Harbeth 40.3's. Should I buy them?

@desalvo55 

Interesting to see you owned the MBL 126 speakers!

I owned the previous model, the MBL 121s, for many years.

What I liked about the 121s is they are a bit bigger and fuller range compared with the newer 126.    The other thing is, while I enjoyed the MBLs on various amps I tried - from big beefy Bryston to my CJ Premier 12 tube amps (140w/side)...both of which produced energetic sound...my favourite pairing turned out to be the old

Eico HF-81 integrated tube amp - a mere 14W side of cult-classic tube power!

The Eico, across various speakers, exhibited a quality of both that tube richness and fullness, but also an energetic, sparkly presence, with a slightly over-warm (lack of control) bottom in the bass end.   This proved to be magic with the MBLs.  The sound was super rich, organic, sparkling, present, tons of detail, incredible dimensionality, and the slight under-damping on the bass didn't feel "bloated" but instead felt like the speakers had added bottom end.  It felt less like I wanted to add a subwoofer.

One of those pairings you'd never think would work until you try it.

Anyway, as for the Harbeth and needing an all-rounder speaker:  the reactions to Harbeth are interesting.  On one hand they are often depicted as "pipe and slippers" speakers, specializing in the narrow range of acoustic music and vocals but "don't ask anything else of them."  On the other hand, you'll find plenty of Harbeth owners saying they were driven to Harbeth precisely because they were good "all rounder" speakers, good with all genres. 

I find myself more sympathetic with the latter - I found Harbeth very well balanced for all music (I auditioned the full line, and owned the Harbeth SuperHL5plus for a while).  I think the dichotomy arises from this:  I think the Harbeth speakers are very well balanced - full sounding from top to bottom, generally no weird suck-outs or big wiggles in response so as to favor some sounds over others.  And this results to my ears as presenting the mixes in a track in a way that sounds "right" or very authentic, the sense I'm hearing everything as balanced by a mixer, rather than by the speakers.   It was actually hearing how bloody fantastic a pair of Harbeth 30.1 played some prog rock in a store that got me re-interested in the brand.

So I think this sense of "finely balanced" is what give many the sense they seem to sound "right" no matter what recordings you put on them.

However, balance is different from things like "slam" and "impact."   An a Harbeth you'll hear the bass and drums well controlled and situated, but the sound will be a bit softer in terms of sonic impact than say a Wilson speaker or whatever.

I compared the SuperHL5+ with my Thiel 3.7 and Thiel 2.7 speakers.  The Thiels would present instruments like drums and bass with a soldity and a hit-in-the-gut propulsion that was less there with the Harbeths.   Didn't mean that listening to the same tracks on the Harbeths wasn't immensely enjoyable.  Just depends what satisfies an individual listener.

I was trying to downsize from the Thiels.   The reason I didn't keep the Super HL5+ is that in direct comparison with the Thiels, the Thiels did almost all the Harbeth did, but "better" and more real.  With my CJ amps the Thiels weren't thin but lush and organic and tonally beautiful.  But they were also cleaner, more precise, more sonic density to the imaging, just a bit more "real sounding" in every comparison.

The Thiels never quite reach the magic of the Harbeth with vocals, so sometimes I miss that.  But the rest was in favor of the Thiels.

If I had the right room for them, though, I would definitely have put more serious consideration in to the 40s, as I heard them sound astonishing (in a big room).

Cheers

@prof

Ditto!

@jjss49 that is super helpful intel. Knowing what amps were used in designs and optimized to operate with certain speakers, sure can save people a lot of time. Was not aware of the design origin of the 6550 amp / Proac combo. Interesting. 

I have the buchardt 400 mk 2 special edition and they are nice and do some things very well.  I enjoy them in my smaller 12x14 bedroom system.  I had them in my big system room and not so much.  I have been through a lot of speakers over the years, some very expensive and I can't imagine based on everything you have said you wouldn't like the Klipsch La Scala especially if you are used to using subs.  the La Scala is a magical communicator and play all kinds of music with life and vitality.  such a big and dynamic sound, they make most all other speakers sound boring including other heritage Klipsch like the Cornwall and Forte.  I've had both.  I've only had small Harbeths and they are magical in their own way but no way can they compare with the spectacle they la scala create.  Read the recent Stereophile review and you get a really good description that I think is spot on.  Your amp would likely be a magical combination as well.  You can run the S400 in a smaller room for those times when you crave the pinpoint imaging that small speakers do so well and when you want to be moved to tears by your fav music the La Scalas can do that.  

Harbeth is no flash in the pan, flavor-of-the-month type of speaker. While other companies have come and gone, Harbeth has been going strong for decades. Not saying other speakers are not as good or better, but it takes real quality to not just reach the top of the totem pole but stay there decade after decade. I have heard the 40.2 and 40.3 on multiple occasions and have always loved the balanced sound. While they might not command your attention during a short demo at a store or audio show, they prove their mettle over the long run in extended listening sessions. There is just something magical about the big Harbeths ... as long as you drive them with proper amplification and give them enough space to breath. 

You really can't compare a smaller Harbeth with the likes of Klipsch Cornwall. You need to go to at least the SHL5+ model if not 40.x for a proper comparison in terms of the size and scale. Many audiophiles I know and respect claim that Harbeth 40.x is the final destination they arrive at after going through many speakers over many years. If I had the money, I would go for the 40.3 in a heartbeat ... as long as I can feed them with good SS amplification.