They're on their way, or will be shortly, so love 'em or hate 'em, they'll be mine. The good news is I bought them at a good enough price that I don't think I'll get hurt too bad if I decide they're just not for me.
Are Harbeth Super HL5 XD right for me?
I am feeling like despite being very happy with my current speakers, I am missing something because they are by far the least expensive part of my system. I recently replaced my Large Advents with a pair of the new KLH Model 5s and I love them, despite being about 5% of my systems cost.
I am thinking about the Harbeth Super HL5 XD as a final upgrade. It’s a big chunk of change though and my biggest concern is that they can only be 12” away from the rear wall. They’ll be essentially open on both sides and I’ll be sitting about 8’ from them. This is fixed in stone. I’ll be driving them with a pair of Luxman MB-3045 tube amps and an ARC SP-14 playing 98% (or more) vinyl. Mostly jazz, classic rock and classical. I live in an apartment and never play very loud, and have reached the point where I really don’t have much desire to anyway.
So… Is it worth taking the chance given my situation or am I just setting myself up for disappointment and better off sticking with what I am really very happy with?
TIA
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- 44 posts total
@jdougs At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, please make sure you give yourself ample time to get to know the sound signature. These speakers are very balanced and don't favor any specific frequency range. They might sound less detailed than some other speakers but they get the tonality and timbre so right that it is tough to give it up once you get used to it. I also find that they are very sensitive to toe in. Good luck and I hope you love them as much as I do. |
So possibly, from that lens, the more expensive Harbeth models are more bang for the buck I agree with you regarding the lower end models from Harbeth. With the current pricing for their smallest bookshelf speakers, P3esr, I think they are no longer competitive. At that price, I would much rather get a Fritz speaker than the P3esr model. But the SHL5+ is a unique speaker even in the Harbeth lineup. |
@arafiq exactly, the 1.5-3K price range may be the most competitive. Lots of choices and trickle-down tech to benefit from. |
- 44 posts total