TABLE OF CONTENTS
MY STORY
The LS3/5A were recommended to me a while ago as a legendary British speakers. I am not a big fan of small monitors, thus, they were not really on top of my priority list, especially that prices on eBay start around £700 for a pair in poor condition. It felt as a bit too much for ‘shoe box’ size speakers. However, having read more about them and understanding why so many people fall in love with them, I managed to source a pair of Chartwell LS3/5A that used to belong to a BBC sound engineer. They were not cheap but at least I knew that they were genuine and from a good source (most likely used by BBC at some point in their life).
Please note – usually before reviewing vintage speakers, I recap the crossovers to ensure that capacitors are within manufacturer’s specification. On this occasion, purely because of high collectable value of these speakers, I have not modified any of the electronic components. Therefore, my review of these speakers is based on them being as they are. It it possible that with replacing capacitors, some sonic improvements could be achieved.
Also, bear in mind that purchasing vintage speakers is always a gamble. 30 and often 50 years it’s a long time, and one can never be sure how this time affected the loudspeaker drivers. Consequently, it is possible that the Chartwell LS3/5A that you have purchased will measure and sound different than the pair I reviewed.
SPEAKER INFO
Model History
The LS3/5A speakers were designed by BBC engineers for mobile monitoring use. They needed to be compact, so they could be fitted into BBC vans. BBC did not produce the speakers themselves, instead, they outsourced production to number of British companies (e.g. Rogers, Kef, Spendor, Goodmans, Chartwell, etc.). From what I gathered, Rogers LS3/5A are most popular, and therefore, cheapest to buy. The other brands are more sought after, and consequently, more expensive. All of these manufacturers used Kef drivers (T27 SP1032 for tweeter and B110 SP1003 for bass). It is important to mention that not all of the B110 drivers produced by Kef were the same. The variations on the production line where quite high, which meant that only small percentage of these drivers were approved by BBC and used for LS3/5A production.
Design
The speakers are based around 5l sealed enclosure made of 12mm birch plywood, and feature 110mm bass driver and 19mm Mylar dome tweeter. The crossover is quite complicated as most of frequency equalisation (flattening) happens there. Thus, even though there is nothing particularly special about the drivers, in combinations with this complex crossover, they create a fairly accurate speaker.
CHARTWELL LS3/5A SPECS
| Frequency Response: | 80 – 20,000Hz |
| Sensitivity: | 82.5dB (1W input, measured at 1m) |
| Impedance: | 15Ω |
| Power Capacity: | 25W (continuous program) |
| High Frequency Driver: | T27 SP1032 19mm (0.75″) Mylar Dome |
| Low Frequency Driver: | B110 SP1003 110mm (4.5″) Bextrene Diaphragm |
| Crossover Frequencies: | 3,000Hz |
| Enclosure Type: | Closed |
| Enclosure Dimensions (HxWxD): | 300x190x160mm (12×7.5×6.25″) |
| Weight: | 5.5kg (each speaker) |
| Production Year: | 1980 |
| Price When Launched: | £160 for a pair |
| Equivalent Present Day Price: | £900 for a pair |
| Current UK Price: | £600 to £3,000 for a pair |
LOOK & FEEL OF CHARTWELL LS3/5A SPEAKERS
Despite my lack of interest in small monitors, I think that these LS3/5A look very presentable and feel quite heavy and solid for their size. The enclosures are made of 12mm, veneered birch plywood and are dampen with open cell foam on all internal walls. The front panel is recessed against the speaker edges to allow for flush mount of the grills. To dampen reflections from the edges, felt ‘squares’ were used around the tweeters. The drivers (as you would expect from British speakers from the 70s) do not look very neat, but they are definitely well made. The woofer has fairly large motor and the tweeter is very solid.
SOUND OF CHARTWELL LS3/5A
First Impressions
Before conducting proper listening tests, I have plugged in these Chartwell LS3/5A speakers and played some background music while I was working on something else. I then found myself stopping every 10 minutes and saying to myself “gosh, these sound quite good”. When eventually I commenced the listening tests, I realised that there is indeed something very special about the sound of LS3/5A.
Bass
The bass is quite modest and well controlled as you’d expect from 5l sealed enclosure. However, the lack of low end extension means that some tracks lack weight. It is especially noticeable on the tracks with piano such as Bridge Over Troubled Water by Paul Simon from the MTV Unplugged album, where you constantly feel that something is missing. Modern reiteration of these speaker, Harbeth P3ESR, do much better job at fooling you that you are listening to much bigger speakers. Also, the lack of attack is quite noticeable, especially if one is used to larger speakers. The LS3/5A are simply too small to produce the visceral experience that larger speakers can. There is also a matter of power handling and sensitivity. Low power handling combined with low sensitivity means that you have to be careful with the volume control. I’ve achieved satisfying volume levels on majority of records but I would not dare playing bass-rich tracks very loud on these little loudspeakers.
Midrange, Treble and Soundstage
Midrange and treble are clear and sweet at the same time. They sound very realistic and natural, especially when playing voices. There is something magical about their midrange and I cannot actually figure out what it is. It makes some of the tracks sound spectacular. For instance, Woodstock by Joni Mitchell gives me goose bumps when played through LS3/5A but sounds just normal when played through any other speakers.
It is also important to mention the soundstage, or rather lack of it. The LS3/5A are very flat sounding speakers, even by 1970s standards. I’ve tried various configurations and room placements, and just could not get them to create the soundstage depth illusion. Strangely, even without the deep soundstage, they were very engaging to listen to.
Final Thoughts
Overall, impressive little speakers with magical midrange and plenty of nostalgia but not the best all-rounders. For the same price (or less) you could get a set of Celestion Ditton 66 that will significantly outperform LS3/5As in most aspects. If I was going to use Chartwell LS3/5A as my main speakers, I would definitely start by checking the capacitors to see if they are within the manufacturer’s tolerances, and replacing them if they were not. Also, experimenting with a set of active subwoofers could be a good idea too. As a matter of fact, I’ve built a set of Rogers AB1 dedicated subwoofers for LS3/5As – you can read more about it here: Rogers AB1 DIY Project.
CONCLUSION
Impressive speakers with magical midrange and sweat and clear sound. Not for bass lovers though. Relatively flat soundstage, yet still very engaging to listen to. Unless you are buying them for nostalgic reasons, a second hand set of Harbeth P3ESR would be a much better option in terms of overall performance.
| Balance of Sound: |  |
| Neutrality of Tone: |  |
| Transparency: |  |
| Soundstage: | |
| Attack: | |
| Engagement: | |
| Total Score: |  |
SONGS MENTIONED IN THIS REVIEW
Joni Mitchell – Woodstock
Paul Simon – Bridge Over Troubled Water (MTV Unplugged)
Reviewed: May 2015 | Published: May 2015