In Appreciation of the Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3

Would Harbeth C7ES3 work well in an "almost near field" environment? I have a 9 1/2 x 15 dedicated room with low ceilings (7ft)? Using the Cardas room placement calculator and taking advantage of the room's length, I could place them with the tweeters 50in from the back wall, 2ft away (31 inches from the tweeter) from the side walls, giving me tweeters 51 inches apart and a listening position the same(51inches) which still leaves me about 3 feet behind the couch to the rear wall.

Also I have floor to ceiling bass traps and first wave sound panels.

I recently auditioned a set of Kef LS50 but came away smitten with the Harbeth C7ES3!

 

Yes, they ABSOLUTELY will work. Those are almost identical dimensions to my prior room.

FYI, the C7 absolutely in a different league than the LS50 IMO.

 

Can you Harbeth owners talk about the differences between the C7ES-2 & C7ES-3 if you've had the opportunity to compare? I have an long distance opportunity(can't hear 'em) to buy a set of ES-2 but have never heard them. My main concern is that they are not too dramatically different and too laid back, compared to the ES-3. I spent a lot of time auditioning Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs and really lamented the lack of...sparkle in the high end. Is the treble voicing much different on the ES-2? I'm definitely a rock guy, but listen to jazz and fusion, etc.

I liked but eventually ruled out the Kef LS50 as they were just not enough for me. And yes, C7 are in a different league, IMHO.

 

Harbeth all the way. Ive been looking to get a high efficiency speaker as a compliment to the Harbeth and picked up a minty pair Klipsch Heresy I. Comparing a $500 speaker is not really fair...but after several minutes with the klipsch i wanted my harbeths back on the stand (and did so). The Harbeth has such a nice way of being musical...slightly warm but with plenty of detail..in my listening area have yet to find a speaker thst is better..oh and the Rogue Cronus magnum II is an excellent match for the harbeths!!!

 

Adding if you are a rock guy i suggest a sub...i added a REL recently and it works great with Harbeth 7es3. Just fills in the lower freq below 40hz

 

I can comfidently say the 3 was a big leap forward over the 2. Notice it has been almost ten years with no update because they really hit the mark.

 

Sub? Not really.
You may be surprised what some cable changes can do.
Also a matched amp' will add quite a bit of bass.

 

What would be a matched amp to the 7ES 3's in your opinion?

 

Lots of amp's work with Harbeth, 7's or otherwise.
For me it was about finding an amp that delivered across the board, something that didn't limit one part of the range over another. Given that Harbeth are a little "light" on bass delivery [bar the 40's, or at least so I'm informed] it was and remains important that what bass is in a recording is expressed to the full, or at least the fullest these speakers can deliver.
Having an "appropriate" interconnect in the chain is also critical [found this by experience].
So simply having the "correct" amp is not quite the be all and end all in squeezing the bass out of recordings.

As for me, I found the LFD range worked for me. The Zero V does bring out the bass in recordings and having appropriate cabling extended that bass.
Ergo, for me at least, no need for a sub.

Billy Cox's bass on the Freedom vinyl sounds big and fat without overwhelming the rest of the sound. The bass sounds tight and controlled. Rock music without a sub through Harbeth's can and does work well.

 

If you are playing Queens of the stone Age, foo fighters, rage against the machine, and bands of this this nature i suggest a sub. There is information below 40hz that a nice sub if properly blended in can help with.

 

I have plenty of material with bass below 40hz
I understand the nature of a sub, I understand the "limitations" of Harbeth monitors and other monitors. I don't feel the need to add a sub at all as other who own Harbeth [or other monitors] and listen to "rock" music won't.
Like I said, getting the most from Harbeth or other monitors that don't go as low as some other speakers is about a match of amp [and cable]. Anyone buying a monitor that does not match their expectations of range should not be buying a monitor

That's not me saying don't add a sub to Harbeth or other monitors, if that's your bag then go for it. That said, if I wanted such low levels of bass frequency then I'd look at other speakers first and be prepared to pay a hell of a lot more for a detailed speaker that does sub 40hz / 35 hz.

 

That would be my thought too.

 

And good luck trying to integrate a sub with such a refined driver. You will have to spend as much as the monitor.

 

Agree totally.

 

Just got a pair of C7's on sound anchors, big upgrade from my 2000 era Nautilus 805's. To get better tonality balance after the change, I did also upgrade my Exact 2 on the RP6 to an Ortofon Quintet black. Wonderful synergy, I look forward each day to going home and putting an album on.

Much deeper bass on the C7's than the 805's, and just better balance in my room overall. Also have a pair of LS50's that i compared with, not even close. There's something a bit synthetic sounding about the LS50's, the C7's are far more natural sounding - e.g. piano's sound real.

 

You nailed it! I have been searching for a term to describe the LS50's in comparison to the Harbeths and synthetic is it!

 

I'm taking a serious look at these later this fall. Has anyone else paired the C7s with a PrimaLuna ProLogue/DiaLogue or the Cronus Magnum? Sounds like they all have plenty of power to drive these and the Cronus comments earlier in this thread have been positive.

 

Cronus Magnum is a winner all the way.

 

I'm using a Primaluna Prologue One with my C7s. Sounds fantastic.

 

Are the ES-3 significantly better than the ES-2?
I am asking because yesterday I auditioned the ES-2 against some SMGc from the 90s at a friend's house and the SMGc wiped the floor with them.
I mean, it wasn't even close.

 

Totally different speaker. The 3 has completely different drivers and crossover.

 

Thanks, that's good too know! I was really surprised that the ES-2 did not fare well in our comparison.

 

Nice to hear both can get the job done. Thoughts on how much either amp colors the C7 sound?

I can probably audition the C7 with a PrimaLuna, but likely not the Rogue.

 

Just picked up a new pair of cherry C7s this week. I have them paired with a Devialet 120. It is a fantastic combination. I too tried LS50s first and, as mentioned earlier in the thread, the C7s are in a different league altogether. I downsized from a pair of JBL S3900 and I don't miss them one bit. Great stuff.

 

Welcome to the club!!! Cherry is my favorite finish.