeters, originally launched more than 35 years ago. Scan-Speak basically discontinued production...
this tweeter was discontinued in 2023 and has been replaced by D2008/852100.
Stirling stopped using this tweeter in 2016 as it proved to be less robust than they would like.
V2s that use this tweeter can be identified by the tweeter being covered by the standard LS3/5a type metal grill, as seen on all the LS3/5s that used T27s.
Later V2s and the V3 used a SEAS tweeter, labelled 19TFF/G.
This tweeter has a metal grill intergrated in it, so V2s using this tweeter have a smaller metal grill that sits within the bevelled edge of the plastic tweeter surround.
More recent V2 and V3s may be using a different bass unit than the SEAS as I think SEAS stopped supply this driver to Stirling. This driver is also used in a competitors LS3/5a and, based on a review article I saw, might be made by Volt.
Slightly modified crossovers were made to accomodate any slight differences in the drivers performance, and the resulting LS3/5as show identical performance.
This newest driver can be readily identified form the outside of the speaker by looking at the dust cap - on the SEAS it is soft and presses in easily if you touch it, on the new driver it is slightly shinier but it solid when touched - and doesn't depress under the pressure I applied (obvously I didn't push too hard!).
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
Doug mentioned the original D2008 tweeter to me some time ago and the occasional failure.
I recall he said some owners of V2s had been running the speakers at high levels and the tweeter had failed.
He assured me running at normal levels there was unlikely to be a problem.
I've never experienced any failures with the V2s I have owned.
I've always thought the top end was superb, as it is with the early pair of V2s I currently own.
.
I recall he said some owners of V2s had been running the speakers at high levels and the tweeter had failed.
He assured me running at normal levels there was unlikely to be a problem.
I've never experienced any failures with the V2s I have owned.
I've always thought the top end was superb, as it is with the early pair of V2s I currently own.
.
BigBlue2020
pfm Member
Great update thanks Andrew
Lets hope the latest versions are as good as the original v2's and v3's
I have some original v2's and possibly later v3's, all sound great
Lets hope the latest versions are as good as the original v2's and v3's
I have some original v2's and possibly later v3's, all sound great
Yes, overpowering with a straining amplifier can lead to a blown tweeter due to clipping. That's why I drive my LS3/5as with 260W monoblock amps 
I was 'loaned' an early maple pair of V2s with Scanspeaks, which I think was the pair that Ken Kessler reviewed, and is the pair that my cat is pictured sitting on on the V2 brochure and the website.
I returned them the other week and have been using one of them as a reference when performing IR scans with omnimic, when checking the health of the speakers I am preparing for sale.
In the week between after me returning them one of the tweeters died!
I heard Doug mumbling 'worst tweeter ever made' under his breath when I showed him the dead tweeter.
In Doug's stock there are still some Scanspeak equiped V2s - I've found 3 so far.
Although we have 20ish of those tweeters spare I am not sure we will be selling those LS3/5as, or if we do it will be into the UK only in case they come back for repair (to the future service centre located within 0m of my house, probably)
I nearly bought the Xtracable external crossovers for the V2 from Doug some years ago, but they didn't sound right to me. I returned them and they sat around in his workshop until some years later he said that I might as well have them.
So I had them but wasn't using them.
This Friday I spent a long day dismantling my 11ohm Kef drivered pair that I used with my Cicable crossover and swapping the drivers over with some from some Spendor 11ohm LS3/5as, as I had blown a tweeter in the former, and then building some V2 baffles up with the Scanspeak tweeters for some other thin-walled cabinets I had for use with the Xtracable crossovers.
They both measure well and are closely matched, so once I've ordered some more speaker cable I shall be sampling them and comparing to my V3s.
I reckon the first time I tried the Xtracable crossovers the connections were out of phase on the tweeter as they require swapping over inside the speaker, although I sort of think that the crossover itself should have swapped them at it's output terminals instead, so then when wiring up the bare speaker you just connect the red terminals to the +ve on each driver, and -ve to negative, instead of having to remember whether the crossover swapped the phase at the HF section and wiring appropriately.
Incorrect wiring would cause a big suck-out at the crossover point of 3KHz.
I was 'loaned' an early maple pair of V2s with Scanspeaks, which I think was the pair that Ken Kessler reviewed, and is the pair that my cat is pictured sitting on on the V2 brochure and the website.
I returned them the other week and have been using one of them as a reference when performing IR scans with omnimic, when checking the health of the speakers I am preparing for sale.
In the week between after me returning them one of the tweeters died!
I heard Doug mumbling 'worst tweeter ever made' under his breath when I showed him the dead tweeter.
In Doug's stock there are still some Scanspeak equiped V2s - I've found 3 so far.
Although we have 20ish of those tweeters spare I am not sure we will be selling those LS3/5as, or if we do it will be into the UK only in case they come back for repair (to the future service centre located within 0m of my house, probably
)I nearly bought the Xtracable external crossovers for the V2 from Doug some years ago, but they didn't sound right to me. I returned them and they sat around in his workshop until some years later he said that I might as well have them.
So I had them but wasn't using them.
This Friday I spent a long day dismantling my 11ohm Kef drivered pair that I used with my Cicable crossover and swapping the drivers over with some from some Spendor 11ohm LS3/5as, as I had blown a tweeter in the former, and then building some V2 baffles up with the Scanspeak tweeters for some other thin-walled cabinets I had for use with the Xtracable crossovers.
They both measure well and are closely matched, so once I've ordered some more speaker cable I shall be sampling them and comparing to my V3s.
I reckon the first time I tried the Xtracable crossovers the connections were out of phase on the tweeter as they require swapping over inside the speaker, although I sort of think that the crossover itself should have swapped them at it's output terminals instead, so then when wiring up the bare speaker you just connect the red terminals to the +ve on each driver, and -ve to negative, instead of having to remember whether the crossover swapped the phase at the HF section and wiring appropriately.
Incorrect wiring would cause a big suck-out at the crossover point of 3KHz.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
I understand the Rogers 60th Anniversary LS3/5A used a Monacor bass/mid.
If I’m correct this is the model Ken Kessler reviewed in HFN.
This model was made by Stirling Broadcast, of course.
I assume no SB badged LS3/5A used this bass/mid. as from what I’ve read the SEAS driver was always used.
Doug Stirling used to supply complete made-up baffles and I feel sure they used Monacor drivers.
If I’m correct this is the model Ken Kessler reviewed in HFN.
This model was made by Stirling Broadcast, of course.
I assume no SB badged LS3/5A used this bass/mid. as from what I’ve read the SEAS driver was always used.
Doug Stirling used to supply complete made-up baffles and I feel sure they used Monacor drivers.
BigBlue2020
pfm Member
I remember Derek Hughes advising me on the LS3/5a Facebook page not to use a Hegel h390 with the original KEF versions, as it could overpower the drivers - presumably the opposite of clipping. Never bought that amp (or any original LS3/5a's).
I was honoured to be noticed by this doyen of the industry!
I was honoured to be noticed by this doyen of the industry!
BigBlue2020
pfm Member
Another anecdote - I met Lee Taylor of that other Welsh company Leema Acoustics at the Bristol Hi Fi show last year.
He used to work at the BBC and said he thought he'd blown up more LS3/5a's than anyone else ever ! So it's not just a Stirling problem.
He used to work at the BBC and said he thought he'd blown up more LS3/5a's than anyone else ever ! So it's not just a Stirling problem.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
I’ve always understood all LS3/5As should be treated with care and not overdriven.
Much like my Spendor BC1s.
Much like my Spendor BC1s.
I bought a Bryston B9SST from ebay some years ago, with a US power supply. I got the power supply changed to a UK one and the amp serviced at PMC.
That amp seemed to take exception to static electricity - I must have built up a charge walking across the room to it and when I touched the case it turned itself off, but also managed to send a B110 SP1228 (the ones made of unobtainium) to speaker heaven.
The amp then did this again, and so I got rid of it.
it didn’t even sound very good, very electronic filtery sounding. As did a Bryston B100SST I tried later.
I should never have strayed from Quad power amps
That amp seemed to take exception to static electricity - I must have built up a charge walking across the room to it and when I touched the case it turned itself off, but also managed to send a B110 SP1228 (the ones made of unobtainium) to speaker heaven.
The amp then did this again, and so I got rid of it.
it didn’t even sound very good, very electronic filtery sounding. As did a Bryston B100SST I tried later.
I should never have strayed from Quad power amps