He also said amplifier power is not that important...then changed his mind after a demonstration.....he's an engineer...but he's not above learning something new.A rare trait in engineering types.
He’s designed good speakers and runs a good brand but he’s getting cranky and opinionated. HUG on the other hand is like a cult. I have owned 3 pairs of Harbeths and still keep the P3ESR. I love my little P3ESR. So got nothing against the brand. At HUG you get quite a few old hands there that say any amp will suffice. One model that keeps popping up is the Yamaha AS 701 or 801. Once AS uses Hegel then suddenly Hegel is the amp to own there. Boutique brands are shunned all the time. Been on HUG and seen AS basically say tube amps are inappropriate for his speakers. He said it’s like buying a BMW and then driving it with lower than recommended tyre pressure. Harbeth has been touted as very natural in reproduction of the human voice. So how do such speakers have what he markets as Extended Definition? It’s ironic when he’s openly rundown another brand of BBC design speakers. Yes ... he’s good at sales talk. Does not believe in cables but if he has something to sell it comes with better internal cables and speaker binding posts. Sorry if my post seems insulting but it’s just stating facts. Oh well ...
Tube amps are what? Inappropriate? Err, tube amps are the only chance that Harbeth somehow sound right. Bit cold and uninvolving with SS (better with vintage SS) Had 4 Harbeth speakers ... the LS 3/5a I still own. i call them the best speakers I don’t like haha
It is a road strewn with uncomfortable truths, facts and stats, but the main thing is enjoy what you have, so hats off.
FWIW I quite liked this integrated amplifier driving the 30.2 And while not a big deal - if you like the sound of it it seems to be a bit of an aesthetic match for speakers that look like Harbeth. Only 50 watts and my audition were at lowish levels. I would not put too much stock in one audition but I liked the match more than with the Sugden A21a. However, I do not know what the price of the Moonriver Integrated.
Same here, I have had 4 pairs of Harbeth' over the years, still have my P3ESR 40th's and will keep them. I have no time for Alan Shaw and his BS...
This is my exact experience with my current Compact 7. They play extremely well with a 40 wpc triode Primaluna yet sound extremely brittle with 100 wpc solid state McIntosh. If I posted this on HUG it would get deleted, as has happened in the past.
Harbeth M30.2 XD Loudspeakers Review First English language review I've seen of XD series BTW, having lived with this speaker since approximately June, I'd largely agree with the sentiments of this review.
I had the M30.2 XD's actually one of the first sets of the production line earlier this year, great speaker but in the end I let it go. I also concur with the review posted above.
Thanks for posting the video. To be fair I don't think I have ever seen / read Alan Shaw say that power is not important. Quite the opposite. I believe he's always been a proponent of powerful amplifiers. He just believes that all well-designed amps essentially sound the same (my personal experience too).
I told AS at HUG that if he feels ‘disappointed’ or ‘insulted’ that his speakers are used with tube amps, he should ensure that customers purchasing the speakers must sign a covenant never to use tube amps.
I have had quite a few tube amp with my Harbeths. All worked great. But I’m curious as to why DavidR feels the same as You-Know-Who.
I am currently in the market for a pair of speakers for a small room (13' x 10') and you can't imagine how reassuring this reads to me after reading all the complaints about how Harbeths can't "rock". I am now even more tempted to try them. I'm more than certain they can rock, just in their own special charming way. I mean, sure, if Metallica and Iron Maiden is all you listen to, it might not be the speaker for you but for a diverse listener with a wide range of tastes, I think they will be able to cover a lot of bases.
The Moon River unit is $3500 in the US (without the optional dac/phono stage). So here, it's basically a $1000 more than the A21.
Recently I read this review of the P3ESR which resonated with me because it was very much in sync with what I look for in music reproduction. Harbeth P3ESR Review A quote from the author: "Listening becomes a more interactive experience with little subtleties and details drawing you further into the music. From classical to rock and folk to blues they seem to be equally at home in any genre." Here's a quote from one of the comments under the post: "I listen mainly to jazz and classical, but am no stranger to AC/DC and Black Sabbath (for example), and know how good the P3ESR’s sound across multiple genres. I think people who say these are too “slow” or “recessed” for rock are just too used to hearing speakers that artificially push certain frequencies in your face, and haven’t allowed sufficient time to reacclimatise their ears to a more natural and neutral sound. For recordings with a hard beat or colourful distorted guitars, the attack and colour should be coming from the recording, not be added by one’s hi-fi gear; a good accurate speaker is a good accurate speaker, regardless of program material."
