Now don't forget, with purchase you do receive either free shipping or delivery and set up.  And for some things I'll meet you half way.  With turntables and speakers, it's especially good to have home delivery.  Shipping is going way up, and shipping disasters are also increasing.  
  This trip to Centralia was to visit the Iossi brothers, Daryl and David.  Both are retired engineers from California, and longtime audiophiles.  They've even designed and built a speaker that they're selling out of their home.  And a very tasty speaker it is, I believe the price is $7500.  If anyone is interested give Daryl a call @618-545-0452.  They also have a keen ear for gear, which is where I come in.  Both own Leben electronics, and they've become great listening buddies as well.  We also bonded over our Swiss heritage, I know, cheesy!  
  I try to go out when the weather is cooperating, although I did deliver to Peoria, IL in a freezing rain/snowstorm.  That was fun- everyone sliding off the roads.  Me and my trusty cohort in hifi crimes stayed the course, and all went well....no DeVore 0/96's in the ditch for us! So try to go easy on me if you can, although said cohort does have a four wheel drive covered truck, and I have a Kubota here that will clear anything.  So fair weather or foul, the Haven can deliver.

  Here's that LM211, probably the most popular integrated in their lineup....32 watts in ultralinear, 18 watts in triode mode.  Very easy to bias, very easy to change tubes if you care to.  Here  you can see the factory EL34 tubes, which are quite quite good, laying off to the sides.  In their place are NOS (new old stock) Sylvania EL34's from Great Britain, a vintage new pair from I think 1962.  Oh, sorry, for those new to tubes, those are the 4 taller output tubes in the back row, and you want a matched quad set if you do indeed want to swap out.  And with biasing, it's only the output tubes you bias, not the input tubes in the front row. On each end are 12AU7's, in the middle are two 12AX7's.  After hearing how glorious the Sylvanias are, I'll be swapping the 12AU7''s with CIFTE's NOS from France, and the 12AX7''s will be British military CV4004 NOS.  Of course, I wouldn't be doing any of this until the amp is fully run in with its factory tubes, a quality power cord added, a proper amp stand or rack used,  

  Still to come, the new four post metal stand from Falcon will be here shortly.  It can't come soon enough!  I've been using a 24" Skylan in the interim, and it's doing the trick, yet the top plate is sized wrong, so you know, as with anything else in hifi, it needs to be done right.  It probably won't be cheap, I'm thinking priced equivalently to a Sound Anchor (egads!) but with way better sound.

  Now here's something that makes me endlessly happy.....

  They're here and well broken in, the Falcon LS3/5a's, and taking the midwest by storm....no, no more lightning, if you please....last week's hellacious storm took out two more trees....at this rate I'll be left with only a couple of bushes!  At any rate, something that will remain a constant here, unlike my trees, will be these very small yet very big sounding British monitors.  I'll admit to having reservations when I found out that Jonathan Halpern of Tone Imports would be the new US distributor.  Not because of dear ol Jonathan, no sir, not he who helps steer the Haven thru the myriad of products out there, distributing some of the tastiest hifi from across the globe. Rather I was so tired of small speakers in general, fine for tiny, tiny rooms or kitchen systems or on either side of your computer screen or tv, just not as system speakers, where you would want to convey a whole orchestra in front of you, or rock out at realistic volume levels.  Until I heard these.  I mentioned these on here before, how captivated I was with them, how upon first hearing them I had to have them, HAD TO, that they made other speakers sound broke- okay, a good percent at least.  I'm trying to tone down my hyperbole, so please forgive my overstatements.  
  However, as I continue to experiment with these Falcons here, as I'm finding the inner secrets of musical passages revealed, I simply can't quit blabbering on about them. They are incredible speakers, at anywhere near their price of $2995 in standard finishes and $3250 in premium finishes. If you treat these speakers like I have here, with a proper amp that can give them current with some love attached, I'm thinking here the LM508, the Leben 600 w EL34's, the lil LM211, several more in test mode as we speak, and of course give them a good source, the Amadeus, the Aurender A10, oh boy, you should hear them with the Brinkmann Bardo! and the WTL Royale, these lil boxes will fill your room with some of the most delicious music you will ever hear. The interest in these has been very high, and rightly so.  They've caused customers to burst out singing along, I've noticed increased leg movements and toe twitching, and above all I've seen more of that huge smile that comes across when hearing one of your ol favs come across to you like you've always wanted to hear it reproduced.  Yes, the Falcon LS3/5a's are here to stay.  I may even grab them on my way to the basement the next time we have another one of these bigger than life storms that are happening all too frequently here.  Like the other products here at the Haven, the Falcons are the best in their class.  It's been gratifying to have so many recent appointments to hear and purchase these speakers.  Matching stands from Falcon are still on their way, but some are using Skylans or Sound Anchors or Atacamas, to name a few, 24 - 30" seems to be the preferred height, depending on the room and listening seat elevation. 
  Back to my backing down on hyperbole, there are some other fine small loudspeakers out there, the Harbeth 3 is a very nice speaker overall - still not in the same league- yet nice, like the KEF LS50, and an audio bud of mine swears by her Trenner & Friedl lil guys. Yet shining above all are these versions of the BBC LS3/5a's.....I'm sorry, I can't help myself....they're just that special! and you know what else?? They're HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  Do make an appointment and come have a listen......I take cash, check, or charge....or I can bill you an invoice, due before delivery.  Easy pease.   Spread the word, the Falcons are here.   Thanks!