Why do Harbeth speakers have such a cult following


Let me start by saying I'm not here to bash Harbeth speakers.I have actually listened to 3 different pairs before I bought my current speakers.I thought they sounded good but I don't understand all the hype around them.They seem to have a cult following like Linn and Naim. What is creating the cult following among Harbeth speakers?
taters
Hello Egoben,

You are very fortunate that you were able to audition both sets of Harbeths in your room. I would love to be able to that.

I appreciate your tip in regards to using dedicated speaker stands instead of a shelf, bench, etc.

Have you found a particular brand or style that seems to work well for you? Did you use the same type for both the P3ESR and 30.1?
Hello Michaelkingdom,

I enjoyed reading your thoughts in regards to your SHL5's. I believe that the sound of any speaker is greatly influenced by the room that they are playing in as the room becomes an extension of the speaker's cabinet.

So every room has varying nodes, reflective surfaces, as well as absorbing surfaces, etc. I think that this may be one reason some feel a particular speaker may sound warm and laid back and others may feel the same speaker may sound cold or lean or more upfront. So many variables in this hobby!
No_regrets, I didn't use the same stands for both speakers. For the 30.1's I used heavy stands, I think they are called Atacama SE24. For the small P3's I use a much lighter stand made of MDF wood, they are called Audio Pro Stand 620. The only reason why I use these are because of the looks, I like these a lot, the Atacama's are very good but ugly in my opinion. I prefer heavy stands though, as we have two cats running around. Sometimes I put something heavy on the bottom plates just to not risk any accidents caused by the 4-legged little beasts. I once thought heavier stands made the bass a little bit more clear but I'm not sure at all about that. Apart from the overall better sound, I also prefer stands because it lets me have the speakers far from each other, it widens the soundstage very much.
Thanks Egoben. I don't know that either of those would be available here in the States. I've many people seem to like Skylan stands with the Harbeth line of speakers quite a bit. They are in Canada and would be no problem for me to get those. I probably will give them a try or maybe custom build some out of wood myself. We'll have to see how ambitious I get!
Thanks Egoben. I don't know that either of those would be available here in the States. I've many people seem to like Skylan stands with the Harbeth line of speakers quite a bit. They are in Canada and would be no problem for me to get those. I probably will give them a try or maybe custom build some out of wood myself. We'll have to see how ambitious I get!