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Harbeth vs JM Reynaud

Hoping for some input. I come from a Spendor perspective (my daughter recently inherited my BC-1s) and currently use Spendor s5e's with a Unison Unico hybrid integrated amp. Sound is wonderful. I have seen all the discussions/reviews of Spendor, Harbeth, Stirling, and ATCs, and I am partial to getting the midrange 'right' (the 'BBC' sound). With a 60th birthday coming up, I've been looking into one last speaker upgrade. With all the rave reviews of Harbeth's, I got to spend some time auditioning the Compact 7's, M30.1s and Super HL5's (not the plus). All sounded great but the 30.1's really seemed like something special. I was able to take a pair home for a weeklong audition, and truly fell in love of what these do. So now the problem. I have recently come across a several reviews of JM Reynaud speakers, including some recommendations on this forum as an alternative to Spendor and Harbeth. These really look like possible option for the BBC sound, but there is no opportunity for an audition, and that's a lot of $$ to buy completely unheard. Can anyone provide some thoughts feedback on how the JMR Bliss Silver or the Offrande Supreme's might compare to the Harbeth 30.1s or Super HL5 plus? My living/listening room is 15 x 25 (speakers on short wall), hardwood floors and plaster walls.
ihor
zd542
5,339 posts
 
You can't fix a high frequency timber problem with room acoustics. I've tried to do this many times. The directionality of the high frequencies just doesn't allow for it. There's a direct line of sight between the ear and the tweeter, and the only way to make any progress, is to change the sound coming out of the drivers themselves.

"Otherwise, get a new pair of speakers and start all over - which in turn may not necessarily guarantee 100% satisfaction. In the end, it's all about managing expectations."

True, but the only way to manage expectations, is to demo equipment before you buy it. Otherwise, its just guessing and hoping for the best.
ryder
1,689 posts
 
10-11-15: Zd542
You can't fix a high frequency timber problem with room acoustics. I've tried to do this many times. The directionality of the high frequencies just doesn't allow for it. There's a direct line of sight between the ear and the tweeter, and the only way to make any progress, is to change the sound coming out of the drivers themselves.

True, but the only way to manage expectations, is to demo equipment before you buy it. Otherwise, its just guessing and hoping for the best.

Room acoustics will address most frequencies in the spectrum from high to low. High frequencies are easier to address whereas low frequencies are more difficult as mass/volume is required for absorption. Piercing highs or a bright sound is mainly due to less-than-ideal acoustics of the room (other than bright speakers) caused by reflection of sound waves from hard surfaces. Have you used aftermarket room acoustic products before? I used to have a dedicated room and have tried several acoustic products all over the room (I prefer diffusers more than absorbers, though a combination usually works wonders.)

Demoing equipment in-store and listening to the same system at home will likely(or should I say mostly) produce different results. That is the reason I have mentioned there isn't a 100% guarantee that one will be happy with the results even after a demo session in-store, as the results at home may turn out to be completely different due to the setup of the speakers/equipment and room acoustics. However, it is still a better option than doing without an audition.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Room acoustics will address most frequencies in the spectrum from high to low."

I'm talking about what comes out of a loudspeaker, not how loud it is. Altering a frequency that may be too loud is not the same as changing timber. You can't get what's not there to begin with. It has nothing to do with room acoustics.
taters
1,149 posts
 
Sense63, I found what you said about the J.M. Reynauds interesting. I have a friend that carries them where he works. I have never heard them before but my friend has always told me these speakers sound better than Harbeths at half the price. It must be sort of a secret because Harbeth seems bigger than ever. Now I really want to hear those speakers.
sense63
54 posts
 
Taters- I know there is much marketing of the Harbeths in the US vs JM Reynaud. Amherst Audio is the distributor for JMR in the US, but Bob doesn't advertise/market the speakers like Fidelis AV does, hence the much lower price. If you haven't checked out his website, please do. It's extremely informative as Bob has an excellent ear and is gifted at explaining what he hears. (BTW- I have no affiliation with Amherst Audio or JMR.)

I just found the Harbeths lacking and was lucky enough to find Amherst's site to find a speaker that could make up where the Harbeths were short. If you lived in N. Illinois, I'd be happy to let you hear my Orfeos. Maybe there is a dealer near where you live?
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