Graham LS5/9

[Mikeeo]

Hi,

Recently had a listen to these little gems, http://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/Graham_Audi...akers.html
These are just the opposite to a hi end solution but the music these produces was a long time since I heard in this world of hi res monsters. The reproduction out of these are just so natural and musical flowing. I know the highest hi is not there or the lowest bass but for me it didn't matter.

Any one listened to these?

I will get a home demo for sure.

/Mike

[Pim]

Hi Mike,

Years ago I made myself some speakers based on a Kef DIY kit. The guy who sold them to me told me they were BBC monitors. I still have them and although they don't do the extremes they do have a very musical sound to them. Every time I read a review of and old BBC design re-done the explanation of how they sound always makes sense. Certainly worth a try!
There's a few more brands around that do remakes of BBC monitors so it would make sense to shop around.

Let us know how you like them when you get them home.

Cheers,

Pim

[Mikeeo]

Hi Mike,

Years ago I made myself some speakers based on a Kef DIY kit. The guy who sold them to me told me they were BBC monitors. I still have them and although they don't do the extremes they do have a very musical sound to them. Every time I read a review of and old BBC design re-done the explanation of how they sound always makes sense. Certainly worth a try!
There's a few more brands around that do remakes of BBC monitors so it would make sense to shop around.

Let us know how you like them when you get them home.

Cheers,

Pim

Hi Pim!

Well, I heard many of these BBC based speakers including Rogers, Harbeth etc however these Grahams have something more/else than the others I listened to as they blended musical virtues with some wanted HiFi parameters. Still reamins to be driven by the D400 and what signature that may come out of that.
I also heard that Graham will be releasing a LS5/8 modell that also would be interesting specially for the on paper better bass response.

A SAMed LS5/9 could be the answer to my wishes.

I'll try to get a demo from my dealer.

Will let you know my impressions/Mike

[Mikeeo]

Hi again!

Had a demo again at my dealer today with different amplifiers, not Devialet though. The Grahams keep their neutral signature with the changes of amplification (tube, solid state or a mix). Works despite their resolving signature with not too exclusive amplification and gets better as we move up the quality ladder. The correctness of instrumental tone, voices etc is excellent. These speakers also handles complex classical music with ease and you can really hear into the mix of the recording. Bass is solid, fast and true but not super deep but ok (SAM would be a blessing for these speakers bottom end). The bass is a bit dry perhaps and would perhaps be better with a smidgen warmth and this goes for the middle freq's as well. Top freq are fully extended to me at least despite the loudspeaker specs says -3 dB at 16kHz. Everything on my favorite recordings are there but not the nasty stuff that I hear with some other speakers, what more to want. For all round earthers there is a believable depth and width of the musical venue be it concert hall or studio.
They love power and can be played really loud without breaking up or changing character. Even low level listning sounds good.

This loudspeaker is very true to the signal good or bad but mostly good as even some so-so recording sound nice if not perfect.

These loudspeakers are among the very few I ever auditioned that just sounds 'there' ie I am part of the live performance. The midrange is one of top I've ever heard. Some loudspeakers may produce better parts of the spectrum but not as complete as this. I listened to many speakers (not all) especially expensive ones but this little Graham is more complete than any of these.

They brought me back to music in a real sense and still keep the 'HiFi' nut happy. Slightly more bottom if I could wish for something, if SAMed I guess that would address this.
Graham will soon release a bigger LS5/8 which I want to audition before making a decision. But one of these it will be.
The LS5/9 is about 4000 euros which is a steal for the performance.

On Monday I will have them in my system for a home audition and then I will know if they will work with my D400 and rest of system.

/Mike

[Pim]

Damn,

Reading you post is like watching a really well written tv series; I can't wait for the next episode!

[Mikeeo]

Damn,

Reading you post is like watching a really well written tv series; I can't wait for the next episode!

Pim,

Hold on to your hat as of Monday evening next episode will arrive

Cheers/Mike

[f1eng]

IIRC the LS5/9 has a 12" bass unit and the same tweeter as the LS5/8. Using a 12" unit up into the mid range will cause beaming which may require more than usual attention to room positioning.
I haven't heard the Grahams and haven't heard a LS5/8 for a very long time.
Isn't a Harbeth Monitor 30 also considered a drop-in replacement for the LS5/8 at the BBC?

[Mikeeo]

IIRC the LS5/9 has a 12" bass unit and the same tweeter as the LS5/8. Using a 12" unit up into the mid range will cause beaming which may require more than usual attention to room positioning.
I haven't heard the Grahams and haven't heard a LS5/8 for a very long time.
Isn't a Harbeth Monitor 30 also considered a drop-in replacement for the LS5/8 at the BBC?

Hi,

The Graham def is much more homogenous than the Harbeth, better and tighter bass and top sweeter. Harbeth to my ears do the mids very well but thats it for me. Graham is more complete almost like a one panel speaker with a slight but nice forwardness in the mids.

Graham LS5/9 use a 8" unit for the mid/bass, what the LS5/8 will use will be bigger for sure but I don't know yet as the first units will be shipped in December according to the importer so I guess we will know all the facts by then. The LS5/9 uses an modernized Audax tweeter.
http://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/Graham_Audi...akers.html

If you have a chance, this is a must listen to.

Speakers will be played in my system on Monday to see how the gel with my system.

Best/Mike

[f1eng]

LS5/8 and LS5/9 are both standard BBC designations.
The basic design is a given and there is not much variance permitted by the BBC if the manufacturer wishes to use the designation and be licensed.
The BBC require them to sound the same as each other so any LS5/8 or LS5/9 (or LS3/5a) can be dropped in as a replacement for any other if one gets damaged, for example.
Mind you, I don't know how many are still in use at the beeb 30 years after they first came into service.
Derek Hughes said in the interview that he specified the 8" unit and that his intention was to produce the LS5/9 sound without the unit suffering the deterioration heard in the existing old units out there.
The LS5/8 does have a 12" bass unit.

Edit: some info, though I can't vouch for its accuracy it is, after all, on an internet site
http://www.markhennessy.co.uk/rogers/ls58.htm

another edit, Harbeth actually state that the Monitor 30 is a "refinement" of the LS5/9. Certainly all Harbeths have been designed using the BBC design philosophy since day 1 as Dudley Harwood was a senior engineer at the BBC and was instrumental in coming up with the cabinet philosophy used by all the LS speakers since and experimented with cone materials.

[Mikeeo]

LS5/8 and LS5/9 are both standard BBC designations.
The basic design is a given and there is not much variance permitted by the BBC if the manufacturer wishes to use the designation and be licensed.
The BBC require them to sound the same as each other so any LS5/8 or LS5/9 (or LS3/5a) can be dropped in as a replacement for any other if one gets damaged, for example.
Mind you, I don't know how many are still in use at the beeb 30 years after they first came into service.
Derek Hughes said in the interview that he specified the 8" unit and that his intention was to produce the LS5/9 sound without the unit suffering the deterioration heard in the existing old units out there.
The LS5/8 does have a 12" bass unit.

Edit: some info, though I can't vouch for its accuracy it is, after all, on an internet site
http://www.markhennessy.co.uk/rogers/ls58.htm

another edit, Harbeth actually state that the Monitor 30 is a "refinement" of the LS5/9. Certainly all Harbeths have been designed using the BBC design philosophy since day 1 as Dudley Harwood was a senior engineer at the BBC and was instrumental in coming up with the cabinet philosophy used by all the LS speakers since and experimented with cone materials.

Frank,

In your first post you mention that the Graham LS5/9 has a 12" woofer (or was it a misspelling?) however as you say now it has a 8" hence I stated this.

To my ears the Graham LS5/9 is a refinement of the Harbeth 30.1 sound output despite that the Graham version is licensed and has to stick to the original construction. Though as I understand from the interview is that Graham made some refinements too.

A 12" bass unit on the LS5/8 should on paper including the more than 3 times bigger box be able to output both more as deeper bass,

Our listening room is about 30 m2 so I guess it could take the bigger LS5/8.

I will for sure have a go with the LS5/8 in my home before making a commitment to buy.

/Mike