Dynaudio, Harbeth, Penaudio or Sonus Faber

Drubin, sorry for late reply but here is what I think are the biggest differences between the Harbeth M30.1 and P3ESR. First, of course the bigger 30.1 model goes deeper and the sound is fuller and gives a more atmospheric sound in the room. I like that, of course. The bass on the small P3's, while not as deep, is on the other hand more clear, you can hear and follow bass lines easier, it's almost like they are lifted in the sound mix, which gives the impression that music is very rythmic, and actually quite rocking!

The mids are different between the speakers aswell. While the bass seems a bit lifted on the P3's, the mids seems a bit lifted on the 30.1's, which gives vocals a lot of presence in the room, and there is no bass that "covers" the vocals, that might be the case just little bit with the P3's.

The highs on both speakers are very smooth, not overly bright or sharp or anything like that. That means some details might get lost compared to some other speakers, but personally I much prefer smooth highs instead of anything else, on the long run. That is why I got Harbeth's in the first place.

The P3's are easier to drive, I have used three different amps and they sound great with every one of them. The 30.1's are more demanding, but I haven't tried the speakers with a modern big power amp, I might do that later, maybe I will gain some more bass control, that I already have with the P3's. Both speakers are very easy to integrate in the room, there's no booming bass and I can place them pretty much anywhere, compared to many other speakers that requires a lot of space behind them. The P3's are great all round speakers, works great with every music genre and movies aswell, and they are great near field monitors, if you want to put them on a desk, that would work fine. But I like them best put on speaker stands or on a shelf. The 30.1's are very soft, warm and nice in the sound, I like them a lot aswell. If you have a small room, the P3's are perfect, the 30.1's are good in any room.

I have only heard the Harbeths and Auditors (I own the original non M version). Harbeths do sound very good, warm and inviting. If you are just lounging around enjoying a cup of coffee the Harbeths will produce great music. At the end of the day, I felt it sounded a bit too colored and overly warm for my tastes. They were paired up with tube amps though. The Auditors sounded more transparent with just a touch of warmth I was looking for. I also felt the Auditors imaged better, with more precise placement of musicians. And frankly, I loved the way they looked compared to the Harbeths.

Having had the latest Penaudio Rebel (3), I think you should definitely try the Cenya. The Rebels, although quite a bit less expensive than the Cenya, were capable of creating a very pleasant and believable soundstage, presenting the music in a highly detailed but non-fatigueing manner.

Egoben -- thank you for the detailed comparison. I have the P3ESRs, which I got just to see what all the fuss is about, They have completely won me over, such that I've barely listened to my much larger Dunlavys in months. My room is 17 x 23 and I am driving the Harbeths with a Sanders Magtech, a very high-powered amp I doubt anyone would think to recommend for these little speakers. The combination is magnificent!

Stil, of course, I want more. Based on your description, it's not clear to me that the 30.1 would definitely be better for my tastes, but I do need to hear the two models in comparison, which I plan to do soon, perhaps starting at the upcoming Newport show.

I know exactly what you mean about the clarity of the bass line on the little ones and that could be a hard thing to give up, even in exchange for more heft and extension. As for the mids, if they are more forward (you didn't say that, but I wonder about it), that might be a problem for me.

Surprised that you did not comment on any differences in the treble since, if I understand correctly, the 30.1 uses a different and presumably better, more expensive tweeter. What puzzles me is why the 30.1 costs nearly 3x what the P3ESR does. Larger RADIAL driver, better tweeter, larger cabinet -- sure, but that would not seem to equate to 3x the price.

Anyway, thanks again.

Thanks everyone for your interesting insights. I will now audition the two noted Harbeth speakers. I understand that Penaudio has lost its distributor in the U.S. which is a shame. One point that no responded to. Do you think the Oppo 105 player will do justice to the system I am considering or should I be prepared to spend the $3-4k on the cd player?