LS3/5a buys LS3/5a's

Mine showed up this morning - only nine days since I ordered them. They do a great job on packing.

They look good - they sound amazing. Details later but I'm wowed. This is a good deal for people who want this kind of sound but aren't looking to spend three grand on speakers.

 

Cool, I look forward to hearing them some day!

 

Wonderful!! Not even broken-in!!

 

Along with your thoughts, I hope to see some pics of these in action.

 

Just can't? You believe there is no way any component ever made from a country that makes the most models in the world could ever hope to come close, all with no/little experience. Sounds quite logical.

 

Friggin' A. As the Americans say. Post of the day.

My understanding is the manufacturing facilities in China are amongst, in many cases, the best you'll find. IAG, who look after Quad these days, as well as several other venerable names from the halcyon days of UK hifi (including Wharfedale who's Denton at £500 is much loved on this site), have one Peter Comeau as one of their head honchos. Interested parties in this thread should reconsider their doubts. Peter's a respected name in audio, and his Heybrook-HB1 from 1982 (amongst many others) is still revered to this day.

Edit - not suggesting Peter Comeau, or IAG, have any relationship with this speaker, just a comment on the notion that country of origin seems to be an issue for some people, when that's not really the problem, but quality control is. And that's the preserve of a commissioning company.

 

Yeah, I'm with you on going "Huh?" to the wholesale knee-jerk reaction to Chinese hifi kit. Are there some dubious knockoffs made there? Sure. But China is also home to a fiercely dedicated market for hifi (particularly tube amps -- Line Magnetic is now beloved worldwide for their products.)

Kinda reminds me of the '60s, when Americans laughed at Japanese-made transistor radios, TVs, compact cars etc. ... a decade later they were giving RCA, Zenith and Detroit a bloody nose in the marketplace.

@ls35a apologies for the threadpoo. Can't wait to read your review!

 

manufacturing ≠ design and engineering
cloning / reverse engineering ≠ design and engineering

 

Very true, I'm into mountain biking and some of the best carbon mountain bike frames come from China and Taiwan. Even from companies that sell bikes in the top tier pricing category because they say they have the expertise to make them right.

 

Follow

 

I'm aware thanks, but disregarding manufacturing facilities is rather amiss and the design ability and skillset is there, as evidenced by companies or groups like IAG or Cambridge using those facilities. Shanling, Ming Da, etc, are examples of Chinese firms that make high quality gear too.

 

As a non-LS3/5A owner, I want to know about setup. Do they really need to be 3' out from the wall (I seem to be reading that everywhere)?

 

They probably sound best with room around them, but remember, they were designed to be used in broadcast vans which afforded them zero room and still sounded pretty good.

 

As far out from the wall I could get them would be 15" ...

 

This really depends on your room and the amount of either casual or direct bass-trapping you have in there. The boominess exhibited in closer-to-the-wall positioning by the ls3/5a can be eradicated by having some kind of trapping in the corners behind the speakers.

 

Yeah ... I may have to look into that.

My rear-ported Chartwell LS6's suffer a little bass overhang on some material. They're only about a foot out from the wall (much deeper cabinets than an LS3/5A, plus those pesky ports.)

 

So these wouldn’t be ideal as desktop speakers if your desk looks out at open space instead of a wall?

 

I am not dismissing the ability to copy and manufacture products. China has made a career out of that and supplying low cost labor for overseas companies wishing to reduce costs.
Clean sheet creativity and innovation is not there, not even close.

 

I didn't realise Shanling or Ming Da were copying or ripping anyone off.

And innovation? You maybe need to educate yourself a tad. I think you may be a decade or two behind.

 

+1

There are many Chinese companies now, inventing and producing great-sounding gear at different price points.

 

I would think listening nearfield would negate any distance/proximity effects. At least partially.

 

I hate nearfield listening for the same reason I can't stand headphones.

Luckily, true LS3/5As excel at your standard equilateral triangle listening scheme...

 

Any early thoughts on the Sound Artists? I know it’s only been a couple days,but just curious.

 

Yea, curious minds want to know!

 

exceptions to the rule. have you seen the chifi clones blatantly exploiting the products they are derived from?
this is a fraction of what is available-
https://m.aliexpress.com/storesearc...eq=230483874&sortType=TC3_D&groupId=511370314