The BBC monitor sound Loudspeakers from Spendor Rogers, Harbeth....

[darkmatter]

Has anyone heard the BBC LS3/7?

[darkmatter]

Originally Posted by JerryLeeFan

Google found your discussion about BBC monitors.

I have have been enjoying the sound from my two BBC LSU /10 for 45 years. They truly are vintage speakers.

There are two pages of photographs, one minute videos, BBC technical circuits, Lockwood cabinet design, and photographs of my audio set up that is still in daily use - all detailed as this link.

http://www.knightsaberdeen.com/bbc1.htm

keep rockin'

Graham

Hi Graham,
Excellent information thanks for posting it
Simon

[Ted Kendall]

Originally Posted by darkmatter

Has anyone heard the BBC LS3/7?

Yes, used them at Transcription Service in the eighties. Rather like the 5/8 but felt a bit more refined and open in the room we used them. There were six recording/assembly channels in the unit at the time, and all used 5/8s but T3, which did mostly serious music work, and the lead guy on this stuff insisted the 3/7s worked better there. Couldn't disagree. Mind you, we are dealing with very fine differences here.

[darkmatter]

Fascinated with the new Graham LS5/5 design which comes from the mid 60s?

[Cobaltblue]

Reopened at OP's request

Cheers

Mike T

[darkmatter]

Has anyone heard the original BBC LS5/5
If so I would value your thoughts as it has been said by some that this is the most neutral of the BBC LS series?

[Jez1234]

Interesting thread! I use Spendor BCII's here with great results. Apparently the same bass unit was used in the LS3/6 for much of the production span of the latter, where it was given a BBC in house type number.

[darkmatter]

Originally Posted by Jez1234

Interesting thread! I use Spendor BCII's here with great results. Apparently the same bass unit was used in the LS3/6 for much of the production span of the latter, where it was given a BBC in house type number.

I have never heard the BCII gather that the bass unit was used as the mid range in the BCIII?

[Jez1234]

Originally Posted by darkmatter

I have never heard the BCII gather that the bass unit was used as the mid range in the BCIII?

They are very good. Looks much the same as the BC1 but has higher power handling (considerably higher in practice) and tighter bass. down side is "midrange magic" not quite as magical as the BC1.... but excellent in its own right. Personally I find the SP1 the best overall compromise of that series.

I don't know about the BCIII using the driver. The info I posted earlier was from an Electronics World article by a former BBC employee and in this it is stated that BCII woofers were fitted to LS3/6.

[darkmatter]

Originally Posted by Jez1234

I don't know about the BCIII using the driver. The info I posted earlier was from an Electronics World article by a former BBC employee and in this it is stated that BCII woofers were fitted to LS3/6.

Interesting do you have a copy of that article?

Thanks

DM

[Jez1234]

Originally Posted by darkmatter

Interesting do you have a copy of that article?

Thanks

DM

Yes but it's been thrown back in with hundreds of others since I'm afraid.

[darkmatter]

Originally Posted by Jez1234

Yes but it's been thrown back in with hundreds of others since I'm afraid.

Thanks any idea when it was or who it was written by I'll try and find a copy online

[Jez1234]

Originally Posted by darkmatter

Thanks any idea when it was or who it was written by I'll try and find a copy online

IIRC it was post 90 and my collection ends when they were no longer worth reading.. 2005 ish.

[mhennessy]

Originally Posted by Jez1234

Interesting thread! I use Spendor BCII's here with great results. Apparently the same bass unit was used in the LS3/6 for much of the production span of the latter, where it was given a BBC in house type number.

This is news to me, too. As far as I know, the bass unit in an LS3/6 was a BBC design, manufactured by Rogers. But many other types have been fitted as in-service replacements, for better or worse!

My understanding is that the LS5/5B used a Spendor 8" mid. The B model has a teak veneer rather than a painted finish.

[Jez1234]

Originally Posted by mhennessy

This is news to me, too. As far as I know, the bass unit in an LS3/6 was a BBC design, manufactured by Rogers. But many other types have been fitted as in-service replacements, for better or worse!

My understanding is that the LS5/5B used a Spendor 8" mid. The B model has a teak veneer rather than a painted finish.

Not according to this article... IIRC it does mention later ones having a Rogers made bass unit. 'Fraid it ain't important enough for me to start routing through piles of old magazines for hours to find it. It could be wrong of course..... just because something is printed in black and white doesn't make it correct!

[Jez1234]

OK well I've started to look through a dozen or so at a time when I've got nothing better to do in an attempt to find it...
IIRC the main article had little that was new but it had a page and a half or so of tables listing the drive unit line up of each model, with commercial and BBC in house type number/model name of drive unit where applicable. I own BCII's hence it really stuck in my mind "well I'll go to the top of our stairs!!" etc

It was just a line saying something like "Bass driver - Spendor BC2, as BBC type 'ABC123' "

[mhennessy]

Yes, it could be a mistake. But if you do happen across it, I'd be extremely grateful to see it, and perhaps I could add it to my website if you don't mind producing a decent scan (of course I'd credit you for that).

Over the last year or so I've done a ton (tonne?) of updates in the BBC/Rogers section, but haven't had a chance to sit down and finalise and upload them yet. There isn't much to say about the LS5/5, but there's a lot of new stuff about the LS3/6.

The original (very fragile) BBC-designed bass unit was often replaced in service by a version of the Dalesford that Rogers commissioned for the Export Monitor, and later on there was a version of the Rogers unit from the Studio 1 that was used as a replacement. Both required extra components to be added to the crossover.

I don't believe either of these options had BBC approval, but as the BBC mostly used BC1s and BC11s in preference to the LS3/6, I don't think it mattered to them. Most LS3/6s went to domestic users.

I can't see how a Spendor unit could end up in an LS3/6 - ignoring "repairs" by well-meaning people who didn't fully understand what they were doing.

After all, the BBC had no real interest in formally revisiting the design - it was "done", and as said, wasn't widely used anyway. As the Spendor unit would have required crossover mods, they would have needed to release a revision, like they did with the LS5/5. But as far as I know there is no LS3/6A or whatever...

And Rogers had viable alternatives, as described above, so why would they have bought in a unit from a competitor?

Not to mention the 5 mounting holes of the Spendor vs 4 for the Rogers and Daleford...

Despite all that, I'll keep an open mind. There's always something to discover about these old speakers. But I will say that even Graham Whitehead made one or two typos on his fairly definitive document about BBC speakers. We're all human.

Of course, some versions of the LS3/4 used a Spendor bass/mid...

[Jez1234]

Originally Posted by mhennessy

Yes, it could be a mistake. But if you do happen across it, I'd be extremely grateful to see it, and perhaps I could add it to my website if you don't mind producing a decent scan (of course I'd credit you for that).

Over the last year or so I've done a ton (tonne?) of updates in the BBC/Rogers section, but haven't had a chance to sit down and finalise and upload them yet. There isn't much to say about the LS5/5, but there's a lot of new stuff about the LS3/6.

The original (very fragile) BBC-designed bass unit was often replaced in service by a version of the Dalesford that Rogers commissioned for the Export Monitor, and later on there was a version of the Rogers unit from the Studio 1 that was used as a replacement. Both required extra components to be added to the crossover.

I don't believe either of these options had BBC approval, but as the BBC mostly used BC1s and BC11s in preference to the LS3/6, I don't think it mattered to them. Most LS3/6s went to domestic users.

I can't see how a Spendor unit could end up in an LS3/6 - ignoring "repairs" by well-meaning people who didn't fully understand what they were doing.

After all, the BBC had no real interest in formally revisiting the design - it was "done", and as said, wasn't widely used anyway. As the Spendor unit would have required crossover mods, they would have needed to release a revision, like they did with the LS5/5. But as far as I know there is no LS3/6A or whatever...

And Rogers had viable alternatives, as described above, so why would they have bought in a unit from a competitor?

Not to mention the 5 mounting holes of the Spendor vs 4 for the Rogers and Daleford...

Despite all that, I'll keep an open mind. There's always something to discover about these old speakers. But I will say that even Graham Whitehead made one or two typos on his fairly definitive document about BBC speakers. We're all human.

Of course, some versions of the LS3/4 used a Spendor bass/mid...

Interesting stuff there Martin! I'm pretty certain that the article you link to is in fact the one I've been looking for and that it was reprinted in WW but with the addition of a table of models and drive units used, which is where I got the titbit of possibly apocryphal info....
I see the BC2 unit is mentioned as used in a couple of models but I can't see any mention of the LS3/6, it was however listed in the added table in the reprinted version.... I'll keep looking but it's looking more and more likely it was a typo/wrong.

[Jez1234]

Originally Posted by Jez1234

Interesting stuff there Martin! I'm pretty certain that the article you link to is in fact the one I've been looking for and that it was reprinted in WW but with the addition of a table of models and drive units used, which is where I got the titbit of possibly apocryphal info....
I see the BC2 unit is mentioned as used in a couple of models but I can't see any mention of the LS3/6, it was however listed in the added table in the reprinted version.... I'll keep looking but it's looking more and more likely it was a typo/wrong.

Or Mark even! Oops.

[darkmatter]

Interesting posts thanks both.
Following news regarding the launch of the BCI-50 with interest.