Rogers LS3/5A value

It's nice to see a spirited discussion in regard to the LS3/5A!  Most of the speakers that I have owned over the years have been of the small bookshelf type.  Included here are: 15 and 11 ohm LS3/5A's, Harbeth HLP3ES, Linn Kan 1 and 5, KEF Reference Series Model 101 and Sequerra Metronome 7's.  They have all been very enjoyable speakers to use over the years.  I do agree with the comment that the LS3/5A does not produce a lot of of bass. However, neither do most bookshelf speakers, which is why many years ago satellite/subwoofer speaker systems became popular. 

Most of the music that I listen to usually involves very simple instrumentals with only one or a few musicians playing at a time.  For this, I find speakers like the aforementioned to be ideal due to their clarity. Especially when they are slightly tilted inward so that their axis cross directly in front of the listener.

Also, IME aside from the audio gear itself, one of the most impressive aspects of the play back chain has to do with improvements in the way that music is recorded. The quality of the microphones in particular as well as the improvements in streaming, have made a significant improvement in the lifelike reproduction of uploaded music to various Internet venues, including YouTube.

For example, I was listening to some of Tommy Emmanuel's guitar uploads last night and felt as though I were seated right there in the recording studio with him! And this was on a mostly older system which included a pair of Quicksilver Minimite monoblock tube amplifiers and a pair of Linn Kan I's. I was using a new Audio By Van Alstine preamplifier and an Amazon Fire tablet; run through an ifi Zen Dac Signature digital to analogue converter (first generation). 

Nothing fancy at all, but the music really sounded great!

I also find that there's a great disparity between the quality of audio uploads, with some of them being outstanding while others are barely listenable.   As such, I spend quite a bit of my audio related time searching for outstanding recordings, since I've heard how good my audio system can sound with well recorded music. 

I will add the following:  My pair work fine with both a Yamaha integrated (SS) and C-J separates (tube).  I've only had them since years and they have not been damaged by the SS integrated, which is what is used almost exclusively now.  Yes they sound different with different amps, these speakers are very revealing.  Which amp type sounds better is a matter of taste.  In terms of performance, they sound like monitors, very similar in overall sonic character to a pair of B&W 802 Diamonds that I have in another house, albeit without the deep bass.  An excellent speaker that deserves classic status.

@andrewdrummond Thanks for the lengthy write up, very informative. I purchased a pair of V3.2 from you and am really starting to appreciate them now that they are in my system full time. I am curious about the external crossovers and if they are commercially available or can be DIYed. Any information you can provide would be helpful.

My 15 ohm Chartwells sound beautiful with solid state including a 20 watt vintage Marantz.

But I like to listen at realistic volume levels (you think???) and am afraid of blowing them out in the big room.

I do understand for some reason that some people prefer the 11 ohm version of the LS3/5a speaker. When I first purchased my first pair of LS3/5a speakers I noticed that an 11 ohm version was available and no one was buying it, so I grabbed it and was so happy to get a hold of a speaker that seemed to be hard to find. This was about 30 years ago. So all I knew in the beginning was what an 11 ohm version sounded like. But I began to read on the Internet that a lot of people felt the 15 ohm version sounded better so I bought an 15 ohm version Rogers and after hearing the 15 ohm version, for me, it was not even questionable, the 15 version to my ears was superior. I also later on ended up buying other 15 ohm versions and another 11 ohm version, but this time it was made by Harbeth and once again, practically all of the 15 versions, outperformed every 11 ohm version that I had so me personally I came to conclude that the 15 versions are superior to the 11 versions and if you look at which versions command more money on the resale and on the Used market and which ones are more sought after and which one seem to be more valued. It is all of the 15 ohm versions.  I personally have discovered that the best sounding versions made by Rogers are between serial numbers 4,000 to 11,000.