For those that say they are overpriced I would be interested in which less expensive speakers sounded better to you.
For those that have moved on which speakers did you move to?
What Is So Special About Harbeth?
SLike probably all of you, I just received notice from Audiogon of a 20% discount on Harbeth XD. I clicked on the tab and found that the sale price is about $2700. I have read so many glowing comments here about Harbeth — as if just saying the name is the password for entering aural nirvana. I admit, I haven’t listened to Harbeth speakers. But looking at these, they just look like smallish bookshelf speakers. I’m not questioning how good others say these speakers are, but HOW do they do it out of an ordinary-looking box?
Is it the wood? Is it the bracing? Is it the crossover components? Is it the cone material? What is the reason why these Harbeth’s are such gems compared to other bookshelf speakers? What is it about the construction or technology that makes these speakers a deal at $2700 on sale versus the $800, 900 or $1,000 that others normally cost? What is the secret that makes audiophiles thrill to get such a costly bargain?
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It goes without saying in this hobby that 'better ' is pretty arbitrary and about personal preference, especially for speakers. That being said, when explicitly looking at US MSRP, to me the outlier in the Harbeth line is the cost of the 40.3XD. e.g. https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/132377/Spendor-SPENDOR_CLASSIC_100-Speakers vs https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/154678/Harbeth_Speakers-Monitor_403_XD-Speakers I've seen some used 40.3s recently going for prices I would feel comfortable paying for them if I thought I could make them work in my smallish room. It is not like there are no other high quality speakers that MSRP around its used prices though. Here is my current upgrade list and I've been able to demo 3 of them so far with more to come shortly hopefully. I'm not going to argue any or all of these are 'better' than the $24.5K 40.3, but I think it is safe to say the 40.3 has some serious competition at its current price point in the US... Vandy Quatro Wood CT $18K Vivid Kaya 45 $18K Joseph Audio Perspective2 $15K Yamaha NS5000 $15K Spendor D9.2 $13K (currently own D9s when MSRP was $10K and 40.2 $15K). Fleetwood Deville $12.6K Fyne F1-8 and 7 series $10 to $14K |
@ddafoe That’s an awesome list you got there. I am clearly a fan of the Harbeth sound, but I do believe that Harbeth is going to price themselves out of the market if they continue to raise their prices. I feel that SHL5+ and 30.2 (not 30.1 though) are very competitive with respect to their competition, but both P3ESR and 40.3 are in a segment where their competitors offer performance that is at least as good if if not better. I listened to Joseph Audio Perspectives last year, and I must say it really moved me like few other speakers have so far. If I ever decide t replace my SHL5+, the Perspectives are definitely at the top of my list. Also heard good things about Fleetwood Deville, but haven’t had a chance to listen to them in person yet. |
Since you own a pair of REL’s, consider auditioning the TAD CE1’s before settling with your next set of speakers. If I ever built a 2nd system, they will be my top choice. https://www.technicalaudiodevices.com/compact-evolution-one/ |
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