Kenwood LS-M5 (1989)
The Kenwood LS-M5 is a 3-way, 3-speaker bass reflex bookshelf system from around 1989, originally priced at ¥43,000 per unit. It came in two finishes: brown (LS-M5) and dark brown (LS-M5 D).
The design concept was unusual for the period. Kenwood said it wanted the advantages of a full-range speaker in a multi-way design, and in the LS-M5 the lower limit of the midrange driver's reproduction band was extended to help get there. The driver complement is substantial: a 27 cm cone woofer, a 12 cm cone midrange, and a 2.5 cm dome tweeter. The woofer uses a cloth-Dyneema diaphragm with a long voice coil and an aluminum die-cast frame. The midrange diaphragm is also cloth-Dyneema. Kenwood combined Dyneema and carbon fiber to get a diaphragm that was light, rigid, and low in resonance. The tweeter uses a "crystal plasma diamond" diaphragm - a diamond layer formed on titanium - mounted in an aluminum die-cast spherical wave horn baffle. It has a DICA (Direct Inner Class A Suspension) structure, which does away with adhesive by integrating diaphragm, voice coil, and edge.
Rated frequency response is 32 Hz to 47 kHz, with a maximum input of 150W (EIAJ), impedance of 6Ω, and output sound pressure level of 90 dB/W/m. Crossovers are at 450 Hz and 6 kHz. The crossover network components are distributed to suppress reciprocal induction between bands. The front baffle is 30 mm thick, a laminate of two 15 mm plates, and the cabinet was designed to minimize front projected area for better sound image localization. A bass reflex duct sits on the back. Dimensions are 324 × 574 × 352 mm (W×H×D) and each speaker weighs 19 kg.
Surviving owner comments are limited to marketplace listings, but they agree with each other. One Russian seller described "deep bass, high detail, handles any genre well," and a Vietnamese owner noted it pairs easily with even modest amplifiers. A Japanese owner called it "the most decent speaker at my home." Japanese auction data shows a used pair selling for about ¥7,273 in 2026. Replacement surround edges are still available for the LS-M5, and they also fit the related LS-M7.
Kenwood's own literature from the period positioned the LS-M5 as a technically ambitious design, and the driver materials alone - Dyneema, diamond-coated titanium, die-cast frames - suggest a serious engineering effort. Beyond that, the record is thin. No professional reviews have surfaced, and the detailed spec sheet from audio-heritage.jp remains partially truncated.
Known Specifications
- Type: 3-way, 3-speaker, bass reflex, bookshelf, magnetic resistance design (EIAJ)
- Woofer: 27 cm cone (cloth-Dyneema diaphragm)
- Midrange: 12 cm cone (cloth-Dyneema diaphragm)
- Tweeter: 2.5 cm dome (crystal plasma diamond on titanium, DICA structure)
- Frequency response: 32 Hz – 47 kHz
- Max input: 150W (EIAJ)
- Impedance: 6Ω
- Output sound pressure level: 90 dB/W/m
- Crossover frequencies: 450 Hz, 6 kHz
- Dimensions: 324 × 574 × 352 mm (W×H×D)
- Weight: 19 kg
- Original price: ¥43,000 (per unit, ~1989)
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