Braun L810

Loud, bold, and heavy is how I would describe my first impression of the Braun L810 full-size loudspeakers. Manufactured by Braun in Frankfurt, Germany during the post-war economic boom, nothing about the L810 is straightforward. If you thought they would simply be a larger version of the L480-I, as I did, you’re in for a surprise. 

Ever since my recent re-discovery of the L480-I for use as studio monitors, I have developed a soft spot for classic Braun speakers. In recent years, the faithful rendering of tonality has become my yardstick for assessing loudspeakers. Rather than rating treble and bass individually, I am far more interested in whether the overall performance has the mere properties of a technical sound system or rather captures the character and feel of a musical performance.

Many loudspeakers manage to render individual aspects, such as bass punch and contour, transparent vocals, and crisp treble, but when it comes to tonal character, timing, or the size and position of instruments, they fail to capture the essence of the original performance. I was very much surprised by the L480-I musicality, but as they were so limited in terms of size and listening distance, I could not help but wonder how their larger siblings would perform in comparison.

Braun's range of 1970s speakers started with the small L410 and culminated in the L810 and L810-I, the company's flagship models. To find out how far Braun, under the guidance of Dieter Rams (see below), had taken their Bauhaus-inspired reduced-form, rounded-edge design, the L810 seemed an obvious choice. While I was still contemplating whether to opt for the smaller L710 or go with the L810, a perfectly maintained pair of L810 came up for sale near us. This circumstance aided me in my decision, of course, as did the fact that my audiophile friend Luigi wrote to inform me about the offer shortly after. Our shared interest in loudspeakers means that we can share, trade or swap.

Although my initial contact with the seller sounded promising, and the Brauns were immediately reserved for me, our correspondence was interrupted several times, ultimately postponing the pickup by close to three weeks. It turned out that the L810s were part of the estate of a Hamburg doctor, who had also been their first owner and bought them in the early 1970s. Except for two small scratches on the back of one of the speakers, the L810s looked as if they had only just left the Braun factory in Frankfurt. 

They still had their original 0.75 mm² cables with DIN plugs, which meant I could not test them with the tube amp I had brought along. I decided to take the plunge and purchase them without testing them first. Based on their immaculate appearance alone, it seemed a risk worth taking. My mother had accompanied me to the pickup in Hamburg, and on the drive back to Marne, we marvelled at the inconspicuous Braun design and the speakers' timeless engineering.

I don’t know about you, but every time I bring vintage speakers back to life, I am completely overwhelmed by the fact that they can still play music. This initial euphoria is also based on my eager attempt to comprehend their sound character. The question that keeps me busy and excited is: “How much of what I am hearing is a deliberate design choice, and how much is based on decay or my present lack of understanding?” Listeners of another era may have had different room furnishings and enjoyed different music. They may also have had different yardsticks for defining sound preferences. 

On the other hand, materials do age over time. Crossover parts may have changed their resistance or capacitance, drivers may have become clogged with ferrofluid or have sagged over time. Materials may have become soft, hard, or brittle. Finally, I may not yet properly understand how these speakers should be set up, what kind of equipment and positioning they require. Therefore, any preliminary conclusions are bound to be proven false over time. It is this combination of promises and uncertainties makes vintage devices so compelling. Old speakers present a window through which we can look back in time, even if this window first needs a good cleaning first.

I first set up the L810 in the fourth listening position in my studio. This is not an ideal spot for placing speakers, perhaps because the roof line slopes inwards behind and in front of the speakers from a height of about 1 metre. This can easily create an unpleasant, horn-like compression effect that raises the mid-bass levels unnecessarily. However, it was in this position that I first noticed the L810's bass sounded muddy and overpowering, particularly when the speakers were set up with insufficient distance between them. Additionally, the two large woofers were exciting floor resonances. The small 0.75 mm² speaker cables were also insufficient for woofer control.

My plan was to replace the fixed cables with terminals. I opted for the low-mass type, which consists of a hollow metal centre prong with plastic screw-on caps. While this type may not be visually attractive, it does have the advantage of keeping capacitance low, which can be beneficial, especially at higher frequencies. I then invited some friends over to listen to the speakers. Henrik pointed out that using the current stands meant that the axis of the tweeter and midrange drivers was at least 30 cm above ear level, which contributed to the general lack of clarity. Nevertheless, everyone agreed that the speakers sounded promising and would be phenomenal with some more tweaking.

I set out to construct two new 40 cm stands. They are coupled to the floor via adjustable spikes, and the speakers sit on top of four felt cushions. I then set up the speakers in listening position three, with a large 100x40 cm concrete slab positioned under each loudspeaker stand to minimise floor resonance. These new conditions greatly improved the imaging and tonality. The L810 series is anything but plug-and-play. They require a large room, with distance between them and the front wall (i.e. the wall behind the speakers). In my setup, the speakers are 2.20 metres apart, with 1.70 metres between their grilles and the front wall.

In my initial testing scenario, I powered the L810 using a Hafler XL280 amplifier and Belden 9497 cables to achieve a slightly brighter sound. However, the overall performance was mediocre at best due to the aforementioned difficulties. In my second setup, I used a Dynavox VR-70E tube amplifier. After a short time, I changed from the Belden speaker cables to a new set of custom-built cables that Matthias had made for use with tube amplifiers. This enabled the L810 to produce more musical detail. Instruments became more palpable and stops shorter. There was greater bass attack and control.

Ever since I first heard them play, I have been drawn back to the L810 time and again. And yet, there is something about them that leaves me feeling strangely unfulfilled and wanting to turn the volume up. Gert Redlich of the German HiFi Museum describes a similar experience. Perhaps the crossover capacitors responsible for the tweeter and midrange sections have dried up, and changing them would achieve a more balanced sound. I will need to spend more time listening to the L810 to be sure and perhaps also conduct some short-range measurements to determine if everything is in order. In marked contrast, however, I never once doubted the sonic integrity of the smaller L480-I. They immediately captured my attention and produced a grin of satisfaction on my face. 

Size is overrated, they say. And the L810 certainly will have to show if they have what it takes to please in the long run. If I do change the capacitors, you will surely find out in a separate article. — Let's keep exploring!

Specifications

• Type: 3-way, free-standing speaker
• Original floorstand: Braun LF 700 (tilted)
• Construction: Sealed (acoustic suspension)
• Power handling: 50 watts (DIN nominal)
• Power sensitivity: 94.5 dB (1W/1m)
• Nominal impedance: 8 Ohms
• Woofer: 2x 21mm paper cone (Type LC 20/3)
• Midrange: 50 mm soft dome (15x15cm, Type LC5)
• Tweeter: 25mm soft dome (14x14cm, Type LC 3)
• Frequency response: ~ 20 Hz - 25,000 Hz
• Crossover frequencies: 550 / 4,000 Hz
• Dimensions: (H) 65cm × (W) 26cm × (D) 28cm
• Weight: 22 kg, each speaker
• Cabinet exterior and Finish: real walnut
• Front grille: perforated metal, sliver/grey
• Design philosophy: Dieter Rams, reduced form
• Country of manufacture: Frankfurt, Germany
• Year(s): 1969 - 1972 varying configurations

Dieter Rams

was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1932. He is known as the jack of all trades who gave direction to the famous Braun design from the 50s to well beyond the 1980s: Rams who initially started out as carpenter, went on to study architecture and became a notable furniture and interior designer before he joined Braun to contribute to some of the companies acclaimed designs. Rams joined the Frankfurt-based consumer electronics maker in 1955 and went on to become the company’s chief designer, a position he retained until retirement.

Sometimes christened “Mr. Braun” by the company’s advertising, Rams strictly maintained a design philosophy that had been laid out for Braun by Fritz Eichler, Hans Gugelot (lecturer at the Hochschule für Gestaltung, Ulm), as well as Herbert Hirche and Wilhelm Wagenfeld (both former Bauhaus scholars). Their design philosophy was most notable for its reduced form and user-friendliness, the combination of which made Braun highly attractive as a consumer brand from the mid 1950s. Rams has been quoted as saying: “Indifference towards people and the reality in which they live is actually the one and only cardinal sin in design."

To assure the continuation of great design, Rams developed a list of characteristics coined “Ten Principles of Good Design”. These are: innovation, usefulness, aesthetics, usability, unobtrusiveness, honesty, longevity, thoroughness, environmental friendliness throughout the product lifecycle. All principles sound strikingly modern and are found in consumer goods from Apple iPhones to Tesla cars.

Braun AG was sold to The Gillette Company in 1967, which in turn was acquired by Proctor & Gamble in 2005. P&G kept up the production of Braun groomers and shavers—the company’s bread and butter business since 1949—while small household appliances holding the Braun name are manufactured by De’Longhi since 2012.

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