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Which Harbeths?

Trying to decide between the the M30.1/2 and the C7es3/XD. I’ve researched it a fair amount and I’m coming up a bid confused. Like most things it seems people have conflicting opinions. I’m coming from using various Totems for the last decade. I also just had a pair of Dynaudio special 40s for a short time before selling. I found the 40s were better at playing louder and had a bit softer top end, but overall just lacked that something special, ironically. What I’m really after is that just rightness I get with Totems. While I find there top end a bit much I’ve been willing to work with it because of the just rightness I personally get from them. My wife likes to say they sing which I think gets the just of it as well. Harbeth has sounded very attractive to me for a while and hope to find another version of a special speaker in them.  One that hopefully is a bit smoother in the presence and treble areas while also being very engaging and musical. I use a McIntosh mc302 and C46, so plenty of power for any of the Harbeths I’d think.  Anyways, I’d appreciate any feedback in these two models I can get. Anybody who has experience with both Harbeth and Toen I would have particular interest in your take. I live about 4 hours from any dealer and I don’t like to waste their time since I will inevitably buy used anyways.  
brylandgoodman
ryder
1,690 posts
 
Indydan, similar experience though mine is with the Totem Model 1. When I tried the Model 1s about 10 years ago, I already own the Harbeth SHL5 during that time. The Model 1s were lively, fun and engaging with a lit top end. That’s where the good story ends. There is a certain harshness I hear somewhere in the midrange and treble, a metallic harsh sound which is rather irritating to the ears. The Harbeth not only sounds a lot smoother but is letting a lot more fine detail through which contributes to the added clarity. Somehow the Totem is masking some of the detail and sounds less transparent.

I’m not sure about the higher range Totems such as the Hawks or Forest Signature etc. which are well received by many owners. Based on my experience with the Model 1s, I find it unrefined and harsh with reduced clarity and detail when compared to the Harbeth. It’s not exactly a bad sounding speaker. It’s fun and lively but the shortcomings or differences are apparent once you compare it to the Harbeth or other superior designs.
ryder
1,690 posts
 
you had removed the grilles => try to put them back. The grilles are part of the design loop, and John Atkinson did not removed them to measure the M30.2 Anniversary (which does not emphasize treble). The grilles off -> +1.5dB above 6KHz, IIRC.

Perhaps the XD has been made to sound noticeably more transparent and lit in the treble as this is the current trend with the evolution of Harbeth speakers people have noticed. I have personally experienced this increased clarity and brightness in the treble with the M30 series, starting from the M30 right up to the M30.2 Anniversary.

M30 - rolled off treble and sounds excessively warm and dead (avoid this)
M30.1 - sounds brighter and more open but still warm
M30.2 Anniversary - sounds brighter and more open
M30.2 XD - ?? (no experience with this one)

My experience with the SHL5 and SHL5+ (more than 12 years now) is they sound great with the grilles on, more open and transparent with the grilles removed. Similarly I understand that the grilles are part of the design. Nevertheless, owners have the option to listen with the grilles on or off depending on their listening preference. If one finds the speaker to sound too bright in the treble, leave the grilles on. If a bit more clarity and sparkle are preferred, remove the grilles. I used to listen with the grilles off but now leave them on. It’s quite troublesome to keep removing the grilles and putting them back on every time I want to listen to music.
orfeo_monteverdi's avatar
orfeo_monteverdi
41 posts
 
[please excuse my bad English]

@ryder 
M30 - rolled off treble and sounds excessively warm and dead // not heard
M30.1 - sounds brighter and more open but still warm
M30.2 Anniversary - sounds brighter and more open
M30.2 XD - ?? (no experience with this one) // idem; not heard

I totally agree. I heard neither the M30, nor the M30.2XD though. But I know the M30.1 and 30.2 Anniversary very well, as I owned the first, sold it it, and upgraded towards the latter.

I second too the finding that one can upgrade to a component which sound sweeter AND delivers more details, as you noticed. This simply means that the more detailed but sweeter speakers have a lower distortion rate.

I describe my M30.1-->M30.2Ann upgrade hereafter.
The Stereophile measurements of the M30.2 Anniversary -made with the grilles ON- suggest that there is no treble or high-mid emphasis at all on the M30.2 Anniversary. There is even room for a very little bit more energy in the high-mid (around 3KHz).

I sincerely hope that @brylandgoodman (OP) is relieved now...

________________
- I owned Harbeth M30.1 (a bit too rosy-view but lovely; medium & treble a bit too muffled), sold;
- upgraded to M30.2 Anniversary (present); better speaker; sound a bit more "monitor", but still very musical. I love them.



orfeo_monteverdi's avatar
orfeo_monteverdi
41 posts
 
PS: used M30.1 can be a good choice though, if some precautions are taken to make them sound a little "brighter":

  • remove the grilles (it was still easy to do with the M30.1)
  • listen closer, so you have more treble energy (mid-field, even near-field is still OK - note that ALL Habeth can be listen mid-field, EVEN the M40.x !)
  • chose a very transparent and fast-sounding amplifier (solid state preferably). Note that the "ideal" amplifier for M30.1 and M30.2 respectively, is not necessarily the same.
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