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Devore or Harbeths to replace my ESL63s?

I'm on the last stages of a speaker quest that has been quite difficult. For the last year I've had ESL 63s in a smallish room (14'8 x 11'10). I've got them to work extremely well for small scale ensembles, particularly jazz, and they also sound great with electronic music. But I can't give them enough space to image an orchestra, and they don't really rock (at least without Gradient sub-woofers, but that's another story...)

So after a long search, it's come down to either Harbeth or Devore for replacements. These have been my favourite contemporary speakers for years, so basically I've just spent a long time finding out what I already knew.

I previously owned Compact 7ES3 and enjoyed them, but found them unrefined in the soprano regio, and slightly muddy around the port output. The Monitor 30.1 is considerably smoother in the high frequencies and I find it a beautifully balanced speaker. It is the perfect size for my room, with one failing. It lacks the half octave of bass needed to give kick drums any force. I tried the new SHL5+ in my room but they are just too big for my room, sadly.

A friend of mine owns some Devore Nines. Very few people have Devores in the UK, but he has a fantastic system with VTL 2.5/150. It used to be that when I heard his system I would find the Compact 7s unlistenable for a couple of days. That changed with the ESL63s, but the Quads have an uneven combination of great strengths and severe limits in a small room.

So it's come down to either Harbeth M30.1, Devore Super 8, or Devore 88.

I have a second hand pair of the Super 8s at home at the moment. They are beautifully organic and draw you in to their world gradually. Other speakers I have at home have more immediate and crisp micro-detail (Harbeth P3ESR for example), but the Super 8s seem to put a root into the ground and claim the room as the proper place for their music making. Relax, they say, don't worry about the details, we will sort out your musical life.

I have only two reservations; first, they are quite lean in the mid-bass, especially in comparison to my friend's Nines, and this presents some limits with rock and electronic. Second, my system is optimised for Harbeths (and then for ESLs), and Devores would probably work better with lower powered, very refined valve amps. I don't get the same clarity that I get with Harbeths in my system.

I also have an option on some second hand 88s, but I have never heard them and I would have to buy blind. That is generally against my religion.

I guess the key question is; do I go with what I know (Monitor 30.1) or look to optimise my system gradually for the newcomers (Devore Super 8 or 88).

I'd be grateful for any thoughts from anyone who has compared the M30.1 with Devores in the same room, since that is what I can't do at the moment.

(My system details: the amps are Unison Research Unico Pre/DM. The sources are a Fletcher Omega Point 5/Audio Note Arm/Nagaoka MP500, Trichord Diablo/NCPSU). Audio Synthesis DAX Discrete with AS modded CD Transport.)
andreweast
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
Andrew I was up at Bob's a few weeks ago listening to those as well as some from Germany. They are nice, but for the cost, there are more that I like better. Bob's a great guy and he has a nice set up for his gear. It does sound good.

I"m a Proac guy and was going to upgrade my Proacs when I went on my quest last year. I ended with the Vandy's, but the Proac 30R and 40R were the only ribbons I hear in the last year that sounded good. I personally am not a KEF guy either, but again that's me. Go listen to the Proacs as the ribbon is just a different turn for them. I heard them on GREAT tubes and top of the line analog.
pcoombs's avatar
pcoombs
84 posts
 
Andrew with reponse to your last post. You should check out this show report ( see top # 1 room)
http://hometheaterreview.com/the-10-best-sounding-rooms-from-the-new-york-audiophile-show-2012/?page=2

The comments from both the room orgainiser simpfi ( who also at the time sold Harbeths) and other listeners ( via audio blogs) was that although the Harbeths plus active Gradient bass panels worked very well together.
the Active Gradient Revolutions still sounded the best.
The room orginiser has also used the M30.1s with the Gradient subwoofers but still prefers the Revolutions.
This echos with my recent experience with the Revolutions even having owning ( and loving ) both the Harbeth M40.1 and M30s for over 10 years.

As you already have experience with both Gradient (working well with your Quads )and Harbeths you really should try to listen to Jorma Salmi's enduring masterpiece . Its easily and often overlooked which is a big mistake in my opinion.
Good luck anyway.
Philip.
andreweast OP
30 posts
 
Ctsooner, are we thinking of the same people? It is Dave and Mike that developed the sub system I'm talking about. Anyway, I'll be sure to follow your advice and give the Proac ribbons a listen before this quest is concluded.

Pcoombs, thanks again for the Gradient nudge. I had thought the Revolutions were monsters but looking at the specs now they are fairly big, but perhaps not overwhelming. Do you think these could work in a room of my size; just less than 15 x 12?

So the listening list now is:

Janszen
Gradient Revolutions
Proac D30R/D20R
Kef Reference 1

I think that's probably as much as my speaker testing stamina can take. I am starting to get bored of my demo cds.
pcoombs's avatar
pcoombs
84 posts
 
Andrew, They are actually quite small. Smaller for example than my Harbeth M30 ( or M30.1s ) on Skylan stands.
But the active version go down to near 20Hz.
Due to the way they work ( trying to remove the room) they have the best chance to performing well in small spaces plus they can be placed against the back wall.

Although not necessary I use them with the DSPeaker dual core 2.0 which helps gives me a very flat fequency range.
andreweast OP
30 posts
 
Ok so how are they for sweet spot? The directionality and head-clamp narrow sweetspot of the ESLs is something I'm trying to get away from so that would be one concern. Otherwise they sound hugely promising, and yes, looking at the M30s on stands in my room at the moment I keep thinking that most floor standers will occupy less space than this.
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