Graham Audio LS5/9 Monitor Loudspeakers: Precision and Musicality in Compact Form
The Graham Audio LS5/9 Monitor Loudspeakers is a studio-grade monitor designed by BBC Research and Development to deliver high fidelity sound in smaller studio spaces. This 2-way speaker is renowned for its transparency, dynamic range, and midrange clarity, making it equally suited for professional environments and home listening. With a heritage rooted in BBC’s commitment to sonic accuracy, the LS5/9 offers a listening experience that reveals intricate details and nuances from even the most familiar recordings.
8-Inch Bass/Midrange Driver for Extended Low Frequencies
At the core of the LS5/9 is its 200mm (8-inch) bass/midrange driver, developed by Volt Loudspeakers in conjunction with Graham Audio. This driver was a breakthrough in its original BBC design, featuring a Diaphnatone polypropylene diaphragm that is lightweight yet rigid, ensuring both low colouration and extended bass response. The cone is paired with a die-cast aluminium frame and a robust motor assembly, creating a driver capable of producing tight, defined bass and a smooth, open midrange.
The polypropylene cone material helps balance the driver’s ability to reproduce low frequencies while maintaining midrange accuracy. This makes the LS5/9 particularly strong in reproducing the human voice and acoustic instruments, offering natural tonal balance and depth across the frequency spectrum.
Audax Tweeter for Detailed High Frequencies
The LS5/9 incorporates the highly-regarded Audax HD13D34H tweeter, a 34mm soft-dome unit also found in the larger LS5/8 model. This tweeter is selected for its ability to deliver detailed, smooth high frequencies without harshness. Protected by a sturdy metal grille, the tweeter blends seamlessly with the mid/bass driver through a meticulously crafted crossover network. This crossover ensures that the LS5/9 delivers a frequency response of 50Hz to 16kHz within ±3dB, providing detailed high-frequency performance while maintaining midrange integrity.
Thin-Wall Cabinet Design for Natural Sound
The cabinet construction of the LS5/9 follows the BBC's signature thin-wall design, utilising 9mm birch plywood for its panels, reinforced with hardwood batons at critical points. This construction technique, coupled with mass-loading, shifts resonance frequencies away from the critical midrange, ensuring that the sound produced by the drivers is as uncoloured as possible. Inside, Rockwool damping is used to control internal reflections and resonance, maintaining a clean and transparent soundstage.
The attention to detail in the cabinet construction not only impacts acoustic performance but also guarantees durability. Each cabinet is finished with hand-matched real wood veneers, which are applied and finished to an exceptionally high standard, reflecting the care and craftsmanship in each pair. The grille, machined from a single piece of 9mm birch plywood, is held in place by concealed rare-earth magnets, further enhancing the speaker’s sleek design while minimising diffraction effects.
Studio-Grade Performance in Compact Dimensions
Measuring 28cm wide, 46cm high, and 27.5cm deep, the LS5/9 offers the performance of a professional studio monitor in a compact form factor. With a nominal impedance of 8Ω and a sensitivity of 87dB SPL (2.83V, 1m), the LS5/9 is efficient enough to work well with a wide range of amplifiers. Graham Audio recommends using amplifiers in the range of 50 to 200 watts, allowing the speaker to deliver its full potential without distortion, achieving a maximum output of over 100dB for a pair at 2 metres.
The reflex loading system extends the bass response, allowing the speaker to deliver substantial low-end impact despite its smaller size. This makes the LS5/9 particularly suited to both near-field monitoring in professional studios and more intimate domestic listening environments, where space may be a consideration but sound quality cannot be compromised.
Sonic Continuity with Larger BBC Models
While designed for smaller rooms and near-field applications, the LS5/9 shares much of its sonic DNA with the larger LS5/8. This ensures that engineers and audiophiles alike can transition between the two models seamlessly, enjoying the same tonal balance and midrange accuracy, but with the LS5/9 optimised for smaller spaces. The speaker’s ability to reproduce complex musical passages, orchestral works, and vocals with effortless detail and emotional impact is frequently highlighted in professional reviews.
The Choice for Audiophiles and Studio Engineers
The Graham Audio LS5/9 is an exceptional loudspeaker, offering the kind of sonic purity that professionals rely on in the studio, while also delivering musicality and emotional depth for home listeners. Its compact size and finely tuned performance make it ideal for those seeking true-to-life sound reproduction without the need for large, room-dominating monitors. Whether you’re working on a recording or simply enjoying your favourite music, the LS5/9 invites you into a listening experience where every nuance, detail, and emotion is faithfully rendered.
From its dynamic bass handling to its crystal-clear midrange and delicate highs, the LS5/9 stands as a testament to the quality and legacy of BBC monitor designs, recreated with precision by Derek Hughes and Graham Audio.
