I read on another post that you now have your Harbeth P3ESRs set up and running.
I would like to hear your thoughts about them.
Thanks.
I would like to hear your thoughts about them.
Thanks.
Calling Bodfish (Harbeths)
- Thread starter chebby
- Start date
Hi Chebby
I have been meaning to drop a thread on the Harbeths as I know you are thinking of getting a demo. The P3ESRs have been up and running in my system for about three weeks or so. The reason for holding off on writing my thoughts was the fact that the Naim DAC turned up pretty much at exactly the same time - I wanted to have a good feel for what they were actually contributing/capable of and put them in their own context as opposed to that of the DAC.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about these tiny little boxes is the bass, especially if you were to take the specs Harbeth publish at face value. I'm not talking about quantity, level or outright depth; I'm talking about fantastic pitch definition and speed. In this respect, they are even better than the Spendor A6s that preceded them - no mean feat as the A6s were very, very good in this regard. If you have a copy, try listening to George Michael's 'Freedom' from Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 - the bass work on this track is very complex but the Harbeth's manage to make light work of it. It's one of those situations where you listen to it and go 'Oh right, now I get it'.
If the bass is is good, the midrange and treble have no problem keeping up. I don't know whether its the cone material (which Harbeth seem to place a great deal of emphasis on in terms of the midrange and vocal delivery) or the thin-walled construction but songs where the lyrics were perhaps unclear or muddled become clear and obvious. The phrasing of the vocal itself also comes to the fore and tracks which contain two vocals in harmony (take pretty much any Crowded House record) are clearly revealed and seperated. The treble delivery is clear and crisp but not in any way bright.
The overall impression is one of superb integration - neither driver is 'obvious' in it's output and seems to me at least to be close to sounding like a single unit. They affirm my belief that (all else being equal) a good little 'un will beat a good big 'un. Until the Spendors I was a definate standmount guy - the A6s changed my perception of how good a floorstander could be given their inherent compromises - but the Harbeths utterly and completely wipe the floor with them. I can see them being sat on the end of my system for a very long time to come.
Clearly I can't guarantee they'll be right for you...but you really do owe it to yourself to hear them and I think (and hope!) you'll find them well worth the effort.
I have been meaning to drop a thread on the Harbeths as I know you are thinking of getting a demo. The P3ESRs have been up and running in my system for about three weeks or so. The reason for holding off on writing my thoughts was the fact that the Naim DAC turned up pretty much at exactly the same time - I wanted to have a good feel for what they were actually contributing/capable of and put them in their own context as opposed to that of the DAC.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about these tiny little boxes is the bass, especially if you were to take the specs Harbeth publish at face value. I'm not talking about quantity, level or outright depth; I'm talking about fantastic pitch definition and speed. In this respect, they are even better than the Spendor A6s that preceded them - no mean feat as the A6s were very, very good in this regard. If you have a copy, try listening to George Michael's 'Freedom' from Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 - the bass work on this track is very complex but the Harbeth's manage to make light work of it. It's one of those situations where you listen to it and go 'Oh right, now I get it'.
If the bass is is good, the midrange and treble have no problem keeping up. I don't know whether its the cone material (which Harbeth seem to place a great deal of emphasis on in terms of the midrange and vocal delivery) or the thin-walled construction but songs where the lyrics were perhaps unclear or muddled become clear and obvious. The phrasing of the vocal itself also comes to the fore and tracks which contain two vocals in harmony (take pretty much any Crowded House record) are clearly revealed and seperated. The treble delivery is clear and crisp but not in any way bright.
The overall impression is one of superb integration - neither driver is 'obvious' in it's output and seems to me at least to be close to sounding like a single unit. They affirm my belief that (all else being equal) a good little 'un will beat a good big 'un. Until the Spendors I was a definate standmount guy - the A6s changed my perception of how good a floorstander could be given their inherent compromises - but the Harbeths utterly and completely wipe the floor with them. I can see them being sat on the end of my system for a very long time to come.
Clearly I can't guarantee they'll be right for you...but you really do owe it to yourself to hear them and I think (and hope!) you'll find them well worth the effort.
have a mate who recently bought a pair ... he too has not stopped 'raving' about them .... will be visiting him shorty for a good few pints and a BBQ ... and am really keen to listen to these
Nice write up Bodfish. Your experiences sound like mine with the Spendor SA1s. If you can see past the limited bass depth, which I find easy, such a small speaker has huge amounts of talent that is just not there with floorstanders. What stands do you use? I suspect that lightweight stands suit such designs to avoid colourations.
Thanks Igglebert. I use a set of Something Solid XF stands for the Harbeths. Made to order so they match the speaker dimensions exactly and pretty good value for money too - just over £200 for my set.
Thanks Bodfish. Excellent report.
Wanting to hear these speakers has become a sort of minor obsession lately. I am hoping to get to a certain W1 dealer on a day out in London in the next couple of weeks to hear them. (If they have them in stock at the time.)
Wanting to hear these speakers has become a sort of minor obsession lately. I am hoping to get to a certain W1 dealer on a day out in London in the next couple of weeks to hear them. (If they have them in stock at the time.)
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