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Harbeth C7ES3 vs Spendor SP2/3R2

I recently acquired some beautiful Harbeth C7ES3 stand mount speakers and some Sound Anchor stands.

I normally wouldn't purchase speakers unheard, but I went against my own advice this time and let all the internet hype sway my risky decision.

The Harbeths are currently in the break-in period, and so far I'm not terribly impressed. In fact, the only trait I prefer over my MA Silver 8s is the midrange tone, everything else is inferior thus far.

I realize that comparing some medium sized, metal cone floor standers to BBC style 2-ways is apples to oranges, but I was really hoping the Harbeths would captivate me, if by completely different merits. 

I hope that some break-in will change my view in the coming days. However, the dealer I bought these from claims that the Spendor SP2/3R2 might be the better speaker for my room and preferences. The Spendors are another $500 on top of the Harbeths which already stretched my budget.

Anyway, I'm curious if anyone here has compared these two models and can give me some feedback.

I think I'd be very pleased with the Spendors if they offered better bass extension and dynamics over the Harbeths.

I know this is all subjective, but the dealers near me have trouble accommodating in-home trials. They're nice guys but very busy. 


helomech
helomech OP
1,673 posts
 
For the heck of it, I removed the Harbeths from my system and hooked up my Epos Epic 2s in their place, on the same Sound Anchor stands, same positioning.

I was astonished by what I was hearing. My $400 Epos Epics, despite being considerably smaller, with a smaller woofer, have stronger and better defined bass. Not only was the bass superior, but the midrange and every other aspect of these speakers held its own against the $3800 Harbeths. I am now having a hard time deciding which of these is the better speaker! The Harbeths seem to have the better midrange tone, but only by a small margin. Of course the Harbeths aren't broken-in yet, though I've got about 20 hours on them now. It's too bad the Epos' look so bland. I'm "slack jawed" as the reviewers like to say.
nycjlee
286 posts
 
Don’t kill yourself, your Harbeths are better speakers than your $400 Epos. I’m not sure of the break in time of the Harbeth but most speakers need at else a min of 100 hours. I think most manufacturers say 300-400 hours of breakin. I think you need to be a little more patient. Also, I would consider @noromance's point, you may have a weakness in your chain. What makes up the rest of your system? Include cables make. 
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,766 posts
 
@helomech Your room may be too big for these speakers which are designed for more near-field listening than filling a large room with rock. Look at the Tekton Double Impact. Huge bang for the buck. It is clear to me and from ready your ither posts that the Harbeth route may not be to your liking.
donvito101
278 posts
 
helomech,
I bought a pair of C7’s used , they were well broken in. I had the same problem with them lacking bass. I had them set up for nearfield listening. What size room are they in? I think that if the room is not that large you would be better off with the P3ESR or a Spendor 3/5R2 ( I own both ) would be a much better choice! You did say you like the Epos better than the 7’s!
helomech OP
1,673 posts
 
Donvito101,

I'm not yet ready to claim I like the Epos speakers better, but they do seem to have more of the type of bass that I like. To be fair, the Epos speakers have a reputation for bass that beguiles their size. It's doubtful that the smaller BBC sizes would match them in this regard.

My room is 25.5' x 15.5 x 8 and the rear opens to a hallway.

I really love the midrange tone (just sounds correct) of the C7s. I'm considering stretching my budget to try the SHL5+, though I've read conflicting opinions on the differences of the bass between these models. I would imagine the larger cabinet size of the SHL5 would yield better bass.

I'm currently running a Parasound Halo integrated, Yamaha Aventage universal blu-ray player, and an Acoustic Signature Wow XL turntable with Shure M97xe/SAS cartridge. My cables are simple OFC 12 gauge with high quality bananas. I'm not a big believer in cable differences.

The C7s are about 6 feet apart, about 15 degrees toe-in, and I'm sitting 8 feet from them. They're 25 inches from my forward wall and about 4 feet from the side walls.
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