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Best Amplifier for LS3/5a

Happy New Year All!  Seeking advice from LS3/5 enthusiasts!  I have tried a number of these speakers (Graham, Harbeth, Falcon and KEF LS50's (if that counts)) - and to me the Falcon Gold Badge really stood out. It's been a while now since I did the comparison, so I don't remember all the details - but I felt that the Falcons were the most musical, engaging, open and did NOT have bloated bass (important for a small room)!  I've held on to a pair for my bedroom system, but I don't think that my current bedroom amps (AGD Audions, which I love with my current Raidho XT-1 monitors) are the best match for them.  I get a bit too much sizzle on the top and some associated sibilance.

Herb Reichert (Stereophile) seems to love these speakers, and his review notes that the Parasound A21+ was too dry with these speakers, but he really liked the Line Magnetic LM-518 IA.  That's not going to work for me!  In this bedroom system I keep the amp(s) under the bed and generally leave them on 24/7.  If possible, I prefer a balanced design, as I want NO HUM in my bedroom and my DAC/Pre (Weiss 501) has both balanced and RCA outs.

Based on the intended setup, I think balanced solid state would make the most sense. Amp selection might be influenced by the speakers having 15 ohm input impedance.

Any suggestions?  Thanks, Peter

peter_s
sumaato
100 posts
 

LS3/5a are not difficult speakers to drive and you don't need a lot of watts to get reasonable listening levels in an average room. I've driven them with amps, both tube and ss, from 15 watts to 140 watts per channel.

Presently, my best results are with a restored vintage Quad 405-2 with a Quad tube preamp. Completely silent at idle, as long as I correctly keep power cords away from interconnect cords at the back.

More important, I think, is the character of the amp. The ls3/5a need a lusher kind of amplification to mine the tonal richness available, and to fatten instrumental timbres. I used class D for a few years, but the top end can become brittle and dry. I would also avoid passive preamps. An active preamp adds good body to the tones.

So, vintage, perhaps?

Post removed 
peter_s OP
1,348 posts
 

@sumaato Thanks for that.  I am definitely interested in trying out the quad amplifiers.

twinski66's avatar
twinski66
16 posts
 

I’ve paired the Falcon Goldbadge LS3/5 monitors with the SPL Audio Performer s900 power amp (200 watts @ 8 ohms). It has L/R trim level feature to fine tune the gain in .5db steps (0db to -5.5db). It enables compatibility with different preamps and speakers by precisely adjusting the signal level coming into the amplifier; essentially, it lets you "trim" the input to fit your set up. There’s an s800 model. I prefer the s900 because it has both XLR & RCA inputs. The s800 is limited to XLR but pairs equally as well. I have the SPL Diamond DAC coupled with the SPL amp. The Falcons require power to perform optimally in my experience…given its 15 ohm rating…the 200 watts @ 8 ohms are supplying up to 100 watts (approximate). Note: SPL audio offers 1/2 rack width/compact prosumer gear that can be stacked & configured in a customized way.

lewl28
53 posts
 

Accuphase Class A would be another good match. 

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