Harbeth C7ES3 vs Usher Be-718.....

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Anyone has any experience on the above two superb standmounts' sound? How much do they differ and in what aspects?

WHF should review the Usher Be-718 as so many awards have been bestowed upon them, as many as the C7ES3 won and perhaps

even more...

I have heard how natural & musical the Harbeth C7ES3 is but might consider the Ushers if the sound is superior...

Main listening genre is new age, jazz/vocals, pop/rock, instrumental...

Cheers
 

Thaiman

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I heard them but not side by side. both have superb sound but very different. I always like Harbeth but never could own a pair due to that retro look is not something that my wife would want in our lounge!

Bass on Harbeth is very tuneful if on the understate side while Usher bass sound more fruity but nither of them will give you seismic for the obvious reason.

Top end, from memory, have to be Usher! the treble pronouce loudly and smoothly which took me by surprise the Beryllium tweeter normally sound bright but no evidence here.

I guess for Midrange, Harbeth will win. I remember have the spine tingling moment, one after another ...and another, with a Opera classical Cd! (which isn't something I normally listen to) the electronics used were from company call "north star".

I think you would be happy with either! Harbeth are very natural, nicely balance from top to bottom but could lack some excitment if partner wrongly, The Usher re-production is more colour but easy partner and never boring.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks Thaiman for your comments, very true indeed from what the technology of each suggest...beryllium tweeter of Usher vs RADIAL midrange of Harbeth.

Somehow, contrary to your mrs ;) I actually favour the retro look of the Harbeth, a very nicely proportioned and classy box IMHO.

However, the Usher Be-718 does seem like a smarter buy for more advanced technology(Berrylium tweeter!), phase and time aligned baffle, solid credentialed components within, and a more futuristic & sporty look.

Which would you buy if they cost the same? I will need to listen again to the Usher Be-718...I have heard ppl comment they sound as good as the SF Cremona Auditors and I wouldnt be surprised. But at the end of the day, I supposed the Harbeth C7 ES3 would be an excellent gold standard to judge how musical other speakers can be, they are likely less exciting and dynamic but simply very enjoyable & really lead you into the music...

Cheers
 
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Anonymous

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Hi Guys!

I need help!

I've been searching for speakers for 6 months right now. The best i've heard so far in my apartment were Harbeth C7ES3. Unfortunately their WAF (wife acceptance factor) is very loooow.

I need to find speakers which have similar midrange and musicality but also looks much better! Should I borrow Usher BE-718 to audition? DO they sound similar in terms of musicality?

Other speakers ive tried and didnt like are: MA gs10, Epos range, Audio physic sitara, focal, jbl.

What do You think? I want something like harbeths but with nice look. My room is small about 16 meters, and my budget is 1500 pounds. My amp - vincent 236mk right now.

Thanks!
 

Bodfish

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Great call oneoff...I had their Mani-2 for a while and absolutely loved it. If I ever go back to a standmount design they'd be on my list.
 
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Anonymous

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Totem's are not avaible where i live. I'd propably order usher's for auditions.
 

IJ

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I cant help you on the Harbeth's as i have never seen or heard them, but i do have a pair of the Be-718's for the past 10 months.

I switched from Quad 11L's and Mission 753's. Both the former speakers became tiring to listen to after long periods, whilst the Usher's have such a smooth and detailed treble and good bass for a stand mount.

I cant give you all the words that people use to describe speakers on this forum, but i would really suggest a serious audition.

The tests all say that the Ushers benefit from a powerful amp and i can agree with that, having just upgraded from my old Exposure pre/power combo to a much more powerful Parasound P3/Usher P1.5 combo.

The end result is just fantastic.
 
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Anonymous

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If you want something similar is size to the Harbeth C7ES3 then the Proac Response D2 might work for you but it looks just as bad! If you like the natural sound of the Harbeths and want the bass of a large stand mounter why not try a small floorstander like the Spendor A5? If you want to consider smaller boxes then what about the Spendor SA1? I'm recommending Spendors specifically because I think they're superb but also the main speakers I've heard the price points.
 
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Anonymous

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A friend of mine owns Primare I21 amp+cd with proac tablette and i like the sound very much!

Could You tell me how the sound of proac studio 100/110 differs from tablette?
 

wireman

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IJ: I cant help you on the Harbeth's as i have never seen or heard them, but i do have a pair of the Be-718's for the past 10 months... The tests all say that the Ushers benefit from a powerful amp and i can agree with that, having just upgraded from my old Exposure pre/power combo to a much more powerful Parasound P3/Usher P1.5 combo. The end result is just fantastic.

IJ - what exposure pre/power combo did you have with the Be-718's?

I have the Dancer 8871's, which are effectively the floorstanding version of the Be-718, but with two 8" bass drivers added, driven by exposure 21 pre-amp and bi-amped with four exposure 16 mono's.

It's an extremely musical combination IMHO, and no lack of power. In fact, it's the midrange (identical to the larger/bass driver in the Be-718) that starts to show stress first when being pushed hard, and in the floorstanding 8871's, because it has the two 8" bass drivers, it's duties are considerably less.

A friend has a Musical Fidelity kW combo (900watts) also with these 'floorstanding Be-718's', and it's just too much... the volume never gets past 10 o'clock without distortion setting in (again, the midrange/bass driver in the 718's) because the speakers are just too sensitive for such a powerful amplifier.

What was the limitation with your old exposure pre/power combo then that the Para P3 and Usher P1.5 overcomes?
 

IJ

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The Exposure pre/powwer is the XV11/XV111, i think from around 1992 and 60w per channel. The Be-718's from tests suggest they are of low sensitivity (around 85dB) and need a powerful amp to get the best from them.

Living in an apartment, i never get a chance to drive them so hard and the dial would never be past 11 o'clock, but listening to my other cinema system, i realised something was missing.

Hard for me to explain, but the new pre/power has just so much more control, detail and really the music is so much better. It is a great match to these speakers.

The Usher amp is 150W, 900W is maybe a touch too much for these stand mount speakers?
 

wireman

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IJ - Having just gone to Hi-Audio (the distributors) web-site and checked the specs, I see what you mean: I was surprised to see that the sensitivity of the 718's is comparatively low at 86db, requiring an amplifier of up to 250 watts. It seems strange that my larger 8871's have a sensitivity of 90db and a lower overall power handling of 150 watts given that the tweeter and midrange of the 8871 are the same drivers as the 718's tweeter and bass unit! I can see now how your old exposure 18 couldn't hack it, although I've had exposure 18's here on my 8871's, and they were fine - a little underpowered for such a large speaker, a little loose in the bass, but okay up to moderate volumes. The trouble is, the 8871's really do need an amplifier that has control and grip in the bass, hence my move to exposure 16's.

The Usher 1.5 seems a great amp for such little money - but then Usher speakers are exceptional for the money too. It seems odd to me that the UK hi-fi press has taken so long to recognise that fact.
 

IJ

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Wireman

Well i certainly agree with this and even more of a bargain where i currently live.

"The Usher 1.5 seems a great amp for such little money - but then Usher speakers are exceptional for the money too. It seems odd to me that the UK hi-fi press has taken so long to recognise that fact".

Much of this forum often does not see past Spendor A5/A6 and ATC speakers in this price range and have yet to appreciate how "big" a sound these 18Kg standmounts can give.(Not saying that these 2 brands do not justify their praise)

The Exposure was ok when i play my Usher CD-7 through my(old) Wadia DAC, but struggled to drive the speakers if i connect direct to the CD player with its lower output. In fact i much prefer the CD-7 as is, rather than using the DAC.

Some tests on the Be-718's do suggest a touch lower sensitivity than 86db and boy what a difference the Usher P1.5 made. This power amp weighs in at 40Kg and opinions i have read say that it is one of the best for the Be-718's and i wont argue with that.
 

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