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The LS5/9 is a high quality studio monitor that was designed by BBC Research and Development and featured a brand new 8 inch bass/midrange drive unit that was developed entirely in-house and constructed using the best materials available at the time.
Designed for use by the BBC in smaller studios and control rooms, the LS5/9 is a close sonic match for the larger LS5/8. Equally at home in a domestic setting, the open and expansive mid-range reveals previously unheard details from even the most familiar recordings.
With Derek Hughes at the drawing board, the original BBC design has been recrerated. A new bass/midrange driver has been developed in conjunction with Volt Loudspeakers which uses a substantial die-cast aluminium frame and a massive motor assembly, allied to a diaphragm formed from a selected grade of polypropylene and matched to a high quality rubber surround. Each bass driver is hand-assembled and tested by Volt.
The tweeter is a selected version of the Audax 34mm soft dome, which is protected by a strong metal grille. A sophisticated crossover network blends the units together and equalises the overall response for optimum performance in free space.
The cabinet uses classic BBC “thinwall” construction, and is manufactured in the UK from high quality 9mm birch plywood. Hand-matched veneers are applied and finished to a very high standard indeed. All joints in the cabinet are reinforced with hardwood batons to ensure long life and total air sealing. The panels are mass-loaded to ensure that resonances are moved away from the critical mid-range region, and a layer of Rockwool held in place by fabric provides air damping. The grille – machined from a single piece of 9mm birch plywood – is held in place by concealed rare-earth magnets.
| System | 2 Way, reflex loading |
| Enclosure | Thin wall construction, birch plywood |
| Finish | Real wood veneer |
| Dimensions (w/h/d) | 28cm by 46cm by 27.5cm |
| Weight | 14kg |
| Frequency response | 50Hz to 16kHz, ±3dB |
| Nominal impedance | 8Ω |
| Sensitivity | 87dB SPL (2.83V, 1m) |
| Maximum output | Over 100dB for a pair at 2m |
| Bass/midrange | 200mm Diaphnatone polypropylene |
| Tweeter | Son Audax HD13D34H |
| Recommended amplifier power | 50 to 200 watts unclipped programme |
“The Graham Audio LS5/9 is an unusual and impressive speaker. It does a startlingly good job of transcending its small size to present large-scale music convincingly. It has a balance very close to neutral and surprising dynamic capacity. …It may be that you have a need for a small speaker; if so, the Graham Audio LS5/9 is surely an item of extraordinary interest. Few other speakers of its size offer anything like a comparable musical truth. Comes to that, rather few of any size do.”
“Listening to some piano and orchestra concerts – Mozart, the Lodron with Solti, Baremboim and Shiff for example – that pure timbre is enchanting and you almost see the instruments in the distance. The result is very natural with the lute music by Bach played by Hopkinson Smith on Astrée vinyl. The noise of the quick fingers on the keyboard are fascinating and well integrated and the sound results really natural. …I am really happy that the LS 5/9 are back on the world market.”
“Vocal reproduction is a huge strength for the Grahams. Cover songs like Johnny Cash’s rendition of “Hurt” or Storm Large’s version of “Where Is My Mind” represent an experiential treat. …Those who enjoy the subtleties of classical, jazz, and vocal music among other types of music, are likely to love the reproduction the Grahams provide. It’s a musically-balanced speaker that makes it easy – maybe too easy – to find oneself locked to a listening seat eager to hear “just one more” favorite album.”
SOUND ODYSSEY BV
Brandstraat 28
9255 Buggenhout
Belgium
