FALCON ACOUSTICS LIMITED EDITION BBC LS3/5A PLATINUM EDITION
The Platinum Limited Edition is quite simply the best LS3/5a we know how to make and will ever make.
Every component has been selected with the highest quality being the core priority.
Inside The Falcon BBC LS3/5a Platinum Badge
The Falcon Acoustics BBC LS3/5a PCB
Gold tracked White multi-layer 1.6mm heavyweight Special Edition Gold tracked multi-layer PCB with Gold Pins. Superb sonic accuracy and lowest possible noise floor for exceptional clarity. The Gold plated 2oz tracking has clearly audible sonic benefits particularly in the midrange.
Inductors
Falcon UK Manufactured BBC R&D Spec transformer inductors. Double the size of standard production inductors for better saturation characteristics, lower distortion and improved bass response.
Internal Wiring
TPE insulated fine multi strand oxygen free copper wiring.
Resistors
Ohmite NI Non-magnetic Audio Gold audiophile resistors for simplified shielding requirements and improved sound quality.
Capacitors
Falcon specification UK Manufactured Polycarbonate Film capacitors, for the best possible detail, transparency and an ultra-low noise floor. This is the last opportunity to hear what the BBC wanted the LS3/5A to sound like.
The B110
An exact, hand-built replica of the legendary KEF B110 SP1003 bass/midrange driver
Design by Falcon's Malcolm Jones, the original KEF B110 and T27 designer.
Each unit is hand built and tested in Great Britain, and is post-Production matched by chamber-test frequency response curve test sequences.
The result of eighteen months research by Malcolm Jones and Jerry Bloomfield of Falcon Acoustics.
The T27
A hand-built, exact reproduction of the legendary KEF T27 (SP1032) tweeter
The Cabinet of The Falcon BBC LS3/5a Platinum Badge
Veneers
12 mm thin wall BBC specification selected grade Baltic Birch ply cabinet made by Italian craftsmen, Vintage black Tygan cloth grille and finished in natural Amboyna Burr veneer. Platinum Limited Edition Signature Badges.
Grille Cloth
The LS3/5a is different from most loudspeakers as it is designed to give its specified performance with the grille in place. The front grille Tygan cloth is hand-woven on specialist equipment in England.
Binding Posts
Falcon Rose Gold plated binding posts
The Falcon BBC LS3/5a Reviewed
Ken Kessler
★★★★★
“The best LS3/5A I have ever heard”
David Price
★★★★★
“Surely the best sounding LS3/5a that I’ve ever heard. Forget the exquisite build and finish, the truly stellar thing about the Falcon Acoustics 2024 Limited Edition is its performance....”
HiFi Riff
★★★★★
and 10/10!
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| System Type | Two-way infinite baffle (sealed box, sealed back) |
| Frequency Response | 70Hz - 20kHz ± 3dB |
| Sensitivity | 83dB for 2.83V @1m |
| Nominal Impedance | 15 ohm |
| Bass/Midrange Driver | 138mm Falcon Acoustics B110 - graded & matched by Clio |
| Tweeter | 19mm Falcon Acoustics T27 - graded & matched by Clio |
| Crossover | Falcon Acoustics FL6/23 Platinum Edition, graded/precision measured and matched components throughout. Crossover frequency 3kHz. |
| Cabinet | Selected hand-graded Baltic Birch Ply, Beech battens, critically internally damped |
| Finish & Grilles | Real Amboyna Burr wood veneer, vintage black Tygan Cloth grilles |
| Dimensions (Metric) | 305mm H x 190mm W x 165mm D |
| Weight (Metric) | 5.40 kgs each |
| Dimensions (Imperial) | 12.00" H x 7.48" W x 6.6" D |
| Weight (Imperial) | 11.9 lbs. each |
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BBC LS3/5a
The BBC Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a’s heritage can be traced directly back to the BBC Research and Development Department, and to the world-famous KEF B110 and KEF T27 drive units designed by Malcolm Jones at KEF in the 1960’s, subsequently the founder of Falcon Acoustics.
Used by the BBC in the original LS3/5 and the iconic LS3/5a, these drive units are at the heart of the original classic BBC Design 15 ohm LS3/5a. Designed again by Malcolm Jones, they are uniquely made again to the original specification by Falcon Acoustics for the Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a range, giving your Falcon Acoustics BBC LS3/5A its class-leading performance.
The BBC R&D Department in Kingswood Warren was asked in the mid-1960's to produce a small loudspeaker for Outside Broadcast and Studio monitoring use.
At first (as was standard BBC practice at the time) they tried to design their own bass drive unit but this proved more difficult than anticipated.
The decision was then taken to approach KEF for suitable drive units, and Malcolm Jones (designer at KEF of the B110 and T27 drivers used in the LS3/5 and LS3/5a and founder of Falcon Acoustics) arranged for supplies of the very early production versions of the drive units.
The BBC eventually produced about 20 units of the loudspeaker around 1968/69 which was named the LS3/5. From the few remaining examples of the cabinets still in existence it is clear that the cabinets were made in-house, using classic BBC construction methods of critically damped 9mm birch ply, wooden battens and rear-mounted woofers.
Very few written records remain about this speaker, but we are fortunate at Falcon to have a full set of records and original LS3/5 measurements taken by Malcolm Jones at KEF in 1972 in the Falcon Acoustics archives.
The LS3/5 was never produced commercially, and most of the 20 pairs believed to have been made were stored after being built at a project cost of £100,000 (just over £1.7m/$USD 2.2m at 2019 prices).