I think this belongs here and not the Naim New Classic thread.
I am tempted to have a listen to these. Wonder if it is a bit too optimistic for a NAP110 to drive them. I guess no problem for a NAP300. My dealer appears to be stocking them along with the BBC P3 monitor
The subject of how easy the P3ESR to drive can best be described as āinterestingā .
Funnily enough I played some films on my rather nice Pioneer BluRay Player and they surprised me with how good they were
Not sure what you mean Ian2001
I was told that a NAP110 would have no issue
In certain quarters they have a reputation as being difficult to drive , yet Iāve seen Unitqute driving them on this forum . (more than once)
Iām in online meetings all day. For this, I use the Harbeth P3ESrs, driven by a Chord Quest + Naim SN3.
Total overkill, I know - but I think Iām less fatigued by the end of the day due to the speakers. I got these because these were supposed to be good with voices - and Iāve stuck to theseā¦
I use them sometimes for music tooā¦
Impressive. For me, itās just the built-in speakers of the laptop or PC.
Harbeth has a brand new product on their website, the āNelsonā. It is a combination subwoofer and stand for the Harbeth P3.
Quite a clever design.
Iāve been driving M30.1s with a NAC202/NAP 200 combo for more than 8 years. One of the great qualities of these monitors is that they are never tiring even with prolonged listening. Any thoughts on how the M30.1s would fare if driven bij a NC NAC 332/NAP350? My guess such a change could either draw out the qualities of the Harbeths even more, or it could show that the Harbeths are too small for this type of power. Anyone using this combination?
Very interesting news, Iāll check it out with my dealer.
The M30s are the easiest to drive in the Harbeth range, so while depending on the room and requirements one can possibly gain from a different amp, I wouldnāt go for the 350s for these speakers.
Many thanks for this, GarƧon! (I presume the c is with a cƩdille, if not, apologies)
I donāt think any Harbeth is easy to drive IME. I think most people just accept the midrange and vocals are great and think Harbs canāt do anything else.
Yes you will get sufficient volume out of them with many amplifiers. But the reason why people think Harbeths are not dynamic at all is because they are underpowering them. This isnāt helped by Alan Shaw himself who doesnt talk about the power requirement. I guess that may put people off the speakers. If you put a LOT of power on any Harbeth Speaker they will for the lack of a better phrase āwake the fāāk upā. This may be controversial and I apologise if anybody is offended but I wouldnāt power Harbeths with anything less than NAP 135s. I have and the results were not the best imho.
In terms of XD series. Iāve have owned two pairs of 30.2XDs now so I have a good handle on them. Btw this is my favourite speaker from the entire range. Compared to the Annieās the XD series have a little less bass and more high frequency information. The midrange also carries more information although this could just be the result of less bass allowing midrange to shine. This can be perceived as bright if not partnered well and the speaker not being broken in.
I find Graham a tad blunted at the top and Rogerās V shaped. Both of these can be partnered very well with the right equipment and cables mind you. The Harbeths have the most accurate midrange imo and now treble with the XD. If you want to introduce more bass get some serious power behind them. I would move away from Naim to do this but I will lose the Naim house sound which I also love.
Hope this helps.
May I ask which Graham model. I have the LS5/9.
If I ever go back to a Harbeth it would be the M30.2 Anniversary or XD but from your experience it appears that the XD is a better choice since I still feel the 30 2 anniversary to sound a little warm and heavy at the bottom.
Hi ryder, 5/9 yes. The thing is I mentioned what my preference was and Iām sure others may prefer another signature. The Graham has more bass output than the harbeth as does the Rogerās. If youāre used to this then you may not prefer the Harbeth. But yes I will repeat I find the Harbs have the most natural sound out of the bunch. Lacking in bass yes which can be fixed with amplifiaction.
New 30.2xd owner here (technically I havenāt even seen my set yet, Iām currently listening to the stores demo set which they let me keep till they can bring mine round). They sound great using my 282/250dr the more Iāve listened over the last week the more impressed Iāve been. Iām enjoying rediscovering my entire music collection.
I wouldnāt disagree overall but would maintain that the M30s (whichever crossover tweak version takes your fancy) are the easiest among them.
I donāt think any power would make them rock tbh but a 250 level should be plenty to make them deliver what they are able to.
I appreciate this information. Yes, I agree the Graham LS5/9 is slightly warm and rolled off in the treble and for this reason whenever I switch from the Marten Duke 2 to the LS5/9, I will switch DAC and cables that sound more lively with better air and high frequency extension. The matching equipment and cables will be able to alter the sound to a satisfactory level, quite well I would say although I donāt have the brightest silver mains power cables or interconnects in the system.
I have listened to all M30, M30.1, M30.2 Annivesary but not the 30.2 XD, and itās useful to know the XD has more high frequency information and better clarity in the midrange than the Anniversary model. To me, the 30.2 Anniversary sounds the best although still warmish. The M30 sounds worst to me with a sound that is too warm and dull. Did you manage to listen to the C7ES3 XD and SHL5 XD? If yes how does the M30.2 XD compare to these two speakers? Which one is most dynamic or live sounding with āin the roomā feel? I suppose itās the 30.2 XD. I dislike a warm sound with reduced clarity and detail across the frequency spectrum and the old C7ES3 shows this. The C7ES3 XD was reported to be a huge departure from its predecessor and some people picked it as the best sounding Harbeth ahead of the M30.2 XD.
Iām using a NAP250DR with my M30s. I donāt think Iād pair them with a lesser amp.
I am using a SuperUniti to power mine, and it is a mighty fine combination. Bass is very precise. I would guess if people donāt like Harbeths it is because they are too neutral or realistic (analytic?). They are very good in demasking bad recordings.
I can imagine not everyone likes this.
Youāre spot on in your practice of tweaking the system to a speaker frequency response. Thatās exactly what I have had to do with all my Hatbeth speakers. I didnāt bother with the speakers I knew I couldnāt live with long term. Similar to how Iāve tried to move away from Naim several times and always come back, Iāve also done this with Harbeth.
My Harbeths that Iāve owned are Super HL5+, M30.1, M30.2 40th AE, SHL5+ AE, M30.2 XD x2, SHL5+ XD.
Iāve heard 40.2 and c7, p3esr but not in the XD guise.
The hl5XD is imho improved on the previous version. The bass is cleaner and the treble focus is reduced. Having said that once again itās possible to start with the hl5+ and exactly as you have done partner equipment and cables that create the overall sound signature one is after. Although the tightness of the bass and the driver integration cannot be remedied IME.