Graham Audio LS3/5 Standmount Speakers

The Graham Audio LS3/5 is the one that started it all — and for many listeners, the one that never needed improving.

History of the LS3/5

Before the LS3/5A became the world’s most famous miniature monitor, there was the LS3/5. The BBC built a small batch of these original speakers for field trials in outside broadcast vehicles and cramped control rooms. When KEF subsequently changed both drive units, the resulting re-engineering was so significant that the BBC added the ‘A’ suffix to distinguish the revised design. The original LS3/5 was quietly set aside and never manufactured commercially — which for decades made it the stuff of legend.

Graham Audio, working with designer Derek Hughes, has recreated the original LS3/5 with complete fidelity to the pre-production specification. The bespoke drive units — a 110mm Bextrene mid/bass and 19mm fabric dome tweeter — are developed in conjunction with Volt and SEAS, using the finest materials available. The crossover is also developed by Derek Hughes, one of the world’s leading authorities on BBC monitor design.

The new classic

The sound is what sets the LS3/5 apart from its more famous sibling. Where the LS3/5A is sometimes described as sweeter and more forgiving, the LS3/5 is often considered more direct, more open in the midband, and more immediate in its presentation. Bass extension is surprising for a speaker this size, and the soundstage — both in scale and precision — is exceptional. This is a speaker that invites direct comparison with the LS3/5A rather than shying away from it.

If you have heard the LS3/5A and enjoyed it, the LS3/5 is worth hearing. Many listeners who try both prefer the original.

Features

• Two way sealed enclosure
• Thin wall, internally damped construction
• 110 mm Bextrene woofer and 19 mm fabric dome tweeter
• 83 dB sensitivity and 9 Ω impedance
• Exceptional midrange clarity
• Available in a range of real wood veneer finishes