Your riffs are getting addictive! I’ve heard several versions of the LS5 concept and all had their charms. Oddly never heard the Falcon models though. Guess I search them out, if only for completeness. These have never been for me but I can recognise when in the presence of greatness. Well done chaps.
I bought a pair of Falcons without hearing them and wasn’t disappointed. Everything I play on them sounds right to me. Never really notice their lack of bass. They also play louder than I ever thought they would, the perfect small room speaker IMO. Great rif again chaps.
I AUDITIONED A PAIR OF FALCONS.. RETURNED EM.. AND PURCHASED SOUND ARTIST LS3 5A S 450GBP CHINA DIRECT THEY WERE CLOSE TO FALCONS.. I AIN'T GIVING MY MONEY TO THE UK AUDIO MARK UP MAFIA.
@@matthewtaylor7355 falcon with original designer and manufacturer of b110 & t27. Chinese manufacturers violating their rights and bbc never gave permission to produce copy of ls3/5a. It not fair to praise fraud business
Happy birthday 🎉🎉🎉 lads wow 1yr has gone so quickly I remember your 1sr riff and watch all your videos, dave please could you and mike look into riffing the naim dac and if possible together with naims XPS Dr PSU or naims 555 DR PSU as together IMHO there a fantastic analogue sounding dac, my JDI pre-amp has just gone in for a repair and I had to substitute it with my TEAC A-H500i Stereo Amplifier to my big surprise it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting back in the late 90's the TEAC A-H500i was apx £500 this would also make a brilliant riff also it matching cd player the TEAC PD-H500i is a fantastic little cd player especially for the money these days on a famous online auction website 😀 😂😂
In 1978, while a student in the UK, I built Malcolm Jones' HFN&RR Tabor design using Audax drive units. I used 3/4" flooring grade chipboard, finished with 1/8" hardboard (as a veneer) & lined them with bitumous felt panels. They weigh 50lbs each. I'm listening to them now, very natural reproduction.
A bit late for a comment here I know, but: I have had a pair of Goodmans LS3/5as for ever and I have just had them rebuilt with new capacitors and internal wiring etc; they always sounded good but now they sound great!
What a brilliant episode. Thank you. This is a fantastic review of an iconic speaker. I love the back stories in your videos. I especially like how this one had some cliff hanger story lines courtesy of the ‘unplanned’ light situation. We also found out that Mike has electric blinds… very James Bond. Thank you, I really enjoy your riffs. It feels like you have loads of fun making these. It shows, along with your friendship. 😊
Thanks for the kind words. Mike is Oxfordshire's very own 'Inspector Gadget', so electric blinds of course are compulsory. He probably has an app for them!
I have a pair of Falcon acoustics Q7's which are an LS3 5A in a bigger box to get a Q value of 0.7. They are fitted with the Gold badge crossover and are a wonderful speaker. Sadly they just couldn't fill our 24 x 12 ft living room, so I've gone for a pair of Acoustic energy ae309 floorstanders, and they do a much better job of pressurising the space.
I live in Bristol but like an idiot arranged to be away during the Bristol Hi-Fi Show - a schoolboy error! It would have been great to meet you and launch the inaugural Hi-Fi Riff Pub outing :) Love the channel guys, keep doing what you're doing!
I have the Falcon ls3/5a in Yew and they are brilliant. The midrange and high frequencies are superb and the detail they get out of my music is that I’m hearing things I’ve never heard before.
Add in the "two Kans" comment from Mike and they have their own answer to the Ronnies "four candles" sketch. ☺ Some nice,friendly jibes between these guys.
Yep in my retail days in the 80’s we had spendor ls35a’s and I didn’t like them much either so we got pro ac tablets in and I preferred them. Eventually we also got electrostatics and I liked them also so we sold a few of them. But once I heard Kans 1 that was it and they became my home speaker! (Didn’t get the Linn account in our shop till later on) Recently heard these falcons at the last Bristol show and they were great! So looks like I went through the same journey Mike went!
I auditioned a pair of Modern Rgers ls 3 5a s. I didn't like the price... Purchased Sound Artist ls3 5as from China 450GBP I love the price from China.. Hate the UK audio mark up mafia
@@barrybrennan2135 I compared them directly to a pair of ATC SCM11s during a demo session. Listened to the Falcons first and then moved onto the ATC. For a long time I had been very eager to demo both. As soon as we swapped out the Falcons for the ATCs, it was an instant disappointment. Reason being that the life of the music just seemed to be sucked out, whereas with the Falcons the music sounded exciting but also transparent without sounding too bright. The ATC's in comparison just sounded flat, and slow. I could go on but to summarise, get the Falcons only if you have very good amplification and source. One caveat - yes, they don't offer BIG bass, but what you do get in the bass region is musicality and texture which in my opinion is much more desirable than absolute deep bass.
Best small speaker I ever heard were kept by a Linn dealer to prove how good the Kans were. Trouble was that I thought the Royd Sintra were far better. Said Linn dealer stopped talking to me!
I have a pair of Falcon Acoustic 'Silver Badge' LS3/5A's used within a Naim system. I previously had a pair of ProAc Tablette Signatures, which were blown away by the Falcons. Before buying, I also had a pair of Harbeth P3 ESR's on demo, the Falcons in my view were so much better. I have since upgraded to add the 'Gold Badge' crossovers, which just improved the speaker sound even further. In a small space, the Falcon Acoustics provide in incredible level of insight into the music, clearly perhaps only limited by the level of bass they can physically produce. I have no intention in changing these speakers in the foreseeable future.
Love the ongoing Rush banter...my wife maintains there's a direct positive relationship between how many Rush albums you own v the age when you found your first girlfriend. In defence of dodgy homemade Rush t-shirts. I made up a tshirt, wore it to Rush gigs...simply said "and scoffing all the pies" on the front.
Oh, I just discovered your channel, great show. The Falcons must be so good, I have to listen to them. Herb Reichert talks about "acid sound" he is so excited. If the Falcon are so close to the original, what would be the difference with a screwed rear panel?
It always amazes when reviewers are surprised that modern speakers can sound better than old. Those KEF drivers you mentioned are 60 year old designs. Since then there's been an evolution of: cone shape & material, surround design, magnetic gap and winding design leading to better pistonic behavior, better transient behavior & lower harmonic distortion. The KEF UniQ driver is 12th gen already. To my ears KEF's meta absorbtion technology is the biggest advance in box speaker design in years. Havn't you ever wondered where the midrange rear cone energy goes? If the speaker is not internally damped correctly it bounces around inside the box and comes out the cone(s). That can't be a good thing?
Agreed, the KEF B110 isn't the best drive unit available these days. Arguably it wasn't even the best when it was first launched - exhibit A being Yamaha's 88mm JA-0801 midband driver in the NS-1000, whose dome was one tenth as heavy as average midrange cones of that period. But this new Falcon LS3/5a taught me that it's still very capable in modern terms, and because it's so well implemented it gives really enjoyable results even by today's standards.
Excellent vid guys thank you, can I make a suggestion? ProAc's late designer Stewart Tyler a few years before his passing designed a sealed box version of the Tablette, the 10. The cabinet dimensions are exactly like those of the ls3/5a but of course with different (but top notch) drivers. I think it would be a nice vid if you did a review of those. Cheers
I'm not one of those who always rush (pun not intended) to proclaim something is too expensive but I can't help it here. They are too bleedin' expensive for what they do (not considering their museum replica value). I wonder how they would do against the much more modern in design but similar ProAc Tablet 10 Signatures which I used to own and still love and admire. Btw and fyi Music Fidelity have just come up with their own (unlicensed) version of the LS3/5A. I wonder who makes it for them and where.
I agree, they are pricey for what they are, compared to the tab 10, which I've owned, tabs are a lot dryer and brighter IMO, still a nice speaker for the money though.
It would be interesting to compare the Falcons with the Harwood Acoustics LS3/5a (from Germany, which are not a cheap clone, but very well done). You should listen to them.
@@MrVinylista A few years back, I would have been shocked, but one thing we learn with age, is that we know SH..T! I am still a little surprised though; I imagine that if I am still on this planet in 10 years from now I will not even be surprise anymore. Makes you wonder, apart from reproduction, what it was all about.
@@BobCoalWater I wouldn't say that Quad electrostatics are optimal for heavy rock like Rush, but a fresh pair can do a surprisingly decent job, especially with a small sub helping out. You tend to focus on the timing aspects of the music, rather than visceral bass power, obviously!
Two and a half large for two shoe box size speakers with drivers designed in the year dot. I love your show.... But you are out of touch with what normal folks, would regard as good value.
I bought my Goodmans LS3/5as in the late 80s for £90… Presumably, they are closely related to the Falcons, using a version of their xover. I am surprised at your advice to use them close to a wall, as this ruins both their soundstaging and their portrayal of male voices. I’m also surprised that you think they sound like large loudspeakers! Perhaps they’ve come on a lot over the years…
I have a pair of old Goodmans LS3/5As as well. They seem to be regarded as the poor relation amongst the licensed versions, but I find them seductive. I get dissatisfied at their lack of bass and try something else, but after a bit I go back to them. I think I have eventually found the ideal use for them though- second system, in a small room about 10ft X 7 ft. They sound really good, which I suppose is to be expected, it's the size of the inside of a van, which was the design intention! Other speakers may be more impressive, but I find few make me want to listen to music for hour after hour in the way the LS3/5As do! And guys, thank you for the riffs- the double act makes them so much fun, and a complete contrast to some of the monotonous guys on other channels!
In the early 80s I had a pair of small Videoton speakers in my bedroom system. I'd heard them at shows and they definitely sounded like large speakers!
Came in here with rather low expectations, but had a blast. Excellent chat!
The Gold Badge version is built to the original design spec from BBC. It’s outstanding.
35 years ago my system was Linn Kans driven by Naim NAP135s. Then I heard Quad ESL57's and have never looked back since. I also own Falcon LS3/5As.
Your riffs are getting addictive! I’ve heard several versions of the LS5 concept and all had their charms. Oddly never heard the Falcon models though. Guess I search them out, if only for completeness. These have never been for me but I can recognise when in the presence of greatness. Well done chaps.
Ascolta Falcon Ls3/5a Gold Badge le devi rodare per 5000 ore, poi mi saprai dire......💿🎺🎹🎸🎼
Brilliant stuff as always guys. Been watching a while now and catching up with the older ones too.
Brilliant episode! I heard these at a friends and was shocked at how big they sound too.
I bought a pair of Falcons without hearing them and wasn’t disappointed. Everything I play on them sounds right to me. Never really notice their lack of bass. They also play louder than I ever thought they would, the perfect small room speaker IMO. Great rif again chaps.
I AUDITIONED A PAIR OF FALCONS.. RETURNED EM.. AND PURCHASED SOUND ARTIST LS3 5A S 450GBP CHINA DIRECT THEY WERE CLOSE TO FALCONS.. I AIN'T GIVING MY MONEY TO THE UK AUDIO MARK UP MAFIA.
@@matthewtaylor7355 Ok, you gave it to Chinese mafia instead!
@@matthewtaylor7355 I hear you. I own a pair of BestVox 15 ohm versions and they compare very favorably with my reference 1978 Chartwells.
@@matthewtaylor7355 falcon with original designer and manufacturer of b110 & t27. Chinese manufacturers violating their rights and bbc never gave permission to produce copy of ls3/5a.
It not fair to praise fraud business
Happy birthday 🎉🎉🎉 lads wow 1yr has gone so quickly I remember your 1sr riff and watch all your videos, dave please could you and mike look into riffing the naim dac and if possible together with naims XPS Dr PSU or naims 555 DR PSU as together IMHO there a fantastic analogue sounding dac, my JDI pre-amp has just gone in for a repair and I had to substitute it with my TEAC A-H500i Stereo Amplifier to my big surprise it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting back in the late 90's the TEAC A-H500i was apx £500 this would also make a brilliant riff also it matching cd player the TEAC PD-H500i is a fantastic little cd player especially for the money these days on a famous online auction website 😀 😂😂
In 1978, while a student in the UK, I built Malcolm Jones' HFN&RR Tabor design using Audax drive units. I used 3/4" flooring grade chipboard, finished with 1/8" hardboard (as a veneer) & lined them with bitumous felt panels. They weigh 50lbs each. I'm listening to them now, very natural reproduction.
Great story!
A couple of chums who love audio who share their passion with their Riffers.
A bit late for a comment here I know, but: I have had a pair of Goodmans LS3/5as for ever and I have just had them rebuilt with new capacitors and internal wiring etc; they always sounded good but now they sound great!
What a brilliant episode. Thank you. This is a fantastic review of an iconic speaker. I love the back stories in your videos. I especially like how this one had some cliff hanger story lines courtesy of the ‘unplanned’ light situation. We also found out that Mike has electric blinds… very James Bond.
Thank you, I really enjoy your riffs. It feels like you have loads of fun making these. It shows, along with your friendship. 😊
Thanks for the kind words. Mike is Oxfordshire's very own 'Inspector Gadget', so electric blinds of course are compulsory. He probably has an app for them!
I’m really hoping he also has a helicopter hat 🚁
I have a pair of Falcon acoustics Q7's which are an LS3 5A in a bigger box to get a Q value of 0.7. They are fitted with the Gold badge crossover and are a wonderful speaker. Sadly they just couldn't fill our 24 x 12 ft living room, so I've gone for a pair of Acoustic energy ae309 floorstanders, and they do a much better job of pressurising the space.
I live in Bristol but like an idiot arranged to be away during the Bristol Hi-Fi Show - a schoolboy error! It would have been great to meet you and launch the inaugural Hi-Fi Riff Pub outing :) Love the channel guys, keep doing what you're doing!
Thanks, and we haven't forgotten that idea. It will have to be a smoking venue as Mike is buying a pipe to match his new slippers!
@@MrVinylista Ahaha! Most definitely. Live the dream!
With Tube amplifier feature EL34 vacuum tube and push-pull design, You can forget about solid-state...
Me like EL34!
I have the Falcon ls3/5a in Yew and they are brilliant. The midrange and high frequencies are superb and the detail they get out of my music is that I’m hearing things I’ve never heard before.
what are you driving them with?
The Anthem STR integrated amplifier.
Was that David doing his best Ronnie Corbett storytelling impression! He got there eventually 😆.
Add in the "two Kans" comment from Mike and they have their own answer to the Ronnies "four candles" sketch. ☺ Some nice,friendly jibes between these guys.
I should have got a large armchair and a hearing aid beige Pringle sweater!
Yep in my retail days in the 80’s we had spendor ls35a’s and I didn’t like them much either so we got pro ac tablets in and I preferred them. Eventually we also got electrostatics and I liked them also so we sold a few of them. But once I heard Kans 1 that was it and they became my home speaker! (Didn’t get the Linn account in our shop till later on)
Recently heard these falcons at the last Bristol show and they were great! So looks like I went through the same journey Mike went!
I auditioned a pair of Modern Rgers ls 3 5a s. I didn't like the price... Purchased Sound Artist ls3 5as from China 450GBP I love the price from China.. Hate the UK audio mark up mafia
@@matthewtaylor7355You wouldn’t like Chinese wages either
I recently bought the Falcon Gold Badge in Rosewood and Leben CS 600X. I'm sure this video will get you a lot of subscribers. Opinion on Proac D2?
Another great Riff, thanks guys. The Statler & Waldorf of the UA-cam Hifi community :)
Is that a polite way of calling us a pair of Muppets?
@@MrVinylista No politeness was intended at all 😊
@@geoffadams590 Thank gawd for that!
Pulled the trigger and ordered a pair, finally! Will be arriving this week!
What's your opinion of them? Thanks
@@barrybrennan2135 I compared them directly to a pair of ATC SCM11s during a demo session. Listened to the Falcons first and then moved onto the ATC. For a long time I had been very eager to demo both. As soon as we swapped out the Falcons for the ATCs, it was an instant disappointment. Reason being that the life of the music just seemed to be sucked out, whereas with the Falcons the music sounded exciting but also transparent without sounding too bright.
The ATC's in comparison just sounded flat, and slow. I could go on but to summarise, get the Falcons only if you have very good amplification and source.
One caveat - yes, they don't offer BIG bass, but what you do get in the bass region is musicality and texture which in my opinion is much more desirable than absolute deep bass.
Great, thanks. What are you driving them with @@playbackvintagehifihunter9669
Best small speaker I ever heard were kept by a Linn dealer to prove how good the Kans were. Trouble was that I thought the Royd Sintra were far better. Said Linn dealer stopped talking to me!
Oh wait, you answered that. Thanks.
I have a pair of Falcon Acoustic 'Silver Badge' LS3/5A's used within a Naim system. I previously had a pair of ProAc Tablette Signatures, which were blown away by the Falcons. Before buying, I also had a pair of Harbeth P3 ESR's on demo, the Falcons in my view were so much better. I have since upgraded to add the 'Gold Badge' crossovers, which just improved the speaker sound even further. In a small space, the Falcon Acoustics provide in incredible level of insight into the music, clearly perhaps only limited by the level of bass they can physically produce. I have no intention in changing these speakers in the foreseeable future.
You have answered one of my questions about the proac's... very interesting!
Mike
Io ho abbinato un Sud REL T5 il tutto è diventato una Bomba!
......clink and cheers! I think I'll have a nice Heineken myself now 😅
Love the ongoing Rush banter...my wife maintains there's a direct positive relationship between how many Rush albums you own v the age when you found your first girlfriend.
In defence of dodgy homemade Rush t-shirts. I made up a tshirt, wore it to Rush gigs...simply said "and scoffing all the pies" on the front.
Oh, I just discovered your channel, great show. The Falcons must be so good, I have to listen to them. Herb Reichert talks about "acid sound" he is so excited. If the Falcon are so close to the original, what would be the difference with a screwed rear panel?
It always amazes when reviewers are surprised that modern speakers can sound better than old. Those KEF drivers you mentioned are 60 year old designs. Since then there's been an evolution of: cone shape & material, surround design, magnetic gap and winding design leading to better pistonic behavior, better transient behavior & lower harmonic distortion. The KEF UniQ driver is 12th gen already. To my ears KEF's meta absorbtion technology is the biggest advance in box speaker design in years. Havn't you ever wondered where the midrange rear cone energy goes? If the speaker is not internally damped correctly it bounces around inside the box and comes out the cone(s). That can't be a good thing?
Agreed, the KEF B110 isn't the best drive unit available these days. Arguably it wasn't even the best when it was first launched - exhibit A being Yamaha's 88mm JA-0801 midband driver in the NS-1000, whose dome was one tenth as heavy as average midrange cones of that period.
But this new Falcon LS3/5a taught me that it's still very capable in modern terms, and because it's so well implemented it gives really enjoyable results even by today's standards.
Excellent vid guys thank you, can I make a suggestion?
ProAc's late designer Stewart Tyler a few years before his passing designed a sealed box version of the Tablette, the 10. The cabinet dimensions are exactly like those of the ls3/5a but of course with different (but top notch) drivers. I think it would be a nice vid if you did a review of those. Cheers
Yes, yes, yes and yes. I love the Tablettes! Mike
I'm not one of those who always rush (pun not intended) to proclaim something is too expensive but I can't help it here. They are too bleedin' expensive for what they do (not considering their museum replica value). I wonder how they would do against the much more modern in design but similar ProAc Tablet 10 Signatures which I used to own and still love and admire. Btw and fyi Music Fidelity have just come up with their own (unlicensed) version of the LS3/5A. I wonder who makes it for them and where.
I agree, they are pricey for what they are, compared to the tab 10, which I've owned, tabs are a lot dryer and brighter IMO, still a nice speaker for the money though.
Class talk
Very illuminating at 11:20
I felt like I was just about to beamed up to the Starship Enterprise!
Take us there, show us the way... hifi can do this!
Please is there any chance of getting a pair of the IMF 100, we all want to know what they is like....
Yes, we have this speaker in our crosshairs!
So, if I upgrade the crossovers on my Kef Concertos, will I have Ls3/5a's with great bass ?
It would be interesting to compare the Falcons with the Harwood Acoustics LS3/5a (from Germany, which are not a cheap clone, but very well done). You should listen to them.
Where did you buy them? I've been searching left and right and can't find them ANYWHERE.
Last input (let's hope).... What amp 'd you match them with?
Musical Fidelity has just added the same design😅
Yes, I'm at the Munich High End show and have just heard it. Am ordering a pair to review, so we can A-B it with the Falcons.
@@MrVinylista I understand that their version will make your hair grow back it’s natural colour :-)
@@gdwlaw5549 Blow my wig off, more like!
you are showing at 2.7k subs on my screen.
Let the sunshine in! 😂
Sorry, 1 more... Which Falcons are you talking about, the silver or the gold?
I wonder how it compares to the new Musical Fidelity version.
Eh?
Do you mean Mo-Fi (Mobile Fidelity)?
@@playbackvintagehifihunter9669 No he means Musical Fidelity...just announced their new models!
DSB208 SARA?
Rush on Quads?
Yes, exactly!
@@MrVinylista A few years back, I would have been shocked, but one thing we learn with age, is that we know SH..T! I am still a little surprised though; I imagine that if I am still on this planet in 10 years from now I will not even be surprise anymore. Makes you wonder, apart from reproduction, what it was all about.
@@BobCoalWater I wouldn't say that Quad electrostatics are optimal for heavy rock like Rush, but a fresh pair can do a surprisingly decent job, especially with a small sub helping out. You tend to focus on the timing aspects of the music, rather than visceral bass power, obviously!
👍
Two and a half large for two shoe box size speakers with drivers designed in the year dot. I love your show.... But you are out of touch with what normal folks, would regard as good value.
Fair point, but it's all relative I suppose. A lot of people spend a lot more on a new pair of loudspeakers. Thanks for the kind words!
I bet these sound good because they don't use drivers from the year dot, I bet they modern drivers!
@@trevorbartram5473They use recreations of the original drives by the original designer.
I bought my Goodmans LS3/5as in the late 80s for £90…
Presumably, they are closely related to the Falcons, using a version of their xover. I am surprised at your advice to use them close to a wall, as this ruins both their soundstaging and their portrayal of male voices.
I’m also surprised that you think they sound like large loudspeakers! Perhaps they’ve come on a lot over the years…
I have a pair of old Goodmans LS3/5As as well. They seem to be regarded as the poor relation amongst the licensed versions, but I find them seductive. I get dissatisfied at their lack of bass and try something else, but after a bit I go back to them. I think I have eventually found the ideal use for them though- second system, in a small room about 10ft X 7 ft. They sound really good, which I suppose is to be expected, it's the size of the inside of a van, which was the design intention!
Other speakers may be more impressive, but I find few make me want to listen to music for hour after hour in the way the LS3/5As do!
And guys, thank you for the riffs- the double act makes them so much fun, and a complete contrast to some of the monotonous guys on other channels!
With LS3/5A you hear more detail that you never been...
In the early 80s I had a pair of small Videoton speakers in my bedroom system. I'd heard them at shows and they definitely sounded like large speakers!
You talk too much about things nobody care, focus on the product
Welcome to Hi-Fi Riff 😁
Get to the point !