2. speakers
  3. 173450-117

Your tube amp related Harbeth experience.

Please share your experience (good or bad), with any model Harbeth when driven with tubes. I have C'7's, and have just moved on from Class A solid state. Again, if you ended up with solid state, your experience still qualifies, as long as your journey had tube amps in the picture. I should mention that while my plan is to go integrated, I would still like to hear any experience with tube amps, even if it was a stand alone tube amp. Please let's not go in the Alan Shaw (HUG) direction here. Anyone involved likely knows the deal there. That's not for this thread. Just personal experience with a dealer, a friends system, buying used, or the like...

fjn04
jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 

@fjn04

i was just reporting my own experiences, as you asked, those were not recommendations

within your budget and as an actual recommendation, i would recommend a modest hegel integrated (h90, 95, 160 and so on) as an outstanding mate for harbeth c7’s - outstanding bass control/prat, uber clean treble that accentuates great imaging, and pure midrange that takes advantage of the c7’s greatest strength... if you want some tubey goodness, run an mhdt nos r2r tube dac upstream

fjn04 OP
1,561 posts
 

Appreciate that jjss. I've been doing some You Tube homework on Dac's. I'm sure you are aware of the ladder (R2R) type Dac's and how they generally differ sonically versus standard chip DAC'S. I'm extremely out of touch with Dac's, so I won't push my luck and try to comment here. Hegel...? Guess I should be open minded...they are certainly easy to find used. No offense to anyone that has offered their generous thoughts so far, but I just have to ask....Is there anyone who feels I am setting myself up for a merry-go-round ride with tubes and the C'7's. Sorry to be repetitive, but please don't forget, $5K Max retail. 

avanti1960
1,617 posts
 

I have run the Harbeth C7ES3 and SHL5+ on tune amplifiers in my med-large room.  I tend to like the higher powered KT120 amps and used the Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II and then the Rogue Audio Stereo 100.  

The sound in all cases was sublime.  Rogue tube amps sound much better than many people give them credit for.  Power, punchy bass, ultra refined, transparent and a humongous sound stage.  

big_greg
6,741 posts
 

I ran my Super HL5 Plus with Rogue Audio M180 amps and they sounded great.  I've also used them in a second system with an ARC Vsi55 integrated and that may have been an even better combination.  The best I've heard Harbeths sound was at my friend's house - he had a Line Magnetic LM-805iA integrated and the 40.2s and has a very well treated room.  Sublime.

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 

@big_greg

The best I’ve heard Harbeths sound was at my friend’s house - he had a Line Magnetic LM-805iA integrated and the 40.2s and has a very well treated room. Sublime.

Roughly 50 watts of pure class A. I could imagine those 805 output tubes having enough grunt to provide good bass control. Midrange should be stunningly good.

Charles

More to discover