Why do Harbeth speakers have such a cult following

I am using a pair of P3ESR at the moment and they are great. Can't think of a better small speaker, fills the room perfectly, big sound, enough bass, punchy, with great balance and every record I play sound good, I don't know how it's possible, but it is what I hear! Easy to drive as well, and I can play very loud. In my opinion, in my room with my tube amp.

"The dealer actually emphasized the point to the several customers present that you don't need "crazy money'' to enjoy a Harbeth"

Perhaps but $2K price disparity between retail of new 30.1 in UK vs US seems crazy to me, but that's another can of worms isn't it?

Yes, but you get that with everything that comes from outside the U.S. You could say the same for Revel, Sonus Faber and so on.

Hello Egoben,

Although I have interest in the Harbeth line of speakers, I have not yet had the opportunity to have heard the P3ESR's in person and have a few questions for you if you do not mind.

In regards to your post; ".....fills the room perfectly, big sound, enough bass, punchy, with great balance....." I like how small mini monitors can seem to "disappear" imaging wise, but due to their small size, they often seem to miniaturize the size of instruments, if you will. Like toy violins, cellos and toy pianos, etc. Do you feel the sense of the instrument's scale is lost at all with such a tiny speaker as the P3ESR?

Also, you mentioned that they are easy to drive with your tube amp. I'm a tube lover as well and am curious which tube amp you are using with your P3ESR's?

What size room are you playing these in and how close are you able to place them to the wall that is behind the speaker without suffering any sound degradation?

Thank you for your help!

Harbeth designs their speakers using a method that was very common in the 1950's and 60's which was pioneered by AR, KLH and Advent. They adjust the wood cabinet to have a direct effect on the drivers to create a sonic character that some would consider colored or laid back. Sony does the same thing with their flagship SS-AR1. Most speaker companies today isolate the drivers as much as possible from the cabinet to create a more open, neutral sound stage. Many older Audiophiles prefer Harbeth since it reminds them of the sonic character of the best speakers from the era of true analog before the rise of digital.