Chartwell LS3/5A Vintage Collectible, Rare 15ohm Early Edition

Chartwell LS3/5a

Ive been reading for many many years about the merits of the classic LS3/5a design but never had a chance to experience them in person till this pair arrived.  

They came to us from the collection of a well known speaker manufacturer from the 70s.  I imagine he had them to study their design and learn from the years of evolution and engineering.  I can surmise this because there were other pairs that were highly modified but this pair remained intact and well cared for. 

The cabinets look respectfully and do not have any significant gauges or very deep scratches.  They have a nice warm patina like a piece of vintage furniture that has been cared for.  

The drivers are in perfect working condition  and each has been carefully tested through its entire listening frequency range.   They rubber surrounds are intact an supple and should last another 30 years.  

The grills frames are solid and do not have any cracks and the cloth cleaned up nicely without any significant tears.  

On the back you will find the stickers indicating that they are in fact earlier 15ohm speakers although some of the tables are missing. 

They sound wonderful and provide and punchy mid bass and warm and neutral highs typical of a British speaker. 

This particular model has been revived and is currently under production under the Chartwell name and retail for $5000.  Why buy a reproduction when you can have the really thing for essentially the same.  

Here is a bit of background I “borrowed” from an Ebay add:

These beauties were manufactured in early 1978.  They are the real Chartwells made by the original Chartwell Electro Acoustics, Ltd. in Mitcham Surrey, England before they were acquired by Swisstone.

Real, original Chartwells are considered the finest LS3/5A's ever made. They were tested more stringently than Rogers and other varieties. Their QC was second to none. The quality of the crossover glass epoxy board and components is top notch also. The ITT film caps used are known for their smooth, musical sound quality.

No current production LS3/5A (Falcon, Graham, Stirling) can even come close to the sound quality of these speakers. 

They have a very smooth response from top to bottom. The midrange in particular is to die for, absolutely sublime. Never peaky or bright. It is the equivalent of the fabled Quad ESL57 in a much more manageable size. 

Imaging is spooky real with these. Instruments exist in their own space in the sound-field. No wonder these are so highly regarded!

The 15 ohm impedance makes these speakers perfect for vintage tube amplifiers. Tube amps perform their best when the 16 ohm tap is used. 

NJ Residents will need to pay NJ Sales Tax

Use the buy it now button and we will cover the PayPal fees.

The item will be professionally packaged and insured for safe transit to your home. 

Available for pickup in Ridgewood, NJ or Union Square NYC.

Thanks for looking and be sure to call 646 852 2073 with any questions. 

Please visit our Audiogon e-store to see the rest of the items we have for sale www.audiogon.com/stores/skyfi

WHO WE ARE 

Skyfi.nyc is a small startup business specializing in the purchase, reconditioning and reselling of select high end audio equipment.  We only buy equipment the we admire and are passionate about.  No mid-fi, no gimmicks and no junk.  

Each piece of equipment is cosmetically restored and fully tested in our well-equipped lab by an engineer with 30+ years of experience in the Hifi world.  If it does not meet or exceed the original manufactures specifications, it will not be sold.  We are select about the equipment we purchase, focusing on mostly analog, high-build quality, American and European built units.

Through our sister company, which is an authorized dealer for McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, ClearAudio, Project and Sony ES, we have access to OEM parts and service support.  If you are local and are looking for any new equipment for the above mentioned manufacturers, please drop us a line as we can arrange both sales and professional installation in the tri-state area

PURCHASING GUIDELINES

If you would like to make an offer, please don't email or message us unless you are looking to trade something in.  

If we are accepting offers, you will see a button on the listing page to do so.  Please use it, as it is very hard to track offers through email or messaging.  This way, we are all also better protected.   If you don’t see a “offer” button its because we are not taking offers on this item.  Please don’t bother to make one.  

PAYMENTS

We prefer working through PayPal, which allows you to use a credit card or bank transfer.  We do not charge extra for any payment fees.  You can also send us a personal check (which will need to clear before shipping), certified check, money order or wire transfer.  International clients without access to PayPal should use a bank wire transfer. 

If you are picking up an item, we don not accept PayPal, you must pay in person with cash, certified or bank check or wire transfer.  If you make a PayPal payment it will be returned. 

TRADE IN POLICY 

We accept trade-ins of equal or lesser value under certain conditions.  Simply ask and let us know the exact model, condition and what accessories are included such as a box, remote, manual, etc.  We will only consider high-end equipment from mainstream manufacturers such as McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Krell, etc. and will typically pass on displays, projectors, receivers, dated processors and mid-fi equipment of any type.  We will offer a fair value for your equipment, but keep in mind we are running a business and will need to be able to sell the equipment at a profit after investing a great deal of time and resources in testing, certifying, repairing, cleaning and packaging the incoming equipment.  If you are looking for top dollar we suggest attempting to sell it directly to an end user.  

SELL US YOUR GEAR (Working or Broken)

We will also purchase your used or broken gear and arrange pickup if you are in our local market.  Just drop us a note for a quote, but be sure to include the condition and what is included.  

HOW TO VISIT US

We are currently operating from a residence in Ridgewood, NJ.  You are welcome to make an appointment if there is a piece of equipment you would like to see in operation before or after purchase.  We have a well-equipped, dedicated listening room with tons of equipment of all makes and models.  We are not a store, so please don’t make an appointment if you are just curious as to how a speaker or piece of equipment sounds.  In essence, no tire kickers please.  

If you are in NYC and cannot make it out to Ridgewood, we can arrange pickup in Union Square (14th Street) after the purchase.   You can call or text  (646) 852-2073 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.  We can also arrange to install, calibrate and tune the gear in your listening room if you are in the local area.  This is super useful when purchasing large speakers or heavy amplifiers.  It is also great for ensuring your new turntable is setup correctly in its final resting place.  

Thanks for looking and please send us your email address if you would like to receive a list of the equipment we receive from time to time.  We promise not to bombard you with junk email.