LSR308s...just had to do it.

[Aculous]

Was at guitar center looking for connectors, I am digitizing a collection of vinyl for a friend (cleaning up old LPs and trying to salvage them since he let them sit in his basement for 20 some odd years and they got destroyed). I walked by the JBLs with strong resolve. Covering my wallet like it was child that would be corrupted just by gazing at them...

well long story short the tweeters in my Infinity's went out and it was going to be pretty expensive to replace the stupid polycell tweets...

I am the proud owner of a set of LSR308s, I'll do some listening tests for folks is theres interest. The waveguide got me...didn't hurt that the kid working the counter let me do a demo for myself and no one was around...

[LowPhreak]

Grats! and hey, I never pass up a chance to blast the latest speaker I might be interested in on a demo. If they still sound good and don't die, they may be a contender!

[dr_gallup]

I've heard very good things about them and the price is reasonable. Let us know what you think.

[BMWCCA]

Please let us know what you think of them.

In just comparing their specs to the LSR305, they have to be incredible. I'd love to hear them because I could not be more impressed with the LSR305s . . . especially when you take into account what they cost!

[Aculous]

Well hooked them up and I love them so far. Initially had some trouble hooking them up because my AVR that I was going to try them with doesn't have RCA preouts like I needed and my other AVR is not in my computer room. I think I have some signal issues as well, currently I have it running 1/4" TRS to 1/8" mini jack into my computer and there is definitely signal hiss its really low but its there. So I am going to get a mixer or computer audio interface which will give them a clean +4dB signal like most pro audio stuff and see if that helps. I am guessing a different soundcard could help...but the audio interface will take care of it for me.

But in a now...5 hour listening session they sound great. My room is tiny and they definitely need more room to breathe but I am super happy. The highs are a little on the hot side but turning them down 2dB was too much so I think really its just their positioning in my room with another foot or two away from my face it would be perfect. The stereo image is amazing. Bass is deep but not fatiguing. I messed with a little EQ and they are really flat and need just about nothing in that department. I am going to mess with REW and see what they are actually doing in my room. Currently the setup is not optimal...smash up against a wall and close together but even with the limitations they sound great. Very forgiving, I played everything from jazz, acoustic, classical, progressive rock, metal and soundtracks through them and they are pretty transparent. Once I get them dialed I think I will be really happy.

I'll see if I can work out the kinks and then do some video or just hook the H4N up and do a quick demo. Anniversary is tomorrow so the weekend it is!

[badman]

The 308s and 305s are both superb for the money. Not full-bird "reference" speakers by any stretch, but good enough that even a serious audiophile could live with them almost indefinitely. More bass from 308s more refinement from 305s it seems.

[BMWCCA]

More bass from 308s more refinement from 305s it seems.

That would seem to be the consensus, but I can't really figure why the 305 would best the 308 in any metric. I dearly love my 305s and the 308s are quite a step up the price-ladder, but I find it hard to believe the 308 wouldn't be better in every way. But then I haven't heard them!

[rusty jefferson]

I think it's very likely the acceptability of the noise level in the near field from these speakers is related to hearing, or loss of it. Just because you can "hear" a 10k sweep doesn't mean you'd be able to hear a high frequency hiss at 2-3ft. I don't know how many times I've listened to systems with a microphonic tube in a preamp or phono stage that was ringing or hissing in 1 channel that was making me nuts, and no one else in the room could hear it. It happens to all of us eventually.

If you have these speakers and don't really notice the hiss, determine the distance from the speakers it's audible to you and measure it (the distance). Then have a young person with known good hearing sit in front of them and measure the distance it's audible to them. Not annoying, but audible. Annoying is subjective.

[4313B]

I just checked my LSR305's and I sit 2.5 feet from them. The input sensitivity is set to +4 dBu and the level is set to Max. I use this cable to hook them up to my PC sound card: Hosa CMP159 Stereo Breakout, 3.5 mm TRS to Dual 1/4 in TS, 10-Feet

They are outstanding.

[BMWCCA]

If you have these speakers and don't really notice the hiss, determine the distance from the speakers it's audible to you and measure it (the distance). Then have a young person with known good hearing sit in front of them and measure the distance it's audible to them. Not annoying, but audible. Annoying is subjective.

Could be. I'm 63 with decades of motorcycling and listening to live and recorded music under my belt. Fortunately I have my much younger wife and 21-year-old daughter in the house so I can run that experiment. I'll let you know. But again, mine are the 305s—bought on the recommendation of 4313B and grateful for that.

[Ian Mackenzie]

We tin ear old farts are easy to please!