Once I heard the Harbeth P3 speakers (in a room very similar to my listening room), I decided to build a system around those speakers.
I'm not saying those are the best speakers ever; just that their tone and expression of timbre appealed to me, along with their size and a certain amount of forgiveness regarding placement. The speakers are well suited to the type of music I listen too, and I listen at moderate volumes.
Finding proper amplification continues to be a journey. According to Harbeth designer Alan Shaw, any properly specified amplifier in good working order should suffice. Nevertheless, I found that experimenting with amplification made a considerable difference in the sound of the system (I am currently using an Odyssey Khartego SS stereo amp with an Odyssey Candela tube pre).
Of course, listening to music is the best part of owning a nice audio system. It was enlightening, however, and fun, to build a system starting with the speakers.
I'm not saying those are the best speakers ever; just that their tone and expression of timbre appealed to me, along with their size and a certain amount of forgiveness regarding placement. The speakers are well suited to the type of music I listen too, and I listen at moderate volumes.
Finding proper amplification continues to be a journey. According to Harbeth designer Alan Shaw, any properly specified amplifier in good working order should suffice. Nevertheless, I found that experimenting with amplification made a considerable difference in the sound of the system (I am currently using an Odyssey Khartego SS stereo amp with an Odyssey Candela tube pre).
Of course, listening to music is the best part of owning a nice audio system. It was enlightening, however, and fun, to build a system starting with the speakers.