Bookshelves

I'm a bit confused by the LS3/5a suggestion. While they are small and would fit on a bookshelf, the OP asked for a "thin" sounding speaker. I'd consider the LS3/5a to have anything but a "thin" sound. I've always found them to have a rather rich, textured and articulate sound, though absent deep bass due to their size.

That said, I do love the speakers (I have two pair of other model Spendors plus LS3/5a clones) and do consider them extremely musical, especially if one is fond of music primarily played on acoustic instruments and with unprocessed vocals.

Perhaps the OP could elucidate a bit more about the type of music he prefers and his volume requirements. In re-reading his original post, I'm not quite sure what I'd suggest at this point.

The LS3/5a was designed by the BBC as a monitoring speaker for use in mobile recording vans. As such it is highly prized for its eerie vocal qualities.

They were manufactured under license from the BBC by a number of different speaker companies but they were all required to meet rigid specs. That said, there is a debate among audiophiles as to which is the "best" version.

The 15 ohm is the older version. Both versions use KEF drivers for both woofer/mid and tweeter. The crossovers had to be changed when KEF slightly changed the design of the woofer and the speaker went to the 11 ohm version. The speaker is fairly inefficient and will not play loudly, It is not recommended for anyone who listens above 90 dB or so.

$1,300 is a typical price and may even be a bit on the low side.

The cones are not "toast" due to age. They did not use the typical foam surround and do not deteriorate in the manner as some speakers. I've got a pair of "clones" that use the same drivers I bought while living in England in 1979. They play fine. There are replacement drivers available on the used market if you need one. One word of caution, though. The KEF drivers used in the LS3/5a were to a tighter spec than ordinary production run drivers so a replacement driver may not perform as precisely. (However, a working speaker is still better than a non-working one.)

There are some specialty web pages on this speaker and a Yahoo discussion group devoted to all things LS3/5a. You might wish to check them out.

However, I am still concerned about your original request for a "thin" sounding speaker. The LS3/5a is anything but "thin."