Harbeth SHL5 vs SHL5 PLUS

Harbeth have natural synergy with Pass amplifiers...i prefer with silver cabling in between...A class works wonderful...i checked out Gryphon Diablo 300 also on HL compact 7ES-3 and also works very smooth with absolute control but the best amp i mated with Harbeths was/is Kondo Ongaku clone....with also great source that is something to behold...bring me the most expensive Magico and it will run it over like a shallow stream in terms of musicality...it works so well that you just dont care is violin in third or fifth row, does it have less or more details, is it more or less transparent etc...sound is deprived of any mechanical artefacts...Harbeths will definitively take out the midrange best and most natural...their bass and highs are good, nothin spectacular but they are masterfully integrated and it just sings as whole...of course to get the sound i have now it would take a tons of money if you buy it from actual manufacturer but my point is that it is imperative to invest in quality electronics and cables to really hear what Harbeths can...i heard briefly SHL5 Plus with Gryphon Callisto amp, Rega CD player in another room and it is more cleaner and open and bit brighter than HL compact 7ES-3 but i doubt that difference between SHL5 and SHL5 Plus is big...if you allready have Harbeth speaker i suggest you to urgently spend some big bucks on better amp and source...thank me later...

@ryder just curious. No plans to change my SHL5s. If I did, I would probably go with the C7ES3 anyway. However, I would like to know how do you like your Plus vs. non-plus and C7ES3 if you don't mind sharing.

Btw, I am very close getting NAP200+NAC202+HI-CAP2 if the deal goes through. I think Naim is the way to go. It gives the Harbeths even more balanced sound if that's possible:) Thanks!

Celo, sorry for the late response. The SHL5 Plus is basically a more refined version of the non-Plus and an overall cleaner sounding speaker. Sometimes I find the SHL5 Plus to be slightly lean and clean when compared to the lusher and more romantic non-Plus. Having said that, I do not have any doubt that I prefer the sound signature of the Plus over the non-Plus. As for the C7ES3, although I have listened to it many times, it’s not in my own system with my Naim amps. If you ask me to pick two speakers, it would be the SHL5 Plus and C7ES3 for me. However, it’s a matter of preference really as some folks like the non-Plus more than the Plus.

The rhythmic pace and timing of the Naim are a good match to the Harbeth if one prioritize these sound aspects. The NAC 202 and NAP 200 + Hicap are lean sounding amps and match rather well with the warm and fuller sounding SHL5s. In the end the listener has to try and see if the sound suits his taste and listening preference.

A note is the Hicap DR is better than the Hicap 2. However, if one does not compare the Hicap 2 will sound fine on its own.

Ryder,

No problem at all! Thank you for the reply.

See I liked the C7ES3 better than the Plus when I heard them at a dealer in the same setup. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to compare with the SHL5 as it was an older model they didn’t stock it but could not pass up the deal on the used SHL5s from a private party. I also find them lush and romantic like you said. I had been thinking an amp that can play bright/lean or whatever you want to call it but something the opposite thick/lush sound of the SHL5s would be a good match. If SHL5 sounds more open with the Naim even a little, I think that will make me happy.

I never even considered auditioning Naim amp before but after hearing them I knew they had a unique sound. That PRAT thing works for me:)

Btw, I have to get the Hi-Cap2 as it is part of the package. Maybe I sell it and get the DR version later that is if I buy the system. Thanks again.

Celo,

No problem. Sometimes I wished I can have both SHL5 Plus and C7ES3, ideally with one of the Proacs thrown in. However, I have no space for more speakers. I currently run two systems based on the SHL5 Plus and Dali Mentor Menuet.

Similarly when I auditioned the SHL5 non-plus and C7ES3 nine years ago, I preferred the sound of the C7ES3 but actually took the larger SHL5s as I wanted a larger box. Thinking back I should have chosen the C7ES3 as it sounds really special, just the right amount of warmth ie. not overly warm, lush or plodding in the bass as the SHL5 non-plus. It doesn’t sound as sterile and clean as the SHL5 Plus(although I still like clean than warm). All my opinion of course as people hear things differently and has their own preferences to how they want their speakers to sound like. There are few folks who regard the C7ES3 as the best speaker in the Harbeth line for having a balanced attributes, not too small like the P3ESR or too big like the M40.2.

In summary, I can live with any Harbeth speaker but could only pick one that I like best. Variety is good in life.