ROGERS LS 3/5A MONITOR SPEAKERS


Hi,

I just came across a pair of ROGERS LS 3/5A MONITOR SPEAKERS in my warehouse.

They look to be in good shape.

To be honest I know nothing about these speakers but a brief investigation I discovered they seem to be in pretty high demand.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
alevine
What would you like to know, specifically? Generally speaking these are renowned for the sound quality and versatility. They were designed around 40 yrs ago, originally intended for use in the BBC's vans. They were supposed to hang from the sides and allow monitoring on site at the time. More than one companies manufactured spkrs to the LS3/ 5A design, the Rogers being my favourites.
The mid range is very clear, and the lack of real lower register is compensated by a bloat, so the result is superbly pleasant. For their minimal size they produce outstanding musical results, i.e. a large and very well balanced sound. There is a cult following which means that many parts (or replacements) are easy to source, if expensive sometimes.
Note that the crossover is very complex, and the early models are difficult to drive with an SS commensurate to their size (the ROgers, in particular, are high impedance)-- remember, in those times, tube amplification was still preponderant, and it is easy to drive Rogers LS3/5A with a tube amp.

Think of the sonic origins of Harbeths, Spendors, older ATC... the sound also resembles some of the old panels.

Overall, a marvelous little speaker, objectively limited at both extremes and superseded nowadays by some current offerings -- at a hefty premium, however.

You'd have to check if the drive units are in good shape to gauge what your discovery is really worth (i.e. compute the price of repair if necessary).
can I hook these up to a "newer" amplifier to test or do I need a specific amp?

thank you for the help
You don't need a specific amp, but if these are the 15 Ohm version they will perform better with a tube amp vs a solid state or transistor amp as you might know it. Look at the back amnd see if there is a lable with the resistance stated in Ohms. I would use whatever you had on hand (I have way too many amps) just to hear if they are damaged. There is a limitation on the wattage they can handle but I don't remember that specification. Perhaps some one will post that information for you.
I have a vintage LUXMAN R-1050 receiver I can try them on.

they are 15ohms with matching serial numbers.

I will give them a whirl this afternoon
I believe 15 OHM is the coveted version as well

also try them with tubes if you can, they should work especially well with them