I sell both. The Harbeth p3esr is $2195 in rosewood and is superb but won't play as loud as the 718s or have as much bass. The 718 goes for $2800 so in both cases you get your moneys worth. If you can stretch financially the Harbeth compact 7 es 3 is one of the best values in a loud speaker at $3500 a pair it will make you one satisfied audiophile. Plenty of bass plus the un-compromised superior vocals only Harbeths have. Few speakers are it's equal especially for your taste in music.
All the Harbeths will do vocals better than nearly any other speaker.
If you were to tie in a sub or two with the P3ESR you can make them an amazing speaker system that can play loud.
Give me a call if you want some help.
Neal
Sound Science
720 308 4000 |
Neal,
Great comments,
If you step up to the Super HL5 vs the P3ESR/sub or Compact 7es3 do you end up with a better end result?
I know the newer 7es3 and P3esr both are the latest models.
(I don't mean to divert this thread and you can email me if need be).
Thanks,
Bill |
Hello,
Neal speak straight words--Harbeths are the way to go-- don't even bother with the Ushers--Iv'e heard them at numerous CES/Asian shows/etc --one of those transducers you leave the room after 1-2 minutes!
Des |
hi,i thank everybody for there comments,special thank to neal i beleive i spoke to neil on the phone once. when i am ready to purchase i will give neal a call.I am just taking my time because i always rush into buying and then end up selling.this is the last purchase the wife will let me make so just taking my time,but even thouth the harbeth 7es3 is out of my price range leaning more toward p3ers again thank everybody for their expertise. Thank you Dave |
Harbeth - no contest. I heard the Compact versus a top of the line Verity. I admit my tastes are not exactly mainstream - a great midrange being of primary importance - but the Harbeths are simply musical while the others are just hi-fi...boom boom tizz. |
The SHL5 are a great speaker but for a person who listens primarily to female Vocals I would still pick the Compact 7ES3 and if you had the budget add a sub or a pair of subs with the KRK ERGO to perfectly integrate the subs. If your tastes run to Classical and or Rock then the SHL5 is the better choice.
Neal |
I am more generous towards the Ushers - especially the US version of the Be-718 - than some of the other posters here. Given enough power and the right placement, they can sound very, very good. But as an amateur speaker builder, I am a big fan of both sealed boxes and palpable midrange. Harbeth speakers have both, and now I shoot for my speakers to sound as close to them as I can get. If I were to go out and buy some speakers right now, it would be a pair of Compact 7es3's. |
Late last year, I was searching for new speakers after living with a pair of Diapason Adamantes for a number of years. I had the Harbeth Compact 7ES3 in home audition for more than a week, then the Usher 718. I ended up returning the C7 and kept the Usher. I felt that although the C7 perhaps sounded more neutral, the Usher certainly sounded more lively and exciting. Instruments sounded a bit more palpable and weighty with the little Ushers.
My system is in the family room, and often I have the music on but sitting in the living room to relax. The Usher sounded better to me sitting in the living room. I would say if you primarily listen front and center 7-8 ft from your speakers, then you might like the neutral sound of the Harbeth better. But moving a bit farther, I felt that the Usher sound carries better.
Oh, and the Usher seems to project a deeper sound stage.
I have a very simple system: Oppo BDP-83SE is the source (a fantastic player), NAD Master M3 integrate feeds the Usher.
Richard |
i just auditioned the ushers, whose aesthetics i've always admired. fantastic tweeter and high end which rivals focal as the best i've heard in its class. sounded great with acoustic music and female vox. however, on more dense/heavier rock stuff, i heard some mid-bass congestion (some would call it warmth); instruments weren't quite as defined or detailed as i'd expected. if i had 3k to drop, i probably would opt for something else. i seem to be the only audio freak on earth who hasn't heard the harbeths, so i can't opine thereon, but good luck with your purchase. |
I forgot to mention that although the Usher lists at close to 3K, you can find them at discount, probably closer to 2k new. At that price, it's a killer value for the sound you get. And you certainly get more sound from the Usher than from the little Harbeth, given the proper amplification horse power as others have mentioned. |
I am a Harbeth lover so my opinions reflect on that. I own the P3ESR because I have a small room 11x14. First off you should go Harbeth :p
Now my real point. You should buy the Harbeth that fits your room size. If you need to have the speakers close to the wall go P3ESR but your room is a little larger and could probably handle the Compact 7. I say this because in my small room the P3R handles bass and scale very well! These things can sound very large and have surprising bass for a small size. But put them in a larger room (22 x 27 high ceilings) and the bottom rolls off much higher and it's ability to fill the room and scale diminish.
That is why going with a little bigger cabinet (compact 7) might be a more satisfactory choice for your room.
Harbeth does wonders all the way up the range - your only decision with Harbeth is the speaker for your sized roo |
Now that I have listened to both the Usher and Harbeth extensively in the same room, using the same gears, here's what I concluded:
* the P3 has a more detailed sound, but the sound is on the dry, lean side. BE718 puts much more meat on the bone.
* BE718 sounds more like a full-range speaker. It can fill a mid-sized room with ease. If you are into the impact of music, go with BE718, period.
* BE718 is at least 3 db more efficient.
* if you are into rock or anything amplified, go with BE718.
* if you are into quiet music, acoustic, small ensembles, late night listening, go with the Harbeth.
To me, BE718 compete more against C7 rather than the P3.
P3 has it's delicate magic. But after listening to it for a while, I would miss the other qualities of BE718. And vice versa.
BE718 has a much more contemporary styling, but you know that already. |
Heard the Fritz Rev 5 in Vegas, would definitely throw that into the mix. |
I am using a Usher R1'5 amplifier with the usher be718 dmd speakers. I wanted to know if anyone esle is driving their Usher speakers with this low 150 watt amp. All reviews say to have at least 250 watt amp to drive the speakers and make them sing. Is anyone running these in your setup and can tell me if the usher amp has enough power to drive these speakers and make them sing. Thanks for any help. |
I'm using NAD M3 integrated amp with 180w. The little Ushers sound great with this setup. |
