Having spent the last few months looking for the best sounding system for my R.V. I decided to try the LS3/5A's on the advice of my very knowledgeable and patient dealer [Audio Two in Windsor Ont.].In a word, they sound wonderful.I have owned several good quality speakers over the years from the likes of KEF,Spendor,Linn etc. and I have to say that in my application requiring near field listening & partnered with the excellent Rega Planet CD player & Rega Brio amplifier the sound is extremely detailed but relaxing & musical.Do not expect the speakers to play loud but they sound so good at low to medium volumes that you won't be longing for more power.Highly recommended.

Imagery, no-box effects, superb midrange and upper base

Needs powerful amps

Fantastic little speakers but out of production everywhere I think (Rogers is bust). However, it amazes me that that there is no mention in the reviews here of the Rogers AB/1 sub-woofers that are designed to partner them. These use the same KEF drivers and have a band pass filter back to the LS3/5s which removes some of the bass, thereby making them perform better and go louder, and makes them sound much cleaner and less distorted.

You do need some decent amps to drive them or they sound a bit fizzy and distorted. A Quad 306 (70 watts) is not enough - I use a Quad 707. Using Quad amps is a no-brainer decision as the BBC and Rogers used Quad amps for all their active monitor loadspeakers, and they are great amps as well. Using the AB/1s reduces the impedance and therefore the amplifier requirements, making the combination sound much cleaner than, say, LS3/5s and a REL sub (I know 'cos I used this before the AB/1s came out).

Watch the speaker cable as well, I used fat Quad cable before I got the AB/1s and they sounded shit with it. I changed to Nordest flatline and the change was dramatic.

The LS3/5s were engineered to have an overblown bass to give a decent subjective impression at low volumes. This made them only grade 2 (speach) broadcast monitors. The addition of AB/1s pushes their performance closer to grade 1 accuracy. If you get the later biwireable LS3/5s you could even psuedo bi-amp them, which apparently makes quite a difference (my next upgrade). Do not think about playing about with the cross over for active bi-amping as the crossover is very complicated and is the bit that produces the incredible mid-range/upper-bass integration.

To prove my enthusiam I have two sets of AB/1s and LS3/5as and one set of 11 ohm non-biwirable LS3/5a bought in 1988 when I worked at BBC research labs.

Get them whilst you can...

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various

Incredible soundstaging, sweet midrange, increidible vocal reproduction

None....with the AB1 sub!

I absolutely love the LS3/5a in combination with the AB1 subwoofers. Not only does the sub solve the only problem with this great little monitors (lack of a powerful bass presence), it does it with absolute grace.
We all rate our purchases fairly highly on these pages (probably as a justification for spending the $'s-which can be misleading)...........but many times those glowing words come from satisfaction attained from enduring the long trials & tribulations of auditioning equipment.........the many hours spent in a quest for the holy grail of sound reproduction (that suits our individual tastes).
In my estimation I doubt if there is another speaker out there that can produce a disappearing soundstage and a sweet, sweet midrange like these beauties (for around 2K or quite a bit more). They have a gorgeous fit/finish and can really fill up a room despite their small size. I also disagree with some reviewers who claim these speakers do not reproduce rock music...............they do and do it very well. If you want a natural presentation that replicates music as it was recorded, a speaker that conveys vocals with a realism on par with much more expensive speakers this might be the choice for you.
I can't recommend this product more highly and hope tales of Roger's demise are unfounded.
PS Don't be afraid to pump a little juice into these speakers. I find my Conrad-Johnson MF2500 @ 240 watts (& Nordost Red Dawn cables) does a very nice job with the Rogers.

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Verity Audio, Totem, Proac, Meadowlark

Beautiful, clear sound, diminutive size, quality of construction

None

I've just celebrated a 20th anniversary with my LS3/5A's, and decided it was time to reaffirm my affection for them.

I've used them with everything from an HK receiver when that's what I could afford to my current Threshold FET ten/hi - Threshold T100 home office system, and I've tried newer speakers, but I've always returned to them for my close listening speakers.

For a couple of years I supplemented them with an AudioPro B-50 subwoofer, but ultimately I decided that their wonderful musicality doesn't require the bass extension.

The quality of construction is demonstrated by their longevity. I've never had a problem with, while I've had to replace mid-ranges in my Mirage 3's and reglue the woofer in a Martin Logan Sequel II.

I wholeheartedly recommend the LS3/5a's for anyone who loves music and who needs or wants smaller speakers.

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Mission

Beautifully clear high end and midrange, excellent imaging and presence without harshness

No deep bass and they're no longer being produced

For a speaker this small to sound so good is remarkable. I purchased these little jewels 20 years ago (the 15 ohm version), and they still amaze me with their clarity and realism, particularly in reproducing vocals and accoustic instruments. With a well matched subwoofer they can go surprisingly loud. Placement is important for achieving the best sound; try putting them on stands at least 1 foot away from any wall. If you manage to get pair of these, never let them go.

Great sound, inexpensive, durable, small.

Might not have enough base for some listeners.

I don't know much about audio technology, I only know what sounds good to me over an extended period. When I was younger I played in a rock band and, from time to time, in a symphonic band and orchestra so I have some background in musical sounds. At an unamplified opera, for example, I tend to concentrate on the sound of the orchestra and the voices; the story is secondary for me: helpful perhaps to understand the emotions in the music but not absolutely necessary to enjoy the wonderful unaltered sound. After 30 years of listening, it has turned out that I like the sound produced by tube equipment for long and pleasant listening. Dynaco, Berning, Pilotone, Audio Research, Fischer all have brought the sound to life for me. They all perform very, very well, at low volume or high, on my LS3/5a speakers. Better by far than anything else I have tried. I guess I notice the rich sound most on voices and voice like instruments such as guitars, violins, cellos, saxaphones and clarinets). You can just close your eyes and see the performance in front of you. It is a bonus that the LS3/5a speakers are relatively small, relatively inexpensive and durable. I liked the Rogers so much, I went out and bought a licensed kit (Falcon) and built a second pair (also quite wonderful). My cousin is a professional opera singer. His mother (and his biggest fan for 40 years) was at our house for a gathering and I had opera playing softly in the background. She sought me out at dinner to inquire where I found records that sounded so clear and pure? That's worth 5 stars to me.

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Falcon LS3/5a; Advent Large; Boston Acoustics A 150; Genesis 1; Dynaco A-25

When coupled with good quality stands, nothing.

I use the Rogers LS3/5a's with a Musical Fidelity A120 amp and a Linn Sondek. I've had them for ten years and have never heard anything to beat them for sound (if you have a relatively small living room and like your neighbours). Their quality has been brought home to me while I have been sound testing new CD players. Regardless of the CD player, the Amp/speaker combination has incredible transparency and the 'sing' with well recorded material. Not bad for a 10 year old system!

The most notable feature is the way the speakers 'dissappear' within the soundstage, which often appears to extend beyond the speakers! What you gain in stereo separation with small speakers (which more closely approximate a point source) you do loose in bass extension. This requires careful matching between amp and speakers. They are quite high impedance, at 12 ohm, and with relatively low efficiency (~ 87dB) your amp has to be capable of driving quite hard. A high current source is required. The Musical Fidelity amp, running in class A, has this capability and also has a generous natural bass boost. Together they're capable of rattling the floor boards, if not up to heavy rock, but the sound is always under control. I have found them to at their best with small groups / accapella etc., but they will tackle anything and reward quality recordings.

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None. First choice. Compared with Royd Eden's at demo. No comparison

Perfect scene,wonderful voices,natural tones... They're magic!

Basses are never a problem... No big weaknesses

If the room where they are playing is not too big, LS3/5a is really a definitive speaker system.

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maybe Sonus Faber Minima Amator

The very first Rogers LS3/5A I owned was a used pair( 15 Ohm) during my student years in London. Before I hunted down Rogers LS3/5A, I spent close to two years visiting hifi shops all over London(mostly as visitor/helper in return for a chance to be allowed in the listening audition room with other customers). Today, I have four pairs(Rogers rosewood 11 Ohm, Rogers walnut 11 Ohm, Rogers Classic and Rogers 15 Ohm)and still looking for more! Why? Because this is the only speakers that can really "sing for you" and touch the bottom of your heart. If you do not understand what I am saying, go and get one and give it a try with a open mind. For those who have one and still do not understand me, you have yet to "own-it", or, it is your short-coming for being unable to establish a relationship with the speakers through the sound that they can produce.

Since the software will not let me comment under Harbeth LS3/5a I'll comment hear. I live in a big city where the best of virtually all manufacturers, designs, etc. can be found. I have yet to hear a speaker as mesmerizing as the LS3/5a. Harbeth, Rogers, Spendor, KEF, Audiomaster, etc. were the manufacturers who were licensed by the BBC to make this monitor to strict specifications.You can put virtually any 2 boxes side by side and be challenged to tell the difference. I am totally biased. Put an individual in front of a pair of old or new LS3/5a's and any other monitor and play vocals. My money is that 80% will choose the LS3/5a as the most realistic producer. This is beside the fact that the imaging of the LS3/5a is still at the top of the heap as well. A GREAT reproducer of sound!