Harbeth P3ESR - What electronics are you using?

I recently got a used pair in Cherry. I am running them with an ATC SIA2-150 integrated amp. I also "help" them with two JL audio F110 subs set up in a stereo configuration and crossed over at 70hz. My sources for this setup are usually either a Sony 5400ES CD player or my Ipod through an HRT iStreamer. I also have an old Kenwood tuner that I still like to listen to. The room they are in is about 12'x 15'.

I am surprised at how good this setup sounds - clear and toneful, rhythmic and expressive. A joy to listen to. They are small and have the limitations their size imparts, but I find that this creates an intimacy that draws me into the music and before I know it, hours have passed. It almost doesn't seem to matter what gets played, what arrives at my ears is musical and interesting. No fatigue, no ringing ears, just foot tapping goodness at normal volume levels. What a well judged little speaker.

I'm still an audiophile who loves to listen to different things, so I'm sure that at some point my curiosity will discover some other gem to latch onto, but for the moment, I'd say this ATC amp brings these little Harbeths to life without much left to want really. I'm not particularly motivated to change anything, but I would certainly like to hear more of the Harbeth line. What a refreshing re-focus on music these speakers invite.

Enjoy your P3s. Let us know what you are using, or end up getting.

Currenly it looks a bit like this: Mainly I use Jadis tube pre and mono power amps, the models are JP15 an JA30 (30 watt, class A). I like them a lot! I also have a Naim Nait 5i (solid state, 50 watt) amp which is very good aswell, with better "snap" and articulation in the bass. (The Harbeth's are easy to drive.) But apart from the bass control, I prefer the tube amp, which gives a more closer, clear, real, direct, separated (and so on...) presentation of the music. And it's more fun putting on records, for some reason. Maybe this has to do with the slightly weaker bass, and that the midrange is lifted. I don't know, but I try not to think about it too much. I use a Naim cd5i player and a Audiolab 8200CD too. I like the Naim because of the more manual cd slot, but soundwise, cd-players are not very different from each other, in my opinion. I also use a Rega P1 record player and stream music using Spotify. Everything works very well!

I pretty recently got the speakers (in red/brown lovely rosewood) and like them a lot, have no intention to sell them, but I have an order on the Harbeth M30.1's as that's a wonderful speaker aswell. Will put the P3:s in the bedroom, if plan works out.

I have had my cherry pair for a couple years now. I have gone from Naim 200, to Naim UnitiQute, to Hegel H300.

The Naim 200 was fine, the UQ was a blast, the Hegel, sonic heaven.

I am tempted to upgrade to the Harbeth 30.1 but listened to them at a show in Chicago this weekend as was not that impressed. Not sure if it was the speaker or the set up in the room.

Banyon, what was it about the sound that didn't impress you? Or did you feel that it wasn't a large enough improvement over your P3s to justify the additional cost?

I was just about to say the same, my brother P3ESR with the Hegel H70