Near Field listening

I've used KEF Uni-Q's as studio nearfield monitors for many years. The old UK made Q10 is just a great and inexpensive (especially used) little speaker that is perfect for nearfield...front port and all...the ref series small uni-Q is cool too...a friend (for his studio) found a mint pair someplace for under $200. The concentric thing is great for nearfield.

The 3/5A is usually 15 or 16 ohms (an extremely inefficient design), very limited in its low end response, and, although well regarded by many pipe smoking tweed jacket wearing anachronists (is that a word?) may be the most overhyped/overpriced speaker in the history of audio. I have never seen them in a modern U.S. recording studio. I like 'em though...they're cute. A decade or so ago a friend brought a pair of Rogers LS3/5A's over to my studio and I did an A/B comparison to my relatively el-cheapo KEF Q10s...we both agreed the KEFs, once both speakers were adjusted with a meter to the same sound level, were FAR better in every way...disclaimer: we were not smoking pipes in leather chesterfield wing chairs in a library...we weren't smoking anything. I have since heard 3/5As sound great with very high end electronics, but I think there are sounds under 85hz that deserve to be heard.