Harbeth Owners - What do you think?

I love my 7.2's as well. One of the best things I heard at CES two years ago, for the money, for sure. The midrange is quite realistic. I think they are slightly recessed in the "presence" region, but when you listen for a while, you just get drawn in. I think they like powerful SS amps. The pair well with my Odyssee Stratos dual mono, and I think they sounded great with a Plinius SA102. I haven't tried them without grills.

I own the Super HL5's. I have not heard other Harbeth models, but they all use the Radial drivers and are voiced for flat frequency response, so there is probably a strong family resemblance. As to the sound, they are not bright, forward, hyped, romantic etc- they don't have a strong signature because they really do have a flat frequency response (room permitting). In a demo situation, they could come across as boring or clinical because they don't have major colorations (especialy tipped up treble or hyped midbass) that would make them stand out.

Harbeth's are probably a good bet for those who want a slightly laid back speaker that works well on all kinds of music, and are easy to listen to for long periods of time, and disappear without drawing too much attention to themselves. However, if you want a speaker that pushes all the audiophile buttons- vivid, hyperdetailed, transparent, holographic etc they may not be the best choice. They are more about music than sonic hyper-reality.

As to associated gear, although not high-efficiency they are very easy to drive. I would avoid too laid back of an amplifier (for example I found them too mellow with a Plinius 9200), and the Odyssey mentioned above seems a good bet- also Naim and Bryston seem to common partners. Choosing a source and an amp with a good PRAT factor is probably a smart idea. I myself, have mostly used tubes. 30 triode watts is more than sufficient (either an ASL integrated or Granite Audio monoblocks).

Hi - I have a pair of original HL-P3 monitors that I've listened to in a second system for about 5 years. Very small, compact speaker - even smaller than an LS3/5A! They don't go way deep (only a 4 inch woofer), and they don't go supersonic, but they make music as wll as any small speaker I've heard. Female vocals especially sound natural - not nasal. Instrumentals are in pitch, good rythym & dynamics for their size. Quite amplifier friendly. I've used both tube & solid state amps with them. Not very efficient, like lots of power. To sum up, a very nice small speaker. Not cheap, but if something happened to these I would definitely seek out another pair.

Good listening,
Ed

Thanks for the input, guys. I like a musical presentation as opposed to an "accurate" or "audiophile" one. Accurate often means a lifeless rendering of bits and pcs as picked up by the mikes and, while working well in a studio, it doesn't usually work well at home. We (I mean "I") like to be transported into the musical event and not counting lip formations, chest cavitiy sizes, chair squeaks, and other hyper-detailed "highly resolved" correct frequency reporductions. Again, that's for the engineer in the studio, not me at home. I currently use Merlin TSM-MXs which do a pretty good job of this with the right equipment but would like something for another system and something with a wood finish - you wood lovers know what I mean!

By the way, how is the fit and finish of Harbeth speakers? And I've read they're designed for use with the grilles on - is this so? Do they sound best that way or can they be played "naked" so to speak (which is how I like my wood speakers to be)?

Anyone have a favorite Harbeth dealer?

Tomryan:

I'm going to take the quick way out and second what was said above--particularly Arnold's spot on assessment. I've owned C7ES for over 6 years now and love them to bits. Clinical? Absolutely, positively, no friggin way. Quite the opposite. The Harbeth's are, IMHO, the most musical speaker out there AND the best value for money in audio. Obviously one man's view here but with a twist--I have been trying to find something to replace my C7's for over 2 years now. Why? Got married, redecorated the house and the somewhat big boxes on stands just don't cut it with the new decor. I've listened to nearly every attractive floorstander out there (some even costing 10K!) and for me the Harbeth's simply cannot be beat. I end up returning to my system and realizing that much of what is out there is really not good value for money. Are the Harbeth's better in every respect to what I heard--no. They don't do really deep bass or present a huge panoramic sound stage. But, more than most (at a lot more money) they get the music right. Ditto and then some for the Super HL5. If you have the space and can stand to look at these rather large boxes the HL5, after direct comparison, betters the C7 in a significant way. The HL5 may be one of the best speakers currently made--and for under 4K. I am also using Audio Research (100.2 SS Amp and SP16 tube pre). A very nice, synergistic mix. I had used Naim and the Audio Research is better by a mile. The Harbeths like power so don't short change on the amp--though I've heard them blow the doors off most speakers powered with a cheap Japanese receiver! Harbeths are made to run with the grills on--look at the wood on the sides--there is a lot of it. Tomryan, so many opinions out there in audio land, who to trust? Forget the reviews, internet chat etc. Grab a few CD's and go listen. You will be instantly hooked--I guarantee it. As for dealers. Try John Rutan at Audio Connection in Verona, NJ. He is a great guy and lover of two channel sound. If you are not local he may send you a pair with the option to buy certain you will not send them back. One final thought--if you have the room, go for the HL5's, they are that good.