• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Harbeth SHL-5 incoming.

Negotiableterms said:
The overall lesson here seems to be that system synergy trumps most other elements.

For example, your post shows that your favorite speakers don't sound good with some combinations that work perfectly well with other speakers.

Fascinating stuff, John... can't wait to hear how the coming 40.1s do! :D
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, the Monitor 40s. Not yet. But maybe if I switch jobs soon or move to a cheaper city to live in. I wouldn't rule that out ...
 
We have the same tastes in speakers John! The Harbeths were one of my 3 or so favorites at T.H.E. Show Newport, and the only ones REMOTELY affordable. Hell, I consider my Kossfires mini Harbeths. :D
 
Love reading this stuff. I tell ya, John, your comment on synergy coldn't be more true. I find the more capable the speaker, the more finicky it can (can-not always) be with the rest of your system.

I'm hell bent on thinning my collection and am doing the amp/pre/speaker juggle myself. Maddening, but I vow to be successful.
 
Is it synergy, which I would not argue does not exist, or is it JohnVF's best speakers + best amp + best preamp = his best sound? The two are closely intertwined, but in this case I'm going with it’s his bestests. YMMV
 
Last edited:
I think it's a bit of both. I could argue that the Leben is my best amplification but it's not powerful enough. I've had a more expensive amp than the Aleph that didn't grab me on the previous Harbeths. The McCormack sounded better than the Klyne with my tube amp. The Sony TAN-8550 is a very good amp that didn't sound great with the Harbeths. So ...?
 
I really loathe the whole "synergy" concept. It can prove frustrating and expensive.

I found lesser speakers weren't so critical, but as I've moved upwards, I've run into issues.

I figure once I decide on the speakers that will stay, I can stop fretting, pick the amp that works best, and get some sleep at night knowing all is right in the universe.

Or at least in my living room.
 
Now you're talking Deli.
You have to pick a baseline to build a great system.
Building a great system in your listening space is one of the things in life that, to the right ears, instantly shows the difference between technical competence, craftsmanship and art.
 
I've had a bunch of speakers but I don't rotate them as much as I did. The only ones rotating now are Don's Spendor BC-1s and the Cabasses. The Spendors almost demand tubes and my favorite tube amp just died in a puff of smoke and flashing tubes :(. It was easier for me to dig out the Cabasses than my Fisher X-202b. But they'll be on that soon.

The Harbeths have settled as the main speakers, though (the above drama was in my second system) and that really let me just pick the right gear for them. The fine tuning was fun and very rewarding in regards to sound quality. As what was almost right for the Harbeths was quite a bit of a ways from what was exactly right. It was great to be able to focus, and to know that I could comfortably settle on a 30w Class-A amp because there weren't 4 other pairs of speakers that had to potentially be driven.
 
I've just been reading through this thread and it's refreshing to read of others positive experiences with the Harbeths SHL-5's.

I've been a owner of these speakers for around 4 years now, and have found myself, like the thread starter, tired of changing gear needlessly and after 40 years involvement in this hobby, that's been a LOT of gear.

These are the most satisfying speakers I have ever owned, even though I run them in a apartment room that is really too small for them and according to some shouldn't work [It can be done :D , in reply to somebody previously asking if they would work in a NY apartment]

It depends on your floor construction mainly, and if it is carpeted or not.
This will determine what type of speaker stand to use.
I'll give details if asked, based my reasoning for them and results after trying a lot of configurations.

As for Amps to use with SHL-5's, well it has to be SS amps if only for one major reason.
The higher damping factor found in SS amps is needed to control the bass, which can easily turn into a boom with a lossy cabinet bass reflex design like this.

RE the question put: What does Alan Shaw use Amp wise.
He uses a pair of mono amps for the UK manufacturer LFD as his reference .... he let it slip a few years back when somebody asked at the Harbeth forum why he didn't put Bi-Wire terminals to allow Bi-Amping on most of his speakers..... his answer went along the lines of if you run Bi-wire you need both amps to be meticulously calibrated to each other [he has his calibrated every few months], and it was far more likely that the amps would drift from ideal before any drift between the speakers crossovers components, thereby defeating any gains that your average audiophile would get, since they most likely wouldn't get their amps calibrated.

As for the collection of other amps he mentioned....I'm pretty sure they would be old Sudgen amps....which have been going since the mid 60's in the UK virtually unchanged and are pretty much bullet proof, plenty of them around.
Around 35w heavily biased into class A.

Not unstrangely like the Alph 30 that seems to have been found to work well with the SHL-5's
 
Thanks for sharing, scratchless. I'd like to hear an LFD amp. The only gear of their's that I've spent any time with was a phono stage, and it was excellent (also playing through Harbeths, the Compact 7s with Naim amplification and a Well Tempered Amadeus/Dynavector XX2).

I'm currently running the SHL-5s with an Accuphase 303x integrated, enjoying a nice change from the Aleph, but I'll be going back and forth between those two setups as I really like them both, for different reasons. The SHL-5 certainly likes a bit more control on the woofers.
 
scratchless said:
As for Amps to use with SHL-5's, well it has to be SS amps if only for one major reason.
The higher damping factor found in SS amps is needed to control the bass, which can easily turn into a boom with a lossy cabinet bass reflex design like this.
Click to expand...

Don't think it HAS to be SS. I am using the SHL-5's with a McIntosh MC-2012 and I love the sound. I would not rule our using tubes to drive the Harbeths.

This summer I think I will rotate in some cool-running SS power and compare. But I think I will miss the tube amp driving the SHL5 pair.
 
Cadillac Kid said:
Don't think it HAS to be SS. I am using the SHL-5's with a McIntosh MC-2012 and I love the sound. I would not rule our using tubes to drive the Harbeths.

This summer I think I will rotate in some cool-running SS power and compare. But I think I will miss the tube amp driving the SHL5 pair.
Click to expand...

Actually the Harbeth's would probably have deeper and better Bass using tube amps. The reasons for not using tubes as given by scratchless are without any factual content or merit and have been completely debunked by knowledgable people quite a few years ago. IOW: Damping factor is a worthless spec that actually has very little to do any sort of actual damping. THD is another spec that has only a slight edge over Damping Factor in terms of actual merit.

There are plenty of real issues to worry about, Damping Factor is certainly (and happily) not one of them!
:banana:

Best Regards,
TerryO
 
I wouldn't hesitate to put a tube amp on these, I had a Stereo 70 on them for a bit and it was nice, and when I get my MKIIIs up and running again they will power the Harbeths. That is, when I tired of the nice clean simplicity of just having an integrated in the system without out the wires and complication of my seperates setups.

The Leben CS-300, however, really just doesn't have the amount of power they like. It's not a bad sound, it just gets better with other gear around here. I should try it again, though, they were right out of the box the first I tried it.
 
I often notice when doing a tube to SS switch on these types of sensitive speakers that the SS gear has the edge on woofer grip. I don't know if it's the difference between a voltage controlled tube amp or current controlled SS amp or what.

My way of getting around that little issue has been to become a fan of powered subs when using tubes, since these speakers don't pretend to be something they're not in the bass department. The natural rolloff of the speakers coupled with a (or two) powered subs crossed in low and used with restraint, works for me.
 
thedelihaus said:
I really loathe the whole "synergy" concept. It can prove frustrating and expensive.

I found lesser speakers weren't so critical, but as I've moved upwards, I've run into issues.

I figure once I decide on the speakers that will stay, I can stop fretting, pick the amp that works best, and get some sleep at night knowing all is right in the universe.

Or at least in my living room.
Click to expand...

Isn't this (bolded) synergy?
 
I'm very happy with the SLH-5s and my T+A V10. The V10 is a 80 watt hybrid Tube/SS amp. I don't find I get overwhelming bass, but I do get decent bass. Fantastic speakers. Instruments sound like they should, very musical and very flat frequency response. Harbeths are a popular choice on Robert E Green's mail list.
 
Bubbamike said:
I'm very happy with the SLH-5s and my T+A V10. The V10 is a 80 watt hybrid Tube/SS amp. I don't find I get overwhelming bass, but I do get decent bass. Fantastic speakers. Instruments sound like they should, very musical and very flat frequency response. Harbeths are a popular choice on Robert E Green's mail list.
Click to expand...

How about that T+A? I have heard them and a buddy has T+A gear as well and it's outstanding. Also Octavie Audio is also great stuff....boy those Germans know how to build quality stuff. I'm sure those Harbeths are a good paring.
 
I want to keep it on track but I love the V-10. My only gripe is that it take it about 5 minutes to warm up enough to turn on. But great sound. I'd love to listen to Octave gear but I don't think anyone in town has it. The T+A dealer went out of business so no one has that either but i'm glad I got it. It and the Harbeths make beautiful music.
 
Tried the Leben CS-300x on the SHL-5s for a brief period this evening, then a quick switch back to the Accuphase 303x. Using a Juicy Music Tercel II tube phono pre with both, it really wasn't much of a comparison...the big solid state unit just really sounded better. The Leben didn't sound bad, just didn't work as well with them. Its a different story on other speakers around here, but the Leben didn't have the ooomph, and the Harbeths like oooomph. The Tercel phono stage is superior to that in the Accuphase, FWIW, at least when employing its head amp against the Tercel with a step up transformer.
 
I won't say much as to keep it on tract, but as far as tube gear, Octave is the best I heard...and they where driving Dynaudio who is the NA distributor. I would love to hear a Harbeth Octave paring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom