Rogers Ls3/5a 65th Anniversary Edition

I’m sure you all know that genuine BBC licensed Ls3/5a’s used Kef B110/T27drivers and that all cabinets must adhere to strict BBC specifications, 12mm birch plywood with fillets of beech.

Rogers, Chartwell, Goodmans et all made crossovers and cabinets for the early 15ohm versions with Kef supplying the drivers.

Circa 1987 onwards, all later BBC licensed Ls3/5a’s used both Kef drivers (11ohm) and Kef manufactured crossovers. 

Prior to Kef discontinuing the manufacture of the B110 and T27 drivers, Kef themselves built their own Limited Edition Ls3/5a loudspeakers called Prestige.  

I purchased a second-hand pair of Kef Prestige Ls3/5a and enjoyed them very much. They suited my small listening room.

However, the cabinets (Teak) on my pair were not pristine and to be honest I didn’t like the Teak veneer. 

I enquired to have the cabinets re veneered and during my research discovered that Kef did not follow the BBC specifications for the cabinets. 

Instead of birchwood, Kef used MDF. I have no firsthand experience if this really made a sonic difference but given the BBC had done a wealth of research into cabinet construction, () I decided that I wanted appropriately specified cabinets.  

I noticed on Ebay a seller supplying genuine NOS cabinets. 

I purchased a pair of Rogers LS3/5a 65th Anniversary Edition in walnut veneer. The cabinets being NOS were probably manufactured around 2012.

To go with cabinets, I purchased new gaskets and seals from Falcon Acoustics and transplanted the original Kef drivers + crossovers removed from my Kef Prestige Ls3/5a into the newly acquired Rogers cabinets. The Kef cabinets have been sold.

The new cabinets look fabulous, almost as new with minor blemishes no doubt due to handling/storage over the years. 

I cannot say if they sound better/different to the original Kef’s as I obviously could not perform direct comparison’s but I’m sure the new cabinets together with new gaskets have brought the performance closer to the original specifications.  

The reason for this sale, I’ve purchased from the same Ebay seller a pair of Richad Allen Ls3/5a cabinets in a stunning Vavona Burlwood veneer together with new drivers and crossovers from Falcon.

I have performed a listening test between both pairs and to be honest, sonically I don’t really hear a difference. Both pairs sound so similar and I’m happy about that.

The speakers come boxed.