Harbeth speakers ? - Seeking opinions and recommendations ....
- Thread starter joeinid
- Start date
the professor
Well-known member
They work great with Naim.
Paul
Senior Member
Joe... As you already know I am a HUGE fan of Harbeth speakers.
I owned all models in the Harbeth line which include the Compact 7ES-3, SHL-5 , M30 and now the M40.1
The Harbeth presents music in a wholly natural way without any listening fatigue. The midrange has a nice warmish feel and the highs are sweet, smooth and extended. Although there lies a super-tweeter in the SHL-5 that in the mind of some folks would extend the high frequencies in having more clarity and detail, the speaker is not the last word in transparency. The treble does not sound as airy or extended as some other high-end speakers with ultra-revealing tweeters constructed from exotic materials, nor do they impose an intimidating stature compared to other physically large speakers with high-quality gloss finish standing over 6 feet tall. This is neither a disparaging comment nor criticism towards the SHL-5 as the sound it produces is what that matters. The lack of transparency and detail can be seen as a favorable trait that may appeal to listeners with specific listening preferences. This particular inherent characteristic of Harbeth speakers, I believe, has been fundamental in creating a zero listening fatigue which in my opinion is vital in contributing towards the musical enjoyment with many hours of listening pleasure.
The M30 and M40.1 are true monitor sounds and the SHL-5 is more for home use.
However they still share the same house sound as sweet voice and boxy sound. Once you play the Ben Webster's Soulville you will know exactly what I meant.
I used to owned the Naim full system. ( Nac 282 + Nap 250.2 + CD2X + Hi-Cap ) as Jock mentioned they do go well with Naim . However with my taste the mono blocks of Mc275 blown them away by far.
I still paired them with the M40.1 with excellent result.
You CAN'T go wrong with your GAT+ART combo. You will be bath in music for sure. Play any female vocal and I bet you will find the whole new level of Mid-range and voice sound.
One thing ...... Please Please don't ever prejudge the Harbeth speakers with 30 mins of listening session.
Hope this help. :happy:
I owned all models in the Harbeth line which include the Compact 7ES-3, SHL-5 , M30 and now the M40.1
The Harbeth presents music in a wholly natural way without any listening fatigue. The midrange has a nice warmish feel and the highs are sweet, smooth and extended. Although there lies a super-tweeter in the SHL-5 that in the mind of some folks would extend the high frequencies in having more clarity and detail, the speaker is not the last word in transparency. The treble does not sound as airy or extended as some other high-end speakers with ultra-revealing tweeters constructed from exotic materials, nor do they impose an intimidating stature compared to other physically large speakers with high-quality gloss finish standing over 6 feet tall. This is neither a disparaging comment nor criticism towards the SHL-5 as the sound it produces is what that matters. The lack of transparency and detail can be seen as a favorable trait that may appeal to listeners with specific listening preferences. This particular inherent characteristic of Harbeth speakers, I believe, has been fundamental in creating a zero listening fatigue which in my opinion is vital in contributing towards the musical enjoyment with many hours of listening pleasure.
The M30 and M40.1 are true monitor sounds and the SHL-5 is more for home use.
However they still share the same house sound as sweet voice and boxy sound. Once you play the Ben Webster's Soulville you will know exactly what I meant.
I used to owned the Naim full system. ( Nac 282 + Nap 250.2 + CD2X + Hi-Cap ) as Jock mentioned they do go well with Naim . However with my taste the mono blocks of Mc275 blown them away by far.
I still paired them with the M40.1 with excellent result.
You CAN'T go wrong with your GAT+ART combo. You will be bath in music for sure. Play any female vocal and I bet you will find the whole new level of Mid-range and voice sound.
One thing ...... Please Please don't ever prejudge the Harbeth speakers with 30 mins of listening session.
Hope this help. :happy:
Paul, I bet those Viennas sound awesome!
LoL
Great looking too.
My only encounter with Harbeth is some smaller ones badly positioned on very high shelves in a local tiny record shop (one lying on its side). Even then, they sound GREAT.
LoL
Great looking too.
My only encounter with Harbeth is some smaller ones badly positioned on very high shelves in a local tiny record shop (one lying on its side). Even then, they sound GREAT.
- Thread Author
- #6
Paul,
Thank you so much for your opinion. I think I fully understand where you are coming from with the Harbeth sound. I've been thinking about them for many years but never pulled the trigger. I am sure all the gear that I have will sound great on Harbeth. I'll have to check out the 40.1's and see if they might work in my room. After I posted the question, I realized that you loved them. Thanks.
Thank you so much for your opinion. I think I fully understand where you are coming from with the Harbeth sound. I've been thinking about them for many years but never pulled the trigger. I am sure all the gear that I have will sound great on Harbeth. I'll have to check out the 40.1's and see if they might work in my room. After I posted the question, I realized that you loved them. Thanks.
dlb2
New member
Paul, what a great response. After reading that I feel like driving to Detroit to listen to some Super HL5's!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- Thread Author
- #8
Joe - these are fabulous sounding speakers - but woefully inefficient. So, little SET amps are out. Big tube (like CJ) or solid state, would be fine. One of the nicest sounds at the show. I could have listened for hours.
- Thread Author
- #10
Thanks Mike!
Toobs
New member
Joe
As you know, I have the SHL5'S and they are wonderful loudspeakers. Right now I'm driving them with a 100wpc ARC tube amp, but soon I'll be using an Mc275 VI which is 75wpc.
Initially I listened to the 30.1 and to my ears they sounded a little lean(to my ears) in the midrange and the highs. I decided on the SHL5's because they have a 25mm tweeter and a 20mm SuperTweeter. I believe the addition of the 20mm supertweeter allowed the other one to work a little better with the mid woofer resulting in a more dynamic midrange.
Any of the amps you own would work very well with Harbeth. I believe the Job 225 would be a superb match with the 30.1's or the SHL5's.
As always the best way to decide is to listen for yourself if you can find a dealer close to you. Good luck.
As you know, I have the SHL5'S and they are wonderful loudspeakers. Right now I'm driving them with a 100wpc ARC tube amp, but soon I'll be using an Mc275 VI which is 75wpc.
Initially I listened to the 30.1 and to my ears they sounded a little lean(to my ears) in the midrange and the highs. I decided on the SHL5's because they have a 25mm tweeter and a 20mm SuperTweeter. I believe the addition of the 20mm supertweeter allowed the other one to work a little better with the mid woofer resulting in a more dynamic midrange.
Any of the amps you own would work very well with Harbeth. I believe the Job 225 would be a superb match with the 30.1's or the SHL5's.
As always the best way to decide is to listen for yourself if you can find a dealer close to you. Good luck.
Toobs
New member
Joe
Visit the Harbeth website and click on the usergroup. It's a forum dedicated specifically to Harbeth. Lots of info there.
Visit the Harbeth website and click on the usergroup. It's a forum dedicated specifically to Harbeth. Lots of info there.
- Thread Author
- #13
Hi Bob,
It's funny you mention the Harbeth website. I think I joined about 5 years ago when I started looking into them. I appreciate your insight and will be perusing the forums once again. The fact that you and Paul have Harbeth speakers makes me believe more that they are something that I'd like. I believe the Job would be fabulous on them. As a matter of fact when I hooked up the Job this morning with my TADs and EAR 868. I was loving every note. I'll be doing tons of research to figure out where I'll end up. Thanks!
It's funny you mention the Harbeth website. I think I joined about 5 years ago when I started looking into them. I appreciate your insight and will be perusing the forums once again. The fact that you and Paul have Harbeth speakers makes me believe more that they are something that I'd like. I believe the Job would be fabulous on them. As a matter of fact when I hooked up the Job this morning with my TADs and EAR 868. I was loving every note. I'll be doing tons of research to figure out where I'll end up. Thanks!
+1... The 30.1s are a small gem of a speaker. This was one of my favorite rooms at RMAF this past weekend.
- Thread Author
- #15
Thanks Mike,
I guess I need to listen to the different models. I am pretty curious how the different models stack up.
Toobs
New member
Joe
Also consider the Compact 7ES-3. I listened to that one also. It's a little gem.
Also consider the Compact 7ES-3. I listened to that one also. It's a little gem.
- Thread Author
- #19
Paul,
The more I re-read your post, the more intrigued I am. Thank you for taking the time for posting such a well thought out answer. I need to listen to these speakers. And yes, you have helped me a lot.
The more I re-read your post, the more intrigued I am. Thank you for taking the time for posting such a well thought out answer. I need to listen to these speakers. And yes, you have helped me a lot.
NorthStar
New member
Paul is the Harbeth speakers expert. 