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Harbeth 30.1 ? The Ultimate Speaker under $5K ?

I have been on a mission lately to find the best speakers within my budget - under $5K ...I am definitely an audio freak and my sound engineer in LA told me we went to a HiFi convention of sorts in Newport and heard every high end boutique speaker there is and hands down the Harbeth 30.1 was the best...thought it was a live band as he turned the corner into room ! 


Local hiFi high end shops always push whatever they deal....guy near me recommends Paradigm Prestige 95s but the seem more for home theatre use...here's my profile: 

I listen MOSTLY to LPs (stream on occasion with Audioengine B1)
Marantz PM-11S1 Mono Block Amp
Sony STR-V7 Amp
Technics SL-15 
1 SVS SB1000 Sub (if necessary) 
My listening room : is approximately 15 feet from Hifi to sitting position, wood floors , pitched ceiling about 10-15 feet in spots ...entire room approx 30 feet across . I consider it a VERY live, reflective space. 

I am a drummer so I love fat , tight kick drum. Rock i.e.: Rush , Prince, old 70s / 80s fusion/Jazz  
I listen to all different volume levels, sometimes low, sometimes I turn up music very loud and crappy speakers always seem to lose definition at high volume . 

I currently have some NHTs 2.3 & Infinity IL60s for surround....

Is the Harbeth 30.1 too small of a speaker for my spot?  what do you guys recommend! Thank You !
128x128tommypenngotti
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
My band was an utterly obscure blues band in Honolulu called "Cauldren" that was around for less than a year. I was part of a small group of musicians that did the endless bar band gigs in Hawaii for many years. 6 night a week...but fun. Also, the Cornwalls are too big for my tastes and my subs more than make up for the Heresy's 58 hz bass rolloff. The short stature of the Heresy IIIs makes them somewhat esthetically unobtrusive relative to the large sound they put out...I like that.
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,125 posts
 
I can't believe more of you "seasoned" audiophile aren't calling out the OPs very questionable room instead of randomly suggesting speakers.

Oz
tommypenngotti's avatar
tommypenngotti OP
219 posts
 
Wolf - awesome ...Cauldren...nice.....I remember there was a club in Honolulu called "The Wave" right??

Its so interesting how some people just dog Klipsch and others love them?! ....to each his own right? I have always been successful using my ears instead of reading manuals and specs ....its just difficult to find all these great speakers anywhere to audition ...so I appreciate all of you people chiming in. 

Very cool video about the Harbeth guy Alan on youtube....he’s thorough , love the work ethic ...no stones unturned...
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
@wolf_garcia 
@tommypenngotti
For some kick drum therapy :-) may i suggest
Janis Ian "Guess you had to be there" from "Breaking Silence". An audiophile recording. Play at moderate level. Shows a simple cd is enough for very high quality if you have the technical skill and the recording company wishes to make a statement! Other fenomenal audiophile recordings on simple cd:
Terry Evans "Blues for thought" - loud
Aaron Neville "Warm your heart" - moderate.

Sorry to say, I don't play anything. However I would say the kick-drum, the bass (acoustic or electric or bass tuba (read Hans Theessink) are the single most important instruments. Together with the voice. The rest is just the icing on the cake :-) So why are these so often hidden in the recording, especially the kick-drum? Another thing, would you say that the Klipsch speakers are voiced in a way that highlights the kick-drum? Do they move the air? 
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
I worked  at "Wave Waikiki" off and on with various bands for years, and it was by far the best place to play, with amazing sound...they had early Mark Levinson amps for the bass bins (!). I listen to a lot of modern (and not so modern) jazz dudes, with astonishing drumming...Bill Stewart is a fave...Kenny Wollesen...and many (many) others. I've recently been enjoying some amazing drum tone (and chops) from Tom Rainey on a recent Nels Cline/Julian Lage album (Nels Cline 4). That's a crazy good album...
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