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Harbeth P3ESR vs Fritz Rev 5 vs DeVore Gibbon 3XL

Ok, here's the deal.....

I'd like to assemble a secondary two channel music system in my small den. It is only 11.5 ft by 11.5 ft .....so not only is it very small, but also square! Also, because the room is so small, the speakers will have to be placed quite close to the wall that resides behind the back of the speaker. Yikes!

The music I'd like to listen to in this room would be vocals, violin/cello sonatas, piano, and anything acoustical in nature.

Tone and timbre are of paramount importance to me. I do not want to use a subwoofer.....hoping one would not be needed for the above listed music types.

There are no Fritz dealers, but he does allow an in home trial....very nice!
The closest DeVore dealer is several states away from me.
The closest Harbeth dealer is a 12 hour round trip car ride for me.

So, if anyone here has had any experience with the above mentioned speakers and could share any insight of how they may perform in my small and non-optimum room.....it would be greatly appreciated.
no_regrets

Showing 4 responses by drubin

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drubin
3,267 posts
 
I've owned 4 different models of Harbeths and the P3ESR is my favorite. It is magical. But if you like a big sound and a decent effort at bass, it might not be the best choice.
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
No_regrets -- I've just not had a lot of success with Harbeth in my room. They always sound great to me at shows but somehow disappointing at home. I'm stuck in a purgatory of wanting their rich warmth and also wanting clarity, edge definition and transparency to the source. I completely understand the people that scratch their heads about Harbeths (see the 10Audio review) and I also completely understand those who love them.

The P3ESR's are not my primary speaker, which is a much larger Dunlavy, but I bought them because I kept hear such great things about them from sources I trust. This is the first of the latest-generation Harbeths I have owned and it may be that the magic is a result of Alan Shaw's most recent crossover efforts.He would probably deny that, I don't know. I also tend to like sealed boxes and this is the only such Harbeth, though I did once have the earlier version of this model. (But this one has the RADIAL driver, which is key.) In the midrage, they just serve up a tactile "humanity" that really floats my boat. No guarantee it will do the same for you.

Should work fine in your small room although I don't know what issues your room's square dimension might introduce. In my room (17 x 23) they do present a comparatively miniature perspective, but (1) I have not optimized their placement at all and (2) I'm fine with that anyway. I think the other Harbeth models go bigger in this respect (from memory), but as I say, these are my favorites.

Where are you located?

Dan
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
Sorry, I see you already indicated where you are. How far is Bloomington, IN?
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drubin
3,267 posts
 
I have not heard the 30.1 but I plan to. Once I heard the little guys, I was instantly curious to hear the new, bigger ones. Pricey.

I have Dunlavy SC-III.A, which is the final incarnation of the Aletha-Athena-Cantata series with the downward-firing woofer. The Harbeth midrage is different and better in some ways -- a bit more pure, perhaps more neutral -- but I love them both. I switch off between the two just for the change of pace and perspective, and enjoy them both immensely.
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