Graham Audio LS5/5f Unboxing

The Graham LS5/5f is an augmented reissue of the original LS5/5 monitor that was designed by Dudley Harwood and Spencer Hughes for mixing and mastering purposes, and issued by the BBC in 1967. Withdrawn not long thereafter because, in the age of the Beatles, it could not play loud enough, and subsequently used solely for microphone calibration, the LS5/5 languished until Graham Audio's extended dynamics redo arrived in 2019. Now we have the LS5/5f, which adds an extra 16"-long lower acoustic chamber to the new LS5/5, and places the front-firing port below the woofer. The slot window around the woofer is said to force a driver that is inherently non-linear to perform in a far more linear manner from the top to the bottom of its range. All told, the change in cabinetry is specified as delivering 7dB more bass at 20Hz than the stand-mount model, and a frequency response of 35Hz-20kHz ±2dB.
One might ask why are there slots in front of the drivers for the LS5/5?
All drivers are non linear in their output. As frequency rises, the output diminishes. When one goes up in volume, the drivers project sound to a more focused point in one direction. The slotted baffle smooths out the integration between all drivers, forcing the drivers to have a more linear output across the frequency response and the sound to disperse more evenly. It makes the presentation more natural, achieving a much wider sweet spot, and a smoother response. From a practical standpoint, it makes the speakers easier to place in the room. This practice was discontinued for marketing reasons and not for sound quality.
For a more detailed explanation, refer to Graham Audio’s write up on this subject: www.grahamaudi...
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