Intro
Contents
Derk Hughes of Graham Audio has created a floor-standing version next to the LS8/1 3-way monitor. The additional cabinet space in the thin-walled enclosure is used for a front mounted bass port and adds more body to the sound. In use, how do these speakers sound?
The setup of the 3-way is the same as the monitor and we would like to refer to the review. The bass of these speakers is clearly present and tangible, without sounding ‘bass heavy’.
Placing the Graham Audio LS8/1F
The speakers are easy to place, they are not very picky for precise alignment. The bass port at the front dampens direct feedback from rear walls and side walls compared to a port at the rear, but bass frequencies are omnidirectional and placement in a corner can quickly lead to overpowering bass. Some distance from walls is recommended, as with any speaker with a bass port.
The Graham Audio LS8/1F speakers have a very generous and encompassing soundstage. Toeing in slightly creates more focus in the soundstage. How much is taste, but they do not like extreme toe in, then you lose the spaciousness of the stereo image.
What is the character of the Graham Audio LS8/1F?
The speakers do not sound warm, but neither are they completely neutral. They are even slightly on the undercooled side in terms of tonal colour, but certainly not in terms in how the music feels. This is mainly due to the clear highs. The setup of this speaker features two tweeters, with the first crossover at 3.5kHz and the second at 14kHz. The woofer therefore accounts for much of the sound spectrum, including most of the sound of acoustic instruments and the human voice. The result is a very easy to follow reproduction of any music you play. ‘Effortlessly sounding’, if I have to summarise it.
The Graham Audio LS8/1F speakers play clearly forward, literally. It is as if you can touch the soundstage. Despite the music’s clear presence, the speakers are far from obtrusive.