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The Harbeth phenomenon

In my search for a new pair of speakers, I've gone through many threads here and noticed that many owners or fans of Harbeth have almost a love-like connection with Harbeth speakers. It is almost as if the speakers cast a spell upon them. I know many audiophiles love their speakers but Harbeth owners seem especially enamored with theirs. I am extremely puzzled by this phenomenon because on paper Harbeth speakers look average at best and lack many of the attributes that generally make a great speaker.

Their sensitivity of generally around the 86dB mark makes them rather inefficient and therefore, at least in theory, not a good match for many lower powered tube amps, or any amps below 100wpc. Their frequency range is simply inferior to most high-end speakers since they don't go below 40 Hz. This alone should, again at least in theory, disqualify Harbeth speakers from consideration as top high end speakers. And yet I've never heard anyone complain about their bass, while people complain about lack of bass in the Gibbon Nines from DeVore, which is a fantastic speaker. Their cabinets look like a cheap DIY enclosure (disclaimer: I've never seen a Harbeth up close, only pictures). The 7ES-3 is rated B-Restricted, while the smaller and cheaper Usher Be-718 A-Restricted in Stereophile but garners nowhere near the same amount of admiration, praise and following among audiophiles.

So what's going on here? Is this a big conspiracy plot by the company that paid off a few hundred of people to infiltrate audiophile internet forums and a few reviewers? I am of course joking here, but the question is serious. How can speakers so average on paper be so good in real life? I know the opposite is often true, but you rarely see this phenomenon.

Please speak up.
actusreus
dobieguy
20 posts
 
(disclaimer: I've never seen a Harbeth up close,only
pictures)
Since you did not say what you don't like about how they sound,I guess you have not heard them either.
Specs alone mean little. Few,if any speakers do everything
right for everybody. What most Harbeth owners agree is that what they do-they do very well. I am amazed at the detail
they reveal and the quality of vocals.
As for the low end,they are no slouches.
As for the"DIY" enclosure- the Rosewood finish on my "BBC LOOK" Harbeths is Jaguar quality.
One speaker that has reached cult like statis is the Harbeth
LS3/5a. Not wanting a 25 year old speaker at three times the price new,I bought a pair or P3ESR's here on the 'GON.
I'm a believer. I've always been a British speaker guy.
These might be the last speakers I buy for a real long time.
ACTUSREUS-go have yourself a listen.Forget the specs,
forget the looks-listen to the music.Be careful of the"spell"



hodu
239 posts
 
I've owned lots and lots of speakers. I currently have five pairs, in fact, which is probably more than I need, but that's another story altogether. The ones I used to have that I miss the most -- and began to miss the minute I sold them -- were a pair of Celestion SL600s. They were inn efficient as hell, didn't go low at all, couldn't play loud -- and they were pure magic. As Shadorne says above, it's the midrange. That's where most music happens -- the human voice, all but the extreme notes on a piano, your normally tuned guitar -- and when you find a pair of speakers that can get the mids right on the button, you've got speakers to love. And to hang onto, too, unless you want to keep looking back on them -- fondly, longingly, lustily, even -- like you might an old, lost girlfriend.
-- Howard
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Another speaker that is somewhat similar and coincidentally garners the same sort of following is Audio Note. I think they have some similarities in their designs.
Mmike84 (Threads | Answers)
Most readers here know by now that I bought Audio Note speakers. The AN speakers hit me right away with qualities that connected me to the music without analysis.

So, while Shadorne took a roundhouse by suggesting that I did not connect with the Harbeth M40 because I don't hear or "get" midrange, I think my purchase of the Audio Note speakers suggests that I do in fact get midrange. They don't do pop and sizzle either.

The M40 were not to my liking from the get-go. The Audio Notes did it immediately.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
banyon100
34 posts
 
I'm always amused when I hear the "conventional wisdom" that Harbeth speakers are only for British grandmas listening to chamber quartets. Some of the most exciting and memorable music I have ever heard was the Rolling Stones played on a Naim/Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 combo.
I could name a dozen speakers over $10K I have heard at CES that aren't nearly as musical or engaging.
petek
33 posts
 
Harbeth has a musicality about them that is hard to pinpoint - it is the sum of good engineering and know-how, coupled with a critical ear for musicality by the designer. The mid-bass units (radial drivers) are propriety and are based on internal r&d. Part of their magic lies here. In addition, they are designed to get human voicing correct and, are outstanding monitor speakers (who have a somewhat restricted LF).

Although the cabinets look retro and dated (which I like), I never thought they were cheap. Again, there is a design philosophy behind them.

Admittedly, Harbeth loudspeakers are not perfect nor everyones' cup to tea (from the sonics to the looks). But they get most things remarkably right when it comes to musical enjoyment and have a loyal fan base. Plus, they are reasonably priced when one compares to what else is out there in the sub -5k range (excluding the M40s).

my 2c worth based of my experience with my M30's.
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