Suspect LS3/5as on eBay

[Martyn Miles]

I watch the selling of the ( very collectable ) Rogers LS3/5as on eBay. We all know the correct B110 drivers are crucial to the authentic sound of these little BBC babies.

So, there at Emporium Hi Fi, a pair with Kef B110s I have never come across. Has anyone here ever seen a B110 with ' TS1003 ' on the drive units, rather than the correct 'SP1003 '?

I can only conclude these are from the Kef Constructor Kit range of B110s.

These Rogers are currently at £380, with over 4 days to go.

Buyer Beware !!

[Reffc]

I watch the selling of the ( very collectable ) Rogers LS3/5as on eBay. We all know the correct B110 drivers are crucial to the authentic sound of these little BBC babies.

So, there at Emporium Hi Fi, a pair with Kef B110s I have never come across. Has anyone here ever seen a B110 with ' TS1003 ' on the drive units, rather than the correct 'SP1003 '?

I can only conclude these are from the Kef Constructor Kit range of B110s.

These Rogers are currently at £380, with over 4 days to go.

Buyer Beware !!


It is odd. the constructor kit used the same drivers as the built version by the way...both used SP1003 drivers. The other similar driver used in-house by KEF was the SP1057 which whilst similar has different TS parameters. Never come across anything marked TS1003. Easy enough to have them checked out though. Jerry at Falcon Acoustics is pretty expert on all things LS3/5A so would be able to confirm.

[Martyn Miles]

It is odd. the constructor kit used the same drivers as the built version by the way...both used SP1003 drivers. The other similar driver used in-house by KEF was the SP1057 which whilst similar has different TS parameters. Never come across anything marked TS1003. Easy enough to have them checked out though. Jerry at Falcon Acoustics is pretty expert on all things LS3/5A so would be able to confirm.

Thanks. After checking again on the Kef history website the drivers do look like SP 1057s. By the way, what Is the TS parameter ?

[Reffc]

Thanks. After checking again on the Kef history website the drivers do look like SP 1057s. By the way, what Is the TS parameter ?


Sorry...Thiele -Small parameters, such as Vas, Fs, Qts etc

[Martyn Miles]

I watch the selling of the ( very collectable ) Rogers LS3/5as on eBay. We all know the correct B110 drivers are crucial to the authentic sound of these little BBC babies.

So, there at Emporium Hi Fi, a pair with Kef B110s I have never come across. Has anyone here ever seen a B110 with ' TS1003 ' on the drive units, rather than the correct 'SP1003 '?

I can only conclude these are from the Kef Constructor Kit range of B110s.

These Rogers are currently at £380, with over 4 days to go.

Buyer Beware !!

Not surprisingly they sold, as most Rogers LS3/5as do...

Not the most collectable, but buyers appear to favour the make. The thing I watch for are old Rogers internals fitted into more collectable makes of cabinet, such as early Audiomaster, to try and archive a higher final price.

[mr sneff]

These seem suspiciously cheap http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LS3-5A-Speakers-of-BBC-Fame-/201024167480?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudio HiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item2ecdf95e38

[Reffc]

Hmmm. Not really. They're cheap for a good reason. They have no makers name, I don't recognise the tweeters and they don't use the original specified main drivers. Cabs are average at best and the design may look like LS3/5As but there's plenty to suspect that they're not anything like original LS3/5as. No recessed baffle, no wool felt, drivers which don't figure on licensed LS3/5as and they'll probably sound not very like them either. Buyer beware. These are not LS3/5as but fairly poor looking copies. They look a little like Jungson LS3/5as but Jungsons were better made (these definitely aren't Jungsons versions).

[walpurgis]

Hmmm. Not really. They're cheap for a good reason. They have no makers name, I don't recognise the tweeters and they don't use the original specified main drivers. Cabs are average at best and the design may look like LS3/5As but there's plenty to suspect that they're not anything like original LS3/5as. No recessed baffle, no wool felt, drivers which don't figure on licensed LS3/5as and they'll probably sound not very like them either. Buyer beware. These are not LS3/5as but fairly poor looking copies. They look a little like Jungson LS3/5as but Jungsons were better made (these definitely aren't Jungsons versions).

Yes, I agree with all that.

[nat8808]

But but..


They sound absolutely stunning, not heard the originals but if they sound better than these then they must be something fantastic. !!

You people and your cynical ways...

(although I'd wager, other than these, he's only ever heard cheap denon speakers from an all-in-one compact)

[Martyn Miles]

But but..

!!

You people and your cynical ways...

(although I'd wager, other than these, he's only ever heard cheap denon speakers from an all-in-one compact)

There are a pair of Rogers on eBay which look highly suspicious. Priced at 4,449 American Dollars ( !! ) they have none of the patina of use.

The inside of then baffles have date stamps and BBC on them. No commercial LS3/5a ever had those markings. The nuts on the B110s look brand new ! Also, Rogers always used fibre washers below the nuts.

The cabinets are flawless, too. I contacted the Seller and pointed out these things. The reply was very short. ' Oh. OK thank you.'

I hope no-one buys them...

[Martyn Miles]

On the Yahoo Ls35a Website there are pictures of the TS1003 drivers, presumably from the aforementioned Rogers LS3/5as.

Also, pictures of an SP1228 driver. It's interesting to look at all the pictures there of the drivers and crossovers, etc.

The LS3/5a type speakers I am constructing have a pair of B110 / SP1003 drivers, early ones with unpainted chassis.

The history of the KEF B110 is comprehensively covered on the Internet, with the details of manufacture, photographs and history.

For anyone who is really interested, I suggest the ' A History of Kef drive units from the 1960s and '70s ' . Easy to find..

M Miles.