Reviews

Our loudspeakers have been warmly received across the world. Please browse our reviews and customer testimonials below.

Swisstone LS3 Reviews

  • Sound On Sound - February 2019

    “...right from the start it was apparent that the LS3 is a very capable little monitor. The fundamental quality of the BBC LS3/5 (and LS3/5A) has always been just how well it reproduces the tonal quality and dynamic nuance of voices and acoustic instruments, and to my ears the LS3 displays a very good dose of the same seductive character. ...The LS3 would actually make a convincing case for itself based on only its mid-range performance, but it is also nicely balanced throughout the entire audio band without obvious emphasis, and its bass, while clearly not hugely extended in terms of bandwidth, has all the timing accuracy you'd expect from a closed box. Stereo imaging too is explicit and focused, and the tweeter displays a good level of detail without drawing attention to itself.”

    Sound On Sound - February 2019

BBC LS3/5 Reviews

  • Hi-Fi Advice - July 2020

    “Between the LS3/5’s and the LS3/5A’s, I think some people will perceive the newly made 5’s as more natural or organic while other people will prefer the more widely known 5A’s relatively more neutral and linear midrange delivery. Personally, I’m still on the fence and switching from one pair to the other remains a matter of adjusting. The technical perfectionist in me prefers the LS3/5A’s more neutral midrange while the music lover in me is more passionate about the LS3/5’s fuller and richer midrange. I say: just listen for yourself! ...Naturally, the bass goes substantially deeper and also feels more solid. But the biggest surprise for me is how flawlessly the subs pair with the monitors. The crossover point is clearly well-chosen and the transition absolutely inaudible. Tonally, the woofers are also an ideal match. This is the great benefit of using same-brand speakers that are made for each other. You get a natural synergy that you don’t get quite as easily (or at all) when adding a universal subwoofer. ...The case for the SUB3 subwoofers is not at all ambiguous. They simply provide what one hopes from subwoofers but rarely gets: a meaningful extension of the speakers’ bass range in a seamless and wholly synergistic manner.”

    Hi-Fi Advice - July 2020
  • Tone Audio - February 2017

    “While the legion of LS3/5 owners, with numerous variations on the theme, might grouse at the thought of this, I prefer the new Chartwell LS3/5 to any of the originals I’ve yet experienced. And for what it’s worth, I’ve held the first LS3/5 in my hand, at the now defunct Kingwood Warren branch of the BBC, so you know I adore these little speakers. ...I suggest buying a pair. Right now.”

    Tone Audio - February 2017
  • Hi-Fi Pig - July 2016

    “I didn’t want to stop listening. As a child hearing my father playing Glenn Miller I was carted off back 40 years, and didn’t want to end my dream. The fun in “In the Mood” just made me smile. Each soloist, especially the saxophones that made Glen Miller sound so unique and the piano, too, was detailed and very authentic, and I never once felt that the lack of bass below 60Hz a problem. Indeed the pounding bass at 2’35” of “The Hunt of Baba-Yaga”, Pictures at an Exhibition, Mussorsky, would put to shame many speakers at double the size.”

    Hi-Fi Pig - July 2016
  • Sound On Sound - June 2016

    “...Music is fundamentally about communication, and the LS3/5 is one of the great communicators among speakers. The LS3/5's ability to communicate the guts of music so effectively has its roots, I think, not only in the fundamental quality of its component parts and construction, but also in the care and attention to detail that was invested in the original desgin.”

    Sound On Sound - June 2016
  • Hi-Fi Plus - May 2016

    “The lack of coloration, the accurate rendition of tonal colour does, there should be little doubt, set something of a benchmark and once you’ve heard how the LS3/5s portray tone, it does show up where otherwise fine loudspeakers fall short of the ideal.”

    Hi-Fi Plus - May 2016

BBC LS3/5A Reviews

  • Hi-Fi Advice - July 2020

    “Between the LS3/5’s and the LS3/5A’s, I think some people will perceive the newly made 5’s as more natural or organic while other people will prefer the more widely known 5A’s relatively more neutral and linear midrange delivery. Personally, I’m still on the fence and switching from one pair to the other remains a matter of adjusting. The technical perfectionist in me prefers the LS3/5A’s more neutral midrange while the music lover in me is more passionate about the LS3/5’s fuller and richer midrange. I say: just listen for yourself! ...Naturally, the bass goes substantially deeper and also feels more solid. But the biggest surprise for me is how flawlessly the subs pair with the monitors. The crossover point is clearly well-chosen and the transition absolutely inaudible. Tonally, the woofers are also an ideal match. This is the great benefit of using same-brand speakers that are made for each other. You get a natural synergy that you don’t get quite as easily (or at all) when adding a universal subwoofer. ...The case for the SUB3 subwoofers is not at all ambiguous. They simply provide what one hopes from subwoofers but rarely gets: a meaningful extension of the speakers’ bass range in a seamless and wholly synergistic manner.”

    Hi-Fi Advice - July 2020

Chartwell LS6 Reviews

  • Darko.Audio - July 2018

    “...the Grahams won a first-round knockout – they got me more intimate with the performers, something readily apparent throughout extended listening. ...Partly because of that excellent low end the soundstage presented by the LS6s is panoramic. ...Vocals retain their characteristic warmth and there was detail aplenty meaning the LS6 places performers clearly within a large acoustic space. Ultimately with the right partners, the LS6 focuses us on performance nuance, not just its sound. ...Thinwall sound advocates can have their cake and eat it, the LS6s ceding none of the benefits whilst also sounding faster, dynamic, and more controlled. Their appeal will be much wider than that though, particularly given that they cover many music genres with aplomb.”

    Darko.Audio - July 2018
  • Sound On Sound - November 2017

    “There's something uncannily realistic about the way the LS6 does voices. It's a quality that's reflected in the stereo imaging performance, too; voices hang there in space... This fabulous mid-range performance to me speaks not only of a very high-performance bass/midrange driver and skilful driver integration through the passive crossover, but also of a cabinet that's not significantly playing along with the signal. The LS6 is a win for thin-wall cabinet design. ...there's absolutely no reason why the LS6 won't provide exactly what's needed of a nearfield monitor.”

    Sound On Sound - November 2017
  • Stereo Life Magazine - October 2017

    “...after the LS3/5 review, I wanted to hear a similar, extremely direct and engaging sound, built on a naturally warm midrange. But... I also wanted the bigger Chartwells to give me the real, low bass and dynamics that the smaller monitors didn't have. So, have my dreams come true? Basically, yes!”

    Stereo Life Magazine - October 2017

Chartwell LS6/f Reviews

  • High Fidelity - July 2018

    “This is this type of design that is able to recreate the atmosphere of a small jazz club in a more tangible way than most other speakers. The naturalness of this presentation is so immense that every now and then listeners are due to be surprised by elements that break out of the "sequence of sounds", let it be an unexpected descent of the saxophone into the low areas on the West 8th Street on Castle Ave., or a more powerful drumming in the Jazz at the Pawnshop. ...The scale of sound also helps in such spectacular imaging. It is large, expansive and natural. ...Graham's speakers are also very dynamic. It is actually an inherent feature for BBC-school monitors, but in this case it makes a unique impression. Immediate attack and stopping - these are the elements that the reviewed loudspeakers are very good at, better than many much more expensive designs. The opening of the treble range also contributes to that.”

    High Fidelity - July 2018

BBC LS5/9 Reviews

  • The Absolute Sound - February 2017

    “The Graham Audio LS5/9 is an unusual and impressive speaker. It does a startlingly good job of transcending its small size to present large-scale music convincingly. It has a balance very close to neutral and surprising dynamic capacity. ...It may be that you have a need for a small speaker; if so, the Graham Audio LS5/9 is surely an item of extraordinary interest. Few other speakers of its size offer anything like a comparable musical truth. Comes to that, rather few of any size do.”

    The Absolute Sound - February 2017
  • Audio Activity - July 2016

    “Listening to some piano and orchestra concerts - Mozart, the Lodron with Solti, Baremboim and Shiff for example - that pure timbre is enchanting and you almost see the instruments in the distance. The result is very natural with the lute music by Bach played by Hopkinson Smith on Astrée vinyl. The noise of the quick fingers on the keyboard are fascinating and well integrated and the sound results really natural. ...I am really happy that the LS 5/9 are back on the world market.”

    Audio Activity - July 2016
  • Tone Audio - May 2016

    “Vocal reproduction is a huge strength for the Grahams. Cover songs like Johnny Cash’s rendition of “Hurt” or Storm Large’s version of “Where Is My Mind” represent an experiential treat. ...Those who enjoy the subtleties of classical, jazz, and vocal music among other types of music, are likely to love the reproduction the Grahams provide. It’s a musically-balanced speaker that makes it easy – maybe too easy – to find oneself locked to a listening seat eager to hear "just one more" favorite album.”

    Tone Audio - May 2016
  • Son & Image Magazine - October 2015

    “It is sobering to realize just how right the BBC engineers had designed their speakers thirty years ago. Reborn and refined here with the expert guidance of Derek Hughes, Graham Audio's LS5/9 resets the bar for two-way speakers.”

    Son & Image Magazine - October 2015
  • Hi-Fi Today.com - October 2015

    “With the Grahams, to use an expression from my preteen daughters, they are "OMG! Awesome!" - both body and string tone. However, the treble was incisive enough to let the triangle sounds come through the recording mix clearly.”

    Hi-Fi Today.com - October 2015
  • Hi-Fi Senses.com - September 2015

    “The midrange was where the magic was. Its performance was breathtaking with truthfulness to vocal pieces. The pair of Graham Audio LS5/9 can bring you the “right there” sensation when your eyes were closed.”

    Hi-Fi Senses.com - September 2015
  • MusicTech - December 2014

    “The LS5/9s are particularly good at revealing micro-dynamics – the slight changes in level that occur within a particular performance. Having worked with original LS5/9s in the past, it’s clear that Graham Audio has got its new revision absolutely right.”

    MusicTech - December 2014
  • The Ear - October 2014

    “I would describe the LS5/9 as a true monitor, one that tells you a lot of inside information about the recording and its circumstances, but not in an overly analytical way”

    The Ear - October 2014
  • Hi-Fi Pig - October 2014

    “I was no longer listening to speakers. I was listening to the musicians, or the singers, or the spoken voice, just as the BBC sound engineers, myself included, would have needed to hear. Forget all those fancy boxes or new technologies. It was all right, back in 1983, and it's still all right now.”

    Hi-Fi Pig - October 2014
  • Hi-Fi World - September 2014

    “The tonal balance is spot on while individual musicians are clearly definable in the mix. In other words it's doing just what a studio monitor should by letting you hear the sound without imposing too much of its own character.”

    Hi-Fi World - September 2014
  • Hxos - September 2014

    “Its timbre is always naturally warm and has no harmonic texture of its own; it simply projects the correct timbre of the musical instruments, which is quite rare for a loudspeaker”

    Hxos - September 2014
  • Hi-Fi Plus - Issue 107

    “The sound is unforced and this is very much at odds with the current vogue for music thrown at the listener. But it's not laid back, it's just right sounding. The further you investigate the way music sounds through this speaker, you quickly realise that it sounds like music. That isn't as oxymoronic as it first appears. This isn't steely sound, it's just sound, it isn't dark toned or toppy or coloured or anything else, it's just sounding like the music itself.”

    Hi-Fi Plus - Issue 107
  • James Towler, Wincraft Studios, Sound Engineer to Steve Winwood

    “Graham Audio have managed to release the full potential of the LS5/9 design - they have an amazing stereo image”

    James Towler, Wincraft Studios, Sound Engineer to Steve Winwood
  • “Dear Paul

    Now I'm the proud owner of a pair of Graham LS5/9's! The speakers are absolutely amazing! Look superb and very british! They play very fine with my 50W tube amp (a 'Destiny Experience' EL 34 SVT from Thorsten Langer).

    ....And the sound: Unbelievable space, giant sounding, colorful, relaxed, playful, fine dynamics, warm, awesome stage ... Words with which journals would judge the sound. However, I'm just happy: When I come home after work, Kenny Burrell, Quincy Jones, Tom Waits, Marc Ribot, David Bowie or even Pink Floyd play LIVE in my living room now! Thank you very much for this perfect speakers!

    All the best, and merry Christmas. Christoph Stadelmann. Switzerland”

    Customer Review
  • “Hello Paul,

    Many thanks for a quality pair of loudspeakers and matching stands. Everything about them exudes quality from the design, build, sound and even quality of packing and the materials used for packing are all top notch. A lot of care and attention have gone into it. Many speaker designers and manufacturers have a lot to learn from you guys. You are a quality company that needs serious recognition. Well done to all of you and congratulations. First class attitude and work ethics. This CUSTOMER is definitely very well pleased.

    Best wishes Paul Benson, UK”

    Customer Review

BBC LS5/8 Reviews

  • Audio Activity - July 2016

    “The soundstage depth is stunning, as amazing is the ability of these two speakers, of still contained dimensions after all, to fill with music also very large spaces. All the people present at the Show in Munich in 2015 will be able to confirm this beyond any doubt. ...Also impressive is the speed of transient response. ...Let me also add one thing: if I had, for some reason, to change my reference speakers, I would replace them with these Graham LS5/8 for all the reasons that I have above mentioned. I cannot find any downside for these speakers even if I try hard to.”

    Audio Activity - July 2016
  • “The Graham LS5/8 is a mighty fine loudspeaker. Those who value the mid-band and have a need for full-range (or nearly so) loudspeakers should investigate. Those who listen to a lot of vocals and classicals should do so too. The price is not cheap, but here is something that can convey atmosphere when most modern speakers fail to do so. If you know Maria Callas' inimitable and never surpassed Casta Diva, you will know this factor is critical. Enthusiastically recommended!”

    Doctorjohn Cheaptubeaudio - December 2015
  • Hi-Fi Plus - October 2015

    “The LS5/8 is extremely smooth across the midrange and bass, with an effortless dynamic range that only a big, easy-driving bass unit can bring.”

    Hi-Fi Plus - October 2015

VOTU Reviews

  • Hi-Fi Critic - September 2016

    “The overall voicing is unquestionably classy here, and the speaker as a whole has low midband coloration and delivers an impressive soundstage, with fine focus and depth. Low level detail was easy to pick out, as the enclosure engineering has been very well judged to minimise any interference here. At the same time the VOTU provided dynamic expression that was convincingly vigorous and forthright. This Graham Audio speaker immediately filled me with confidence, as it has obviously been created by a seriously experienced design engineer.”

    Hi-Fi Critic - September 2016

SUB3 Reviews

  • Hi-Fi Advice - July 2020

    “Between the LS3/5’s and the LS3/5A’s, I think some people will perceive the newly made 5’s as more natural or organic while other people will prefer the more widely known 5A’s relatively more neutral and linear midrange delivery. Personally, I’m still on the fence and switching from one pair to the other remains a matter of adjusting. The technical perfectionist in me prefers the LS3/5A’s more neutral midrange while the music lover in me is more passionate about the LS3/5’s fuller and richer midrange. I say: just listen for yourself! ...Naturally, the bass goes substantially deeper and also feels more solid. But the biggest surprise for me is how flawlessly the subs pair with the monitors. The crossover point is clearly well-chosen and the transition absolutely inaudible. Tonally, the woofers are also an ideal match. This is the great benefit of using same-brand speakers that are made for each other. You get a natural synergy that you don’t get quite as easily (or at all) when adding a universal subwoofer. ...The case for the SUB3 subwoofers is not at all ambiguous. They simply provide what one hopes from subwoofers but rarely gets: a meaningful extension of the speakers’ bass range in a seamless and wholly synergistic manner.”

    Hi-Fi Advice - July 2020