BBC Rogers LS3/5a Loudspeaker
The Rogers LS3/5a is one of those classic pieces of British Hi-Fi that people either love or hate. If you just looked at the original specifications of the LS3/5a, then you would find it hard to imagine that they ever went into production.
The Rogers LS3/5a was originally designed by the BBC who had a need for a small broadcast monitor that could be used in outside broadcast vans which accounted for the tiny enclosure of the LS3/5a that measured just 30x20x15 inches. The design was then licensed to several companies such Spendor, Harbeth and Chartwell as well as Rogers, although the driver units (a B110 woofer and one inch mylar dome tweeter) were all manufactured by KEF.
Early reviews of the Rogers LS3/5a when it was first launched in 1975 were mixed with part of the problem being the very low sensitivity (83dB), limited power output and 15 ohm load which meant only certain amplifiers were able to drive them effectively. Furthermore because the Rogers LS3/5a were a small enclosure infinite baffle design, deep bass was a little lean to say the least. However where the speakers did excel was in their mid range which was accurate, clear and focused. With the right sort of music such as classical and choral recitals, the Rogers LS3/5as produced an accurate and realistic portrayal with a believable soundstage that defied their small size. As a result they quickly gained a significant following and today almost have a cult following even though replacements parts such as drive units are difficult to source and the crossover can sometimes overheat.
The design of the Rogers LS3/5a was modified in the mid eighties to make it more system friendly by lowering the load required to drive the speakers to 11 ohms and this modification was warmly received and led to the speaker gaining even more popularity. By 1988, 60,000 pairs had been manufactured of which sales by Rogers accounted for 70%.
This entry was posted on Tuesday October 7th, 2008 at 2:05 PM and is filed under Loudspeakers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.
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