Harbeth P3ESR vs Fritz Rev 5 vs DeVore Gibbon 3XL

Hello R_burke,

For this room, I am planning on using a custom tube amp that utilizes a pair of German EL84's per channel, with a very robust power supply that will give me a very fast, dynamic, yet full bodied 15 watts in push/pull.

Both Fritz and a dealer for the DeVore 3XL thought that this amp would work well with there speakers. I know that the sensitivity of the Harbeths are on the low side, but it's been said that they are a pretty easy load.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this though.

So on paper your best bet spec wise is the DeVore, but I haven't heard it, so can't speak to voicing of the speaker, but speaker choice is more than just specs. I have a similar amp, Manley Mahi and in triode it is ~18W. I prefer the voicing of the Fritz over the Harbeth because I think it is more lively, I personally find the Harbeth somewhat sterile, others would applaud this as neutral.

Greetings
In a 13 by 11 x 8 over the course of a few months
I brought home many pairs of mini and mediem box speakers hooked up to small EL 34 Tube amps.
Some were sealed, some ported, front, back etc
After many hours of trying to no avail
to make Johnny Cash sound like himself & enjoy all types of music I popped in a pair of Vandersteen 1 Cs
tilted back leveled on weighted bases it hit me like a brick.
Why didnt I just try these in the first place.
Some folks worry so much of what they read they never try...
Bass is the foundation of the music. without it there is no music.
JohnnyR Vandersteen dealer 20 years

No regrets,
I don't have any direct experience with any of the three you listed either but all three (including tracking down an older pair of Proac 1sc which I have owned before) were ones I was looking at as well as den speaker for a den 13' by 13'. I had pretty much settled on the p3esr it having been the only Harbeth model I have yet to own at one point minus the 30.1 in the current lineup, having 40.1 in my main rig for the past 4 years.
Last minute I became intrigued by all the accolades the Kef ls50 was getting overseas and had someone I trusted tell me I just had to give them a listen. I bought them without hearing them and have been extremely pleased, so much so I posted my first thread in several years a few weeks back on them.

Like the Devore they are rear ported. Kef provides a foam plug with an inner plug that can be removed for a partial tune of the port as well. I have mine mounted high in a built in bookshelf (big no no) that I treated acoustically a little and they sound stellar. I have the port half plugged. They are drop dead on vocals, acoustic woods and strings, and maybe the best piano I have yet heard, they are that solid. I drive them with 20 Accuphase watts and Prism and vinyl front end.
They should be on your list. inexpensive too. Easy to try and resell if they did not do it for you but I have a feeling I know the sound you are after and these have it in spades.

Hi NR,

Iv'e owned only the Harbeth Ls3/5a's-- they are a terrific speaker

however the 40 I've heard at THE SHOW with DNM electronics and cabling

which was sublime.

I've listened at length to the DeVores at CES-( and in the NFS room at THE SHOW)-they

are a fine speaker would also serve you well no doubt.

On the above occasions both were auditioned with my own test Disc.

I am however in the Harbeth Camp if I had to choose for the warmth and musicality of the Performance.

Sorry I cannot comment on Fritz so over to you on that

Good Listening

DesW