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Harbeth 30.1 ? The Ultimate Speaker under $5K ?

I have been on a mission lately to find the best speakers within my budget - under $5K ...I am definitely an audio freak and my sound engineer in LA told me we went to a HiFi convention of sorts in Newport and heard every high end boutique speaker there is and hands down the Harbeth 30.1 was the best...thought it was a live band as he turned the corner into room ! 


Local hiFi high end shops always push whatever they deal....guy near me recommends Paradigm Prestige 95s but the seem more for home theatre use...here's my profile: 

I listen MOSTLY to LPs (stream on occasion with Audioengine B1)
Marantz PM-11S1 Mono Block Amp
Sony STR-V7 Amp
Technics SL-15 
1 SVS SB1000 Sub (if necessary) 
My listening room : is approximately 15 feet from Hifi to sitting position, wood floors , pitched ceiling about 10-15 feet in spots ...entire room approx 30 feet across . I consider it a VERY live, reflective space. 

I am a drummer so I love fat , tight kick drum. Rock i.e.: Rush , Prince, old 70s / 80s fusion/Jazz  
I listen to all different volume levels, sometimes low, sometimes I turn up music very loud and crappy speakers always seem to lose definition at high volume . 

I currently have some NHTs 2.3 & Infinity IL60s for surround....

Is the Harbeth 30.1 too small of a speaker for my spot?  what do you guys recommend! Thank You !
128x128tommypenngotti
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helomech
1,739 posts
 
@d2girls

troll
trōl/
noun
a mythical, cave-dwelling being depicted in folklore as either a giant or a dwarf, typically having a very ugly appearance.

Well, I’m no Brad Pit doppelganger but no, not a troll. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not going to quit sharing my honest assessment out of concern for the sensitivities of others here. So you’re a millennial and bought 30.2s? Being that you’re young and probably haven’t suffered much hearing loss yet, do try to audition Stirling Broadcast SB-88s or Graham LS5/9s. Like yourself, I’m a relatively young guy around these parts, and I find these speakers sound far more natural. They have a warmer balance without any loss in detail (more detail in fact).


shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
@d2girls

I’ll be happy to report on my findings of the 30.2 once I get them, if ever... I’m more qualified as to what constitutes as ’natural’ sound more then any of you, by the way.



Not all all of us here are complete music luddites. As a drummer, I hang a lot around real musicians. Some of their talent may rub off one day. One can but hope ;-)
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murphythecat
181 posts
 
Helomech,
so having two speakers in the same room, level matched, and taking many sessions with both speakers have been proven to be wrong? right

Interesting, in 2017 you bought unheard harbeth c7es3. was it because there was no dealer around? Did you really only heard the C7es3 model, yet go on and on talking about harbeth but only heard the C7es3 and rely on Youtube videos? My experience with c7es3 was that the treble was tiny bit edgy. is that why now you say that Harbeth are bright speakers?

Where did you actually heard the Graham, they have very weak distribution. I begin to doubt the honesty of your posts



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