Harbeth Super HL5+ Review

Mike

Mike

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http://youtu.be/VJKxu7tzsv4

Audioshark member Sean (Zero) does a great job with his latest review - a review of the Harbeth Super HL5+.





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Sean - you said the HL5+'s are "more forward". Do you think they are encroaching more on the "HiFi sound" side vs the musical side of their predecessor?


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Thanks for sharing Mike!! You pose a great yet surprisingly difficult-to-answer question. Here's my take on the subject:

Harbeth has certainly made it clear that they are no longer interested in making loudspeakers that adhere to the same old BBC character that has more or less remained unchanged for the past 40+ years. The SHL5+'s are, per Alans words, the first set of Harbeths that showcase what their Radial drivers are capable of. Suffice to say, the sound of these speakers is far more neutral and dynamic than their predecessors. Now, does this mean that they are embracing more of a "Hi-Fi" sound? Honestly, I think the answer is both 'yes' and 'no'. Here's why I say that...

At the end of the day, it all boils down to personal reference points.

If you're used to loudspeakers that are voiced aggressively throughout midrange and treble, ala, most Focal, Revel, Magico, Thiel, B&W, JBL, Klipsch, vintage Wilson Audio, etc..., then you'll probably walk away thinking that the SHL5+'s retain a very smooth and even-keeled character.

If however, you're used to your classic Spendors, vintage Harbeths, Sterlings, Rogers, Audio Notes, or just about anything that delivers a supremely colored (ie: rolled off and warm) presentation, then you may find the SHL5+'s to be surprisingly forward... bordering on aggressive.

When you get right down to it, I think Harbeth is trying to have their cake and eat it too with the SHL5+ speakers. Whether or not they achieve that goal boils down to personal preference and system setup. As I mentioned in my review, you gotta put in some work if you really want hear what these speakers are capable of. Once you get them dialed-in though, I think it's safe to say that there aren't too many music lovers out there who'd dislike em'.
 
Sean, Thank you for the video. Enjoyed again. Quick question to you. Have you heard all line up of Harbeth ? Especially the M40.1 ?
 
Hey Paul - I've spent time with all of em'. The problem is, I haven't spent *quality* time with all of them. To expand further...

I recently got to hear the new 30's for all of 20 minutes. I spent a brief period of time with the Compact 7's, I've owned the P3's for a handful of years, and I got to hear the 40.1's at both a show and at a private residence. Oh yeah, I also got to hear the new 40.2's at RMAF, but that's not enough to warrant any merit worthy feedback.
 
Thanks, Sean, for the great review.

If you get the opportunity, please review the 40.2. [emoji4]
 
Paul

Isn't the sound profile Sean is describing with the 5+ similar to what your heard as a difference between the 40.1 and 40.2? Alan would not be the first speaker designer to go in this direction lately after years on the other side.
 
Jack said:
Paul

Isn't the sound profile Sean is describing with the 5+ similar to what your heard as a difference between the 40.1 and 40.2? Alan would not be the first speaker designer to go in this direction lately after years on the other side.
Click to expand...

Yes, The reason why I purchased the last available M40.1 instead of M40.2. I'm sure some new crowd will go after their new sounds but as long time fan of BBC traditional sounds I wanted original Harbeth sounds.

If you are first time user of Harbeth, here is a quick note. The C7 and SHL5 has a thin wall box sounds of it. It's great for saxophone & vocal sounds on jazz but not so much on classical or rock. The M40.1 has no thin wall box sounds just pure music without any colored sound also it's not warm at all. ( well, all the M series share this sounds I describe as M40.1 sound though )
 
Sean - you mention that the Harbeth's are not the last word in dynamics. If you're someone who primarily listens to classical/large symphonic music, is it your opinion that the Harbeth's might not be the best bet?


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If you ask me, Mike, I would say all depends on the model, Also, I would describe as less "detailed" than "dynamic"coz the dynamics are there on every model. However, when you hear the Oscar Peterson's We get requested - track " You look good to me " you are not going to hear the bass player's breathing crazy as like a "Hi-Fi" speaker sounds. It will just bring out what's on the record. Not dramatic ( I call as "boost") sounds.
 
Hey Mike - Tonally speaking, I think the Harbeths are damn near perfect for classical/symphonic orchestral listening. When it comes to handling large dynamic swings and unraveling complex passages, I think they are good enough for most people. No, they won't capture the kind of drama that a good set of horns will ;), but even those speakers struggle to replicate the visceral sensation of 70-100 musicians/instruments playing at the same time. At the end of the day, I admit that I'm a tone whore, so that's what matters most to me.

Paul - I'm surprised that my original response to your PM didn't go through. I sent off a second reply. Hopefully you get it! As for the 40.1's.... I dunno man, I think they have a very typical BBC curve to them. Don't get me wrong. They're enjoyable as hell, but nonetheless quite colored sounding to my ears.
 
Sean, got your a pm. Thanks.

In regards to M40.1, my first pair in 2013 . I kind of agree on your experiment in small room with Mc gear but this second pair I purchased about 2 months ago is whole different story. I'm sure one of the reason is room ( double the size ) and could be the gear as well. Also, using a proper solid stands with isolation feets makes whole new speakers. Sometimes I'm not even sure I listen to Harbeth.
 
Anyway ... my plan is collecting all the models with Rosewood finishes. I'm hooked again with Harbeth [emoji4]
 
Paul - Dude, you're totally spot on with the whole stand thing. The mechanical and resonant relationship between a speaker and the foundation that it's placed on plays a HUGE role in what we hear. This hobby.... It's like a pleasant misery. :D
 
Zero said:
Paul - Dude, you're totally spot on with the whole stand thing. The mechanical and resonant relationship between a speaker and the foundation that it's placed on plays a HUGE role in what we hear. This hobby.... It's like a pleasant misery. :D
Click to expand...

Agreed. Sean, Have you ever try the Pro Audio Bono stands? Here are pics and makes great stands. I highly recommended for any Harbeth, Spendor users or any big bookshelf models.

23674103905_d7579b3f6b_z_d.jpg

Isolation feets.

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These sit between speakers and stands.

23306153719_1886f64b71_z_d.jpg
 
kkfan - Thanks for watching! Man, I'd love to get my paws on a set of 40.2's. I'm not sure if or when that will happen, but if it does, I'll be sure to announce it here at the Shark!

Paul - Those stands look sweet!
 
A caveat about the veneers on harbeths, spendors, etc is care in how you couple it to the stand. a friend of mine used blu tack and it pulled the veneer off when he forcefully tried to lift the speaker off the stand. I had a similar issue with HL5s sitting on ordinary rubber bumpers. it stuck to the bottom of both speakers I had to apply mineral sprits in the crevice to loosen the speaker from the rubber bumpers. the veneer on one bottom corner started to lift and I was able to re glue it with thin cyano adhesive.
 
Paul,
I am glad that you went with my PAB recommendation.
Vladek clearly knows how to isolate and decouple.
As you said, with proper isolation the 40.1 becomes what I always testified : a world class speaker, able to compete with speakers costing the price of houses.
 
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