Anyone compare LS 3/5A Soliloquy SM 2A3, Spendor

Aktchi,

I ended up getting a pair of mint Rogers LS 3/5a 15 ohm speakers to try. Very pretty and of course very legendary and pricey). After a lot of lengthy A/B comparisions I prefer my Spendor S 3/5 (not the newer and more forward sounding S 3/5e versions) to the Rogers. FWIW

I owned each of these speakers at one time. With low powered PP 2A3 amp( a Deja Vu with big vintage Chicago Output Transformers) I preferred the Soliloquy SM 2A3. With my CJ Premier 8A tube monoblocs (with full Teflon V-Cap upgrade and NOS GE 6550 tubes) putting out 275 watts per monobloc I preferred the Spendor S 3/5.

I've had them all in the past. None are optimal for 213/45 SET amps and would be marginal with push-pull amps using those power triodes. But you'll get good tonal sound if not much dynamic life, within the limits of the amps driving small, inefficient speaker designs.

The LS3/5a, which is the speaker I had in longest continuous use over the past 40 years, has the most holistic representation of music of the three speakers you mentioned but it is dynamically throttled. The Spendor is the most accurate of the three, leaner and more neutral than the LS3/5a but missing some of its tonal body and vocal realism. The Soliloquy is the most euphonic of the three, showing the most conscious coloration-by-intent to make an entertaining and forgiving speaker that's still reasonably neutral and images well.

Consider the Audience One, the Silverline SR16 and the Zu Omen Bookshelf or the Zu Omen at your budget if you want to use a small SET or low powered triode p-p amp.

Phil