Why do Harbeth speakers have such a cult following


Let me start by saying I'm not here to bash Harbeth speakers.I have actually listened to 3 different pairs before I bought my current speakers.I thought they sounded good but I don't understand all the hype around them.They seem to have a cult following like Linn and Naim. What is creating the cult following among Harbeth speakers?
taters
It's the thin wall technology. It colors the speakers but in a way that appeals to many people.

Harbeth are my favorite English speakers but my current speakers are much more neutral and to my ears in every way better.

IMHO it's best to add a smidgen of coloration (if that's your bag) at the amp rather than the speaker.

Thanks
Bill

Everything ever written about loudspeakers is utter rubbish.
It does not matter who wrote it, it does not matter where it was published, it does not matter if the evaluations were conducted by the maker, a respected audio publication or in the labs of the most respected university on the face of the earth.

All evaluation and reporting is opinion. It may be informed opinion, it may be industry hype, it may be the ranting of a cabal of cultists.

It is all opinion. The only thing that matters is how the speakers sounds in your room, with your equipment and your music.
Agree with Tpreaves, some people like Harbeth, some people like Ohm, some people like ear buds.
11-13-12: Bhobba
It's the thin wall technology. It colors the speakers but in a way that appeals to many people.

.....like recording engineers and broadcasting studios - where accuracy and low coloration are requirements, music lovers who like the sound of real instruments and voices etc.
Tobes nailed it. They reproduce sound accurately (to my ears anyway). I own a pair of Monitor 30's and have yet to find a speaker I like better at any price. Today I auditioned a pair of B&W 802 Diamonds and left the shop shaking my head as to why they have received the reviews they have. They sounded blurred in the mid range and muddy in the bass. The treble sounded pretty darn good. Sticking with my M30's for now and never going to stop listening to other stuff for comparison.

Certified Harbeth Cult Member