Harbeth Super HL5 or MS Performance 6?

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Hi, I am from Singapore. Finally can afford to setup a music room for myself. Just bought a Primare integrated amp I-30 & now looking for a pair of matching speaker. Got a chance to audition Harbeth with my Primare, love the clean & uncoloured sound. Saw alot of great reviews on MS Performance 6 but unfortunately, no audition is available in Singapore. Both are priced about the same here. Frankly, I am tempted to buy the MS even without audition. Thought of seeking some advice before making that leap. Thank you.
 
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Anonymous

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This might not really answer you questions but, here it goes anyways.

I have been auditioning the HL5 for a few months now, mainly with MA2275. This is so far the best combo i have come across in a very long time! I have had the Primare I30 & CD31paired with Studio 140 and this was a beautiful match as well. Don't have experience with Performance 6. I believe Clare is having a Performance 6 setup. May be she can help you.

Oh, i think one of our fellow members "debt_collector" is having a pair of HL5 powered by Brystons (?)

Always insist on an audition before taking that leap. Only you can tell if any combo, be it highly praised or poorly reviewed, appeals to your listening habits.

Happy hunting!
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks for the quick response. Yes, the Studio 140 was originally on my audition list but didn't happen as I found it was priced relatively high (in UK, it is about 41% of the MS Performance 6 whereas in Singapore, it is priced at 67%). I agree that audition is important but the MS is too tempting. Haha. Hope to hear what Clare or others have to say...

Note : Strange! Somehow the MS Performance 6 isn't as well-known in Singapore.
 

vinod_david

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sslai:Hi, I am from Singapore. Finally can afford to setup a music room for myself. Just bought a Primare integrated amp I-30 & now looking for a pair of matching speaker. Got a chance to audition Harbeth with my Primare, love the clean & uncoloured sound. Saw alot of great reviews on MS Performance 6 but unfortunately, no audition is available in Singapore. Both are priced about the same here. Frankly, I am tempted to buy the MS even without audition. Thought of seeking some advice before making that leap. Thank you.

The E-I-C here has the P6 and love it. I would really worry about the synergy thing about Primare and P6 here, but know well that P6 has got tremendous synergy with Marantz high end stuff. Also, i guess Ken Ishiwata from Marantz likes P6 so much that you can find a P6 in his testing room - i might be wrong.
 
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Anonymous

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I have never seen or heard any Harbeth loudspeakers. I don't even think that any retailer in Western Australia stocks and sells this brand.

I love the sound of the Mordaunt-Short Performance 6 loudspeakers. When I was looking to purchase a pair of Mordaunt-Short Performance 6 loudspeakers, the amplifier that was powering them was a Primare I30 2-channel integrated amplifier with a Primare CD31 CD Player as source.

The sound quality was sensational.

Dan.
 
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Anonymous

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chebby:unleash_me:
I have been auditioning the HL5 for a few months now, mainly with MA2275.

That is a long audition!

It indeed is Chebby!

What can I say, its a lotta money for me and I don't want to make any mistakes - plus I'm new to tube-amps!
emotion-15.gif
 

chebby

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vinod_david:He is trying to find perfection - to the last stitch.

So long as the dealer isn't down to his last stitch due to all the stock being out on long-term loan for auditions
emotion-1.gif


The Harbeth Super HL5's would certainly be on the shortlist if I upgraded to the next level of Naim amplifier.

But my tastes run to things like Jazz, Reggae, classical (choral, baroque and sacred), 1950s- 70s pop and vinyl and FM analogue sources with a lot of BBC Radio 2, 3 and 4.

With so little heavy rock or metal and so much importance of voice (for instance radio drama) I would probably want to hear the Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 with it's more direct BBC monitor lineage.
 

Thaiman

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This is a tough one! Both are fantastic sounding speakers.

Personally, I prefer Harbeth but only because I have a Mcintosh MA2275 which seem to bring the best out of them. MS preformance 6 is certainly a lot better the look at and sound very soulful (I only heard them at dealers though) but I think they will need "get up and go" amp to bring them really alive. Excellent short list though, I bet you will be please in whichever you choose.
 

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