How many pairs of speakers do you own?

[Gerry]

Andrew

Do you really not like LS3/5a's? My father has a pair which he bought in the the very late 70's (15ohm Audiomaster) I love them. He has promised them to me.. .
I've managed to acquire three pairs of Maggies now! Also have a pair of Celestion Cresta's somewhere....oh! and a pair of SD Acoustic SD1's in a garage in Cambridge with blown ribbons, so the friend who borrowed them informed me!

Regards

[andrew ivimey]

Well I've had them for years, set fire to one of them once; a candle melted! They have been rebuilt three times so I suppose I am quite attached to them.

LS35as were designed as near field monitors for outside broadcasts and as such they are superb. But I don't look on them as HiFi speakers. There is nothing new in that opinion. I am not alone. And there are many devoted fans who would disagree with me.

I am lucky to be able to be so disparaging.

[Cobblers]

Originally Posted by Gerry

Andrew

Do you really not like LS3/5a's? My father has a pair which he bought in the the very late 70's (15ohm Audiomaster) I love them. He has promised them to me.. .
I've managed to acquire three pairs of Maggies now! Also have a pair of Celestion Cresta's somewhere....oh! and a pair of SD Acoustic SD1's in a garage in Cambridge with blown ribbons, so the friend who borrowed them informed me!

Regards

I cannot understand any strong dislike for LS3/5a's.
Despite the limitations in their materials technology, bandwidth, loudness and size they are to this day superb sounding speakers with good push pull and solid state.
a really well voiced product that fits well with modern fashion towards the tiny (like Lord Percy's Brain -of Black Adder fame).

IMHO they are not in the same league as the WD25a's.
Not for speed freaks or those who crave a highly dynamic performance (me these days!) but they just sound so right.
How many times have you read in reviews or ad's for mini monitors "better than LS3/5a's" this says it all really.

[andrew ivimey]

No, it doesn't say it all, but to try to do so might be tedious.

It is okay to acknowledge these speakers' shortcomings and having used them for 30 years just maybe my thoughts have some validiity ... or not.

[Cobblers]

of course your thoughts have some validity!

Do my posts come over as arrogant or over opinionated?

I wasn't decrying your point of view, just expressing mine as someone who lived with them for a long time too.

I like them despite feeling they can sound slightly slow, nasal, veiled in the treble, lacking dynamics, small sounding with the obvious hump in the Bass that the AB1's don't entirely work around.

Damn, I made them sound **** in my description.

[planet10]

Originally Posted by andrew ivimey

My second speakers are ESS AMT1Bs that are due for a complete rebuild

prefer the 2-ways...

dave

[Cobblers]

nice pic's.

why do you prefer the 2 ways?

Is it timing, integration?

[planet10]

Originally Posted by Cobblers

nice pic's.

why do you prefer the 2 ways?

Is it timing, integration?

They sound better (both of the above and then some) ... probably comes down to the XO. You can see the XO in the 3-way. The 2-way has 1 choke, 1 cap and 2 Rs

But the Fostex midwoofers (2 per box, good to ~10k) no doubt play a role as well

dave

[Cobblers]

I have liked some of the 3 ways I have heard and used, but tend to prefer the timing and hence musical delivery of 2 way designs.

The WD25a's have the excellent mid band clarity of a good 3 way and superb Bass definition that would shame most good 3 ways (probably even coupled to solid state power houses) added to that superb timing. I can now see why you and Peter Comeau would prefer 2 way.

Perhaps at high volume in a very large room the 3 way would win.

[planet10]

Originally Posted by Cobblers

I have liked some of the 3 ways I have heard and used, but tend to prefer the timing and hence musical delivery of 2 way designs.

And a good 1-way is even better....

dave