LS3-5a

About the LS3-5a

The KEF LS3-5a REFERENCE is a refined version of the classic LS3/5a speaker, developed under the supervision of Raymond Cooke, the original designer of the LS3/5 and LS3/5a. It features a 5-liter sealed enclosure made from 12mm birch plywood with beech wood reinforcements, finished with a teak veneer showcasing natural wood grain. The speaker uses a 110mm KEF B110C type SP1228 bass/midrange driver and a 19mm T27 SP1032 Mylar dome tweeter, both carefully selected and matched to strict BBC specifications with a tolerance of ±0.25 dB. The crossover network consists of 26 high-quality components, individually adjusted by computer simulation to maintain the system's frequency response within ±0.25 dB of the BBC standard. The enclosure is heavily damped internally with high-mass polyurethane foam to reduce resonance, and the front baffle is lined with felt to minimize cabinet vibration interference. The speaker has a frequency response of approximately 70 Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB, an impedance of 11 ohms, and a sensitivity of 82.5 dB at 2.83V/m. It supports bi-wiring and bi-amping through dedicated terminals. Dimensions are approximately 190 mm wide, 304 mm high, and 162 mm deep, with a weight of about 5 kg per speaker. The LS3-5a REFERENCE is highly regarded for its accurate, neutral sound and compact size, originally designed for BBC mobile monitoring use and now a sought-after vintage HiFi speaker. Used models