A move from Harbeth to... Wilson?


Hi gang, hoping for some thoughts. 

I'm very happy at the moment with my system, but getting a slight itch for an upgrade. So many options and directions I could go, but the one I'm pondering at the moment is moving from my Harbeth C7ES-3 speakers to Wilson Sabrinas. (The Sabrina X is now out, which may bring the Sabrina down to my budget... maybe.)

My room is approx. 10'6" x 15'6" with the speakers along the short wall and my listening chair is about 2/3 back from said wall. The C7s plus their stands are just about the right size for this room, and the Sabrinas on their floor spikes are similar in "overall" size, though obviously the speakers themselves are bigger.

Current amp is a Pass Labs XA30.5 which doubles down at 4Ohms (plus lots of headroom) and comes just within Wilson's "recommended" amplifier power. The room is on the smaller side, and I don't listen loud; I've never "wanted" for more power with the C7s. (Though every once in a while I wonder what a pair of XA60.5s would sound like in here, but that's an entirely different thread.)

Eh? Any thoughts?
don_chisholm

Showing 3 responses by snackeyp

I am a Harbeth 40.2 Anniversary owner and although I have no desire to upgrade, I have always been interested in Wilson's.  Since I have never spent any real time listening to Wilson speakers I really can't say what they sound like in comparison, but the owner of a local audio store, who happens to be blind, once told me that Wilson sounds the best to his ears.  As one might only assume, someone who is blind must know, as they use their eyes to "see" in many ways.  
That said, once I got my 40.2's I really haven't had a single thought to make changes in speakers.  They are so right to my ears, and the path to get to them was long and expensive.  I am sure there are other speakers that I would like as well or more, but would probably have to spend a lot more to achieve this.  The Wilson line generally starts where the Harbeth line ends, even when you buy used.  This has been one major prohibiting factor in even thinking about buying their speakers for me.  I could afford them if I moved some priorities around, but when the Harbeths sound so perfect to me I simply cannot give this option a thought.  
Whatever you do, make sure you can audition them thoroughly before you buy.  And please do share your experiences if you go that route.  I am very curious to know what others learn.  
@yogiboy Thanks for explaining.  
I think I understand what you mean.  IME, Harbeths are easy to drive but need a certain synergy with the amplifier to sound their best.  I have had a few amps that sounded "small" with my Harbeths in comparison to my current amp (Hegel H590) and a few others.  Of course, proper set-up is also essential.  I think this is true of any speaker, however.  
Happy listening!
@yogiboy stated that Harbeths sounded "boxy".
Can you define what boxy means?
My imagination tells me that it would sound like the music was coming from inside of a box, but this does nothing to describe the sound. If the box were a closed box the sound would sound muffled. Am I right?
If the box were open but the source was deep from inside the box the sound would be cavernous, or hollow. Or perhaps, like music coming through a megaphone or horn, which would be harsh or brittle. At least this is what I imagine.
I have had several models of Harbeth speakers over the past 14 years and have never heard them sound boxy in any variation of the term that I can imagine. Thanks for elaborating on this. I am eager to learn.