Rogers LS3/5a question


I am a pro audio guy and know very little about hi-fi stuff. I was at an estate sale today and found a pair of Rogers Ls3's for a VERY good price. They were built in 1079 and the construction is some of the best I have ever seen in a speaker. The problem is that they are 15 ohms and I really don't have anything to power them. I do not want to damage them by hooking them up to something I shouldn't. I would love to hear them and make sure everything works properly. From what I gather from a little research is that the mid-range is incredible. If they are better than my reference monitors I will keep them, if not they will be sold. Thanks for your help guys!
stellastudios
Disregard my prior inquiry, I had wired the speakers wrong after moving stuff around and fixed the issue.
LS3/5a had greater continuous longevity in my systems than any other speaker so far. I ran a double LS3/5a system for over a decade (think a miniature version of TAS' double Advent system from the mid-70s) and later used them in in secondary systems of as alternate speakers in my main system, from 1976 to 2002. The 15 ohms load will make most solid state amplifiers sound smoother and more refined, albeit at roughly half their 8 ohms power (unless its a McIntosh autoformer output SS amp). And if the mismatch is with a tube amp with only 8 ohm taps, no harm will occur. The speaker is a great match for OTL tube amps, like Atmasphere or Transendent, today. I used my double LS3/5as for several years wired in series for 30 ohms driven by Futterman OTL monoblocks. Sensational.

The BBC monitor emulated the midrange beauty, tone and human voice realism of the original Quad electrostatic, in a dynamic speaker. It's inefficient and has limited power handline. You generally need 25w to wake them up, and getting much beyond 70w is risky unless you're careful to restrict volume below where you hear the B110 driver driven past its range on bass transients. The speaker was designed before the CD, so dynamic range in digital source bass can put the 4" driver past its limits. The speaker has a bass hump between roughly 80 - 100Hz, to give the listener an illusion of bass range that's greater than the speaker actually has, but it worked well as a tactic for making a very small speaker satisfying. Actual lower limit bass response trails off rapidly below 70 Hz. With the right amplication, LS3/5a can still produce beautiful sound, within its dynamic limits, 40 years after its original development for BBC field monitoring.

Phil
hi i am new and first time on the forum, reason was i just bought a roger ls 3/5a and want to research a bit whether i really got the real stuff or a copy as i have no intention of opening the box as i am in experience and might destroy them!
Why do I never read any posts describing LS3/5a's as parts of high quality automotive audio systems? LS3/5a's are the best car audio speakers I have ever heard. Using FLAC files for the source I drive them with JLAudio HD900/5 amps, JL Audio subwoofer, and additional pair of Focal 5-1/4" front door speakers. I have these setups in a Corvette and a Ford F150. The LS3/5a's can be set on the sides of the F150 back seat  and at the extreme rear of the Corvette hatchback. It is scary how good these mobile systems sound. 
 
On the home front, I also use double LS3/5a's wired in series for 30 ohm load driven by Cary 805C's from the 16 ohm taps. Like the 2012 comment from above, sensational. Using SVS dual subwoofers and an Audio Note Kits Mentor preamp and a PS Audio DirectStream DAC  completes this simple setup. With a quality source as the input, the LS3/5a has an overall sound that I have never heard from any other speaker. It is has an allure that has caught the ears of thousands upon thousands. The sound difference is as pronounced as comparing solid state with tubes. I had a friend recently describe the sound as very lush and detailed without being analytical - Musical. 

Best regards,
Mack



The OP says the Rogers speakers he found were built in 1079. One assumes they are early prototypes.