17 of the best British speakers of all time

[What Hi-Fi?]

To celebrate British Hi-Fi Week we've rounded up some of the best speakers from the British talent pool since the early '80s.

17 of the best British speakers of all time : Read more

 

[Lefizz]

To celebrate British Hi-Fi Week we've rounded up some of the best speakers from the British talent pool since the early '80s.

17 of the best British speakers of all time : Read more

Seriously disappointed the KEF Coda 7 isn't on this list. Absolute era defining speaker for me.

 

[Dbglobal]

How could they have left out one of the most Iconic British speakers ever made, the Rogers LS3/5a's. Makes you wonder who made up this list?

 

[Alexcann1]

The original JPW Sonata?

 

[wpcheadle]

agree with Dbglobal...how can you leave off a 50 year old design still being made today?

 

[HifiMusicMan]

Living Voice: Air partner, Tone Scout, Vox Olympian
Carfrae: Big Horn, Little Bog Horn
Lowther; just about everything they ever made in their exceptionally long history!

Who put your '17 'list together? Have they ever heard any of the above truly great British loudspeakers which will outperform everything on your list?

 

[Hifiman]

The comments are proof, as if proof were needed, that the list needs to be longer than 17! My personal addition would be Mission 70 Mk2s. After over 35 years I’m still impressed by them over contemporary speakers. Now that’s longevity.

 

[djh1697]

The Diamonds from 1983 where my first pair of speakers! They were a little bright with my Mission Cyrus 1, a NAD 3020 killer, from the same era. In time I upgraded to a pair a Tannoy Mercury M2's. These where both pleasant speakers. I now have a pair of Kudos X3's, which replaced a pair of Neat Motive 2's, which I am surprised haven't appeared in your list? Perhaps they don't have a large advertising budget with your magazine?

 

[Renfrew]

How could they have left out one of the most Iconic British speakers ever made, the Rogers LS3/5a's. Makes you wonder who made up this list?

I heard the Rogers Studio 2 speakers around 1983 and they were compared to much more expensive B&W speakers
Needless to say the Rogers were faster and just more present for the lack of a better word.
They can handle 500 Watts RMS and weigh about 100 lbs. each. No they aren't gorgeous but what a sound. I'm still enjoying them.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10154385452764420]

How could they have left out one of the most Iconic British speakers ever made, the Rogers LS3/5a's. Makes you wonder who made up this list?

The LS3/5a was an attempt to make a Goodmans maxim bookcase speaker churned out in the millions, made of chipboard covered in vinyl sound good enough as a nearfield monitor, here at the BBC. The trade off was a very complicated and power hungry crossover burning up it's resistors with the too loud bits of the sound, and allowing the bits that weren't getting heard to remain! Rogers and Kef provided the drivers, as the EMI offerings in the Maxim, from Celestion weren't particularly efficient or well enough damped. As a bookcase speaker, they were impressive. Next to the LS5/8 with it's 16inch bass driver and huge cabinet, they sound pityful. The irony being the LS3/5a was later made under licence by Celestion and Goodmans. forgoing Rogers and KEF drivers, but staying true to the Vinyl and Chipboard, that other manufacturers messed up by changing. If you want to listen to a truly remarkable speaker try the 5/8 and 5/9 it's half pint cousin. They get better as they grow up! But the 5/8 became a Harbeth that totally eclipses the spendor SP series.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10154385452764420]

The comments are proof, as if proof were needed, that the list needs to be longer than 17! My personal addition would be Mission 70 Mk2s. After over 35 years I’m still impressed by them over contemporary speakers. Now that’s longevity.

770

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

When will full-range single-driver speakers, with a frequency range spanning from ~100Hz to 20khz and above with at least 88db SPL sensitivity, so they could be paired with a subwoofer in Hi-Fi setups, be available from the majority of speaker manufacturers, for room-filling sound, is left for guesswork in modern times or I am yet to figure out a few.

Like for example the Cambridge Audio MINX MIN22 or MINX MIN12 when paired with a subwoofer.

 

[Rui]

i think some very important ones were left out , not that the list isn´t fair but what about the MISSION 761 4OHMS, released by the time they released the mission cirus 1 ,cd player and turntable ,those are incredible good sounding since the 80´s everyone that listens to this speakers ask which components i´m using , there was also the 760 and 763 from the same catalog allthough this ones are in the system photo with stands

either than this i don´t see Celestion here ,also great speakers that i know of ,since 1970 and left out the kef celestion join adventure in china who destroyd both brands compared to what we were used to

 

[Rui]

The comments are proof, as if proof were needed, that the list needs to be longer than 17! My personal addition would be Mission 70 Mk2s. After over 35 years I’m still impressed by them over contemporary speakers. Now that’s longevity.

well i have to say that i have working without any repair,

some Philips from 1968 and they sound amazing good ,

some Pioneer cs from 1970,

Celestion Ditton series from 1970,

some Kenwood from 1971 ,

than i have others from 71 till 79,

some Sony SS-G9 82 ESprit ,

some Mission 761, 4ohms when they released the Mission cyrus 1 integrated amplifier maybe 86

the Mission Argonaut (780 model)

the Mission 707 from the same catalogue as the Argonaut and 761 maybe the year is not correct but close

this sounding good without any intervention ,

Sony are what amazed me the most as nothing i have from Sony work without a repair somewhere in time as the system i bought all from sony from the same catalog as the speakers i refer, all were repaired,

and also the only 70´s component it needed a repair all others work perfect just have been sending some to be restaured to original specifications but all worked perfect that i had noticed ,

either than Sony also Sanyo and Nakamichi all components needed repair none worked without a repair here and there and they say it´s the best , maybe because they never owned it and only tested them new which sounds amazing as others

once i read that Sony was close to Nakamichi ,yes both needs repair not a lot of years after the purchase

 

[From Luddite Lodge]

How could they have left out one of the most Iconic British speakers ever made, the Rogers LS3/5a's. Makes you wonder who made up this list?

Totally agree , heard a pair of Roger LS3/5A last week at my dealer, being driven by a Nait 50 and source material provided by a Naim streamer , showed my Harbeth P3ESR a clean pair of heels . 50 years and still going strong with Falcon and Graham making their versions

 

[Rui]

Totally agree , heard a pair of Roger LS3/5A last week at my dealer, being driven by a Nait 50 and source material provided by a Naim streamer , showed my Harbeth P3ESR a clean pair of heels . 50 years and still going strong with Falcon and Graham making their versions

i have rogers LS , wharfedale , Celestion even goodmans but what surprised me the most in late 80's was the Mission 761 4ohms , it reveals a lot with many diferent amp.'s , there are some after releases but none comes near of the first series , even today its hard to find equal compatible speakers , off course , theres many but with prices not acessible to most of the people , i even bought two more on ebay since 2017 for 60€ and 80€ with perfect sound , i asked the seller why so cheap , both told me "no grills, they are destroyd" but either than that all is perfect , they came out when of the release of the mission cyrus amplifier and other components

 

[nInCanada]

How could they have left out one of the most Iconic British speakers ever made, the Rogers LS3/5a's. Makes you wonder who made up this list?

Just saw this from a few years ago..... it sorta downgrades the What Hi*FI label doesn't it? LS3/5a were probably Britain's top 5 of most famous speakers....

 

[Rui]

I have to ask for sorry as i listed some not British speakers as i might be doing something else when i wrotte the list and forget they were only british speakers that are maybe the best of all since at least the 70´s, that i´m aware of,

Celestion Ditton,
Wharfedale,
Mission,
Tannoy,
Rogers Ls,
Goodman´s,
being the best, 1-Tannoy,2-Wharfedale, 3-Mission,4-Celestion Ditton,5-Rogers, 5-Goodman´s.
and the order i put it as more speakers i have that are close to perfection