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Harbeth Owners Thread

roadie1 said:
I have to take the Harbeth down a notch. My KEFs came this morning. They really are everything I've read about them.
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Well...that certainly threw water on the fire that was moving me toward trying a set of Harbeths. I had LS50’s and though I thought they were noteworthy, they came off a little uninspiring to me. Still wondering if my Altec and JBL experiences have left me not easily enamoured with the “British sound”. Still, I really want to experience what makes the Harbeths so special. Can’t seem to locate any in the DFW area to listen to.
 
RickyRecordo said:
I've had my C7ES3s for about a year and they are by far the best speakers I have ever owned. Immediately preceding them were Klipsch Choruses all modded out that sounded unrefined (to be kind) in comparison. Having said that, the experience with these speakers has been so positive I wonder how much better the SHL5 Pluses would be? I can't afford (nor fit) the 40s, so the Supers are aspirational Harbeths for me. Anybody make that move, and what were the differences?
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I had the C7ES3s for almost 3 years (which is saying something!) and have the SHL5+ on order but have listened to them many times. The 5's are more transparent, more open and airy without being analytical, unnatural or unforgiving. But the bass is the big "plus" with the 5s, much deeper, much more impact / punch and less "wooley" than the C7s. I will reply back in a few months once I have had them in my room for a while.
 
avanti1960 said:
I had the C7ES3s for almost 3 years (which is saying something!) and have the SHL5+ on order but have listened to them many times. The 5's are more transparent, more open and airy without being analytical, unnatural or unforgiving. But the bass is the big "plus" with the 5s, much deeper, much more impact / punch and less "wooley" than the C7s. I will reply back in a few months once I have had them in my room for a while.
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I am about a month into my acquisition of SHL5+ as well! I agree with everything you wrote, but I would add that the biggest surprise for me is how well they image. In another post I wrote how I loved my C7s but was lusting after Supers or KEF Reference 1s (new style). Well I bought the KEFS used for a great price and liked a lot about them (looks, build quality, bass, slam, imaging) but found them lacking the flesh and blood tonality that I hear in Harbeths. After a month of kidding myself I bought a pristine pair of ebony Supers used and sold the KEFS. Night and day. Even my modernist buddy (a graphic designer and amateur speaker builder) had to admit the Supers were better than the KEFS--and he hates the BBC monitor style!
 
RickyRecordo said:
I am about a month into my acquisition of SHL5+ as well! I agree with everything you wrote, but I would add that the biggest surprise for me is how well they image. In another post I wrote how I loved my C7s but was lusting after Supers or KEF Reference 1s (new style). Well I bought the KEFS used for a great price and liked a lot about them (looks, build quality, bass, slam, imaging) but found them lacking the flesh and blood tonality that I hear in Harbeths. After a month of kidding myself I bought a pristine pair of ebony Supers used and sold the KEFS. Night and day. Even my modernist buddy (a graphic designer and amateur speaker builder) had to admit the Supers were better than the KEFS--and he hates the BBC monitor style!
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great to know, thanks. I thought the 7's imaged extremely well and will be very happy if the 5's just keep pace in that area.
Interesting about the Ref 1s too. I listened to them at a dealer last spring and was extremely disappointed. The dealer was selling the demo set at an unbelievable deal too but I could not even think about it. Metallic overtones and artificial sounding - and these were fully broken in!
They were put to shame in a back to back demo with a very unheralded unique speaker in the Legacy Calibre. The resolution and sound stage on that speaker was through the roof- but still no Harbeth.
 
I, like the OP, have my C7ES3s mounted on Sound Anchor stands and I can't ever see myself getting rid of them. I also have a pair of Magnepan .7s and switched them out a couple of months ago for my Harbeths just as an experiment, but quickly returned to the C7s.
 
I feel the need for an updated roll call. Harbeth owners unite!

I have a beautiful pair of Harbeth 30.1s (Cherry) on Sound Anchor stands.

I may experiment with different sources and electronics, but I think the speakers will remain constant. My only temptation would be planars/electrostatics, but never in my current room.
 
pmbSWD1aj

Sound Dragon said:
Permission to Come aboard?!

love the 5s, just missing out on the midbass punch that i have heard at shows and dealers. possibly room and position related?
i find that i need the subwoofers for excellent bass.
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avanti1960 said:
nice stands. how is the bass response in your room? the speakers are positioned well out from the wall.
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Bass was true to source material but limited by the speakers capability. Corner loading did improve things a little at the expense of mid range detail. The magic is most definably in the mid band of the spectrum with these. Still, a truly musical speaker. I enjoyed mine very much.
 
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