If you’re short on time and just want the highlights of this article, here it is:
The iFi audio Retro LS3.5 Speakers are a great choice for those who are looking for audiophile-grade sound quality. These speakers feature a 1.1″ horn-loaded tweeter and a 4.5″ paper cone wideband driver, which provides a wide frequency response and a wide soundstage. The sound quality of the Retro LS3.5 Speakers is well-balanced and detailed, with a solid low-end, clear highs, and smooth mids. Additionally, these speakers have good connectivity features, with support for both banana plugs and bare wire connections, 3.5mm audio input, 6.35mm headphone jack, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
Overall, the iFi audio Retro LS3.5 Speakers are a great choice for those who are looking for audiophile-grade sound quality and features. They provide a wide frequency response, a wide soundstage, and good imaging. The sound quality is well-balanced and detailed, with a solid low-end, clear highs, and smooth mids. Additionally, these speakers have good connectivity features and are easy to setup and use.
Quick link:
- https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1350007-REG/ifi_audio_0302002_retro_ls3_5a_speakers_pair.html
Now let’s get to its bolts and nuts.
iFi audio Retro LS3.5 Review: Sound quality
Let me tell you something right off the bat.
The sound quality performance you'll end up getting from a speaker will always depend on your room acoustics - particularly room dimensions and speaker positions.
The impact of the combination of these two is actually so strong that in most cases, it doesn't even make sense to utter a single word on sound quality without speaking of them.
This is also why it's not unusual to see completely different reviews of the same speaker.
In one case the speaker might be placed in a sweet spot inside the room and hence the user might be satisfied. In other cases the same speaker might be ill placed and hence user might even have returned it.
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The point most people miss here is that it mostly isn't even about the engineering behind the speaker itself. It's about where you place the speaker inside which room.
So, in order to solve this problem, I've partnered with Acoustics and Audio Engineering PhD Andrea Cicero from AC Acustica and created Soundton - a simple, 2D, browser accessible online speaker placement calculator.
With Soundton, now there's a way to figure the sound quality of most speakers before you buy them.
Read more about its working principles at soundton.com.
The end colormap provides you the locations with the best (green) and worst (red) acoustics.