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OMG OMG OMG Harbeth M30.1 INCOMING!!!A Few Questions For Owners

A rare & timely opportunity has made me the owner of a pair of M30.1's in Tiger Ebony finish with 1 frigging hour use!!!
 I have Pangea 24" stands & with the tweeter at 12.5" up from the bottom of the cabinet that puts the tweeter at 36.5",within a half inch of center of my ears when in critical listening mode..Anyone see a problem using my stands?
 I have about 3' out from back wall & same from side walls which are treated for reflections..Speakers can be up to 8' apart with listening position about 10'away..Suggestions on setup?
 Regarding amplification since they haven't even started breaking in I'm going to run them with my 17wpc.EL84 amp & will start looking for something with at least 50wpc...What do you guys think of a Mcintosh MHA100 @ 50wpc. driving these?How about SimAudio Moon 240i @ 50wpc.or maybe a Hegel Rost at 75wpc.???
 Thanks much,take care..
 

freediver
mountainsong's avatar
mountainsong
353 posts
 
My advice those speakers will not wake up unless you power them with high current.
I only was able to enjoy them with Hegel H30.
My 2 cents
freediver OP
585 posts
 
^^^ You know I read/heard that about Dynaudio & ran Audience 42,52,52SE & Excite X14's with 15wpc.Class A EL34 with superb results for years..I will reserve judgement until I have heard it myself thanks..
freediver OP
585 posts
 
So I spent several hours going through the Harbeth Users Group threads re: the 30.1's & holy crap the spirit of Dr.Julian Hirsch & The Audio Critic  is alive & well over there!Measurements,measurements,distortion levels,all good amps have no sound,Yamaha & Marantz integrated amplifier recommendations,wow!
 Oh and man is Audiogon loathed as a den of snake oil salesmen & charlatines!I've NEVER been so excited to be getting any speakers I've ever owned...
singintheblues
29 posts
 
If your ears remain at exactly the same height +/-0.5” during listening, you need a better record collection ;-)

In my experience, all Harbeth benefit from a bit of power.  30.1 @ 85db.
I recently heard them demoed with a Sugden a21 (23w Class A).  The most limp sound I’ve ever heard.   No dynamics at all.

....perfect if the aim is to keep your lug holes in an exact spot :-)
tlong1958
87 posts
 
I would have to agree with the assessment about Avon forums. They have become a haven for snake oil salesmen. I do find it entertaining to read about the nonsensical products that are advertised here. Magic mats, $15,000 speaker cables, expensive contact cleaners, little bowls to stick on the walls of your listening room, etc. and the claims from the shills, using expressions like “night and day difference, “jaw dropping improvement” “blacker backgrounds”. And when someone questions the nonsense, all hell breaks loose and people get all worked up about it. Very entertaining.
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