LSA 20 Statement Speakers

When reviewers are buying the speakers, that says A LOT.  As a reviewer I wouldn’t buy a review sample unless it literally blew me away.  It’s the highest praise a reviewer can give, but, that’s not to say the reviewer’s tastes and system match with yours.  It’s always a personal decision.  But, I think it’s pretty safe to say these new LSA speakers are surely worth a serious look.  FWIW. 

lectrolink

I have the LSA 10 Statements also and totally agree with you!

Be very careful with previous owners' opinions on the LSA 10/20 speakers. Examples before 5/20 refer to the older LSA models, owned by a different company. The current production are excellent speakers. I had KEF LS50 and while I liked their detail and smoothness, I felt that the lower mids/upper bass lacked authority (I use a sub). I knew that bass response was a strength for the LSA 10, so I took a chance and bought the 10 Statements. Glad I did. The beryllium tweeter, once it breaks in, is revealing without being aggressive sounding. Upper bass is solid-these speakers belie their size-- partly due to the passive radiator that covers much of the back of the speaker. Walter Leaderman has an internet direct model and the prices are really good for what you get.  I believe he used the Joseph Audio Pearl as the model for what they were trying to achieve soundwise with the Statement 10s.

and something else weird happened, once I commented on these speakers,  someone from Underwood Hifi contacted me, asked for my email and phone number. He said he would follow up with me. The he emailed me and said he wanted me to be satisfied and then disappeared. Never called, no more emails. So maybe my experience is very unique.

@berner99 11 months ago, it was the current ownership I believe

I am sorry that you were unhappy with what you purchased.  When did you buy them?  I ask because you may have bought older models, before current ownership

May 15th, 2020  TAS:

Living Sounds Audio LSA-10 Statement Loudspeaker - The Absolute Sound

LSA, or Living Sounds Audio, has been making loudspeakers since 2007, but recently the firm went through a major change. It was purchased by Underwood Hi-Fi, and its entire line of loudspeakers was redesigned.

 

Peace.

@berner99 i am minus 800 dollars interested. That's how much I lost. .(in case you didn't read what I wrote) The speakers with my equipment sounded horrible. Never claimed anything more or less.

I am happy for you that they work for you 

Posts by grislybutter do not read like a disinterested observer.

I have no commercial interest in any audio equipment

The reviews of LSA speakers are very favorable and speak for themself.

I bought the lower model LSA bookshelf a coupla years ago and was very happy--huge soundstage, speaker's disappear, warm and much better bass than expected.

Walter has a track record and lots of satisfied customers (you can search feedback here).

 

 

I think it’s fair to say that with the right equipment, they are probably enjoyable speakers, but the whole design, quality, pricing structure issues make it a lot less desirable speakers than at least 20 other brands. - for the same price, you get much better value

 

One of the strangest things is the web site. It's absolutely hideous. It's full of "...taken from my iPhone. Better photos coming... " notes. You mean you cannot just take a photo NOW? you are pitching a 2000 dollar equipment but you just want us to wait for some other photo, taken when? That 90s font design that was a no-no even in the AOL days? Can't you hire a web developer student for $60 an hour to revamp the site to just make it not this terrible? Seriously, the navigation, the design, the lack of information, the lack of ANY structure, the content is sooo painful! 

Being pulled away from LSA Statement speakers., thanks for everyone’s valued opinion. 

two comments mentioned generous return policy 

It was $300 last year (and I wish I had it and not the poor quality open box one which I couldn't return and could only sell for 800 dollar less than I bought it for)

So compared with Crutchfield's $10 return in 60 days, this is very expensive indeed

Ask any dealer why they don't have them. They told me: no one knows them, no one buys them, there is nothing special about them.

I had a horrible experience with LSA 10s.

There are so many warning signs and serious quality issues.

There are so many other choices, why take the risk?

I own a set of LSA 20 Statements, for about a year now. They replaced a much smaller set of Monitor Audio RS 6's, which were great speakers, but in my medium-large room they were a little lacking on low end. The LSAs have more low end, sure, but not that much. In fact that's my biggest complaint, they don't exactly lack bass but they don't have as much as I feel a speaker of that size should.

Imaging-wise they do well, and to my ears they sound relaxed and neutral. I was worried they might sound a bit harsh with my (all solid-state) gear but they don't. 

Mine arrived in perfect condition, and I don't have any experience or knowledge of poor cabinet quality, but I suspect they're relatively cheaply made as others have said. Which is concerning because my LEAST favorite thing about them is the too-narrow 3-point cone base. It feels to me like if anything bumps into one it will fall over easily, and then I'll get some first-hand knowledge of the cabinet construction. These speakers need a better base.

So I guess my opinion is pretty neutral. I think these are a decent value for the price (the real price - nobody should pay the "list" price of $6k for these things), but you get what you pay for, like everything. When I bought them, they fit my budget, and that was the deciding factor. If I had to do it over again, I may look elsewhere, but I'd likely end up spending twice as much for a marginal improvement in sound.

I have reached a certain point in my audio life where I won’t put up with shortcuts or manufacturer-opted compromises. At least no more than I have to put up with. If you look at my profile you will see signs of that. I have since added two headphone amps, an Ampsandsound Nautilus and a Luxman P-750u, an SW1X DAC III Balanced DAC, and an Aurender W20. And two of ZMF’s top tier sets of headphones including custom Verite’ Closed. My choice of loudspeakers (Devore O/93’s and Spendor D7.2’s) are not claimed-by me-to be among the best but it was important to me in making my buying decision that not only did I like the sound but also the manufacturer made the enclosures in-house. I believe all Devores are built by a single gentleman in John Devore’s Brooklyn factory unless he has found additional help. If there is a heavier, beefier, more fundamentally built 8 watt SE amp than the Ampandsound Nautilus I would like to see it and try to pick it up. All of my gear should be alive and kicking for my grandchildren, particularly my two turntables (again, see my profile-if you wish). It gives me intangible pride of ownership over and above the tangible qualities.

Interesting info about the cabinets, and I looked it up and they weigh about 70lbs each so certainly not MDF.  But, reading the universally glowing reviews they seem to have chosen wisely to keep costs down.  Yeah, they’d probably sound a little better if the speakers weighed 120lbs, but then they’d probably cost double or more.  Given the results and price, it looks like they started with a great design and then chose very wisely where to cut costs.  When reviewers are buying the review samples, well, that pretty much says it all. 

I briefly had a pair of the original LSA statements. As others have said the enclosures were horrible. The cheap veneer was splitting everywhere on both speakers. Hopefully the new ones are better. The sound was just ok but not great. Never understood the hype for that brand.

Appreciate your insight and background regarding speakers

 

I've said this before in another similar thread. Somewhere in China there is a factory that cranks out hundreds of thousands of these curved enclosures and anyone who orders a sufficient minimum quantity can customs-spec the cut-outs. Baltic Birch ply? Not a trace. High quality MDF? Nope. The material used is cheap chipboard. How do I know? I know because I used to own a pair of Acoustic Zen Adagio's made with a variation of the same enclosure. Same exact automotive spray paint finish. With the Adagio's, unlike with this speaker, all one had to do is peer into the front-facing port to see the rough finish work and nature of the materials. I also experienced the cheap chipboard when I resorted to rocking the top heavy gangly speakers on the outriggers that I had installed. The threaded inserts broke out of the bottom of the enclosures revealing more crumbly chipboard. There are lots of stories to be found if looked for of how vulnerable these enclosures are to moisture-they will essentially decompose if exposed to water, not that water is healthy for any loudspeaker enclosure. Btw, John of Van L Speakerworks in Chicago makes his own line of loudspeakers using the same enclosure. 

There is a concurrent thread right now in this forum about the difference between very expensive loudspeakers and moderately priced ones. This is one of the key differences. Does cheap enclosure construction have a significant impact upon ultimate sound quality? Probably not. Until the drivers work themselves loose or they get subjected to any significant trauma in shipping or otherwise. I don't fault Walter or Robert Lee or John L or anyone else who uses this enclosure to render best bang for the buck loudspeakers. But don't be fooled by the fancy curved exterior and paint job. This is not artisanal work by any stretch of the imagination. 

Lsa10  is old technologies decent ,but the new 20 statements sound at least 2-3x  more expensive .

My friend owns the LSA Statement 20. They are miles better then anything they made even 3 years ago , Beryllium is very tough to machine ,they did their homework on this new line up .

I have three sets of LSA speakers. Original bookshelf .5, upgraded crossover bookshelf 1's and original LSA 1 towers. The LSA 1 bookshelf speakers and the towers can both be bi-amped. I was using an older Music Hall Maven with the LSA 1 bookshelf bi-amped. I thought this sounded good but something was missing. I found a NAD M2 locally. I am using the NAD M2 to bi-amp the LSA 1 bookshelf speakers. The bi-amping brings out the midrange of the speakers. Vocals are clearer. Instruments you think may be in the song are now clearly heard. The Music Hall was good but the NAD M2 is light years better. The NAD M2 is not a fair comparison to the Music Hall. 
The LSA 1 bookshelf are still bookshelf speakers.  Bass is there but not extended.  The towers have the same tweeters with the additional midrange.  The Towers are front ported.  The towers and the bookshelf sound similar in the midrange and tweeters.  The difference is the bass.  The bass can be overwhelming depending on the material.  The towers showed me how much is missing from any bookshelf speaker.
As far as if you are going to like LSA speakers I cannot tell you. I think it depends on the type of music you listen to. I listen to a variety of music that the LSA produces very well with the NAD M2 driving them.  Comparing Harbeth to LSA is again not an honest comparison.  The LSA 1 bookshelf is only rated for about 100 watts.  The NAD M2 brings out the best in these speakers.  Of course YMMV.

@gano
I read about your poor experience with the LSA10.  However, I believe that the speaker you received is a lemon, and the scratches on the bottom seem to indicate it’s not new and was abused.  A modern new speaker shouldn’t sound that bad.

Appreciate your input greatly! 
Did you purchase the LSA 10’s
recently? 

I had a very bad experience with LSA-10s.
I would suggest you get it with return policy, so that if it doesn't work out, you are not stuck with it

A relative has a pair of these. I have spent some hours listening to them via CD. I thought they sound quite nice-smooth with a lot of detail. Nothing wrong with them but somehow the more I listened to them the less I liked them. I can understand why many people would buy them but there was something generic about their looks and sound that put me off.
Must admit that I would never buy a speaker made in China when there are so many other choices these days from non slave labor countries so take that in account when reading my comment.

For financial reasons, I’ve had to delay my purchase for the LSA 
20 Statement Speakers.  Our 
central air went out. 
I was also considering Monitor Audio Gold 300’s but I’ve ruled them out.
When my purchase is made it will be with Walter. 

would luv 2 know if you finally dove in and bought the LSA 20 Statements.  I too am considering changing out my Maggies to upgrade to theses based on the amazing price that Walter is currently listing them for.  If you have let me know so it will help me pull the trigger.  

The platforms under my speakers are from Butcher Block acoustics. They are 3 inches thick.

I love the MapleShade products, but I am cost-constrained and I have to spread my budget around in order to maximize my investments.

If you like the basic Monitor Audio sound signature the Music Room has a pair of PL200 speakers for just under 4K. Those are beautiful speakers! Never heard the LSAs. Just another option to think about. 

Brand new pair of Monitor Audio Gold 200's for a little over 2K at BEK HI-FI in Allentown,PA

The LSA 20 Statement Speakers 
remain my next audio purchase.
Your familiarity with a number of high end audiophile Speakers provides more incentive to make 
the purchase.  
Having just returned from a visit 
to North Carolina to hold our new 
granddaughter, we discovered the central air in our home needs replacement.  
For now my purchase will be delayed....but not for long. 

I noticed those platforms under your LSA 20 Statement’s. Are they a MapleShade product? My Pass equipment, Music Hall CD player and VPI turntable are positioned in 
MapleShade Turn Table stand...
three four inch solid maple shelves.  Extremely solid and very 
attractive.
Thank you again for your encouraging insight..

These speakers exceeded my expectations and I have no regrets. Coupling the LSA-20 Statement speakers with your Pass gear and VPI turntable will indeed give you musical pleasure for years to come.

My baselines for speakers include Vandersteen, Totem, Quad, Aerial, B&W, Dynaudio, and Wilson. I have owned B&W, ADS, and Vandersteen speakers, and the LSA-20 Statements give me everything I loved about these speakers, but they do it much better.

I recommend these to you without reservation. You can see my Audiogon Virtual System post at https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9586.

Happy listening!

Appreciate your input...thank you! Our son is expecting their second child. Following that and our visit I’m pulling the trigger. Leaning toward the LSA 20 Statement, but the new Elba 2 also looks promising.  Talked to Wally regarding a Statement purchase. 
My room size should work if I can 
place the back of the speakers
a couple of feet from the wall. 
From what Photographs tell me, they are Beautiful Speakers.

@mijostyn “The engineering is very basic. Even you could probably master it.”
I know Dan Wiggins was part of this design team. I made the acquaintance of him before he even launched Adire, and his low frequency drivers are exemplary. The engineering in this speaker is FAR from “basic”.

@mbennes Ive been close to pulling the trigger on these too. But for MY listening preferences and content, I am leaning to Maggies. While room is relatively small (12.5 x 22), up to 3.7’s can work well, and room is dedicated, so their somewhat imposing aesthetic is not a problem. My concern is missing the next (low) octave - happy enough or need to try to integrate a sub.

But I am considering a comparison home trial if I can get the same trial period for the Maggies..

Another LSA positive comment...
Wonder if this pair may have been their old line.  Irregardless it’s a positive regarding in their speakers. Thank you for that insight!

We had the Bookshelf bottom end LSA 2019 speaker. I can not recall if it was the signature or the statement model but it was the cheaper one. Our club had 10 speakers. The only pair that someone wanted to buy was the LSAs. I had them at my home for a week and not only loved the looks but the sound was excellent too.

Not sure what your budget is? Or if you are buying new or used?
So it is hard to make a suggestion for comparison.

Thanks so much everyone.
Your expertise is truly appreciated.  I’m pleased to know you have opinions regarding LSA. We all are passionate in seeking a desired, magical sound when listening to music. 

@mbennes
Probably the safest upgrade bet, how about moving up the Monitor Audio speaker line starting at the Silver 300, or maybe purchase a Gold 200 or stretch to a Gold 300?   You may move even farther up the Monitor Audio line if you buy used. 

A comparison review:
https://theaudiophileman.com/gold-200-floorstanding-speakers-review-monitor-audio/

Based on the quality of reviews, the LSA 20 seem like a price/performance bargain.  Ideally you'd like to demo them in your own system.  However, without listening first you won't know if you prefer the LSA over the Monitor Audio sound - it's a risk.   

@mbennes buy them you have  a generous return privileges with Wally.

Buy what you like dude.

I have the small LSA bookshelf.  They are wide dispersion, have a great soundstage with huge sweet spot.  Very special. 

@mijostyn —

the LSA 20s are nicely made and that is about it. The engineering is very basic. Even you could probably master it. They are nothing special. This design has been drilled into the ground.

Really? And what design is that? Dynamic drivers with a crossover in a box? Perhaps you could dazzle us with your deep understanding of exactly how the crossover in the 20s is designed? I won’t hold my breath.

Because they all have different diversions from a flat frequency response curve they all sound different.

Well welcome to the real world! Maggies and Sound Labs don’t measure flat either Einstein. And any speaker that does would sound like crap in a real room, so you’re just chasing your tail in fantasy land there chum. You don’t like box speakers with dynamic drivers — we get it. But overgeneralizing the sound of the design and saying any improvements will be marginal is just ignorant and silly and provides no benefit to the OP or this thread.

You would select a speaker with what design?

@soix , the LSA 20s are nicely made and that is about it. The engineering is very basic. Even you could probably master it. They are nothing special. This design has been drilled into the ground. The form factor is simply to please women as it seems they are not offended by it as much.
Any improvement you can make would be marginal at best. Because they all have different diversions from a flat frequency response curve they all sound different. What people are doing is choosing the error they like best.

Those speakers are extremely attractive.  And what’s more important, I’m pleased to know you appreciate their ability to play music! Very good combination!
Thank you so much....

@mbennes reach out to this member.
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9586

The LSA 20 Statement Speakers must designed to provide accurate musical reproduction. It sounds as though Walter Lederman has changed important aspects from the original speaker line. 
I have a question from someone who owns the new 20 Statement Speaker....with those three woofers 
positioned in the back cabinet, what happens to the bass should the speakers be positioned closer to a wall? 

Appreciate this insightful information....

When I was looking to buy new speakers I too looked at LSA. I spoke with many of the reps from amp to pre-amp and dac producers. They all said the same about LSA. They are great speakers that are mostly designed and used as studio monitors. My first thought was that sounds good I want the speakers that the engineers use to dial in the final product why not be able to listen to the source sound. Then I ran into and old friend who was the drummer for the band I ran sound board for way back (he quit to go to Berkley music school Boston). He and I started talking about things and got to my speaker search and this is what took LSA off my list. He to said great speakers for monitors buy they are not forgiving, and will reveal everything. He said if the music you are listening to is pristine and produced great they will sound great, but if you have a poorly recorded or produced song they will reveal that poor quality and it will sound bad. Then he said you have to remember that most recordings had to be produced to sound only ok to account for all the sources people receive their music from. The producers had to make many compromises and sacrifices in the end product and LSA speakers will reveal all of these compromises, they will also reveal any of the nuances in your equipment. LSA speakers are in a way almost too good for consumer applications. I ended up buying Vandersteen 5’s and am very happy I did.

I use all tube gear with them.

I have a pair of Monitor Audio Studio 6s which could be bright on the top end sometimes and didn't have a lot of bass, but it depended on the the recording. With well recorded music they sounded great though. If there was weak bass on the music it wasn't there, but if there was heavy bass it was there and the same with the high end. So, the equipment and music you play is what these speakers give you.