ART ET SON
MONTREAL, CANADA H2T1S1

Joining Graham Audio’s line up of BBC licensed monitors is a dramatic update of the original LS5/5 design. Originally designed by the BBC for monitoring their own recordings, in the 1960’s, the BBC considered this their finest sonic quality design. With the advent of Rock & Roll, this model was eased aside by the LS5/8 which could play louder.

The LS5/8 was the first BBC loudspeaker to use a polypropylene diaphragm which, being lighter than Bextrene, offered greater efficiency and lower colouration. A carefully researched cone profile enabled the unit to work successfully well into the midrange. But Derek Hughes’ 2019 version of the LS5/5 solved the original models shortcomings. The sound quality of the original was beyond reproach. Its only shortcoming was that it would not play loud enough. The revised version of the LS5/5 will play 9dB louder than the original due to updated materials; such as glues, modern drivers, stronger magnets, better quality resistors, coils.

The lenses around the woofers were part of the original LS5/5 and the LS5/8 designs. The LS5/8 lost the lenses once the speakers went into production. Derek Hughes explained in Munich that the lenses made the speakers easier to position in a room with their vertical dispersion. Be interesting to hear how this three way stacks up against the physically larger two way LS5/8.

Initially we played CDs and then moved in LPs.  The latter was so much warmer, richer and fuller sounding.  Roy Gaines’ Stormy Monday”  45 rpm single from I Got the T Bone Walker Blues was played to open and close the vinyl set and was met with great approval from the audience.  The speakers were paired up with quite inexpensive equipment, shining through and exhibiting great promise.

The paint finish was unusual to say the least. It started out as a battleship gray with copper added, which after the chemical reaction, gave a cardboard or quasi golden finish, looking beautiful in ebony and rosewood.

First production should ship around Q4 of this year.   Contact Art et Son, Montreal, QC, phone (+1) 514-222-2342 or email rob@artetson.ca for further details.

PRESS

  … the 3-way LS5/5 was considered by the Beeb [BBC] to be their best…  Graham Audio’s LS5/5 ($15,000 USD/pair) plays 9dB louder than the BBC version… According to the BBC’s research, the addition of the slot allowed the speakers to perform as a narrower source, creating a wider horizontal dispersion pattern and resultant sweet spot… >>> MORE >>>

– Robert Schryer, Stereophile magazine