Which LS3/5a?

Thank you Garyalex for you opinion.  I am looking for a speaker that I can just listen to for hours.  Alot of good reviews in the Silver Badge Falcons.

Great discussion. In the mid '80s I bought a pair of Rogers branded speakers that I thought after all this time were LS3/5as and loved them. I drove them with a Hafler DH-200 and a CJ PV-2. They played loud with great detail and warmth, plenty of bass and slam if I remember. But imaging, soundstage we're just OK (traded them for DCM Time Window 1As to solve that issue). Anyway, from this thread now I don't think they were LS3/5as as they weren't bookshelf size. They were like 2ft tall (still had them on stands and well away from the wall in my apartment) and they were maybe a foot-ish deep. Was there a bigger version? 

I own and still occasionally use a 15 ohm 1984 Rogers LS3/5a as well as the new Falcon Gold Badges.  

When I compare the two, my old Rogers, (which were tested to be in-spec annually by the CBS Broadcasting studio I bought them from) sound soft, and slightly blurred. Not nearly as concise and 'responsive' as the Falcons. No doubt  parts have slumped and dried and drifted.

Button,  when I switched from the regular Falcon LS3/5a to the Gold Badges I noticed a big improvement is focus (along with tone the reason for buying a 5a) and when I queried its creators they said the difference is the result of extreme  "pair matching" (like 0.2dB or something) ; which I would now say could be the most important measurable loudspeaker perimeter, I've encountered. 

I've also noticed the strong positive of pair-matching with planer-magnetic headphones. Technology that emerged in the last several years allows headphone diaphragms to be more evenly tensioned across their surfaces and this has led to a MUCH higher lever of focus and soundstage mapping precision. 

I mention all this, because I think we do get what we pay for. And with this BBC classic I suggest going with the highest quality of materials and the tightest manufacturing specification.  

peace and beauty

hr

My buddy lives in the UK so I had him order me both the Graham 3/5A and Rogers SE version for about 1/2 of what they sell for here in the USA.  Looking forward to comparing down the road. The Rogers SE is delayed due to problems/issues at the factory so if you order a pair expect to be waiting awhile.  I ditched my Falcons...now called the Silver Badge version cause everybody I know that compared them to the Graham's preferred the Graham 3/5A in every aspect.

A little off topic, but I tried LS3/5As back in the 70s.  While they sounded good, I ended up with the Rogers JR149s with the cylindrical metal enclosure.  I believe the drivers may have been the same or similar but found the JR149s to be much less boxy sounding and to have incredible imaging.  I regretted selling them to a friend in the 80s.  They are still sounding great in his second home.

I gather you're committed to a new pair and the used ones around can be very rough.  Just my somewhat related experience from way back.  My apologies for intruding on the OP.