Bookshelves

Of course you must use front ported speakers. I agree LS3 is the way to go.

I'm a bit confused by the LS3/5a suggestion. While they are small and would fit on a bookshelf, the OP asked for a "thin" sounding speaker. I'd consider the LS3/5a to have anything but a "thin" sound. I've always found them to have a rather rich, textured and articulate sound, though absent deep bass due to their size.

That said, I do love the speakers (I have two pair of other model Spendors plus LS3/5a clones) and do consider them extremely musical, especially if one is fond of music primarily played on acoustic instruments and with unprocessed vocals.

Perhaps the OP could elucidate a bit more about the type of music he prefers and his volume requirements. In re-reading his original post, I'm not quite sure what I'd suggest at this point.

It seems like you are asking for a neutral speaker more than anything else, with perhaps more emphasis on detail than bass or midrange warmth, and not being annoying in the treble? I'd look at the Polk monitor 40's, which are very dry but enjoyable, and retail for about 2-300. If you want to spend more money as you suggest, the Aerial model 5's may be a good choice.

Thanks for the feedback so far! This is the first time that I looked into the Ls3/5a. It sound like a near perfect speaker.
I have a question for Newbee or anyone else who has experience with LS3/5a speakers (jrinterptnet?). Actually a load of questions:

mentioned are the splendor and rogers Ls3/5a as great speakers. What about Chartwell, Audiomaster and Harbeth?

I've seen a Harbeth Ls3/5a 1978 for sale for approximately $1300. is this a fair price? Sounds ridiculously high.

Wich speakers 20-30 years in use I would suggest that the cones are toast by now. True or false?

15/11 ohms. and inpedance of 84. Are they easy to drive or the opposite?

And my biggest concern is with the mid bass hump. I read that this is an issue with the Ls3/5a. Also true or false? The latter is what could stop me from purchasing a pair, so that's very relevant.

Thanks a lot guys!

The LS3/5a was designed by the BBC as a monitoring speaker for use in mobile recording vans. As such it is highly prized for its eerie vocal qualities.

They were manufactured under license from the BBC by a number of different speaker companies but they were all required to meet rigid specs. That said, there is a debate among audiophiles as to which is the "best" version.

The 15 ohm is the older version. Both versions use KEF drivers for both woofer/mid and tweeter. The crossovers had to be changed when KEF slightly changed the design of the woofer and the speaker went to the 11 ohm version. The speaker is fairly inefficient and will not play loudly, It is not recommended for anyone who listens above 90 dB or so.

$1,300 is a typical price and may even be a bit on the low side.

The cones are not "toast" due to age. They did not use the typical foam surround and do not deteriorate in the manner as some speakers. I've got a pair of "clones" that use the same drivers I bought while living in England in 1979. They play fine. There are replacement drivers available on the used market if you need one. One word of caution, though. The KEF drivers used in the LS3/5a were to a tighter spec than ordinary production run drivers so a replacement driver may not perform as precisely. (However, a working speaker is still better than a non-working one.)

There are some specialty web pages on this speaker and a Yahoo discussion group devoted to all things LS3/5a. You might wish to check them out.

However, I am still concerned about your original request for a "thin" sounding speaker. The LS3/5a is anything but "thin."