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A move from Harbeth to... Wilson?

Hi gang, hoping for some thoughts. 

I'm very happy at the moment with my system, but getting a slight itch for an upgrade. So many options and directions I could go, but the one I'm pondering at the moment is moving from my Harbeth C7ES-3 speakers to Wilson Sabrinas. (The Sabrina X is now out, which may bring the Sabrina down to my budget... maybe.)

My room is approx. 10'6" x 15'6" with the speakers along the short wall and my listening chair is about 2/3 back from said wall. The C7s plus their stands are just about the right size for this room, and the Sabrinas on their floor spikes are similar in "overall" size, though obviously the speakers themselves are bigger.

Current amp is a Pass Labs XA30.5 which doubles down at 4Ohms (plus lots of headroom) and comes just within Wilson's "recommended" amplifier power. The room is on the smaller side, and I don't listen loud; I've never "wanted" for more power with the C7s. (Though every once in a while I wonder what a pair of XA60.5s would sound like in here, but that's an entirely different thread.)

Eh? Any thoughts?
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xdon_chisholm
chorus
976 posts
 
Other thoughts:

-Open Baffle from Spatial would be a different approach.

-If timbre is your hot button, try Tannoy. The 10" to 15" Dual
concentrics. Nelson Pass voices his amps with a tweaked Tannoy
dual concentric. They are efficient. The Wilsons will need a lot more
power than you currently own.

-The Sonus Faber Suggestion also makes sense to me.

Keep us posted please!

headphonedreams
525 posts
 
As others have said, it sounds like a strange move. Take it if you want but try to listen to some other speakers also.

If you want a change, maybe try another type of speaker? Like horns, planers or omnidirectional?
MBL 121 might be worth trying. 
saffranbruce
11 posts
 
W/P 8s (94 dB) are now reasonable and sound great with lower powered amps. Consider them. They sound great with Both my 18w tube amps and my Pass 600.8s. 
snackeyp's avatar
snackeyp
455 posts
 
@yogiboy Thanks for explaining.  
I think I understand what you mean.  IME, Harbeths are easy to drive but need a certain synergy with the amplifier to sound their best.  I have had a few amps that sounded "small" with my Harbeths in comparison to my current amp (Hegel H590) and a few others.  Of course, proper set-up is also essential.  I think this is true of any speaker, however.  
Happy listening!
don_chisholm's avatar
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don_chisholm OP
32 posts
 
Thanks for more comments and thoughts!

I've heard (and had) planars, not interested in going there at this time. Same with open-baffles and "horns" - not my thing. Though "omnis" such as MBL might not be out of the question, that would require some new consideration.

I've heard the Sabrinas numerous times at shows, and a local dealer, where I also recently heard the new Sabrina X. While the new X definitely isn't in the budget, the Sabrina could potentially be, especially on the previously-owned market. An in-home audition prior to purchasing isn't likely an option, but I've rarely had that opportunity, anyway.

As for going from Harbeth to Wilson, I suppose it is a different direction, which is probably the reason for this thread. Again, appreciate the many thoughts so far.
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