Anyone agree with the What Hi-Fi best speakers list? :D

[Rick63]

Without clicking on the link I can confidently say no.

 

[Westsounds]

Without clicking on the link I can confidently say no.

 

[DSJR]

This is a UK based magazine which was perhaps one of the biggest main stream media outlets, and popular for budding audiophiles here in the UK.

I'm not sure what the demographic actually is on here, I wouldn't have said UK members was the biggest on here. However the UK has been known to produce a few icons in the speaker domain, or would you say different?

A list of the best stereo speakers we've reviewed that have left a lasting impression in What Hi-Fi?'s near-50-years history.

We reminisce about the very best stereo speakers we have reviewed since 1976

www.whathifi.com

Oh bloody hell, I sold many of the early speakers on that list and looking back, although great value for peanuts money, I'd not say any of them were really that good in all honesty compared to what's available today, the smoothest measuring ones such as the Coda 2 and ES11, sounding rather boring I remember and others rough as a badger's backside (so the saying goes). As the list goes on, it just gets worse and I am also including the ATC 100A towers which were created purely for the far eastern market I suspect and rather removed from the prosumer stand mounted originals in my opinion! I was disappointed by a pair of WB Act One speakers - wonderful enclosures and then novel style, but they had severe main driver flaws (even to this day it appears) which grated after a few weeks' ownership. I made a little on them when sold on I remember.

WTF as some of us call it over here, is or was run I gather by journos with little to zero tech expertise and regarded as a joke by much of the UK audiophile fraternity. We used to joke that WTF was the career starter on the way up to writing for What Car which we joked was the dream job. The Australian What HiFi concern was more a tech-based publication which measured the speakers reviewed (not sure if they still do) and I think it was something else before being taken over a few years back.

 

[sergeauckland]

WTF as some of us call it over here, is or was run I gather by journos with little to zero tech expertise and regarded as a joke by much of the UK audiophile fraternity. We used to joke that WTF was the career starter on the way up to writing for What Car which we joked was the dream job. The Australian What HiFi concern was more a tech-based publication which measured the speakers reviewed (not sure if they still do) and I think it was something else before being taken over a few years back.

If you didn't make it to What Car, there was always the risk of ending up at What Caravan.

WTF was always a total joke as a serious review magazine, but my nightmare when I had my dealership was a 18-22 year old coming into the shop with a copy of WTF under their arm. All they were interested in was this month's 5 Star items. It didn't matter what I might have said, it if it didn't agree with WTF, then they would go elsewhere.

Surprised it's still going when rather better publications have gone under.

S.

 

[DanielT]

probably the most iconic and maybe best British monitor ever made didn't even make the short list the LS3/5A. I guess it wasn't profitable for WHF

And here's an American who probably has no nostalgic relationship with them:
Now, it is possible the old BBC had the problems we see here in which case, why reproduce a faulty product and charge so much for it? It makes no sense to me. Get a proper speaker if your goal is enjoyment of music. The history is not going to pay the bills there.

I can't recommend the Rogers LS3/5a speaker/monitor. If you have it, a bit of filtering does it a lot of good, bringing the sound into hi-fi category.

The ridiculously high price of them: New, it costs US $4895 a pair. hardly makes it better.

Rogers LS3/5a (BBC) Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of a vintage Rogers L3/5a monitor implementation licensed from BBC with the same name. It is on kind load from a member. New, it costs US $4895 a pair. From the outside, there is nothing to distinguish this speaker from cheap...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Arindal]

probably the most iconic and maybe best British monitor ever made didn't even make the short list the LS3/5A.

They started reviewing speakers in 1976, and the first on the list is from 1982. I think it is understandable that an older model would not make it.

Despite from that I never understood the cult around LS3/5a. It might have made the idea of a neutral-sounding compact monitor popular, but it was very limited in every respect.

 

[DSJR]

If you didn't make it to What Car, there was always the risk of ending up at What Caravan.

WTF was always a total joke as a serious review magazine, but my nightmare when I had my dealership was a 18-22 year old coming into the shop with a copy of WTF under their arm. All they were interested in was this month's 5 Star items. It didn't matter what I might have said, it if it didn't agree with WTF, then they would go elsewhere.

Surprised it's still going when rather better publications have gone under.

S.

Absolutely agree here...

I had a discussion with a dealer chain manager. When he worked at Sevenoaks (quite a big UK audio/AV chain), he'd get the lad as you describe who only wanted 5* products (he often had a list) and nothing else. He moved to Audio T, a rather more 'upmarket/enthusiast' equivalent with more exclusive agencies and the customer, usually a slightly older couple perhaps, would suggest a budget and "What would you recommend I listen to" was more the question.

By the way, I'm not being sexist here. Ladies generally see right through our tribal instincts, but many really do enjoy good music nicely reproduced and in later years I enjoyed many a dem where the music counted for at least as much as the gear and the clients were generally delighted with their systems (thankfully!).

 

[sergeauckland]

And here's an American who probably has no nostalgic relationship with them who says:
Now, it is possible the old BBC had the problems we see here in which case, why reproduce a faulty product and charge so much for it? It makes no sense to me. Get a proper speaker if your goal is enjoyment of music. The history is not going to pay the bills there.

I can't recommend the Rogers LS3/5a speaker/monitor. If you have it, a bit of filtering does it a lot of good, bringing the sound into hi-fi category.

The ridiculously high price of them: New, it costs US $4895 a pair. hardly makes it better.

Rogers LS3/5a (BBC) Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of a vintage Rogers L3/5a monitor implementation licensed from BBC with the same name. It is on kind load from a member. New, it costs US $4895 a pair. From the outside, there is nothing to distinguish this speaker from cheap...

www.audiosciencereview.com

As a Brit, I also have no nostalgia for the awful LS3/5a. It was designed for non-critical speech monitoring in restricted spaces like Outside Broadcast vehicles or small recording booths. It was NEVER intended for quality monitoring (the LS3 designation was for General Purpose, LS5 was for quality monitoring) or for music except in offices, propped up on a filing cabinet, but some journos, notably Ken Kessler, so hyped it that it got a reputation well outside its value.

S.

 

[Mart68]

WTF was cheaper than most of the other mags and about 3 times thicker due to all the adverts and the exhaustive 'Buying Guide' that listed almost every product ever made in teeny tiny font. So it would seem like the best value buy on the newsagent shelves.

I think it's still going primarily because they began reviewing televisions when flat screens came in.

That list is mostly speakers that were 'flavour of the month' at the time, only a handful are still sought after now. I mean, who wants a Mission 753 today?

 

[Westsounds]

And here's an American who probably has no nostalgic relationship with them:
Now, it is possible the old BBC had the problems we see here in which case, why reproduce a faulty product and charge so much for it? It makes no sense to me. Get a proper speaker if your goal is enjoyment of music. The history is not going to pay the bills there.

I can't recommend the Rogers LS3/5a speaker/monitor. If you have it, a bit of filtering does it a lot of good, bringing the sound into hi-fi category.

The ridiculously high price of them: New, it costs US $4895 a pair. hardly makes it better.

Rogers LS3/5a (BBC) Speaker Review

This is a review, listening tests and detailed measurements of a vintage Rogers L3/5a monitor implementation licensed from BBC with the same name. It is on kind load from a member. New, it costs US $4895 a pair. From the outside, there is nothing to distinguish this speaker from cheap...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I’m a big fan of the LS3/5A but ‘new ones’ and old are way overpriced for what they are, it’s just the heritage and that licence thing. But for what they do well they’re a great speaker, even by today’s manufacturing and designs. They just hit a sweet spot in design with it. The dimensions, materials, sealed enclosure, way the drivers work together, and the way it performs for what it is, it’s just a winner. And you don’t have to have an OEM certified either, you can knock one up that is as near as dammit, plus use better drivers or close variants, and it becomes a ‘just as good’/better for beer money. Why it’s not on the WTF list I don’t know, should be really. Like I said prob not in their interest to glow over it. It’ll always be a favourite of mine, far prefer it to those Kef LS50s! As space age and technologically better they might be in comparison, give me the BBC design or a clone any day!

 

[Westsounds]

That list is mostly speakers that were 'flavour of the month' at the time, only a handful are still sought after now. I mean, who wants a Mission 753 today?

Owned a few pairs! I actually thought they were really good

Preferred the older metal dome tweeter type too. Despite looking like they could do a PA justice they didn’t have loads of bass but what was there was tight. Drive them with a decent amp, and they give you a very solid performance I thought, could get a bit harsh but tamed with complementary equipment or EQ, and they are still very fine speakers. Not the greatest of designs even though they claimed to be, and most decent full size 3 ways with a large driver would beat them, but they still had a lot of charm. The clarity was superb on them, I thought and could give you a nice image in front of you that could keep you entertained and at decent volume levels too.

I still think about those and miss their sound sometimes, maybe not enough to own another pair but, I’d happily have a set in my museum Look cool as well, you have to admit.

 

[Mart68]

Owned a few pairs! I actually thought they were really good

Preferred the older metal dome tweeter type too. Despite looking like they could do a PA justice they didn’t have loads of bass but what was there was tight. Drive them with a decent amp, and they give you a very solid performance I thought, could get a bit harsh but tamed with complementary equipment or EQ, and they are still very fine speakers. Not the greatest of designs even though they claimed to be, and most decent full size 3 ways with a large driver would beat them, but they still had a lot of charm. The clarity was superb on them, I thought and could give you a nice image in front of you that could keep you entertained and at decent volume levels too.

I still think about those and miss their sound sometimes, maybe not enough to own another pair but, I’d happily have a set in my museum Look cool as well, you have to admit.

Yes, they were okay speakers and you're right, not much bass despite the appearance.

My point was that like most but not all the speakers listed, they haven't really stood the test of time in that they are not still sought after now - unlike say the DC Tannoys, many JBL models, LS3/5A, QUAD ESL, Yamaha NS1000 and so forth.

 

[ivayvr]

probably the most iconic and maybe best British monitor ever made didn't even make the short list the LS3/5A. I guess it wasn't profitable for WHF

One of the few instances I tend to agree with their findings! LS3/5A was designed for voice reproduction at mobile studios rather than music. That is clearly demonstrated by their FR plots.
WHF could easily be renamed Buy British Monthly. Non British gear, with a few exceptions, was not as "musical", was suffering from a bad timing, was not "foot tapping"......

 

[mhardy6647]

But the most iconic of British speakers is the Quad ESL-57, right? Why wasn't it on What Hifi's list? Quad ELS 2805 is included and I suspect that it is better than ELS 57 but hardly as well-known and ionic.

Quad Electrostatic Loudspeaker - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Apparently they didn't review a pair (even though they were available until, if memory serves, 1983).
These I have a pair of.

 

[Mart68]

WHF could easily be renamed Buy British Monthly. Non British gear, with a few exceptions, was not as "musical", was suffering from a bad timing, was not "foot tapping"......

This was true of all the UK hi-fi mags to a greater or lesser extent. Certainly the Japanese never got a look in except to be dismissed as 'unmusical' and American hi-fi was 'Overpriced and over here.' European equipment was seldom featured. If it was, it was considered, like their cars, to be quirky and a left-field choice.

That legacy lives on in the UK forums where many 'Thinking of changing my xxxx' shortlists contain nothing but British (at least in spirit) options. This has nothing to do with any sort of national pride, it's just the narrow horizon cultivated over many years of reading the literature.

 

[DanielT]

And you don’t have to have an OEM certified either, you can knock one up that is as near as dammit, plus use better drivers or close variants, and it becomes a ‘just as good’/better for beer money.

Better drivers..Might be worth considering. Genuine, not copies of the T27 tweeter and B110 bass/mid might not be that easy to find on the used market?

In any case, here is AOR from KEF measuring a pair of B110 (SP1003)s, #89:

Pressed steel speaker chassis vs cast or plastic

OK then - how do you see the sound being transmitted through the system? What are the moving parts? The Voice-coil, cone and dust-cap? How much does all that crap weigh? I cannot imagine that turning a basket out of a billet of aluminium makes sense Surely you can visualise that Sounds...

www.audiosciencereview.com

If you want to build something, why not use modern drivers, such as, for example, Dayton Audio's DSA135-8 woofers and Dayton Audio ND25FW-4 tweeters found in these cheap, but good, C-Note kit speakers:

Parts Express DIY C-Note Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Parts Express C-Note DIY Kit. It was kindly purchased, put together and shipped to me by member @Winkleswizard. A pair of these with everything you need including the cabinet "flat pack" costs just US $100. And that includes free shipping if...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The Dayton Audio ND25FW-4 tweeter in the C-Note speakers is superb.
Only costs around $20. Here they are in my DIY with that tweeter:

Or these bookshelf speakers:

2-way with wide dispersion and low distortion. Linear CTA-2034. Mechano26

Another take on a small two-way monitor design. While searching through various datasheets, I came across a driver setup that seemed to allow for directivity matching between the tweeter and woofer without using a waveguide. This should allow for good control of the CTA-2034 characteristics as...

www.audiosciencereview.com

There are many good DIY speakers, with good modern drivers.

 

[Tatr76]

No. Side note it's really hard to read with each paragraph followed by a plethora of ad spam till next actual part of article. Awful site

 

[HalSF]

The dogpiling and unanimous heaping of contempt on this basically harmless listicle makes me yearn to “agree” with the nostalgic mining of the magazine’s archives, and to forgive the transparent hype of calling these “best” instead of “iconic” or “popular” or whatever.

I’m here for the elevation of objective measurements as a useful and ethical tool in the truthful evaluation of audio components, not self-complacent tribal sneering at everybody outside the sacred circle of Amir.

I take What Hi-Fi with a very large grain of salt, but some of their coverage has been useful to me. I just bought an LG OLED C5 42 TV in part because of their helpful five-star review. Come and get me ASR coppers!

 

[Timcognito]

No KEF 105's

 

[F1Fan72]

In 1953.
Keith

And we don’t ‘rule the waves’ any more