Rogers LS 5/9 Monitor Speakers – Making the Most Out of Resonance
“The designer used the speaker’s resonance to improve the overall sound effect – this type of design has always been the BBC’s forte. ⋯ The BBC’s Chief Engineer D.E.L. Shorter has carried out in-depth research on how to make the most use out of a speaker’s vibration. ⋯ As the effect achieved is truly remarkable, ⋯ BBC monitor speakers have more or less inherited these designs, and the LS 5/9 is no exception. ⋯ The 22-inch stand makes a perfect match: it is simply the best in terms of the evenness of the sound, the positioning, and the fullness of the LS 5/9’s low frequencies.”
“BBC monitor speakers are born to replay classical music well, and that is especially true of violin recordings. With a push from Audio Note’s heroic dual, [the OTO Line SE integrated amp and M2 pre-amp,] the new version of LS 5/9 has produced brilliant results in this regard. ⋯ The LS 5/9 emanates a very rich violin sound, with an exuberant resonance and aftertone that lingers for a long time ⋯ With good high-frequency extension, the speakers reveal more details as the melody on the strings changes, and they show a brilliance that is not overly strong. ⋯ The piano chimes with power and the speakers replicate the piano’s physical volume with a rich vibrancy. ⋯ The LS 5/9 has performed well with increasing audacity on large-scale complex arrangements in classical recordings, arranging the various sections of the orchestra tidily across a grand soundstage, with enough density spread across all instruments. The sound is full, lively and dazzling. When the percussion section booms, the performance is still unfazed, recreating a grandeur that exceeds the physical dimensions of the speakers, and the tone remains as hefty as it should be.”
“BBC’s monitor speakers are great for replaying vocals, and the re-issued LS 5/9 have also inherited this tradition. ⋯ More importantly, the LS 5/9 not only reproduces vocals well, it is also good at handling accompanying musical arrangements. ⋯ In addition to conveying the savoury sound of strings, the sound emitted by the speakers have the same rich resonance that come from within the piano’s chamber, which reproduces the true volume of the instrument with a weight that feels just right.”
“As a user of the LS 3/5A, listening to the LS 5/9 this time made it clearer to me where the difference lies between the two. They have the same level of performance on the mid-frequencies, and the elastic sound of LS 3/5A is indeed unique and irreplaceable. As for the LS 5/9, its mid-frequencies are stronger and more solid, and the two can each be described as wonderful in their own way. ⋯ The performance of LS 5/9 has far exceeded the limits of its volume, especially as the new version has improved upon the extension of its high-frequencies, which makes it better than before at reproducing the aftertones and details of the musical instruments.”
– Lee Chi Wai
Audiophile July 2020
