Great review. I have just bought from China the non BBC licenced Sound Artist version and they are superb even out of the box. Suggest you may wish to review them at about £500. They give my ML ELS speakers a run for their money. Me too was “shaped” by CF. I only had NAD then Rega then Linn for donkeys years and now am into valves. Great review and sense of humour
Fantastic! Great Riff as always thanks guys I’ve got the falcon acoustic Q7 the bass on these little monitors astounds me when the right song is played! The LE look fantastic I would if I could 👍🙏
Fun review for sure! Far out of my price range, unfortunately. Would love to hear you guys review the new similarly small Epos ES7N bookshelf speakers from the Fink Team. Seems like something you two might like.
Castle speakers fan boy right here, I got 3 pairs, hum... (5 at one point) The huge Inversion 100, the Pembroke bookshelf version and the Stirling. Yes, that veneer is something to see! A Riff on these would be good... Who knows I might try Falcon Acoustic one of these days! Cool review as usual, thanks guys 💫💫
Thanks. There's definitely an echo of the old Castle in Falcon's stuff now. I had a pair of Avons with an exquisite light wood veneer and carbon fibre drivers. Would love to get those back!
@@MrVinylista The Avon speakers were very nice indeed! The design they use is also quite interesting, "quarter wave" with downward port? Not sure if this can be compared to a transmission line design? Different words with the same philosophy behind it maybe? I always wondered...
Another excellent and entertaining review. Chris Frankland calling during a review of what back in the day was one of his most hated 'speakers was priceless! However, I have to say that with this version sounding different to the standard version, which in turn sounds different to the original 'silver badge', which sounds different to well preserved originals - well, it does all make a mockery of the whole BBC licence thing and the argument that these designs were supposed to sound highly consistent. I think when it comes to the legendary story of the LS3/5a, we've all been had.
Good point but I think you're overstating the situation. To any 'beginner', then LS3/5as all sound very similar, unless you spend lots of time listening to them. If you do, then you can hear very subtle differences. But the more obsessed you become by these speakers, the more those subtle differences seem to matter. I suppose it's like choosing between the sport and comfort specs of a BMW 3-series, for example, when they're really very close whatever spec you choose! I think the biggest worry about the BBC specification is that there are many LS3/5as around now that simply haven't been licensed by the BBC, but which are still on sale as 'LS3/5as'. They may be built to the exact specification but in theory you can't call them LS3/5a unless they're officially licensed. The Falcon ones are, of course.
I really like the grilles. Mid-century aesthetic is still kind of cool and in fashion these days. If I had 8k, I'd gladly buy. I've the standard version and they work about as good as any speaker can in my space.
I recently watched a review of a pair of LS3/5A’s against a pair of KEF Coda speakers which apparently use the same drivers and tweeters. £1000 plus vs £300 used and the reviewer said both were very good. I went over to eBay and the only Coda’s that I could find were the mkII’s so I picked up a pair for a bargain price. I hope that they are as good as the original ones but I am unsure if they use the same drivers. Going to use them in my bedroom as I am suffering from health issues lately and I sometimes can’t get downstairs to my main system.
Hope you feel better soon, Tony. KEF Coda IIs are nice little retro speakers with a sweet, old school sound - although not quite LS3/5as. Nip up the Philips screws on the front baffle, as they can get loose and the sound suffers.
@@MrVinylista thank you I will do that. Probably will be setting them up tomorrow after my hospital visit as my son will be here and he will be able to help me. Music is the doctor and the medicine at the moment, it’s the only thing that keeps me going along with RUclips. They are keeping my spirits up during this frightening time of my life.
@@tonyjedioftheforest1364 Music and diet, yes ;) I am also now for the 2nd time in my life in quite demanding health period - it lasts now for over 3 months. I guess I am getting slowly better after operation. But the strict diet is the most important element at healing -recovering - sometimes far more than prescribed medications. I can not work much in this period but still I was able to slowly finish my first Voigt pipe (VP) speaker. Just one speaker for the start, so I do not spend money and my energy further in a case of failed product. But I am very pleased with the first one, so I will do the second one in the next week or two. I already have 4,5 inch full range driver Mark Audio Pluvia hd fixed on a tall (150 x 18cm) front baffle - it is an open baffle speaker at the moment :)) And also did experiments with different side wings attached to front baffle... I will do slightly different damping with this second VP and hear what it will brings. I guess I would have to nock down a bit of mid highs at cca 4kHz with Pluvias hd or perhaps do more burning in period. The speaker has for now its pros and also some cons. But sounds dynamic, fast and alive what most of commercial speakers / systems do not or they are annoyingly bright. And really has a good quite deep bass. In recent I had a chance to listen to a Kef R3 Reference with Moon gear (over 30k Eur system) and I was disappointed. It sounded OK, it had some strong pros of course, but for me sounded not open enough and not alive, and cymbals and ambient presentation of recordings sounded like a crap (especially at asking price). Also too artificially clean and not natural to my ears. In a future I will test this VP design also with some other drivers. Kind regards, Maj
@@majtextwriter1794 I think the R3s bite off more than they can chew. Theoretically very good, but they suffer due to their packaging needs. Would love it if KEF brought back some of their own 'barn door' 1970s designs, like JBL have. They would have a ready market. Good luck with your speaker projects. Music is so important for mental health, which in turn impacts on physical health, as I have learned in the past couple of years. Wishing you well!
Do you offer some friendly advice for speaker matching? I have a Sugden A48 amp which is base heavy and I am looking for a speaker pair that can handle the bass? i have a large listening room.
One final word (if I may) :suggestion test the Dali menuete and you,ll find that this small speaker (price range gbp 1100,00pair) compares very well )even without the knickers
very nice , but why the fancy case that would be stored at the bottom of a closet once the speakers are installed Would you sell off current gold badge Falcons to own these? Cheers,
Thanks Ricky. Our aim was to do a sort of 'Waynes World meets Top Gear' RUclips channel for hi-fi. We seem to be settling into the format nicely now. Still in too much of a hurry, so we're not as polished as we would be if we spent more time on it - but I guess that's part of the fun!
Very very nice Valvo | as I still own a pair of Kan 2s, as well as a pair of Harbeth P3ESR’s, I definitely plan to continue loving both, this asking price is totally unrealistic, I understand brands like Boenicke | SoundKaos mini-monitors of which I also adore are priced within this range,yet I’d take either over this LE version.
Nice C70. Some time in my mid-20s I told a group of close friends, "If I ever buy a Volvo just shoot me". Roll on to the 850/S70 era and they were making seriously desirable cars, which would have suited my purposes at the time very well. I value my life, and other cars were available, but the Volvos which I had a chance to drive were damn good. An 850 diesel in T5 guise, and a top-spec S80 sedan which carried its quarter-million miles very lightly, particularly impressed. Thankfully the Geely-era suvs do nothing for me. Sick Transit etc...
Yes, I'll pass on Geelys, thanks! Always loved the Amazons and the P1800. The C70 is basically an S70 mk 1 that's had a mid-life makeover, in a party suit. Not a bad car at all, with a torquey, silky 5 cylinder petrol turbo. Very different to my 325i E92 that's still broken down up in Cumbria!
@@MrVinylista The E92 was the only one of that series which looked good. The rest didn't even look right. I had an E91 for four years - one of these cars where I knew I'd instantly made a mistake. Wrong engine - Valvetronic petrol four, wrong gearbox - six speed manual with bizarre ratios chosen to hurdle ECE testing. Wasn't even a very useful wagon, a Volvo 850 or V70 would have done the job far better.
I cannot afford 8000 on any speaker, but I would love to hear your opinion on value compared with other 8000 speakers. You carefully gave them 10/10 as an LS3/5a - but would they get that against other similarly priced speakers? Great fun riff as always. An orange Volvo may even have a degree of style…
It's a great question, for the form factor they are are stunning, but will always be limited by their ability to only move a small amount of air. I think my personal preference at the price would probably veer towards the Kerr Acoustics K300 mk3. They are always amongst the best in sound at every hi fi show! Mike
Great riff again. Smart briefcase - I wonder how much that contributes to the overall price? Why would anyone want a briefcase for a pair of speakers anyway. Hopefully Falcon will release a version without the expensive wrapper and bling finish. Might be close to affordable then.
@MrVinylista he must dave sunburst orange is the only colour I would have black wheels and possibly black wing mirrors, dave has RA stopped publishing his connected magazine? I 'very not had my spring edition?
Gorgeous finish which I suppose is what your paying for plus upgraded crossover components and the carrying case goes some way to justify the high cost, however, if I had a spare eight grand I would be tempted. Partner them with with the new Exposure 3510 CD player and the anniversary Naim Nait and you will have a cracking all British system. Just the ticket for listening to London Grammar! 😃
Indeed. They are an unashamed luxury item. Sadly I'd have to rob a bank to get a pair, but I don't denigrate others who are willing to buy them of course.
Mike: "You need a beer after buying these." LOL!! :-)) My guess is, even Mr. Basil Fawlty would buy them after winning a horse race bet. "Well Sybil they costed just 79 pounds with leather case and they are such a genuine British class. Aren't they?"
Don't diss 'The Volv' !!!! I'm the immensely proud owner of a 1995 banana-yellow 850R T5 estate. I occasionally take it out shopping, parking it in Tesco's carpark 'just for the craic'. Even if there's a Lambo Aventador parked in the next bay - it's my car which will always be surrounded by slavering, trembling petrolheads as I emerge clutching my bottles of Cravendale semi-skimmed, plus cheapo (but iimmensely palatable) Yellowtail Shiraz. The red wine equivalent of Volvo = misunderstood, underrated, boxy, staid - but fucking great if you're 'in the know' - and in true 5-cylinder turbocharged styleeeeee = providing a totally unexpected but delightful kick in the 'gentleman's area'. Yep - this immaculate yellow timewarp cost me a fortune - but what's mere money compared to the 'Enjoy this Tesco moment, lads - you'll probably never see another one" factor? The gorgeous C70 Coupe is also a vehicle of true beauty - purchased only by the intelligent, the good-looking, and the uber-discerning automotive cognoscenti. Sir - you have my congratulations.
You've made me yearn for a speaker I simply do not need. Now I'm looking at my hitherto prized Linn Akudoriks and wondering if their time is up. It's not fair. Stop it!
Ali Express have these with mundorf caps resistors inductors for around 800 GBP and they give my Falcons a hard time and maybe better minus the leather stcmo
Hi Robert. I feel they might actually be quite a good investment purchase. Being as rare as they are,I would speculate that they may even gain in value over time and become quite sought after? It helps alot if the condition is good and the performance is as good as the review suggests too.
Thought you were going to say 4 or maybe even 5k but blimey, that seems crazy but there'll undoubtedly sell them all. Think someone has repsrayed your car, surely.
Bringing the specs and the press release might ordinarily indicate a change in direction but given David is a BMW and now a Volvo owner he will have no idea about indicators.
LS3/5a speakers are all rather expensive Any idea why that is? Are they difficult to manufacture? . The speakerunits themselves are affordable Or or or is it all a bit of a hype
Any brand new production loudspeaker, or any electronics for that matter, retail for far more than they cost to make - sometimes as much as ten times, but not always. You need to take the original parts cost, add the labour cost, add the packaging cost, add a cost for design (the manufacturer chooses that, but it's not free!), and then add a mark-up for the manufacturer. Then you need to add a mark-up for the distributor, and a mark-up for the dealer, and then VAT and shipping on top of that. That's why building your own speakers from kits is a great way to save lots of money!
@@MrVinylista Many thanks for your extensive reply Sir. I must say that I was (more or less) aware of all the non visible aspects of marketing a speaker But that goes for all speaker designs , I was under the impression that development costs add the greatest part of the costs. But in this particular case , as this model dates back several years, development costs are not the issue. Nevertheless all copies (several manufacturers) are pretty expensive. Now why is that one wonders.
@@alexandervaneijken7741 Ah, I see what you mean. The drive units and cabinets are more expensive than lowest-common denominator types, so the speaker does cost more to build properly than some similarly sized types. But there's also a degree of supply and demand coming into it - manufacturers can obviously 'get away' with charging high prices, even for the clones, due to the popularity of the speaker itself.
I shouldn't have watched this riff! I have never found a pair of speakers that I actually preferred in the long run to my old LS3/5as; now it sounds as if these might be what I need. Just as well they are not £4000; at £9000 I think I can resist temptation though. Or perhaps I could sell my wife's car while she is not looking?
As I am certain that you are NOT paid for your opinions on Hifi I DARE to ask you: In your opinion: are they worth GBP 8k? ( about three months pension In my case)
It depends. If you're a total LS3/5a nut and you want the best, regardless of cost, then yes. For me, I'd go for the standard ones at a fraction of the price, which are great but not quite as good. Very hard to talk about 'value' as it's such a personal thing!
@@MrVinylista Quite so,price and value is indeed a very personal thing and a obsessive nut is prepared to pay any amount of money (e.g. the art world) for an item. But I suspect with these speakers you could make a strong case for qualifying this as snob appeal In other words 60 percent ,,air,,and 40 percent substance. Enjoy your talks!
@@Hi-FiRiff Glad you agree gbp 8k is quite lot of money for a pair of Granny Knickers,even if the knickers in question belonged to Joan Collins andare made in yorkshire. Have you any notion what a nice bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape costs these days??Especially from a vintage year.
A really lovely episode, as Mike put it. “Knock your dentures out, Volvo drivers” had me laughing out loud. However….I had the speaker for twenty-two years from ‘89. Bass improved the closer my head was to the wall behind, but didn’t turn me into a headbanger thankfully. The next size up ,in speaker terms, replaced them and they were sold for more than I’d paid new. No dentures, but my five cylinder 2005 has the same engine as some police patrol cars of the time. I even achieved three points going at forty-six earlier this year. And I had a fifty year clear record, which, I admit, is quite Volvoish. Thanks for the channel. Best regards, Geoff.
£8000/9600 is relative buttons compared with what people will pay for a device which does nothing more useful than tell them the time of day, probably less accurately than the phone in their pocket. Not that I'd want Falcon Acoustics to tell us that purchasers "simply look after their speakers for the next generation", in the nauseating Patek Philippe manner.
You’re okay Dave, old cars are cool, and old Volvos are cooler… I drive a C30, with a Dynaudio audio system. As for MK1 Kans, despite being a life long Linnie, I just can’t get on with them at all. Tried them on Linn and Naim and it’s a no from me. I do however like LS3/5as, just not enough to pay £8k
Fair point. Kan 1s (and 2s, to a lesser extent) are like the b*stard sons of LS3/5as. There's a lot of shared DNA, but it's like the LS3/5a parents spawned a monster! Thank you for welcoming me into the Volvo driving fraternity. My C70 has a Dynaudio 3CD and cassette deck, love it!
For what it's worth, my c.1979 Mk.1 Kans (other loudspeakers are available) have crossovers made by Falcon Electronics of Bexhill, England. Same company, they've moved about a bit since. The crossovers are rather more complex than was widely reported at the time - I'd expected just a couple of in-line resistors and capacitors, in the style of the AR18.
@@MrVinylista I know they share a lot of DNA but they couldn’t be more different. I managed to go my whole life without hearing a pair of Kans until I picked up a pair about a month ago. I absolutely loved the way they looked and I really wanted to like them, but they just sounded thin and shrill and lacking in any real detail. Their much younger siblings, the Katans sound fabulous though on the end of the same Naim system. Back to LS3/5as, I really want a pair, heard a lovely pair of Spendor made ones last year and wish I’d bought them. They had detail and spacial information in spades, and they were surprisingly dynamic for such a tiny box too. I instantly understood why they have such a following.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Great riff thank you. My Castle Chester floorstanding speakers finished in Yew still look amazing!
Great review. I have just bought from China the non BBC licenced Sound Artist version and they are superb even out of the box. Suggest you may wish to review them at about £500. They give my ML ELS speakers a run for their money. Me too was “shaped” by CF. I only had NAD then Rega then Linn for donkeys years and now am into valves. Great review and sense of humour
Fantastic! Great Riff as always thanks guys I’ve got the falcon acoustic Q7 the bass on these little monitors astounds me when the right song is played!
The LE look fantastic I would if I could 👍🙏
Fun review for sure! Far out of my price range, unfortunately. Would love to hear you guys review the new similarly small Epos ES7N bookshelf speakers from the Fink Team. Seems like something you two might like.
Thank you! Great episode.
Rush loving LS3/5a.Who would have thunk it? Good to see David's reading is progressing nicely. Thanks,as always.😊
Dear Riff, I have the Sound artist LS 35A's. They are glorious. Beautiful built. Powered by Schiit Gjalarhorn mono blocks. Best, D.
Castle speakers fan boy right here, I got 3 pairs, hum... (5 at one point) The huge Inversion 100, the Pembroke bookshelf version and the Stirling. Yes, that veneer is something to see! A Riff on these would be good... Who knows I might try Falcon Acoustic one of these days! Cool review as usual, thanks guys 💫💫
Thanks. There's definitely an echo of the old Castle in Falcon's stuff now. I had a pair of Avons with an exquisite light wood veneer and carbon fibre drivers. Would love to get those back!
@@MrVinylista The Avon speakers were very nice indeed! The design they use is also quite interesting, "quarter wave" with downward port? Not sure if this can be compared to a transmission line design? Different words with the same philosophy behind it maybe? I always wondered...
Another excellent and entertaining review. Chris Frankland calling during a review of what back in the day was one of his most hated 'speakers was priceless!
However, I have to say that with this version sounding different to the standard version, which in turn sounds different to the original 'silver badge', which sounds different to well preserved originals - well, it does all make a mockery of the whole BBC licence thing and the argument that these designs were supposed to sound highly consistent. I think when it comes to the legendary story of the LS3/5a, we've all been had.
Good point but I think you're overstating the situation. To any 'beginner', then LS3/5as all sound very similar, unless you spend lots of time listening to them. If you do, then you can hear very subtle differences. But the more obsessed you become by these speakers, the more those subtle differences seem to matter. I suppose it's like choosing between the sport and comfort specs of a BMW 3-series, for example, when they're really very close whatever spec you choose!
I think the biggest worry about the BBC specification is that there are many LS3/5as around now that simply haven't been licensed by the BBC, but which are still on sale as 'LS3/5as'. They may be built to the exact specification but in theory you can't call them LS3/5a unless they're officially licensed. The Falcon ones are, of course.
I really like the grilles. Mid-century aesthetic is still kind of cool and in fashion these days. If I had 8k, I'd gladly buy. I've the standard version and they work about as good as any speaker can in my space.
Could you stroke them as lovingly as David did?
Mike
We come for the banter, and stay for the review 😉
Great quote!
If i had £8k for speakers I'd definitely buy them as don't like floostanding speakers.
Great review.
8k..Audio Note N
They are quite jaw dropping for a tiny box!
Mike
I recently watched a review of a pair of LS3/5A’s against a pair of KEF Coda speakers which apparently use the same drivers and tweeters. £1000 plus vs £300 used and the reviewer said both were very good. I went over to eBay and the only Coda’s that I could find were the mkII’s so I picked up a pair for a bargain price. I hope that they are as good as the original ones but I am unsure if they use the same drivers. Going to use them in my bedroom as I am suffering from health issues lately and I sometimes can’t get downstairs to my main system.
Hope you feel better soon, Tony.
KEF Coda IIs are nice little retro speakers with a sweet, old school sound - although not quite LS3/5as.
Nip up the Philips screws on the front baffle, as they can get loose and the sound suffers.
@@MrVinylista thank you I will do that. Probably will be setting them up tomorrow after my hospital visit as my son will be here and he will be able to help me. Music is the doctor and the medicine at the moment, it’s the only thing that keeps me going along with RUclips. They are keeping my spirits up during this frightening time of my life.
@@tonyjedioftheforest1364 Music and diet, yes ;)
I am also now for the 2nd time in my life in quite demanding health period - it lasts now for over 3 months. I guess I am getting slowly better after operation. But the strict diet is the most important element at healing -recovering - sometimes far more than prescribed medications.
I can not work much in this period but still I was able to slowly finish my first Voigt pipe (VP) speaker. Just one speaker for the start, so I do not spend money and my energy further in a case of failed product.
But I am very pleased with the first one, so I will do the second one in the next week or two. I already have 4,5 inch full range driver Mark Audio Pluvia hd fixed on a tall (150 x 18cm) front baffle - it is an open baffle speaker at the moment :)) And also did experiments with different side wings attached to front baffle...
I will do slightly different damping with this second VP and hear what it will brings. I guess I would have to nock down a bit of mid highs at cca 4kHz with Pluvias hd or perhaps do more burning in period.
The speaker has for now its pros and also some cons. But sounds dynamic, fast and alive what most of commercial speakers / systems do not or they are annoyingly bright. And really has a good quite deep bass.
In recent I had a chance to listen to a Kef R3 Reference with Moon gear (over 30k Eur system) and I was disappointed. It sounded OK, it had some strong pros of course, but for me sounded not open enough and not alive, and cymbals and ambient presentation of recordings sounded like a crap (especially at asking price). Also too artificially clean and not natural to my ears.
In a future I will test this VP design also with some other drivers.
Kind regards, Maj
@@majtextwriter1794 I think the R3s bite off more than they can chew. Theoretically very good, but they suffer due to their packaging needs. Would love it if KEF brought back some of their own 'barn door' 1970s designs, like JBL have. They would have a ready market.
Good luck with your speaker projects. Music is so important for mental health, which in turn impacts on physical health, as I have learned in the past couple of years. Wishing you well!
@@MrVinylista Thanks. Music reproduction can be a thermal jacuzzi of frequencies :))
Well, certainly the coolest LS 3/5a's of all time!
When we were lads , we would flash volvos to tell them their headlights were on, in the early 80's
Omg! I had forgotten that! Brilliant.
Mike
@@Hi-FiRiff And my Limited edition Nait 50 didn't come in a airline pilots travel bag , so disappointed
Castle Speakers. Originally at Skipton North Yorkshire.
Indeed beautiful speakers I have got a pair of Harlech .Made at Skipton
and look at the price range
Do you offer some friendly advice for speaker matching? I have a Sugden A48 amp which is base heavy and I am looking for a speaker pair that can handle the bass? i have a large listening room.
@MrVinylista
One final word (if I may) :suggestion test the Dali menuete and you,ll find that this small
speaker (price range gbp 1100,00pair) compares very well )even without the knickers
very nice , but why the fancy case that would be stored at the bottom of a closet once the speakers are installed
Would you sell off current gold badge Falcons to own these?
Cheers,
Happy Friday lads!🍾🥃🎶
Watching yous is like watching Wayne’s world and spinal tap mixed absolutely class 😂
Thanks Ricky. Our aim was to do a sort of 'Waynes World meets Top Gear' RUclips channel for hi-fi. We seem to be settling into the format nicely now.
Still in too much of a hurry, so we're not as polished as we would be if we spent more time on it - but I guess that's part of the fun!
@@MrVinylista brilliant I look forward to you shows keep up the great work 😊👍
Is there a possibility you lads could discuss the cabling looms you use?, just curious more than anything……
Speakers or mains?
Mike
Very very nice Valvo | as I still own a pair of Kan 2s, as well as a pair of Harbeth P3ESR’s, I definitely plan to continue loving both, this asking price is totally unrealistic, I understand brands like Boenicke | SoundKaos mini-monitors of which I also adore are priced within this range,yet I’d take either over this LE version.
Nice C70. Some time in my mid-20s I told a group of close friends, "If I ever buy a Volvo just shoot me". Roll on to the 850/S70 era and they were making seriously desirable cars, which would have suited my purposes at the time very well. I value my life, and other cars were available, but the Volvos which I had a chance to drive were damn good. An 850 diesel in T5 guise, and a top-spec S80 sedan which carried its quarter-million miles very lightly, particularly impressed. Thankfully the Geely-era suvs do nothing for me. Sick Transit etc...
Yes, I'll pass on Geelys, thanks! Always loved the Amazons and the P1800. The C70 is basically an S70 mk 1 that's had a mid-life makeover, in a party suit. Not a bad car at all, with a torquey, silky 5 cylinder petrol turbo. Very different to my 325i E92 that's still broken down up in Cumbria!
@@MrVinylista The E92 was the only one of that series which looked good. The rest didn't even look right. I had an E91 for four years - one of these cars where I knew I'd instantly made a mistake. Wrong engine - Valvetronic petrol four, wrong gearbox - six speed manual with bizarre ratios chosen to hurdle ECE testing. Wasn't even a very useful wagon, a Volvo 850 or V70 would have done the job far better.
I cannot afford 8000 on any speaker, but I would love to hear your opinion on value compared with other 8000 speakers. You carefully gave them 10/10 as an LS3/5a - but would they get that against other similarly priced speakers? Great fun riff as always. An orange Volvo may even have a degree of style…
It's a great question, for the form factor they are are stunning, but will always be limited by their ability to only move a small amount of air.
I think my personal preference at the price would probably veer towards the Kerr Acoustics K300 mk3.
They are always amongst the best in sound at every hi fi show!
Mike
I love the look of these speakers but I am a QUAD 405 II (modified) owner. LOL
David wants to know if the 405 will work in his Volvo.
Mike
@@Hi-FiRiff No need, I have a 10-speaker Dynaudio system thanks!
Love the videos boys. Would you like a listen of my Haycross Audio HA3/6 speakers? There about ready.
Keep up the great work
Great riff again. Smart briefcase - I wonder how much that contributes to the overall price? Why would anyone want a briefcase for a pair of speakers anyway. Hopefully Falcon will release a version without the expensive wrapper and bling finish. Might be close to affordable then.
Indeed they do. At the time of writing it costs £2,675 per pair, and comes in a cardboard box!
Evening Gents👍👍
Evening kjbb
That's a beautiful looking VOLVO dave I believe it's officially called sunburst orange
Thank you. Mike is secretly jealous.
Not
Mike
@MrVinylista he must dave sunburst orange is the only colour I would have black wheels and possibly black wing mirrors, dave has RA stopped publishing his connected magazine? I 'very not had my spring edition?
@@Hi-FiRiffobviously not you Mike us Evans's must have a united front 😂😅😊
@@nickevans3190 Hi Nick - I believe the new issue will be out soon. They had production problems, so I am told.
Gorgeous finish which I suppose is what your paying for plus upgraded crossover components and the carrying case goes some way to justify the high cost, however, if I had a spare eight grand I would be tempted. Partner them with with the new Exposure 3510 CD player and the anniversary Naim Nait and you will have a cracking all British system. Just the ticket for listening to London Grammar! 😃
Indeed. They are an unashamed luxury item. Sadly I'd have to rob a bank to get a pair, but I don't denigrate others who are willing to buy them of course.
David is the James May of the hifi world 😂
No James May isn’t as good as David Price , in any world 🤗
@@JCW-jx6ld Is that you, Mother?
@@MrVinylista 🤣No it’s not .Just one of your fans .And one of Naims and Russ Andrews customers 🤗🫡
Mmm... Not sure what that makes me.
Mike
Your second vital cog of dynamic duo mate 🤗
Mike: "You need a beer after buying these." LOL!! :-))
My guess is, even Mr. Basil Fawlty would buy them after winning a horse race bet. "Well Sybil they costed just 79 pounds with leather case and they are such a genuine British class. Aren't they?"
I sometimes think we are the Sybil and Basil of the Hi-Fi world.
Mike
"Listen, don't mention the war. I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it..."
@@MrVinylista 😃
Anyone who pays eight grand for these really needs their bumps read.
(From someone who built a pair from Falcon-supplied parts in the '70s...).
I like the appearance but wonder by how much is it better than the regular Gold Badge. 5%? 10%?
Possibly more!
Mike
Hi, when is the Exposure 3510 CD player riff coming?
As soon as we can get the review sample! Apparently still with Hi-Fi News at the moment...
@@MrVinylista Thank you David for the reply
Thanks for the reply.
Now I know too.
Mike
According to the FA website these are not available in UK, Hong Kong or China!
Don't diss 'The Volv' !!!! I'm the immensely proud owner of a 1995 banana-yellow 850R T5 estate. I occasionally take it out shopping, parking it in Tesco's carpark 'just for the craic'. Even if there's a Lambo Aventador parked in the next bay - it's my car which will always be surrounded by slavering, trembling petrolheads as I emerge clutching my bottles of Cravendale semi-skimmed, plus cheapo (but iimmensely palatable) Yellowtail Shiraz. The red wine equivalent of Volvo = misunderstood, underrated, boxy, staid - but fucking great if you're 'in the know' - and in true 5-cylinder turbocharged styleeeeee = providing a totally unexpected but delightful kick in the 'gentleman's area'. Yep - this immaculate yellow timewarp cost me a fortune - but what's mere money compared to the 'Enjoy this Tesco moment, lads - you'll probably never see another one" factor? The gorgeous C70 Coupe is also a vehicle of true beauty - purchased only by the intelligent, the good-looking, and the uber-discerning automotive cognoscenti. Sir - you have my congratulations.
Thank you Kevin for your great comment. Do you want to come over to the Hi-Fi Hut in Oxfordshire to replace Mike? And bring your 850R T5, of course!
Do you want to write for Stereonet and replace David?
Mike
You've made me yearn for a speaker I simply do not need. Now I'm looking at my hitherto prized Linn Akudoriks and wondering if their time is up. It's not fair. Stop it!
Replace "speaker" with "a random piece of Hi-Fi" and you have my life! Mike
Bon pour l'Orient.. SE Asia to be exact.
What have you got against Volvos?
We're grew up with me loving Italian cars and David having a penchant for British classics... Sniggering at Volvos was our common ground.
Mike
@@Hi-FiRiff My aunt (dad's sister, 83) has had a Volvo for as long as I (43) can remember (not the same one..)
No tweeter stroking on these eh!
Most certainly not!
Back on form chaps. Refer back to kans interesting reference point. Have you never heard of naim ibls’
'I owned two Volvo V70's! I shall punch myself...But, I did sell my last one for only 3K and 300.000 Miles from new.
Did David buy it from you?
Ali Express have these with mundorf caps resistors inductors for around 800 GBP and they give my Falcons a hard time and maybe better minus the leather stcmo
They should have got 11 A’s a score
Why did we not think of that!
Indpired.
Mike
I would buy because of the rarity value
Hi Robert. I feel they might actually be quite a good investment purchase. Being as rare as they are,I would speculate that they may even gain in value over time and become quite sought after? It helps alot if the condition is good and the performance is as good as the review suggests too.
@@oliverbeard7912 Good point. Certain high end kit has become stupidly expensive. Probably a better investment than an ISA!
Thought you were going to say 4 or maybe even 5k but blimey, that seems crazy but there'll undoubtedly sell them all.
Think someone has repsrayed your car, surely.
I think there was a lot of bad acid going round in Sweden, circa 1999.
Nice way to disguise inflation, call your product Limited Edition.
Bringing the specs and the press release might ordinarily indicate a change in direction but given David is a BMW and now a Volvo owner he will have no idea about indicators.
Still haven't found where my indicators are. No danger though, as I no longer drive past 40mph...
@@MrVinylista That is what comes of driving a TR7 for too long...not used to high speeds 🙂
@@owenoneill5955 Cheeky! Next thing you'll be telling me you own an MG Midget, like Mike!
@@MrVinylista Nooooooo. We all have to draw the line somewhere!
@@owenoneill5955 😂
LS3/5a speakers are all rather expensive Any idea why that is? Are they difficult to manufacture? . The speakerunits themselves are affordable Or or or is it all a bit of a hype
Any brand new production loudspeaker, or any electronics for that matter, retail for far more than they cost to make - sometimes as much as ten times, but not always. You need to take the original parts cost, add the labour cost, add the packaging cost, add a cost for design (the manufacturer chooses that, but it's not free!), and then add a mark-up for the manufacturer. Then you need to add a mark-up for the distributor, and a mark-up for the dealer, and then VAT and shipping on top of that. That's why building your own speakers from kits is a great way to save lots of money!
@@MrVinylista Many thanks for your extensive reply Sir.
I must say that I was (more or less) aware of all the non visible aspects of marketing a speaker
But that goes for all speaker designs , I was under the impression that
development costs add the greatest part of the costs. But in this particular case , as this model dates back several years, development costs are
not the issue. Nevertheless all copies (several manufacturers)
are pretty expensive. Now why is that one wonders.
Hyped-up collector's syndrome.
@@alexandervaneijken7741 Ah, I see what you mean. The drive units and cabinets are more expensive than lowest-common denominator types, so the speaker does cost more to build properly than some similarly sized types. But there's also a degree of supply and demand coming into it - manufacturers can obviously 'get away' with charging high prices, even for the clones, due to the popularity of the speaker itself.
What do you think they will be worth in 5 years?
I shouldn't have watched this riff! I have never found a pair of speakers that I actually preferred in the long run to my old LS3/5as; now it sounds as if these might be what I need. Just as well they are not £4000; at £9000 I think I can resist temptation though. Or perhaps I could sell my wife's car while she is not looking?
..Sell the wife!
@@PINKFL0YD-s2hNo chance, she's priceless!
☎Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring Ring
As I am certain that you are NOT paid for your opinions on Hifi I DARE to ask you:
In your opinion: are they worth GBP 8k? ( about three months pension In my case)
It depends. If you're a total LS3/5a nut and you want the best, regardless of cost, then yes. For me, I'd go for the standard ones at a fraction of the price, which are great but not quite as good. Very hard to talk about 'value' as it's such a personal thing!
@@MrVinylista Quite so,price and value is indeed a very personal thing
and a obsessive nut is prepared to pay any amount of money (e.g. the art world) for an item. But I suspect with these speakers you could make a strong case for qualifying this as snob appeal In other words
60 percent ,,air,,and 40 percent substance. Enjoy your talks!
Honest opinion... buy the standard ones at £2.5k, a nice bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and keep the balance in a cash isa.
Mike
@@Hi-FiRiff Glad you agree gbp 8k is quite lot of money for a pair of Granny Knickers,even if the knickers in question belonged to Joan Collins andare made in yorkshire.
Have you any notion what a nice bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape costs these days??Especially from a vintage year.
My budget is a 2023 vintage from Tesco! Mike
Oligarch Audio, is it morally right to give it exposure?
T77 tweeter? 🤣🤣🤣
I'm a Volvo driver now, going senile.
Never a truer word said.
@@Hi-FiRiff Cheers. I was being ironic.
A really lovely episode, as Mike put it. “Knock your dentures out, Volvo drivers” had me laughing out loud. However….I had the speaker for twenty-two years from ‘89. Bass improved the closer my head was to the wall behind, but didn’t turn me into a headbanger thankfully.
The next size up ,in speaker terms, replaced them and they were sold for more than I’d paid new.
No dentures, but my five cylinder 2005 has the same engine as some police patrol cars of the time. I even achieved three points going at forty-six earlier this year. And I had a fifty year clear record, which, I admit, is quite Volvoish.
Thanks for the channel.
Best regards,
Geoff.
Nice but seriously overpriced.
£8000/9600 is relative buttons compared with what people will pay for a device which does nothing more useful than tell them the time of day, probably less accurately than the phone in their pocket. Not that I'd want Falcon Acoustics to tell us that purchasers "simply look after their speakers for the next generation", in the nauseating Patek Philippe manner.
Are u talking about urself@@robertleitch2016
These are cheap guys go try to buy a pair of Borresen 01 stand mounts..You'll fall over and need help!!
Sounds like a trip back from the Hi-Fi Pub!
@@Hi-FiRiff Yes it does lol
@@symatestpilot49 I did reply to this
@@symatestpilot49 I have Alsyvox speakers so am I a fool...Or are you??
Way overpriced simple as that iam looking at a.t.c 20 active at £11.000.
You’re okay Dave, old cars are cool, and old Volvos are cooler… I drive a C30, with a Dynaudio audio system.
As for MK1 Kans, despite being a life long Linnie, I just can’t get on with them at all. Tried them on Linn and Naim and it’s a no from me. I do however like LS3/5as, just not enough to pay £8k
Fair point. Kan 1s (and 2s, to a lesser extent) are like the b*stard sons of LS3/5as. There's a lot of shared DNA, but it's like the LS3/5a parents spawned a monster!
Thank you for welcoming me into the Volvo driving fraternity. My C70 has a Dynaudio 3CD and cassette deck, love it!
For what it's worth, my c.1979 Mk.1 Kans (other loudspeakers are available) have crossovers made by Falcon Electronics of Bexhill, England. Same company, they've moved about a bit since. The crossovers are rather more complex than was widely reported at the time - I'd expected just a couple of in-line resistors and capacitors, in the style of the AR18.
@@MrVinylista I know they share a lot of DNA but they couldn’t be more different. I managed to go my whole life without hearing a pair of Kans until I picked up a pair about a month ago. I absolutely loved the way they looked and I really wanted to like them, but they just sounded thin and shrill and lacking in any real detail. Their much younger siblings, the Katans sound fabulous though on the end of the same Naim system.
Back to LS3/5as, I really want a pair, heard a lovely pair of Spendor made ones last year and wish I’d bought them. They had detail and spacial information in spades, and they were surprisingly dynamic for such a tiny box too. I instantly understood why they have such a following.
Super weird.
Rip off 😂