I had a pair in n trade for a stretch. I was very happy with them and my AVM integrated. Herb Reichert used an AVM with a pair of 30.2s in his review of the 6.2 ME and was happy with it.
The guy who traded them to me has a pair of LTA Ref 40s bridged mono. I have a few customers using Hegel over a long period with them. A 390 or a 590 would be brilliant.
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Over on the Harbeth Users Group (I know, I know), there is a thread called "The 'A-list' of amplifiers actually in use At home". While this obviously covers all the Harbeth models, and while subjective comments are indeed discouraged, what I still find interesting is the really wide and diverse range of amplifiers being used. You can find a number of 40.x there.
I tried an Ayre AX-7 on my 40.2's (regular model) and it sounded more than respectable. The Belles Aria monoblocks were better. A little better still, are the Audio by Van Alstine DVA M225 monoblocks. Medium room, approx. 8.5' triangle. |
I have owned 40.2 and anniversary 30.2. I believe the 40.2 was the best full range monitor I have ever owned. Alan Shaw always liked to claim Harbeth to be amplifier agnostic, and I believe to a degree he is correct. They seem to keep the Harbeth signature with a wide variety of amps and despite lowish sensitivity even the 30.2 can sound suprisingly good with lower power.
I had too may amps on the 40.2 to remember, both tube and SS. my favorite though was an Audia Flight SS. The 40.2 seemed to respond well to quality power. I have a pair of Vinnie Rossie VR120's for sale currently. I did not own the 40.2 when I started experimenting with Vinnie's gear but I know he had a show stopper set-up 4-5 years ago with 40.2's paired to a single VR120. I always wanted to hear my 120's paired with 40.2s but I listen in a space much too small for them now, got kicked out of the big rooms by wife and kids LOL. The 40.2 or its successor will be a speaker I return to someday, probably in retirement when I get my room back :)
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thanks for the input so far - i am aware of the usual suspects, but wanted to check to see if there are any ’out of the ordinary’ synergistic matches out there
and yes, well aware of the amp discussions (as sad as they are) at h u g... |
I first heard the 40.2's at Deja Vu in Washington DC. There and at the CAF Vu was driving them with high-power CJ tube amplification. I believe they can do well with both SS and tube. The need for a certain amount of power seems to be the most frequent refrain. What I'd really like to hear about is someone risking powering them with a Pass XA25 or XA30.8 and then recounting what they heard. |
About a year ago, I replaced my 40.1's with 40.2 Anni's and continue to use a Music Reference RM9 MKII with Gold Lion KT88's. It was refurbished by Roger Modjeski a few years before his passing. Along with the VAC 70/70, it has been the best sounding amp I've owned in my 20+ years as an audio enthusiast. In the 8 years I owned 40.1's, I used the following amps: - Music Reference RM9 MKII... great amp after refurbishment
VAC PHI 200 (powerful bass, but lacked air and transparency... I was hoping for more out of this VAC amp)VAC 70/70 Signature (130 pound beast, great SQ on vocals, classical and jazz... loved this amp, but a hassle to repair)McIntosh MC275 MKV (fun, gutsy classic amp... recommended)VAC 30/30 MK3 (nice amp with midrange to die for, but could use a more power)Plinius SA-102 in class A (best solid state I've owned)Bryston 4BST (decent value at used prices, but average sound quality)McIntosh MA2275 (too soft and mellow... not recommended)Musical Fidelity M3 Nu-Vista (disappointing... not recommended) |
Plinius SA-102 in class A (best solid state I’ve owned) May I ask what preamp was matched to the Plinius SA-102. I used to own the SA-100mk3 with Harbeth SHL5 and the sound was too warm and thick in the midrange and bass with reduced clarity and detail across the frequency spectrum. I tried about 3 or 4 preamps with the SA-100mk3 without much success. Few integrated amps sound better than the Plinius separates but they didn’t go too low in the bass. In the end I settled with Naim mid range separates for the Harbeth, now upgraded to SHL5+. |
I used an Aesthetix Calypso with NOS tubes.
While the Plinius was the best solid state amp Ive owned, I haven't owned a lot of SS amps as I prefer tube amps. If I had to use SS, the SA 102 is an amp I could live with.
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The Benchmark AHB2 monos with LA4 preamp, M40.2 Annie’s, 14 x 21 room is stunningly good. Quietest background I have ever heard, never bright or harsh, balanced top to bottom. Perhaps not as liquid as some other SS and tube amps but otherwise very impressive. I think the 40s respond well to 400 w/ch as well. |
I used an Aesthetix Calypso with NOS tubes.
While the Plinius
was the best solid state amp Ive owned, I haven't owned a lot of SS amps
as I prefer tube amps. If I had to use SS, the SA 102 is an amp I
could live with. Thanks for the response. The Audio Research LS16 Mk2 sounded best with the Plinius SA-100Mk3 on the Harbeth although the overall combined system wasn't cutting it. I suspect the SA-102 is a significantly better sounding amp than the SA-100 and the Aesthetix Calpyso is a good match to it. |
appreciate the inputs and discussion so far
the mon 40’s represent an interesting challenge for amplification... highly resolving, not super hard to drive, but hard enough that really low power amps need not apply -- moderately efficient, so doesn’t need a ton of power, but really likes more power if it is uber pure
responds well to tube beauty but with the big woofers you will certainly give up something on the low end in the trade
like many great speakers, it may have some of its own personality but it let’s you hear pretty plainly what you are driving it with, good or bad |
Curious if you’ve tried the Audions with them and how they fared. |
Tried Luxman 590AXII, Hegel 390 and Line Magnetic 805ia with 30.1’s and HL5’s. Prefer the LM by a large margin. Holographic sound that the other SS amps do not offer. I’m a fan of high powered tubes!-Alex |
For a non tube amp that works well with big Harbeths I would recommend Dartzeel integrated. End game amplification for end game speakers! 😃
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my intent in this thread is to garner responses from users of mon 40’s only
i have super 5s and compact 7s they are rather different kettles of fish |
I think I heard that the Swedish Moonriver have been using the BBC family’s of speakers in the development of their amps, could be worth a try! |
I had extremely good results with the original Monitor 40’s using a Pass Labs 250.5 and an Audio Research Ref 3 preamp. The Pass brought out the best qualities of the 40’s, articulate bass, wonderful midrange and extended treble. I tried a few combinations before but the Pass/ARC combo really worked best for me.
My room was 13 x 21 x 9 and had a large opening into the dining room behind my listening chair. I sat about 11ft from the speakers.
I don’t know how the Pass works with the newer 40 models so I am not sure if this helps. Good Luck! |
responds well to tube beauty but with the big woofers you will certainly give up something on the low end in the trade @jjss49 Just so you know, this statement is false. The size of the woofer has ***nothing*** whatsoever to do with how a tube amp will drive it (this is however a common myth)! The **impedance** of the driver is what is important, as is the low frequency cutoff of the amp (which, if too high, introduces phase shift which robs the amp of impact; this is why we made our tube amps go full power to 2Hz, so there would be no phase shift at 20Hz). As long as the amp has a good interface with the woofer, it will make the woofer play bass easily. This is very easy to demonstrate both technically and audibly. |
@voodoochillin +1
If you've tried the combo, please report on AGD Audions with the Harbeths. |
@atmasphere
yes, fair points ralph, with which i agree
i guess in my own experience, there is a fairly decent correlation between large woofers such as the single 12 inchers in big harbeths and spendors with the need for amplifier damping factor and control of the driver and its significant motor structure
no argument that other configurations such as speakers using multiple smaller woofers like those in focals magicos wilson/wilson benesch etc etc with lower total impedance in the bass region as seen by the driving power amp are in fact often more challenging loads for the amp to handle |
i guess in my own experience, there is a fairly decent correlation
between large woofers such as the single 12 inchers in big harbeths and
spendors with the need for amplifier damping factor and control of the
driver and its significant motor structure @jjss49 What's been happening there is the impedance of the woofers in your experiences has been the real issue. To give you an idea of what I mean, my speakers at home employ dual 15" woofers made by TAD. The speakers are fairly efficient; about 98dB and together are 16 Ohms. Our MP-1 preamp has a fairly gutsy direct coupled output and can drive the speakers to a conversational level and the bass sounds just fine. This is a tube circuit that makes about a watt. The damping factor is non-existent- the preamp is balanced and designed to drive 600 Ohms, not 16, yet the bass is fine. The line stage performs well as a headphone power amp; most 'phones are 32 Ohms so 16 isn't that much of a stretch. I don't think this would be the case if the woofer array were 4 Ohms. That would have an enormous effect! Not so much due to damping, but simply because the distortion of the tubes would go up, causing it to sound fat and possibly muddy. Its distortion that you want to keep in check. A high damping factor is not needed on almost any speaker- the highest any speaker might need might be 20:1- certainly no more! Damping by itself is really over-rated. In the case of the Harbeth 40, you have a single 8 Ohm woofer in a large-ish box that is ported. This is a benign load for a tube amp but to get the most out of the woofer if using tubes you'd want the amp to have good bass extension at least an octave or two below 20Hz so as to minimize phase shift. |
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I use 40.2 Anniversary’s with the darTZeel CTH-8550. Excellent. |
I own the 40.3XD, and it is my final speaker.
Was running with my Jeff Roland Concentra 2, and it sounded wonderful. Had the amp for 18 years and got the bug to replace.
Now using Hegel h590 and am very happy. Using the Hegel onboard DAC for streaming and really do love the set up.
'Still however have the bug to experiment with a lower powered tube amp just for kicks but not yet. Perhaps an inexpensive Raven just to try one day. But for now the Hegel is brilliant.
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@yashu Harbeth's NA Distributor, Fidelis AV, offers in home demo's of their Lab12 Integre4. It's 65 WPC with KT150's and you can tube roll with EL34's, KT88's, etcetera. The price is reasonable @ $5K and they recommend it with Harbeth.
Other considerations are the Cayin A-88T (designed in Germany), Manley Stingray, as well as several options from Line Magnetic.
I've had 40.1's and 40.2 Anni's a combined 9 years and always have preferred tubes to solid state.
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@jjss49 - not quite on point, but I own Harbeth SHL5+, and have been very happy using them with a McIntosh MC152 (150 wpc) - great detail, very musical bass, more than enough power for really any sustainable listening volume (85 db @ 15 ft listening position is no problem - for me that’s about one song worth of volume)
Have a great day!
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