Question Lector - Harbeth

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telemann

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Oct 12, 2022
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Hello everyone. I have a CDP Lector 7 TL connected to the Lector Zoe preamp and two VM200 monoblocks, Harbeth 5 SHL XD speakers (not the XD2!). I'm looking for advice on signal and power cables to maintain a warm, bright, and powerful sound. I'm using them VDH 102 Mk III, Cardas crosslink Cable talk Interconnect, Ricable Speakers now, but I'm not very satisfied. Impeto Audio e Oehlbach,?Thanks. P.S For the Harbeth loudspeakers stands? Atacama?
 
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What is it you're not enjoying about your setup? You've got some excellent units, although when I demoed Harbeth SHL5 speakers, powerful & bright wasn't their M.O. I found them warm & gentle. That's just my opinion, of course.

I'm strongly of the belief interconnects will make no discernible difference to your sound vs a basic quality level, most certainly power cables.

My recommendation would be to play with speaker positioning in the first instance to see if that helps.
 
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Thanks for your attention. Are you sure cables aren't that important? The power cables are all Supra. I'm looking for good signal and speakers cables for the connections and suitable stands...
 
For stands I quite like these:-
audiochic.co.uk

Harbeth SuperHL5 Plus Speaker Stands 140-900mm (Pair)

Enhanced Audio.Elegant and Iconic.Strong, Stable Self leveling three leg Design.Designed specifically for Harbeth SuperHL5 Plus Speakers with a top plate measuring 322mm Wide x 300mm Deep.Imagine your Harbeth Reference Point positioned perfectly for your optimum listening position, Sit back...
audiochic.co.uk audiochic.co.uk
I will not, however, be getting into a cable debate.
 
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Ok Atacama sxl 400 Tontrager? Tontragers are really expensive, are they really worth it? Are there any audible positive differences compared to other stands?
 
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Maybe, or rather, almost certainly, you're right... There are tons of cables available at a wide range of prices, but perhaps a "normal" copper cable should be suitable for all seasons... or not? But...Tontrager stands? other steel stands and much cheaper?
 
telemann said:
Ok Atacama sxl 400 Tontrager? Tontragers are really expensive, are they really worth it? Are there any audible positive differences compared to other stands?
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I very much doubt it.
Getting the correct height is critical as is positioning, both of these will make a bigger difference to the type of stand they are sat on.
What type of flooring are the stands being placed on?
 
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On normal ceramic tiles..The Tontrager (recommended by Harbeth) are too expensive and I'm not sure they are worth all that money..With Stand Atacamo slx 400 (or another brand 45 cm high) should I get good results, or not?
 
telemann said:
On normal ceramic tiles..The Tontrager (recommended by Harbeth) are too expensive and I'm not sure they are worth all that money..With Stand Atacamo slx 400 (or another brand 45 cm high) should I get good results, or not?
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On ceramic tiles where? On a suspended floor or a solid concrete one?
Your best bet , in my opinion, is to buy cheaper stands but put isolation feet like Isoacoustics or similar under the stands, Stack Audio Auva are also excellent.
Forgot the over expensive Tontragers.
Get this right and you can stop being concerned about expensive cables.
From personal experience removing the spikes from under my main speakers and replacing with Isoacoustic Gaia isolators was the best money I have spent in a good while.
However that's just me.
 
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telemann said:
Hello everyone. I have a CDP Lector 7 TL connected to the Lector Zoe preamp and two VM200 monoblocks, Harbeth 5 SHL XD speakers (not the XD2!). I'm looking for advice on signal and power cables to maintain a warm, bright, and powerful sound. I'm using them VDH 102 Mk III, Cardas crosslink Cable talk Interconnect, Ricable Speakers now, but I'm not very satisfied. Impeto Audio e Oehlbach,?Thanks. P.S For the Harbeth loudspeakers stands? Atacama?
Click to expand...
If you take a look at Harbeths own forum, or read anything their designer, Alan Shaw, writes, or attend one of his speaker demonstrations you’ll learn this:-

The speakers need to be aligned at ear height, tweeter axis usually. Alan is happy if you put them on a pile of books or a kitchen stool. He uses Amazon Basics or similar bog-standard cables. His mains connectors are from a supermarket by the looks of them. Tontrager stands do allow the boxes to vibrate as intended (thin-wall BBC idea).

His only concession to you choosing fancy wires is he realises dealers make massive margins on them, 60 to 100%, and that helps them stay in business to sell more Harbeths. The cables don’t improve his speakers. He wired the Anniversary models internally with Van Damme but I don’t recall he’s said if he still uses it on the XD2 series.

Post in thread 'Speaker cables - the basic basics'
https://www.harbeth.co.uk/usergroup/threads/speaker-cables-the-basic-basics.79718/post-82698

PS. I realise you already know this as you posted on the Harbeth forum! Don’t cone here expecting your beliefs to be supported!
 
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All good. I think there is, and could be, a good compromise between very cheap cables and expensive ones. On this site, for example, they recommend Chord or Qed... I don't have the time or the opportunity to try dozens of cables, so I'll settle for a few recommendations. Or not?
(Don't shoot the pianist, I'm just a listener of good music)
 
telemann said:
Thanks for your attention. Are you sure cables aren't that important? The power cables are all Supra. I'm looking for good signal and speakers cables for the connections and suitable stands...
Click to expand...
There's no harm experimenting with cables, I quite like the Japanese Furukawa single crystal cable. You can get from AliExpress or possibly eBay, they're about £40 per meter for interconnects.
 
telemann said:
On this site, for example, they recommend Chord or Qed...
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They do indeed, describing very specific sonic differences.
According to them, the differences and benefits are so pronounced....you'd think that if they were blindfolded, they'd be easily able tell the cables apart.
Does anyone seriously think they could?

....and if you can't blindly discern an audible difference, then surely, there is no difference - at least not in the sound.

In post #1, you asked for advice about cables. Do you think you could ever pass the blind test?
 
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I'm not sure, in fact I don't know much about cables. I can tell you that, blindfolded, I can tell a Bosendorfer piano from a Steinway or a Kawai. That's true. I use my Yamaha every day. I just want good-quality cables that DON'T alter the sound of my electronics, that don't conduct hum or noise, that transmit a neutral, unaltered sound, and... forget about it for a long time. Am I asking too much? Chord, Cable Talk, Mogami, Ricable, VDH, etc. etc.....
 
telemann said:
I'm not sure, in fact I don't know much about cables. I can tell you that, blindfolded, I can tell a Bosendorfer piano from a Steinway or a Kawai. That's true. I use my Yamaha every day. I just want good-quality cables that DON'T alter the sound of my electronics, that don't conduct hum or noise, that transmit a neutral, unaltered sound, and... forget about it for a long time. Am I asking too much? Chord, Cable Talk, Mogami, Ricable, VDH, etc. etc.....
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Most cables should do exactly as you wish. Decent plugs and construction is what you need to be looking at.
However, as always, you're simply going to have to audition a few as nobody here can tell you which might or might not alter the sound of YOUR electronics.
 
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telemann said:
I'm not sure, in fact I don't know much about cables. I can tell you that, blindfolded, I can tell a Bosendorfer piano from a Steinway or a Kawai. That's true. I use my Yamaha every day. I just want good-quality cables that DON'T alter the sound of my electronics, that don't conduct hum or noise, that transmit a neutral, unaltered sound, and... forget about it for a long time. Am I asking too much? Chord, Cable Talk, Mogami, Ricable, VDH, etc. etc.....
Click to expand...
Then use Van Damme, as used by Harbeth and many studios.

Up-LCOFC Hi-Fi Speaker Cable | Van-Damme

Up-LCOFC hi-fi speaker cables available with 5 conductor sizes. These are found in professional environments to monitor world class recording and mastering studios.
www.van-damme.com www.van-damme.com

Various suppliers can make up custom lengths to suit. I’ve used these folks several times…

Van Damme Cable @ designacable

Designacable is one of the largest stockists of Van Damme cable in the UK
www.designacable.com www.designacable.com
 
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