[Ferbose]

I was once invited to a head-fier's home to listen to Harbeth 7ES-3, and it is just the most natural speakers I have heard. Surely the more expensive Wilson Audio have impressive sounds, Usher has amazing beryllium tweeters, B&W has sweet sound, von Schweikert has great clarity. Somehow a middle-of-line Harbeth just sounds more right. I have been so pampered by K1000 that most speakers don't sound too right to me in the high frequency. No wonder Harbeth has been around for so long and has so many fans.

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferbose No wonder Harbeth has been around for so long and has so many fans.

After our two hour listening session, the overwhelming impression I walked away with was, "Here's what a product sounds like when a company has 30+ years of familiarity with the problem." In other words, they just confidently sat in a sonic aura of competence.


About my kitty Yolanda (Oreo tugs at the speaker stands too), I'm fairly confident I'm going to come home one day and find the speakers tipped over and four little paws sticking out from under the sideways stands. Fortunately they are sand filled and weigh about 80 lbs each. Fortunate both because the cats just don't weigh enough to topple them, and because if they do get flattened they'll die pretty much instantly.

 

[plaidplatypus]

Will Headroom continue to carry these?

 

[Tyll Hertsens]

Yupper.

 

[plaidplatypus]

Has anyone at Headroom compared the HLP3ES-2 to the P3ESR?

 

[tom hankins]

I'm about 13' from the front of my Harbeths, and they are around 8' from center to center apart. Sound is great.

 

[chesebert]

Harbeth also does really well with equilateral triangular placement. Actually it's really hard to make Harbeth sound bad.

 

[orkney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plaidplatypus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone at Headroom compared the HLP3ES-2 to the P3ESR?

I have both. There are differences, but not night-and-day IMO. P3-Rs seem easier to drive and a bit more transparent overall, especially through the mids. ES-2s a little warmer and darker (and perhaps subjectively slower) in the bass and mids. Both versions are incredibly involving across all kinds of music and volume levels and both have remarkable bass for their size. If I wanted to buy new I'd go for the P3-R but at half the price used the ES2s are a steal, I think. And in some rigs, I can see folks preferring the originals for that extra warmth. I drive mine with Bryston BCD-1/Sugden A21SE or Primare/Cary combos and I'm a Harbeth convert for good now.

best,

o

 

[JorgeC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plaidplatypus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone at Headroom compared the HLP3ES-2 to the P3ESR?

Hi Platypus,

Our Harbeth P3ESR sets finally arrive this week so we'll have some real 'hands-on' HeadRoom evaluations available very soon. btw, the last pair of Harbeth P2 models have just sold-out at HeadRoom.

One giant difference is the new P3 models are NOT bi-ampable like the P2 that offered the dedicated multiple connection posts for bi-amp users -- which, of course, delivered the best sound quality performance!

Cheers,
Jorge
Service & Sales Manager

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JorgeC /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Platypus, Our Harbeth P3ESR sets finally arrive this week so we'll have some real 'hands-on' HeadRoom evaluations available very soon. btw, the last pair of Harbeth P2 models have just sold-out at HeadRoom. One giant difference is the new P3 models are NOT bi-ampable like the P2 that offered the dedicated multiple connection posts for bi-amp users -- which, of course, delivered the best sound quality performance! Cheers, Jorge Service & Sales Manager

Do you think the sound quality was because of the extra power of using the two amps? Because i have biwired my SHL5s on many ocassions and found no difference at all in sound quality.

 

[JorgeC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hankins /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you think the sound quality was because of the extra power of using the two amps? Because i have biwired my SHL5s on many ocassions and found no difference at all in sound quality.

Hi Tom,

That's certainly one reason.... Of course, our HeadRoom Desktop bi-amp power amps are pretty darn awesome-sounding themselves -- which we feel is the big key!

Cheers,
jorge
HR Service & Sales Manager

 

[The Monkey]

Happy New Year, Jorge. What ever happened to that pair of dinged Harbeths from CJ08?

 

[JorgeC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Happy New Year, Jorge. What ever happened to that pair of dinged Harbeths from CJ08?

Hey Monkey,

Those dingered P2 have become our 'office set' of Harbeth speakers and are employed around HeadRoom for our own testing and evaluative comparisons... er, when they're not here, the Harbeths can usually found at Tyll's house!

Happy 2010,

jorge
HR Service & Sales Manager

 

[k3oxkjo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens /img/forum/go_quote.gif After our two hour listening session, the overwhelming impression I walked away with was, "Here's what a product sounds like when a company has 30+ years of familiarity with the problem." In other words, they just confidently sat in a sonic aura of competence.

Yes, I have a pair of Monitor 40's, and normally use a speaker for a while then sell it to check something else out. But I can't bring myself to sell the M-40's. I do love the "BBC sound" and Harbeth took that as a starting point and built on it's strengths. The biggest limitation is that, like just about every "box" type speaker, they don't do that tall, expansive soundfield of big planars and the like. But otherwise...

I have had a bunch of speakers over the years but only liked one thing I have owned better. That was a super-modified pair of Infinity IRS V's. Broke my heart to move them on but they DOMINATED my average sized living room. But the M-40's have been a great fall-back position.

And all the models Harbeth makes are excellent!

Best, Kevin

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3oxkjo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I have a pair of Monitor 40's, and normally use a speaker for a while then sell it to check something else out. But I can't bring myself to sell the M-40's. I do love the "BBC sound" and Harbeth took that as a starting point and built on it's strengths. The biggest limitation is that, like just about every "box" type speaker, they don't do that tall, expansive soundfield of big planars and the like. But otherwise... I have had a bunch of speakers over the years but only liked one thing I have owned better. That was a super-modified pair of Infinity IRS V's. Broke my heart to move them on but they DOMINATED my average sized living room. But the M-40's have been a great fall-back position. And all the models Harbeth makes are excellent! Best, Kevin

Kevin, What amp (amps) are you using now and what have you used in the past with your M40s? My next speakers will most likely be the 40.1s. Thanks.