BBC Wales auction (Studer, Revox, AKG, Neumann, Calrec etc)

Public service announcement - Peaker Pattinson are currently auctioning off a TON of gear from the BBC Wales studios in Cardiff. I've no connection, just spreading the word. Full details are here:

https://www.ppauctions.com/auction/306/bbc-wales-3-day-sale

There's a couple of days left on the auction, lots of stuff that would probably only be of interest in broadcast but a few of the choicer morsels include a dozen or so Studer tape machines (mostly A80RC MK2); four Revox PR99; AKG C422 and C522 stereo condenser mics; couple of 414s; a bucketload of AKG and Calrec small condenser mics; some Neumann TLM series; various scopes from Tektronix and others; a couple of small Glensound mixers; and loads of small Mackie-level mixers, Focusrite Octopres, and that sort of thing.

Collection only as far as I'm aware, so (current lockdown notwithstanding) if you're in driving distance of Cardiff and in the market for a Studer then this may be of interest.

What I'd give to have a Welsh contact who could pick up that old Klark-Teknik DN780.

Quite a few pairs of  BBC designed LS monitors there too at less than going rates.

Had my heart set on getting a par of LS5/9's or Harbeth 30's for quite some time now but don't think I can swing a trip to Cardiff at the moment. 

Thanks for the heads up though

Winston O'Boogie said:

Quite a few pairs of  BBC designed LS monitors there too at less than going rates.

Had my heart set on getting a par of LS5/9's or Harbeth 30's for quite some time now but don't think I can swing a trip to Cardiff at the moment. 

Thanks for the heads up though

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I've always wondered about the LS3/5As because they seem to get universal love. Are the LS5s more sought after? I've never seen them here in the states, though the BBC monitors are harder to come by.

Yes, I was eyeing those Harbeths somewhat wistfully myself! Next time, maybe... 

groselicain said:

I've always wondered about the LS3/5As because they seem to get universal love. Are the LS5s more sought after? I've never seen them here in the states, though the BBC monitors are harder to come by.

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The LS3/5a's are what you might call a bookshelf type monitor in that they are relatively small, whereas the LS5/9's have a larger mid/low driver and cabinet.  Both are good for the application intended.  The LS3'5a's were originally designed as a speaker to use in fairly small spaces such as an OB van.  While they won't extend to the deep bottom end, they are very revealing in the mids and excel for vocal ranges.  The LS5/9's are more of a mid-sized room monitor and have a more extended bottom end for rooms that can sustain the larger waveforms. 

The Harbeth speakers are upgrades on the original BBC designs and also nice.  In the Hi-Fi world you can get the P3ESR and Monitor 30.2 in various nice veneers etc., and for a more utilitarian use in studios in a plain black finish they're sold as the monitor 20's and monitor 30's. 

Given the choice I'd go for the Harbeth but, at the right price, there's nothing wrong with a pair of used Rogers built LS5/9's.  Rogers just re-released these I believe but the new ones are pricey compared to used. 


Yep, next time TwentyTrees