Harbeth SHL5 vs 40.1

I have the SHL5 and will be listening to the 40.1 this weekend at my friend's place driven by Leben CS600. If the space is huge I would say the 40.1 is the way to go as the bigger speaker will throw a bigger soundstage and sounds bigger than the SHL5. Although the Harbeth is said to work well in small spaces, they do need some room to breath to sound good, especially with the 40.1 that may have bass problems in smaller to mid-sized rooms. A 17'x19' room would be quite good for the 40.1.

Alternatively, you can try a subwoofer to reinforce the bass of the SHL5. I have the SHL5 in a big space and the subwoofer made an appreciable difference to the overall presentation as the speakers are set up in free space away from wall boundaries for optimum soundstaging.

Many like the Harbeth sound, some less so:

http://www.10audio.com/harbeth_m30.htm

It is interesting the reviewer describes the M30 as having a boxy sound with the enclosure significantly contributing to the overall presentation although Harbeth speakers are designed to have minimal coloration from the box enclosure with their "lossy" cabinet approach. The Stereophile review of the 40.1 by Art Dudley was a more comprehensive and favorable one though.

That was one quick decision by the poster of the thread in going for the 40.1. Guess he really liked the SHL5. Looking forward to the comparison as much as my rendezvous with the 40.1 in a different setup this Sunday.

Littlehobbits,

Whilst waiting for Marcus' assessment on the SHL5 vs 40.1, I have listened to all 40.1, SHL5, C7ES3, M30 and P3ESR. The SHL5, C7ES3 and M30 were auditioned in one system while the 40.1 and P3ESR were listened to in another setup using different electronics.

If you find the mentioned speakers too analytical, detailed and are high resolution to your ears, I believe Harbeth would be an excellent choice. They have a fresh and natural sound, very low listening fatigue, slightly warm and yet transparent and revealing owing much to the Radial driver. As for which Harbeth speaker is the "best", my only input is to choose the one based on the listening space available. If the space is big I would say the 40.1 is the appropriate choice. The 40.1 gives a bigger sound and scale compared to the SHL5 with more depth and presence in the bass region, which doesn't come as a surprise given its bigger box enclosure and an additional 12" bass driver. Both have similarities in sonic signature. The C7ES3 is slightly more dynamic and upbeat than the SHL5 while the M30 is very smooth and little laidback(may be due to matching components) in comparison. The little P3ESR stunned me for its overall musicality and beguiling presentation given its small cabinet. One of my friends who own the 40.1 was so amazed by the P3ESR that he bought it for his 4th system.

No comment whether Harbeth would match with Jeff Rowland Concentra II but generally Harbeth would match well with most good amps and are easy to drive. The only caveat is Harbeth's bass does not possess the punch and drive in comparison to other speakers with exemplary bass performance like for instance the PMC EB1i or IB2. But then the PMC's require massive power amps with brute power to come alive unlike the easy load on the Harbeth which will work well with most flea-powered amps in the market.

Wonder what happened to Markus' 40.1.

Extravaganza, it has got a lot to do with the amp. After comparing my Rega Elicit side-by-side with the Leben CS600 in driving the SHL5, the Rega was confirmed as a warm amp and slightly shut-in in the mids and highs. The Leben is transparent, revealing and much airier than the Rega from the midrange upwards but being a tube unit dynamics and bass slam are lacking. After listening to the Leben the Rega isn't as enjoyable anymore. Another excellent matching amp with Harbeth is the LFD Zero MkIII which is equally as transparent with tube-like mids and highs but with outstanding dynamics and bass slam to boot. Timbre and tonality of real instruments on the LFD are very good. I previously auditioned both units but on separate systems, so it is difficult to tell which amp is more transparent. Both the Leben and LFD have an added leanness in the mids which prove to work well with the warm Harbeth. I'll be doing a shoot-out between the Leben and LFD soon, and if the LFD can match(or better) the Leben in the mids and highs with equal transparency and openness, I'll need to revisit the LFD which has proven to be one of the best matching amps for the Harbeth.

You would definitely get more bass with the 40.1 if the position of the speakers remains almost similar as the SHL5 in the room. Try getting the speakers out from the front wall more. You can refer to Pdreher's setup in his system page. Another friend who owns the 40.1 had the speakers in free space with more than 6' distance measured from the wall to the rear of the speakers. As with most speakers, imaging and airiness would improve when the speakers are placed further away from room boundaries.

Good to hear the 40.1's had lived up to your expectations.