Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker - Rebirth of a Legend
With the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker, the English hi-fi manufacturer Musical Fidelity presents a special loudspeaker system, one could also say it is the rebirth of a legend. Originally designed for the studio environment, this speaker is also intended to offer audiophile music enthusiasts a particularly precise performance.
- The new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A nearfield monitor loudspeaker is a closed two-way system.
It is considered a true legend, and it is indeed extraordinary that the product name of this so-called nearfield monitor is in common use in connection with a wide variety of manufacturers, namely the LS3/5A. Ultimately, it is a loudspeaker system that is inseparably linked to the BBC, and has been made by many a manufacturer.
Now, the English hi-fi manufacturer Musical Fidelity has also dedicated itself to this loudspeaker system, thus resurrecting a legend with the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker.
Nearfield Monitor in the BBC Studios
The concept of this loudspeaker system goes back to a product that was considered a kind of standard for many years, namely in the studios of the British broadcaster, the BBC. This loudspeaker system was used as a so-called near-field monitor, the reason being that the speaker was usually placed directly on or above the mixing console and thus in the immediate vicinity of the sound engineer.
Such speakers serve to guarantee a particularly accurate performance, thus as a tool for the most objective possible assessment of recordings. A frequency response that is as linear as possible was the declared goal of the developers.
This is exactly what the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker is supposed to offer, although Musical Fidelity is now focusing on audiophile music lovers and not on sound engineers in the studio. Nevertheless, the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker is supposed to offer a precise performance and, like the original, is designed to be used relatively close to the listener.
Just like the original, the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker is supposed to stand out due to its particularly compact dimensions and still be able to convince even in the bass range.
Closed two-way loudspeaker system
The new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker is designed as a closed two-way system, combining a 110 mm diameter woofer with a 12 mm dome tweeter.
From a purely technical point of view, this means a frequency response between 80 Hz and 20 kHz, a sensitivity of 82.5 dB and a nominal impedance of 15 ohms. According to the manufacturer, the Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker is designed for amplifiers with a power output between 20 and 150 watts.
This means that amplifiers that are not considered to be power bolides, such as models with tubes, are also of interest. In this context, Musical Fidelity points out that LS3/5A speaker systems were often used in combination with the legendary Musical Fidelity A1, a stereo integrated amplifier that worked purely in Class A and thus had an outstanding sound character with a clear, detailed and warm performance.
Vintage look with rosewood finish
It goes without saying that a product like the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker has to be designed in the classic style.
The new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker features a cabinet made of 12 mm birch plywood with a real wood veneer in rosewood.
The Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker measures 190 x 305 x 165 mm and weighs 4.9 kg per unit.
Finally, Musical Fidelity expressly points out that the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker is manufactured entirely in Europe.
Prices and availability
The new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker should be available in specialist shops soon, as the manufacturer states. The recommended retail price is € 2.499,-.
Getting to the point
“Made on British Broadcasting Corporation Specifications BBC RD1976/29”, this note adorns the back of those loudspeaker systems that Musical Fidelity now presents as a kind of rebirth of a legend in the form of the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeaker. Originally designed as so-called nearfield monitor loudspeaker systems for professional use, the new Musical Fidelity LS3/5A Nearfield Monitor Loudspeakers are characterised by an enormously detailed, clear and convincing performance, even in the bass, which should delight audiophile music lovers in small and medium-sized rooms.
| PRODUCT | MUSICAL FIDELITY LS3/5A NEARFIELD MONITOR LOUDSPEAKER |
|---|---|
| Price | € 2.499,- |
| Brand | MUSICAL FIDELITY |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Musical Fidelity |
| Distribution Austria | Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH |
| Distribution Germany | Reichmann Audio Systeme |
| Distribution Switzerland | Marlex GmbH – Audiophile Produkte |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
