Speaker Keeper

Macspur

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May 3, 2010
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Hi all,
Had a home demo of some Harbeth Super HL speakers today and I believe I have finally found one that ticks all the boxes for me.

To my ears, they are somewhere between ProAc and ATC. The harshness from the ATC has gone, but retaining clarity and detail in the mids and treble.. The low end is much more fleshed out, but thankfully without boom.
At the same time I took the opportunity to demo a couple of CDP's; firstly I tried the Sugden Fusion. This is a model Sugden appear to have brought out as an interim measure before releasing the latest in their Masterclass range, the PDT-4F.
Must admit quite disappointed with the Fusion... quite dull and lifeless compared to my CDX2, heavier in the base though.
Next I tried a Wadia 381... this machine looked like it had been carved out of granite! and just as heavy, I've never seen a player like it!
It was cold straight out of the box, but still sounded pretty impressive and as it warmed up the music became much more life like, adding depth and increasing the soundstage markedly.
The Wadia is out of my price bracket at the moment, but I'm glad I had the chance to hear one after reading so many glowing reviews, I know now which player I have to save my pennys for.
 
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Anonymous

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Love the Harbeth sound, their designs are so beautifully judged. Thinking about it they are probably not the very best at everything (not the most detailed, not the best imaging, not the biggest bass) but each element that goes into making up their sound is there in more than generous enough quantites to make them very even handed and a really great listen. A pair of P3ESR's are next on my radar.
 

Macspur

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Spectre said:
Love the Harbeth sound, their designs are so beautifully judged. Thinking about it they are probably not the very best at everything (not the most detailed, not the best imaging, not the biggest bass) but each element that goes into making up their sound is there in more than generous enough quantites to make them very even handed and a really great listen. A pair of P3ESR's are next on my radar.

Yes, you're absolutely right, they are a balanced sound.
 

CnoEvil

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Aug 21, 2009
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I'm delighted you have found what you're looking for, and FWIW I have no qualms about the Harbeths, which are all about the music.

If things hadn't gone smoothly, Living Voice (Auditorium Series) might also have worked out.

It's great that you got to hear the Wadia, as it's up there with the best.

:cheers:

Cno
 
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Anonymous

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Macspur said:
Hi all, Had a home demo of some Harbeth Super HL speakers today and I believe I have finally found one that ticks all the boxes for me. To my ears, they are somewhere between ProAc and ATC. The harshness from the ATC has gone, but retaining clarity and detail in the mids and treble.. The low end is much more fleshed out, but thankfully without boom. At the same time I took the opportunity to demo a couple of CDP's; firstly I tried the Sugden Fusion. This is a model Sugden appear to have brought out as an interim measure before releasing the latest in their Masterclass range, the PDT-4F. Must admit quite disappointed with the Fusion... quite dull and lifeless compared to my CDX2, heavier in the base though. Next I tried a Wadia 381... this machine looked like it had been carved out of granite! and just as heavy, I've never seen a player like it! It was cold straight out of the box, but still sounded pretty impressive and as it warmed up the music became much more life like, adding depth and increasing the soundstage markedly. The Wadia is out of my price bracket at the moment, but I'm glad I had the chance to hear one after reading so many glowing reviews, I know now which player I have to save my pennys for.

High praise over your current atc 40's.
 

Macspur

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CnoEvil said:
I'm delighted you have found what you're looking for, and FWIW I have no qualms about the Harbeths, which are all about the music. If things hadn't gone smoothly, Living Voice (Auditorium Series) might also have worked out. It's great that you got to hear the Wadia, as it's up there with the best. :cheers: Cno

Must admit LV have intrigued me, but don't know of any dealers in my area.
 

Macspur

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edplaysdrums42 said:
Nice one Macspur.......they look very nice. When do you hope to get them?

Cheers Ed

They left me with a demo pair that aren't that old, so with the trade in for the SCM40's it won't be too painful.

Cheers
 

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