I own Ref 3A with the Beryllium tweeter and I don't find it harsh at all. Also the De Capos come up for sale used a lot, so keep your eye out. With no crossover to the main driver I find them very revealing speakers.
???Compare-Contrast or Comment???Harbeth-ProAc or Reference 3a???
In preparation for moving from a house with dedicated listening room,to a small condo,my 56 lb.Tube Integrated Amplifier,separate DAC & 3 way floorstanding speakers are,as of today,all sold & gone..
My bedroom system,consisting of a SimAudio Moon 240i driving Dynaudio Excite X18 speakers is now my only system...
I will probably upgrade the 240i NEXT YEAR to a Pathos Inpol Remix Mk.II with 25wpc.@ 8 ohms running Class A,but for the next year the 240i will be the front end...
After tons of research,uTube videos & some personal experience I have narrowed down my short list to:
1:Harbeth M30.2xd..
2:ProAc Response D2,although I’m not sure if these would be the soft dome or Ribbon tweeter version..The ProAcs do also offer my favorite finish of Ebony so that’s a BIG + in their favor..
3:Reference 3a De Capo,probably with the available soft dome tweeter unless I can be convinced the Beryllium tweeters really wouldn’t sound metallic or bright..These aren’t the most beautiful finish BUT they are also about HALF the cost of Harbeth & about $1500.00- $1750.00 less than ProAc depending on tweeter chosen...
I have extensive ears on experience with Harbeth M30.1’s so I have a pretty good idea of what the M30.2’s would give me...
The ProAcs I might be able to demo in a few weeks...
The Reference 3a’s would have to be ordered blind & run for 2 weeks before deciding if they were keepers...
So I’m looking for comments from A’goners with in ear experience or solid anecdotal knowledge of any of these speakers to aide me in deciding if:
1:I want to make the 8 hour round trip to demo the ProAcs &
2:The Reference 3a would be worth ordering blind & which tweeter to chose...Thanks for your participation,I appreciate it..
PS:Music listened to includes everything from Ambiant/Spa,String quartets & Classical,Big Band/Swing,Smooth Jazz/Classic Jazz,Classic Rock,Acoustic & Electric Blues & Reggae at normal to lowish listening levels & an occasional rock out session...
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I’ve got the HARBETH 30.2XD’s in my “A” system and the REFERENCE 3A DULCET BE up in my “B” system. MY TAKE: (1) The current HARBETH 30.2XD model is terrific and a step better then the 30.1. Their performance is wonderfully fleshed out to the max with a sealed quality build subwoofer for the added bottom-end bass. For me, the ATC C1MK2 sub that bested all cintebders and pretenders at its price-point, (2) I auditioned all the REFERENCE 3a lineup with the “old” soft dome tweeter (pre-owned) and compares it to the “new BE” beryllium tweeter in their lineup.The new one is an improvement IMO, so I bought the BE model for my secondary 2.1 system Any brightness you may experience will be a function of your upstrsam components and your cables; not from the speaker . |
@akg_ca : |
- 14 posts total