LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review

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Mass. Wine Guy

LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« on: 6 Jan 2012, 07:09 pm »
I recently spent some time with the new LSA .5 speakers. I know that Stereo Mojo plans to run a review, supposedly the "world's first." At this point, more like the world's second or third. Please let me know what you think.


Before calling The Absolute Sound to cancel my subscription I read a report from the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show about a new bookshelf speaker from LSA. I knew LSA’s other speakers had attained near legendary status in many circles, but at over $1,000 a pair, they were completely out of my middle class budget. They may as well have cost $100,000.

But this new model, the LSA .5, had a list price of $800. Not free, but more within the grasp of normal humans. The writer was impressed with how they sounded so I was curious and sent LSA an email.

Brian Warford at LSA Audio Group was extremely kind to lend me a pair of .5s to evaluate.

Right to executive summary: The LSA .5 speakers sound terrific, natural and accurate with nearly all types of music. I’d find it hard to believe if most audio enthusiasts are not extraordinarily happy with them. I’d also be shocked if many competing manufacturers didn’t lose sleep worrying how much the .5 will cut into their sales.

My two channel system is in my living room, which is probably typical of many homes. I have chairs, a sofa, pillows, a rug and many bare, reflective walls. I can’t afford to to build an additional, acoustically correct listening room, so I need equipment that performs well in the real world under actual conditions.

My setup:

— Bel Canto Evo2i Gen. II integrated amplifier

— Virtue Audio Piano M1 CD player

— Audio Art 5SC-5 Classic Bi-Wire speaker cables w/ copper spades (Rob Fritz makes some of the best-performing reasonably priced handmade cables in the business). For the LSA .5s I used a pair of WyWire single wire cables. Thanks, Alex!

— DH Labs D-75 digital interconnect

— A pair of Anti Cable interconnects

— Extremely clean, handmade, high quality power cables throughout whose names I forget at the moment.

— PS Audio Duet power conditioner

— Stands? Two very solid antique oak stools (remember, I mentioned real world).

To my ears, this system produces clean, pure and natural-sounding music through my Quad 12L2 speakers. I’ve played guitar solo and with bands for nearly 50 years professionally and otherwise, heard countless live performances of every musical genre and have a good subjective idea of how instruments and vocals “should” sound.

The .5’s 1 inch fabric dome tweeter and 5.25 inch mid/bass treated paper driver seem modest, especially with a stated frequency response floor of 50 Hz. Low frequencies are gracefully handled by two front-facing ports. Because of this, the .5 wasn’t fussy about precise positioning like some rear ported models. Still, I thought they sounded better placed about 17 inches from the rear wall.

At 12 5/8th inches high, eight inches wide and 13 inches deep, they are rock solid at 21 lbs. apiece. My highly technical and scientific knuckle test on top of the speakers revealed no force or vibration transmitted. Extremely strong, stable and presumably sonically neutral bracing and construction.

Visually, the .5 is drop dead gorgeous with genuine rosewood veneer. This is a definite plus for the wife or companion acceptance factor. Using an uncommon design, the .5 tapers slightly inward from front to back.





Listening

I placed the speakers about seven feet apart pointing straight ahead, grilles left on, about 27 inches high. I sat on my sofa approximately eight feet in front.

Dense ensemble music, especially horns, seemed like a good place to start, and the soundtrack to The Commitments is well recorded. Maria Doyle Kennedy’s lead vocal in “I Can’t Stand the Rain” was always clearly defined, smooth at all registers and never brittle or harsh. Never sibilant. More sexy and smoky, as she probably intended. Keyboards, trumpets and saxophones never got muddled or smeared, even at higher than normal volumes. Horns should obviously sound brassy, and they did, but with no painfully metallic highs that make me want to run away. Bass was warm, appropriately fat with each note’s pitch evident and musical. Drums sounded crisp, balanced and fast.

“Try a Little Tenderness” confirmed that the .5s are extremely fast, responsive and musical. The notes in Glen Hanshard’s lead runs and guitar chords were distinct, crystalline and nearly three dimensional. Again, with strong well-defined drums, percussive bass, horns, keyboard and everything else singing all at once, the .5 presented each instrument clearly and accurately.

Melodic jazz piano doesn’t get much better than Red Garland. One of my favorite CDs is the remastered edition of “Red Garland’s Piano.” Garland’s lovely, delicate touch can sound hollow or shrill through some speakers. Not the .5. Each note soared beautifully and bell-like, with lots of detail even at low volume. Each note Paul Chambers played on bass was rich and distinct, while Art Taylor’s percussion had just the right snap.

On “Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet,” John Coltrane could have been playing his tenor sax right in my room. I could feel his powerful solos with my whole body, especially the lower registers. Clean, detailed and authentic-sounding. Likewise for Davis’s trumpet on classics like “The Theme” and “It Never Entered My Mind.”

I’m sure you’re dying to know how bluegrass sounds through the .5s. Fiddles and banjos can be challenging for a speaker. On “So Long of a Journey,” a live performance by Hot Rize, Tim O’Brien’s fiddle and mandolin were undistorted, nuanced and engaging; as were Peter Wernick’s amazing banjo and fine guitar work of Charles Sawtelle. No screechiness or pain on the high notes. Vocals, too, were tight, and you could point to the spot where each singer stood.

Claudio Arrau’s rendition of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (The Emperor Concerto) with Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra is sheer beauty. The .5 handled quiet staccatos and boisterous orchestral movements with aplomb. Sure, much larger speakers are probably better suited for such complex, dynamic music, but the diminutive LSAs gave their all without any noticeable smearing or breakup. Quite musical and engaging, although it was clear I was listening to smaller speakers.

With nearly any CD I played, the .5 disappeared once the music began, leaving a palpable, clearly positioned soundstage. These speakers definitely have PRAT. I was drawn in regardless of music style, my feet and head were moving and I could focus on the music. No glassy, brittle highs; no muddy, indistinct lows; and a midrange that’s spot-on accurate. Detail and dynamics are consistent from low to high volumes, but not at insanely high levels.

For many listeners, LSA has hit a homerun with its .5 speaker. It’s versatile and sophisticated enough to play almost anything well. Well worth serious consideration.



« Last Edit: 8 Mar 2012, 10:25 pm by Mass. Wine Guy »

roscoeiii

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #1 on: 6 Jan 2012, 08:48 pm »
Thanks for the great review.

What a nice looking system you have shaping up here.

Mass. Wine Guy

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #2 on: 6 Jan 2012, 10:42 pm »
Thank you. Yes, I'm finally satisfied with my system. At the moment. Right now. Who knows about next week? I just try to scour the low end of high end.

I enjoy the music through this gear and through my Quad 12L2s.

JLM

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Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #3 on: 6 Jan 2012, 11:09 pm »
Very nice review.

I know you've struggled with WAF, but if you could swing it, the floorstanding versions or adding a sub (to add depth/body and open the midrange) would be a great next step.

srb

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #4 on: 6 Jan 2012, 11:17 pm »
So do you now own these speakers or did you review and return them?  You mentioned the Quad 12L2 twice and that you like them, but made no comparisons between them and the LSA .5.  I am curious about the comparison as I have a pair of Quad 11L.
 
Steve

Mass. Wine Guy

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #5 on: 6 Jan 2012, 11:59 pm »
Good question, Steve. I own the Quad 12L2 speakers (oops, three mentions, now) and were loaned the LSA .5 speakers for review. I should have made that more clear, as I don't want anyone to think I was given the speakers to keep.

I also should have mentioned what I thought of the .5s compared to the 12L2s. I'll work something up and put it in.

srb

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #6 on: 7 Jan 2012, 12:11 am »
I should have made that more clear, as I don't want anyone to think I was given the speakers to keep.

Well you kind of did make it clear when you said "Brian Warford at LSA Audio Group was extremely kind to lend me a pair of .5s, to evaluate".  I just didn't know if you were maybe working out a subsequent purchase because you liked them so much.
 
The Quad 12L2 has a 6.5" midbass, so maybe a comparison to the 11L, which has a 5" midbass is a more appropriate comparison, at least in regards to LF performance.  But maybe you preferred the mids and highs of the LSA to the Quad (?), so I'll be interested in your comments when you get the chance.
 
Steve

BeaversAndDucks

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Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #7 on: 2 Feb 2012, 09:53 pm »
Great review of the LSA's. I was able to check them out at a nearby dealer and agree that they absolutely disappear when the music starts. I would also be very interested in your thoughts on how the .5 compared to your Quad 12L2's.

-Aaron

Mass. Wine Guy

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #8 on: 16 Feb 2012, 05:19 pm »
I couldn't do an A/B comparison of the two speakers, but the Quads are designed differently and also have larger drivers. My thoughts while listening to the .5 was that it handles nearly anything very well in a neutral and smooth manner. But it could only be pushed so much before things began sounding more compressed. Not brittle and harsh, just lacking some nuance and richness in presentation from top to bottom.

For the most part, this doesn't happen with the Quad 12L2. It seems to have a more effortless quality at higher levels. But it may be like comparing apples to oranges.

That said, I reiterate my belief that all but the one percent or less would be unhappy with the .5 It is a really, really excellent sounding speaker, especially in its price category.

By the way, if any editors at audio publications (print or online) would like me to write for them, please contact me. I've got tons of journalism, newspaper and magazine experience; a degree from Medill, and I just plain write very well.

Phil A

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #9 on: 16 Feb 2012, 05:23 pm »
LSA makes some nice speakers.  I've not heard the .5s but the LSA 1s have the same drivers (with differences in the cabinet and crossover) as my Mobile Fidelity OML-1s I have in the office system (pic below).  I understand (but could be mistaken) the the LSA 1s are made in the same factory as were my Mobile Fidelity speakers.



newzooreview

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #10 on: 16 Feb 2012, 06:02 pm »
The writer was impressed with how they sounded so I was curious and sent LSA an email.

Brian Warford at LSA Audio Group was extremely kind to lend me a pair of .5s, to evaluate.

Can you clarify--does LSA have an ongoing home demo program? Or was this a one-off courtesy? Did LSA expect that you would post a review on a major audio forum? Did they pay for shipping both ways or was that your responsibility? I think it would strengthen the review to understand the circumstances/relationship to LSA (there's no accusation intended here).

I've demoed LSA Statement monitors (in my home and at a dealer) and they are excellent. I do not doubt the good report on the .5s, and if I was looking for a smaller, lower cost monitor they would be on my short list.

@Phil A: I have had the same impression. Back when I was looking into the Statements, I noticed that they the same monitors (in stock form) were popping up under different brand names on eBay and other places (but not ubiquitously). I say stock form, because at least for the Statements, LSA performs modifications on the stock monitor coming out of China, and I've heard no one suggest that, at least in the case of the Statement monitors, that the stock product from China (and I have no idea where, what factory) sounds the same. It's worth clarification from LSA, in my view, whether across their line LSA a) specifies something different from the factory compared to the speakers produced under other brand names; b) performs additional modifications once the speakers come to the U.S. (as is the case with the Statement monitor). A lot of U.S. companies obviously have Chinese production either to their standards or with finishing work and quality control screening in the U.S. before sales. Nothing wrong with that, but one obviously wants to know if any particular model is just a re-branded product.

Mass. Wine Guy

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #11 on: 16 Feb 2012, 06:42 pm »
I don't know if LSA has a formal policy about in-home trials. I stated upfront in my letter that I was not a professional, but just an avid enthusiast; that I wanted to listen to the .5s and write a review here. Aside from getting to hear the speakers, the only other thing LSA provided was to pay shipping both ways.

I'd never before had contact with anyone at LSA.

I didn't hint at, suggest, infer or otherwise raise any possibility of a favorable review, and no one from LSA ever brought it up. It was let the chips fall where they may. Had I not liked the speakers, I would have written it up that way.

Phil A

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #12 on: 16 Feb 2012, 10:15 pm »
@Phil A: I have had the same impression. Back when I was looking into the Statements, I noticed that they the same monitors (in stock form) were popping up under different brand names on eBay and other places (but not ubiquitously). I say stock form, because at least for the Statements, LSA performs modifications on the stock monitor coming out of China, and I've heard no one suggest that, at least in the case of the Statement monitors, that the stock product from China (and I have no idea where, what factory) sounds the same. It's worth clarification from LSA, in my view, whether across their line LSA a) specifies something different from the factory compared to the speakers produced under other brand names; b) performs additional modifications once the speakers come to the U.S. (as is the case with the Statement monitor). A lot of U.S. companies obviously have Chinese production either to their standards or with finishing work and quality control screening in the U.S. before sales. Nothing wrong with that, but one obviously wants to know if any particular model is just a re-branded product.

I've also heard that the Von Schweikert VR-1s as well were made in the same factory as the LS-1s which differences in the cabinet and crossover.  I really like my Mobile Fidelity OML-1s  They don't get tons of use in the office system.  Most of the time it is internet radio (usually Linn Jazz at 320bps) and it really sounds good with the Pioneer 1120 receiver.  I bought the receiver for the secondary basement system (had an old Marantz DR7300 OSE - Orig Spec Ed - still have it) and was disappointed at the audio quality.  It is a very big room and the digital amps in the Pioneer did not sound great to me.  A different story in the office system and I can pass DSD to the receiver via a Sony Blu-Ray player.

newzooreview

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #13 on: 22 Feb 2012, 12:23 am »
I didn't hint at, suggest, infer or otherwise raise any possibility of a favorable review, and no one from LSA ever brought it up. It was let the chips fall where they may. Had I not liked the speakers, I would have written it up that way.

Thank you for clarifying.  :thumb:

JackD201

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #14 on: 2 Mar 2012, 11:56 am »
Hi Mass. Wine Guy,

I just strapped in a pair of .5s two hours ago. I'm listening as I type. First off, I thought they would be much smaller than the LSA 1s. Well, it's name is exactly half right?  :lol: They aren't that much smaller and neither is the soundstage. In typical LSA fashion these speakers throw expansive stages. Also in LSA fashion, they sound pretty good out of the box. The sound as is, is incisive and crisp, the presentation vivid. On low passages the woofers are showing tightness and compression as you pointed out. I owned LSA 1 Statements for a long time before replacing them with Unifield 1s. The Statements took around a week playing all day to fully settle in. The Unifield 1s took almost 2 straight weeks of banging non-stop with my Canto 300i. I wonder how long the .5s will take and how far eventually they can be pushed without coughing up fur balls.  :lol:

We are the Philippine distributors of both LSA and Von Schweikert Audio. I have a feeling we'll be selling a lot of .5s to go with the big bunch of LSA 1s we've already sold. Yes, there is somewhat of a cult following for LSA 1 speakers, particularly the Standard.

The speakers are in my bedroom and the rest of the system is made up of the following gear:

Sonos Zone Player
EERA Essentiel CDP
Valvet Soulshine Pre
Valvet A3.5 Monoblocks
Townshend DCT-100 ICs, Maxwire SCs

Mass. Wine Guy

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #15 on: 8 Mar 2012, 10:20 pm »
Thanks for posting and letting us know, Jack. I thought the .5s handled low end very well, actually. Only when driven to somewhat crazy high db levels did I notice some limitations due to driver size (I presume). I really think LSA struck gold with this speaker in terms of pricepoint and performance that exceeds that pricepoint. And music just sounds natural and musical. Not to mention they're physically beautiful. What more is there?

JackD201

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #16 on: 9 Mar 2012, 06:25 am »
Hi MWG,

I've gotten the drivers loosened up and can't agree with you more. My only niggle is that the narrow profile makes finding the right stands a chore. Other than that, yeah, darned good for the money. Gotta try it with other electronics now. :)

Jack

Guy 13

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #17 on: 9 Mar 2012, 10:44 am »
Thank you for clarifying.  :thumb:

Hi newzooreview and all Audio Circle members.

Sorry, I know this is off topic,

but I can't resist saying it:

That's a nice little puppy you have.

Guy 13.

What's his name and how old is he ?


Mass. Wine Guy

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #18 on: 9 Mar 2012, 12:43 pm »
Don't worry. I'm curious, too. Gorgeous little pup.

newzooreview

Re: LSA .5 Bookshelf Speaker Review
« Reply #19 on: 9 Mar 2012, 02:59 pm »
Don't worry. I'm curious, too. Gorgeous little pup.

Her name's Rainbow, and she's 7 now.