The ls3 is a remarkable amplifier with a very short signalpath. This amp response strongly on frontend,placement and cabling. It is also needs exact matching with the rest of the chain or it will sound unbalanced and coloured. It will reward you with exeptional open holographic soundstage and very good tunes basresponse Put real quality frontend with this unit and it will sound natural and tunefull. If you don,t like to spend effort and time in this it will dissapoint with its sound. It is not bright, blurry or flat sounding as some reviews here want you to gelieve. It really can trow a huge soundstage if all the parameters are correct Very musical amp but tricky to set up

Can sound out of tune easily You need to tune your speakers and/or subs again

Hello, I have owned the LS3 about 4 times. I love the resolution and he lightning fast transients but have always sold it because it was fatiguing. It's a bit harsh at times, the soundstage is flat and its overall dry. The four I have had were all with different speakers, amps and sources and have all had the same result. Don't get me wrong, for around $600 - $700 used they are a great preamp but you could do better with a CJ or ARC tube preamp like the LS7.

custom stickers | print stickers | business printing | printing company

My first high quality preamplifier. I purchased it new around 1994 and instantly fell in love with it. Sounded superb. Build quality and finish along with the feel and operation of the knobs and rocker switches were simply wonderful. I honestly don't remember what I paid for it. But my stereo equipment budget was quite modest back then. It replaced an Adcom preamp.

My only quibble was that it didn't have remote control. Which I learned was a factory option. But a rather pricey one.

The audio Research LS3 B has deep sound that focuses on vocals,and head lining instuments with out living behine dinamics, bass, treble.
you will find parts of music not heard before a unique style of sound smood aggressiveness
Adele,sting,andrea bocelli, bob marley tested
Emotiva xpr2 Amp,Xd1dac,Erc2 cd
Preamp LS3 B
Speaker Monitor audio Rx6

Hello, I have owned the LS3 about 4 times. I love the resolution and he lightning fast transients but have always sold it because it was fatiguing. It's a bit harsh at times, the soundstage is flat and its overall dry. The four I have had were all with different speakers, amps and sources and have all had the same result. Don't get me wrong, for around $600 - $700 used they are a great preamp but you could do better with a CJ or ARC tube preamp like the LS7.

Excelent Sound Quailty, Price Value. It's a keeper!

None , I have had no problems

I have owned an LS3 for about 1 year. I have found it to have great depth and detail (with good source material). The LS3 is dead silent. The program source makes the biggest difference. Poor recordings can sometimes sound quite harsh, yet good recordings just blossom with impact, speed and realism. It is very detailed and engaging. I can see why some reviewers didn't care for it (maybe GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT?). Its a great value on today's used market. I would buy it again. I like it better than any other preamp I have used to date. I am satisfied with it today. I might try something different tomorrow. Current system, Richard Gray 400, Linn LP12-Ittock-Denon 103D, Marantz SA 8260, LS3, ARC VT200, Magnepan 3.6, Analysis Plus Oval 9 and Kinber Hero.

Similar Products Used:

ARC SP6b, Counterpoint, VanAlstine Super PAS 3, VanAlsitne OmegaStar EX.

Looks

Sound

I did not care for this product either. It is beyond me how Stereophile gave this a Class A recommendation. I much prefered the Audio Research LS9 which is the replacement for the LS3. In fact I love the sound of the LS9. The LS3 sounds very average. Not a very musical sounding or involving preamp! I was thrilled I was able to sell it!

Similar Products Used:

ARC, CJ, and many other preamps

detailed, renowned company makes reselling easy

no 3D imaging, very little emotion and musicality. The life in the music was missing. cheap remote for a $500 option.

I didn't care for this preamp. I bought it based on the reviews but I found it lacking emotion and musicality. I compared it head-to-head in my sytem with 3 other preamps and the LS3b came in last in my rankings. The competition was: Conrad Johnson PV10, Classe CP50, McIntosh C712. It is detailed but no more than the others. I heard the same things and no more. However, musicality was poor, texture was lacking, and the soundstage was flat. My roommate which isn't into audio agreed with me on all accounts. He could hear it just as well as me. The top contender was the CP50, followed by the C712, PV10, and finally LS3b. System synergy is paramount so I always list my associated equipment. Otherwise, the review is meaningless since the reference and context is missing. I use JM Lab Electra 926 speakers, McIntosh MC7200 amplifier, a Jolida JD100 tube cd player, and all MIT cables. I have treated and tested my room to make sure my frequency response is accurate so that I can rely on my opinions. This is all too often overlooked by reviewers.

Similar Products Used:

see above

detail accuracy simplicity clarity price (used)

None found yet

The LS3 and associated equipment represent my first hi end purchases. The LS3 is stunning in it's clarity, detail and utter simplicity. I am continually struck by the detail I am hearing in pieces I have owned for years and have been listening to on a midfi system. From small ensemble baroque to big symphonic pieces to jazz to rock music the LS3’s performance has been beyond reproach. I must credit part of my success with pairing the LS3 with class A equipment. I am using a Naim CDX and feed it to the LS3 via the ‘direct’ mode; what a pure sound, analogue like in warmth ( but with no coloration ). I am further impressed that I am able to feed my home theater system into the video feed on the LS3 (using my receiver’s pre-out); this lets my system do ‘double duty’ as 2 channel and theater with NO comprimise on the 2 channel side. Associated equipment: ARC LS3 Preamp Revel F30 loudspeakers Naim CDX CD player Bryston 4B-ST Amp Kimber Monocle-XL Speaker cables Kimber Hero Interconnects

detail accuracy simplicity clarity price (used)

None yet found

The LS3 and associated equipment represent my first hi end purchases. The LS3 is stunning in it's clarity, detail and utter simplicity. I am continually struck by the detail I am hearing in pieces I have owned for years and have been listening to on a midfi system. From small ensemble baroque to big symphonic pieces to jazz to rock music the LS3’s performance has been beyond reproach. I must credit part of my success with pairing the LS3 with class A equipment. I am using a Naim CDX and feed it to the LS3 via the ‘direct’ mode; what a pure sound, analogue like in warmth ( but with no coloration ). I am further impressed that I am able to feed my home theater system into the video feed on the LS3 (using my receiver’s pre-out); this lets my system do ‘double duty’ as 2 channel and theater with NO comprimise on the 2 channel side. Associated equipment: ARC LS3 Preamp Revel F30 loudspeakers Naim CDX CD player Bryston 4B-ST Amp Kimber Monocle-XL Speaker cables Kimber Hero Interconnects