Spendor SA1 vs Harbeth P3ESR
Hey guys,
I am going to buy a pair of bookshelf loudspeakers, so my favorites are P3ESR and SA1. Can someone who has owned both speakers make a proper comparison? I had the opportunity to audition the harbeths (not that thoroughly though) and the C7ES3s too and I liked them. The SA1 has great finish and I saw it was more expensive than the S3/5R2 back then. My room is small, about 15sq.m. so something bigger like the C7 won't be suitable. I listen to jazz, but I love Nirvana, Lou Reed etc., therefore I look for the better all-rounder. The budget is about 1000 Euro for a secondhand pair 😊
Thank you in advance!
I’ve owned both and many more of that type of speaker. IMO, the Harbeth is the best!  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=harbeth+p3esr+review&view=detail&mid=5D7EB69CCEBBAAE793... |
Well I really like my SA1’s, but I haven’t heard the Harbeths so can’t compare the two. I’ve got the zebrano finish SA1’s, and they look really good, with grills on or off. They sound fantastic, but then I’m a Spendor guy. I’m using them in a small room that is about 14’ x 10.5’ You've probably seen the review, but if not here's what Stereophile's John Atkinson had to say about the two in comparison in the Harbeth review from 2010: " The obvious rival to the Harbeth is the almost identically sized and priced Spendor SA1, which I reviewed in August 2009. I no longer had these speakers to hand, but from my listening notes I would venture that they are somewhat more mellow-balanced than the Harbeths, within a similar performance envelope. The SA1's low frequencies also had a little less weight. A system that is somewhat on the bright side, or that doesn't allow the speakers to be placed well away from room boundaries, might work better with the Spendor. " |
