@tjraubacher unfortunately I have no experience with these speakers but I would look at
JA Pulsars vs Harbeth 30.2
Well still investigating different speakers. In the used world these speakers are similarly priced and both have great reviews. Does anybody in the Audubon family have familiarity with these two speakers. Which one would you recommend and why. I have a dedicated room approx 20x 15 with no special acoustic treatments. Wall to wall carpet. I mostly stream with bluesound node 2. I have a Hegel 390 Integrated amp and project turntable and Yamaha CD player both around $300 - $400. Mostly listen to blues, folk and rock. Some classical too.
look forward to hearing from you
Agree for OP Harbeth is better choice than Pulsar:
Harbeth fits better
Not specifically clarity, but the Harbeth is known for emotionally engaging voices Agree that Harbeth + Hegel is a well known great match. This is a fabulous musical combo I hope to own as a 3rd/4th system. I also love the Devore Orangutan O/96, the most musical speakers I’ve demoed, maybe with a Leben CS600 or some other tube amplification. My current systems are neutral-linear and flea watt floorstanders. Seems the prevailing opinion is the sonic uptick from Hegel H390 to H590 is negligible so it’s not worth the increased price. |
I have owned a pair of the JA Pulsars, which I switched back and forth with Focal Utopia Diablo III’s. I have also listened to but haven’t owned the Harbeth 30.2’s, so I can opine on the comparison but I really know the JA’s as I owned them and listened to them all of the time, whereas, the Harbeths I only listened to at a dealer. I am a huge JA fan. The Pulsars are an amazing speaker for $4000 used. I would pick them over the Harbeths. For a little speaker, the Pulsars have a surprising amount of bass and the overall JA “house sound” is very pleasing to my ears. Plus, they are beautiful speakers and you can sell them for what you paid for them used. |
If... as you said... you listen primarily to acoustic music - you will have a very difficult time to find anything that matches the Harbeth’s rich, warm, life-like sound and imaging - except for the ESL 57’s and maybe the Maggie LRS+, which I also have, and like as well as the Harbeths. Especially with strings, horns and all things acoustic! Though, if you want a bit more of a "bite" in the instruments - the SHL5 XD will provide that, as well as the 30.2 XD - perhaps at the expense of a bit of some of the smoothness. |
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I would expect your H390 to sound very similar to the Harbeths driven by the H590 - there is not that much difference between the 2 amps. I believe several of the Hegel amps in the Harbeth videos on YouTube are the lower powered amps. And... Hegel often uses lower powered amps to drive them in shows. Also, you may note that the McIntosh MA252 is driving them in some of the most impressive of those videos, which is only 100 watts into 8 ohms and 160 watts into 4 ohms (Harbeth's impedence). And... if you prefer a different sound after you've tried them for a while, they're very easy to sell. They will require a few hours of burn-in to sound their best (if new). But... for acoustic sounds... you'll have difficulty finding anything to match their rich, warm, airy, life-like sound and imaging... or... have to replace them with a pair of Quad ESL-57's! |
I don’t have the Pulsars but I do own a pair of Tyler Taylo Reference speakers that use the same Seas drivers (albeit a larger woofer) as the Pulsars. For me the choice would be easy, I’d go with the Pulsars. They have a tweeter that retails for nearly twice the price of the Seas unit in the Harbeths. The improvement of the costlier tweeter is definitely audible to my ears. The 30.2s paired with Hegel will give you a very warm and easygoing listening experience, but you’ll also be leaving a lot of detail and resolution on the table vs speakers like the Pulsars, especially if the latter are paired with more neutral electronics. |
Definitely go for the 30.2 if you’re planning to audition. Harbeth has tuned the 30.2 to be a bit more open and airy (better treble) compared to the 30.1. If you feed it with good amplification it will not be ‘soft’ at all. What it won’t do is to throw the detail in your face. You will notice that all the detail in your music is still there, it just doesn’t ‘prioritize’ higher frequencies compared to the rest. This makes for an excellent speaker for long, fatigue free sessions. |
Thanks for ur input. It is very difficult with such divergent takes on the same speaker. Which gets us back to how the sound of speakers is very personal. I do believe that both of these speakers are excellent. I have to admit that link that @bassdude had did not sound mellow to me. Very confusing |
@rsf507 you should have your ears cleaned & a hearing test! |
@tjraubacher my guess is if you went with the Harbeth's you would be disappointed with their mellow character unless you only listen to elevator music. I've heard them and midrange is wonderful but very soft sounding just didn't get me wanting more. Just my opinion we all have our on views which is why there are so many speakers to choose. |
@tjraubacher :Alan Shaw actually uses Hegel in his shows..Check this out...
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Here ya go! Listen to these - you will be amazed! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E8ExBUC64c I have both the 30.2's and the 40.3's - both of which sound very much like the Quad ESL 57's - which is one of the best sounding speakers at any price. Though... these all excel with jazz, classical, blues, country - and all things acoustic! You may prefer alternative speakers for rock, or similar sounds. If you're into those types of music... you will have difficulty trying to best Harbeths. But... they must be driven with great, powerful, SS electronics - such as those Harbeth demos their speakers with at shows (Hegel amps). I drive mine with the Hegal H590 - which produces their best sound. Harbeths are not at their best with lesser electronics. With the right electronics they have a warm, rich, full sound with great clarity, which is not hard and strident. A sax, or cello, or upright bass - sound live - like they're in the room with you. Listen to the above demo (and similar demos on YouTube), and you'll get a good idea of how live they sound. And... if you want greater treble and dynamic emphasis - the SHL5 XD will provide that, while still providing the rich, warm, full sound. |
I’ve owned both Joseph, audio speakers and Harbeth. I’ve got a good bead on their sonic qualities. As he compares them to the Harbeth monitor and he nails the essential difference 1. Look up the audiogon thread comparing the Harbeth SuperHL5plus speakers versus the Joseph audio perspective speakers. In that thread, I do an extensive Comparison between the Harbeth sound qualities and what you get with Joseph. Pretty much everything I say there applies to the basic differences between the Harbeth 30/pulsar. 2. Don’t worry about driver corrosion. I’ve never seen any Joseph audio updated their drivers quite a while ago To The Graphene coated versions. The main point of the graphene coating Is that it stops corrosion. (Which is only an issue in certain climates anyway). |
@tjraubacher the top of the line one for $5K I forget the name but it is the model 5 |
Very interesting dilemma. I have the Harbeth 30.2 40th anniversary. It is one of the best if not the best monitor speaker around. For those who like the monitor sound. A big plus is its midrange, fluidity and ability to convey lifelike instruments with impressive precision without getting earring fatigue. However, I agree it is not the most dynamic speaker. The pulsars may be better fitted for rock and come with a little price premium. I'd be interested to listen to them side by side with different types of music. Good luck and keep us posted on your choice! |
When buying speakers you do need to listen whenever possible. As I mentioned earlier I have the Opera Callus speakers that have the SEAS magnesium cones. They are similar in size and look to the JA Pulsars and I loved the sound of the Callus speaker.
To me the best part is looking for the next piece of equipment. Good luck! |
I can see why you thought I was referring to the Harbeths having magnesium cones. Poorly written response by me. I know the JA’s have the magnesium cone. I have a feeling the Harbeths may be a little to laid off on the high end for my tastes. I like highs just not overly harsh. It would be nice to hear both side by side. |
@bigkidz , do you sell the Revival speakers? |
Thanks @bigkidz |
@tjraubacher - some of the Harbeth have such a beautiful mid-range you can easily simply fall in love with the music. The speakers I mention a way less expensive and top to bottom are just impressive. For $5K hard to believe but that's what we heard and we have heard more than most. Driven by Line Magnetic integrated amp was just magical. Happy Listening. |
@soix @rsf507 @bigkidz @macg19 @rlb61 @arafiq Thanks for your input. I really had no idea what the Harbeth’s sounded like and nowhere to listen to them. So your input is greatly appreciated . @2tuby you scared me a little concerned with the magnesium cone. I believe I will stay away from the Harbeth line. Thanks, Tom |
I haven't heard the JA's but owned 30.2 XDs for 2 years. They are not thin but they do not rock-out. I don't listen to a lot of classical music but I don't think the small Harbeth's excel when there is a lot going on. Jazz, blues, vocals, acoustic, well recorded stuff like Steely Dan sound great and not fatiguing. I bought them because I heard them and could not get the sound of the midrange / vocal reproduction out of my head. I'd listen to both if I were you you'll probably be drawn to one or the other and it will be an easy call unless you hate them both! btw I also bought 2 REL T/9x subs at the same time as the 30's - I have a large non-dedicated room - I think you'll need a pair of subs to be really happy, maybe with either choice. Having said all that, I now have the 40.3's and I sold the RELs. Much happier. As someone else pointed out, in your room why not go full size? Lastly, FWIW Harbeth shows with Hegel and while the 30's worked well with Tubes for me, they really are best with beefy SS. |
JA has used the magnesium drivers in the Pulsar, Perspective, and Pearl speakers for years and I’ve never heard anyone anywhere mention anything about corrosion. |
Something I wish I knew ahead of time- You should check to see if the JA Pulsar model you are interested in has a Magnesium cone woofer. i purchased a pair of Opera Callus bookshelf speakers that have SEAS Magnesium cone woofers. The speakers sound wonderful. However, over time the magnesium cones have corroded. (Magnesium is a highly reactive metal) A Google search confirmed that others have had the same problem. SEAS claims that the corrosion does not affect the sound. I hear no difference. The problem is that I cannot sell the speakers if I want to change my gear. Would you buy used speakers with corrosion on the woofer cones? |