Harbeth Compact 7s vs. Pioneer's $129 speakers


I’m not going to claim they are the equals of my Harbeth Compact 7ES-3s, but the $129 Andrew Jones-designed speakers by Pioneer (SP-BS22-LR) are quite remarkable. My point in posting is not really to compare them with my Harbeths, but to make the following observation:

>>I’m becoming convinced that modestly priced components that are very good at doing a few things you care about very much can offer satisfaction far beyond any expectations based on price.<<

That’s the case with the Pioneer speakers, which I believe now have a list price of $159.

I listen almost exclusively to classical music and chamber music, in particular. These Pioneer speakers have a way of presenting string quartets, piano trios and similar ensembles with a truly remarkable sense of realism. The few things I care about more than any others include the timbres and textures of unamplified instruments (i.e., the woodiness of a cello, the rosiny sweet gruffness of a violin) as well as rendition of the recording venue’s ambiance. The Pioneer speakers do these things extremely well.

They have earned quite a bit of commentary and praise since their introduction. Needless to say, they don’t do as many things as well as the Harbeths (nearly 25 times their price), but I find that for me, the above observation rings true. The tone colors, textures and spaciousness that the Pioneers get so right, despite other imperfections, give them the ability to reward me far in excess of the expectations I had for them.

Andrew Jones, of course, is the designer of Pioneer’s megabuck TAD speakers, and I think it’s especially admirable that he took on the challenge of designing speakers at the very opposite end of the cost spectrum. I’m not about to sell my Harbeths, but I really don’t feel significantly shortchanged when I replace them with the Pioneers from time to time.

-Bob
hesson11
Glad you're happy with them, Dan. They may not be perfect, but if the things they do well are the things that are important to you, they are truly remarkable for the price. I would love to see what Andrew Jones could do with a pair of monitors at the "princely" price point of $1,000 or so!

-Bob
Yeah, those little Pioneers are a prime example of a good bang for the buck. They don't do everything right, but they don't do anything wrong, either.
Bob,

I am listening mostly to soft folk music at night. The voices and acoustic guitars sound just right. The speakers sounds exactly the same as the sound coming out of my Sennheiser HD598 headphones. They may not be perfect but they are enjoyable. BTW: Even the most expensive and pefectly sounding speakers that you may hear at one of the shows don't always sound great when you get them home.. The room and proper placement makes a huge difference. I agree with you ...... at $129 these are great.

Many thanks for the tip.
Dan
Just bought a pair from TigerDirect.com they have them for $89.00 plus shipping, my total with shipping came to $102.00, they sound as good as everyone says they are for their size, a steal at $89.00
Dysons always work better when used with good stands, AC conditioners, and cryoed cables. You want them to really suck.