Which LS3/5a?

There is a friend who goes by LS3/5a on another (SH) forum who has owned a number of these fabled models over the years who you could reach out to.

If I recall from a recent conversation, he is of the opinion that the bigger box offering from Falcon is the bee’s knees.

”Designed by Malcolm Jones and sold by Falcon for many years, the updated Q7 features the same Falcon B110 and T27 drive units as used in the Falcon LS3/5a in a specially extended LS3/5a-type cabinet to produce an optimum Q=0.7 system with extra bass compared to the LSA3/5a (+2dB @ 50 Hz).”

Keep them coming!  Thanks for those that have responded. 

I own a pair of Graham Chartwell LS3/5. (Not A) wonderful speakers.  On that note, I do not believe you can make a bad choice, as long as said speakers are functioning properly.  Enjoy the magic! 

I first heard the LS3/5a (the first, 15 ohm version) when I lived in London in 1979 and was much enchanted with the sound, though I didn't buy a pair.   Fast forward to 2022, and I was considering a set of the current Falcons -- I just didn't have enough faith to buy a pair of the used originals, especially at their current prices, as things do age, and there is always the question of who did what to them during the past 40+ years.

However, I ended up stumbling across a mint pair of year-old Spendor 4/5s that I got at a great price -- $1,500 instead of the $2,800 list price.  They have all the magic of the original LS3/5a speakers, but with far superior bass and dynamic range.  If I was limited to a single pair of small bookshelves, I wouldn't hesitate to base my only system around these.