Falcon Loudspeakers GOLD BADGE LS3/5A

Deep bass is necessarily limited by the compact sealed cabinet: StereoNET notes a clear low-frequency cutoff, while The Audio Beatnik finds the lowest registers somewhat thin and restrained on electronic music. Within its range, however, reviewers consistently praise the tight, tuneful and articulate upper bass; The Ear even found it sufficiently satisfying without a subwoofer when carefully positioned.

The midrange is the Falcon's defining achievement. Reviewers repeatedly describe voices and acoustic instruments as natural, transparent, richly textured and emotionally immediate, with Hi-Fi Choice calling it phenomenally open and resolute. StereoNET hears greater resolution and sweetness from the Gold Badge crossover, while The Audio Beatnik found its vocal realism and tonal nuance remarkable.

Treble is detailed, clear and generally refined, with the Gold Badge update said to make the highest notes clearer yet slightly softer than before. There are caveats: Hi-Fi Choice and The Audio Beatnik found it capable of sounding bright or assertive with certain electronics, recordings or modern mastering, and The Ear notes that the T27 does not offer the last degree of sparkle and decay.

Imaging and soundstaging attract near-unanimous praise. Reviewers describe a speaker that disappears, locks vocal images firmly in place and creates unusually wide, deep and layered soundfields; Hi-Fi Choice heard depth and breadth extending beyond the room boundaries. The Gold Badge is also credited with taking instruments further beyond the cabinets and improving depth perspective over earlier versions.

For such a small, low-sensitivity monitor, the Falcon is notably quick, rhythmically alert and expressive. StereoNET praises its crisp starts and stops and its ability to follow rhythmic detail, while Hi-Fi Choice found real bite and jump in transient-heavy music. It is most convincing at normal to moderately high levels, as one review notes the drivers begin to sound less comfortable when pushed very hard.

Reviews describe immaculate workmanship, handsome natural-wood veneers and faithful execution of the original BBC specification. The Baltic-birch cabinet, beech fillets, closely matched drive units and carefully specified Gold Badge crossover components give it the feel of a serious, hand-built specialist product.

At roughly £2,438 and above depending on finish and edition, the Gold Badge is an expensive LS3/5A and StereoNET explicitly calls it the costliest version available. Its premium is supported by unusually lavish parts and reviews praising performance that challenges more expensive systems, but buyers seeking deep bass, high output or broad-room versatility can find more conventional alternatives for the money.