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Moving up the Harbeth line

I was fortunate to move my home office to another room which is a bit bigger than the previous one. Dimensions are 12x13 with almost 20-foot ceilings. As much as I love my Harbeth P3esr's, I can't help but notice that they've been outclassed by the bigger room, especially the high ceiling. This pair of speakers has been a mainstay in my home office/study for a number of years, and I find it to be a perfect fit for my listening habits and music preferences. But in the new setting, it's not able to fill the room as well as it used to. For examples, horns and piano now sound much smaller and distant. So that got me thinking of an upgrade. I have been using a Raven Audio Blackhawk MK3 for a few months and would want to stick with it if possible. There are very few speakers that have allowed me to make an emotional connection with the music, and Harbeth is certainly one of them. So my preference is to stay with the brand.

Now, before the 'search bar is your best friend' folks come swinging at me, I have read a few threads on similar topics but they all seem to be inconclusive, or at least I'm not able to decipher a reasonable consensus. Having spent way too much money on this addiction, err, hobby, in the last 12 months, I have to resort to buying used equipment only, and that too has to wait for at least 2-3 months. So, doing an in-house demo is going to be difficult if not impossible. And, AFAIK, there are no dealers nearby (Dallas area) either.

I would love to hear from people who have moved up the Harbeth food chain. The M30.x seems to be a logical next step, but I see an equal number of negative opinions (too polite, too boxy, pipe and slippers) as positive ones. Is there anyone who thinks that the M30 retains the same magic as the P3esr's but serves it in relatively bigger portions? Because that's what I'm mainly looking for to be honest -- a bigger version of P3esr. Or do you think the cons negate the pros offered by the bigger cabinet size?

Next up is SHL5+. Again, the opinions vary widely. Some are saying that this particular model deviates the most from the classic Harbeth sound. Another concern is that my room might be too small for them (?). Also, I cannot pull them more than one and a half feet from the front wall. Is that going to result in ugly bass problems?

I'm not against trying another brand, but would prefer an opinion that is based on an actual comparison with Harbeth speakers.
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arafiq OP
1,599 posts
 
@jjss49 The SHL5+ are for my media room which is 20 x 15 x 12. They are 4 feet from the front wall and 3 from each side wall. I think the bass issue is because they’re not sitting on proper stands.I have them on audio racks which are barely 8-9 inches off the floor and too wide. I’m currently driving them with Luxman 590 axii. Hoping to get proper open style wooden stands in a few days which will be 18 inch tall as recommended by Harbeth. Let’s see if that solves the problem. 
The 30.1s are in my home office which is 12 x 13. I am using a rel sub in this room and to me they sound amazing when I try them with the Luxman. They still sound good with the Blackhawk but nowhere near as good as with the Luxman. I might try a Hegel in the near future as it’s high on my list of components to try. 
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
arafiq

ahh ok got it... misunderstood from earlier posts

yes for sure, need to get the super 5’s 16 in off the ground, open frame stands, ideally on spikes

sound anchors or skylans media filled!

i give you two months to get mon 40s in the big room 🤣
audiopacer
17 posts
 
@arafiq 
no subs yet; situation might change when in the larger room; The bass response in the current room is dependent on where listening; moving to the center ( about 8 feet from speaker face) is thinnest  due to room mode- and steadily builds traveling closer to speakers or further back from room center;
Room modes are our #1 chief problem in this game;

Your 12 foot ceilings are great ; I suspect the proper stands will do wonders for you;
can't wait to hear about it;

Your Luxman 590 has plenty of grip on the woofer; As i'm sure you know, power cables can make a big difference too- some dim the highs accentuating the bass; 
Cheers

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chicagoblue1977
224 posts
 
GR Research is not near Dallas. They are in the Wichita Falls area. Bit of a drive kids. 
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,599 posts
 
Update ...

Finally got proper stands (open-style, wood, 18" tall, very similar to TonTrager) for the SHL5+, and what a difference they have made. The problem with excess bass that I described earlier is completely, 100% resolved. I have removed the REL subwoofer for the time being and still the bass from the speakers is astounding. You can actually feel the bass in your chest, something the SF Olympica IIs never achieved.

The other big surprise is the super tweeter. I guess it had to be raised further up the floor to really come into its own. The sound I’m getting now is airy, open, and extended. The soundstage has also improved both in terms of width and depth. One thing I appreciate is that the super tweeter only springs into action when called upon, otherwise it sits in the back and does not affect the music in a negative (bright, harsh) way. Well done, Harbeth!

Next weekend, I will do a side-by-side comparison between the SHL5+ and M30.1 and report back. But right now, I have to admit that the SHL5+ is proving to be a more engaging and versatile speaker compared to the M30.1. It is also, without a doubt, better than SF Olympica II in every regard.
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