Harbeth P3ESR vs Fritz Rev 5 vs DeVore Gibbon 3XL

Hi Drubin,

Thank you for your response.

What is it about the P3ESR that makes it your favorite of the other Harbeths you have owned?

What makes the little one so magical...more so than the others?

Do you have an opinion on how the P3ESR or any of the other Harbeths would work in my small den of 11.5ft by 11.5 ft?

Also, most importantly......do you feel that the P3ESR miniaturizes the sound of instruments compared to the other Harbeth models?

Sorry for all the questions, but it seems as though you may have much experience with the Harbeth line.

Any thoughts you could share with me would be greatly appreciated.

Roscoeiii
please post your impressions after a little break-in. I think when it comes to the LS50 the typical hang ups come in to play full force: looks, cost, can't be that good. Thats the impression I got from the thread I started, equal resistance and intrigue

Alexander 717,I have owned both Spendors and Harbeths. Both are great little speakers.The Spendors are a little laid back compared to the Harbeths.The Spendor was on Sterophiles recommended list for years. You can google them for reviews and info.

No_regrets -- I've just not had a lot of success with Harbeth in my room. They always sound great to me at shows but somehow disappointing at home. I'm stuck in a purgatory of wanting their rich warmth and also wanting clarity, edge definition and transparency to the source. I completely understand the people that scratch their heads about Harbeths (see the 10Audio review) and I also completely understand those who love them.

The P3ESR's are not my primary speaker, which is a much larger Dunlavy, but I bought them because I kept hear such great things about them from sources I trust. This is the first of the latest-generation Harbeths I have owned and it may be that the magic is a result of Alan Shaw's most recent crossover efforts.He would probably deny that, I don't know. I also tend to like sealed boxes and this is the only such Harbeth, though I did once have the earlier version of this model. (But this one has the RADIAL driver, which is key.) In the midrage, they just serve up a tactile "humanity" that really floats my boat. No guarantee it will do the same for you.

Should work fine in your small room although I don't know what issues your room's square dimension might introduce. In my room (17 x 23) they do present a comparatively miniature perspective, but (1) I have not optimized their placement at all and (2) I'm fine with that anyway. I think the other Harbeth models go bigger in this respect (from memory), but as I say, these are my favorites.

Where are you located?

Dan

Sorry, I see you already indicated where you are. How far is Bloomington, IN?