What Is So Special About Harbeth?

few more points to add to the discussion, given recent comments

1. i don’t think there should be any exclusive emphasis on harbeths... it is just that it is the topic of this thread, where the op specifically asked what is so special about harbeths... indeed there are many brands of speakers, past and current who uphold the bbc heritage and design philosophy

2. spendor’s 7 and 9 series couldn’t sound more different than their brethren classic series of bbc lineage... the modern floorstanding spendors are designed and voiced to compete with focals, revels, magicos, that ilk... it is a purposeful bifurcated product strategy to cover both bases, sonically and aethestically, one is for a modern sound modern look (for better or worse), the other is, well, ’classic’...

3. vandy’s certainly belong in the same conversation with the fine bbc heritage speakers like harbeths in that they offer a non-hifi, easeful, non-hyper-detailed sound... and as you would expect, vandy’s also often engender the same criticisms (lack of ’super-clarity’, slam, sound ’dead’, blah blah) from those wanting a more overtly hifi presentation... but make no mistake -- to make vandy’s sound right, they need the right, hella strong and sweet amp, even moreso than harbeths... this to such a degree that upper end vandy’s build in the bass amp into the speakers to take a load off...

4. agree that new harbeths are now darned expensive, too expensive, and there are many alternatives out there, many of which are very fine indeed, if different in how they present music, especially vocals... but really good stuff is never cheap... and yet cost and value are in the eye of each beholder and wallet

5. finally, i am currently lucky to have both the spendor classic series sp100 r2 and the harbeth mon 40.3xd... each also presents music differently, in numerous subtle ways, subtle tonal differences, while maintaining many common, endearing attributes such as an utterly natural sound with excellent transparency, full bass, easeful, effortless presentation (and the ability play loudly without strain if so desired)...

@bob540 , absolutely nothing. They are made better than most but in terms of sound quality there are many similar speakers that sound just as good and are much better values. 

12:14pm

For those that say they are overpriced I would be interested in which less expensive speakers sounded better to you.

Vandersteen 1Cis and Magnepan .7s are two speakers I would much rather own than the 3X costlier C7ES3s. The Vandys with the caveat of attenuating their treble by 1db (adjustable on the rear panel). The Vandys had as good a midrange with less cabinet coloration and deeper, tighter bass. The treble was smoother on the C7s but only by a smidge. The Magnepans are not as resolving in the highs as the C7s and other Harbeths but their midrange is a class above -- with a textural realism I haven’t heard matched by any of the BBC derivatives, and they can play louder.

I have a pair of $3100 Revel Performas in a secondary system that have superior bass and treble to all the Harbs below the M40s, though admittedly, they do fall short in midrange presence and realism. Still, on balance, I feel they’re a superior speaker for a dual HT/Music setup.

a word to the wise

On the "what is special about Harbeth?" question, here’s part of my answer.

Having auditioned an insane amount of speakers - the Harbeth have just stuck out in terms of being able to produce the "gestalt" of the human voice, as well as acoustic instruments. But human voice in particular.

@prof, who stated the above, has contributed perhaps the seminal thread here on his hearing and assessing a whole host of excellent, mid to upper tier loudspeakers - for all interested, especially relative newbies, i strongly suggest you use the search function, or click @prof to see his past posts, and find that lengthy, but exceptionally broad reaching, informative thread - the value of this forum is only in small part the live threads, it is what has been written, covered and discussed in the past...

for others, who might feel a pair of used harbeths for under 2 grand is a poor value, well, neither @prof’s wonderful thread, nor i, can help you much... there is always youtube...

Well… with the right electronics there is very little that come close to the sound quality of the 30.1/2 and 40.1/2.  The rich sound is almost unmatched except for the Quad ESL57s.

But… “the right electronics” are the key words (eg. Hegel and Mac MA252 MA452.