OMG OMG OMG Harbeth M30.1 INCOMING!!!A Few Questions For Owners

Hi Freediver, How long are they on loan from the RICH Audiophile for?
Forgive me, I couldn't resist. Otherwise, I hope they work out for you.

The stands will be fine, I used 24" stands with m30.1’s.
I don’t think you need to obsess over ear height with the m30.1’s, though like most speakers the listening axis will effect frequency response and focus to some degree.
I could enjoy listening to them standing up or way off horizontal axis - they still sounded well balanced to me.

Congrats! Enjoy the music !
the VTL Integrated is quite good also

They are great - I am just
selling mine as got a new tannoy legacy Arden which absolutely blows it away .... but Harbeth brilliant - I was running mine with croft 25r preamp and ATC P1 power ..... they do sound better with decent amp (they were no or should I say LESS good with quad II or Leben 15w)

i bet they will sound kick-ass with that el84 amp!

All good choices in amps for sure.

I would add  the REGA OSIRIS integrated amp to your list of contenders (this is no pretender);

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/rega-isis-cd-player-osiris-integrated-amplifier-tas-213/
http://audiofi.net/2012/08/rega-osiris-punching-heavy/

You have plenty of space for them. Correct me if I’m wrong but your room is about 15 foot wide and at least 15 deep? More than enough space to really make the Harbeths shine.

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, I wish you could be a little more excited.........

I would recommend that the you use different distances for the side and front walls to minimize resonance reflections. Try at least 24 inches and 30 inches doesn’t matter which is which, just keep them different.

My advice those speakers will not wake up unless you power them with high current.
I only was able to enjoy them with Hegel H30.
My 2 cents

^^^ You know I read/heard that about Dynaudio & ran Audience 42,52,52SE & Excite X14's with 15wpc.Class A EL34 with superb results for years..I will reserve judgement until I have heard it myself thanks..

So I spent several hours going through the Harbeth Users Group threads re: the 30.1's & holy crap the spirit of Dr.Julian Hirsch & The Audio Critic  is alive & well over there!Measurements,measurements,distortion levels,all good amps have no sound,Yamaha & Marantz integrated amplifier recommendations,wow!
 Oh and man is Audiogon loathed as a den of snake oil salesmen & charlatines!I've NEVER been so excited to be getting any speakers I've ever owned...

If your ears remain at exactly the same height +/-0.5” during listening, you need a better record collection ;-)

In my experience, all Harbeth benefit from a bit of power.  30.1 @ 85db.
I recently heard them demoed with a Sugden a21 (23w Class A).  The most limp sound I’ve ever heard.   No dynamics at all.

....perfect if the aim is to keep your lug holes in an exact spot :-)

I would have to agree with the assessment about Avon forums. They have become a haven for snake oil salesmen. I do find it entertaining to read about the nonsensical products that are advertised here. Magic mats, $15,000 speaker cables, expensive contact cleaners, little bowls to stick on the walls of your listening room, etc. and the claims from the shills, using expressions like “night and day difference, “jaw dropping improvement” “blacker backgrounds”. And when someone questions the nonsense, all hell breaks loose and people get all worked up about it. Very entertaining.

I am a big Harbeth fan, but I had bad luck with the M30s.  They just wouldn't work in my room.  I'm not a bass addict by any means, but they sounded like they were missing everything from 80hz on down.  Couldn't fix it.  However, the HL5s worked great.  Go figure.  Just telling you this because you asked for opinions of actual owners.  I really wanted to love them, but it didn't work out.  

I owned the SHL5s and found they like some power to shine. I used a Luxman 505ux with great success. I see you’re a tube guy, but I would try a quality SS amp as well. I did audition and like the Prima Luna HP integrated.  

Man I’m spoiled for bass now having just packed up the Fritz Carbon 7SE’s...The Harbeths better be something pretty special or I’ll flip them & order a new pair of Fritz most riki tik..
 As for amplifier I think I'm going to try the Quad Vena II,hoping a little British synergy might happen...

I’m running mine with a little known Italian integrated. Audia Flight FLS10. SS amp. The sound is amazing. Highly recommend a listen if u can find a dealer. 

A lot of people pair Harbeths with Luxman. One of their AB integrateds would be a good choice.

If using power Quad QSP is a great budget choice - runs a power for 30w then AB up to 140 in current dumping goodness ..... only just bettered by ATC P1 for a splash (pool) more cash. 
30.1 deffo need a bit more power I wouldn’t go less than 70w from my 2 years of listening 

Freediver - yeah, Fritz are really great.  I have a pair of Fritz clones of the Totem Model 1, that I like better than the Totems I also own.  Actually they're so similar, I could part with either one.  Hope the 30s work out for you. 

Congrats. I saw those speakers listed and was tempted to buy even though I already have a pair of 30.1s. Nice pick up! I run my Harbeths with an Exposure 3010 s2D integrated amp. I really like the synergy, and the qualities of the Exposure gear compliments the qualities of Harbeth.

^^^ thanks,I pinch myself every time I check Tracking hahaha...

He said he only gets one hour of use...sad...

I picked up a pair of 7ES-3’s a couple of years back on our snake oil site .. got a good deal. The most Ive ever spent on speakers and they are still front and center in my main system. I sprung for the Sound Anchor stands as well. talk about solid and decouple from my hardwood floors --highly recommend .. bought those on here as well. Well, what am I saying . Ive bought most everything via Agon over the years since 03’.   Preamp is Modwright  LS100 --just the right amount of tube glow.    esp  6sn7's are the way to go with tube amps.  
Im driving with either my Emotiva xpa-100 monos or Pass XA30.5 that will put out 60wpc in A/B if needed. I was just going to hook up the Pass again as Ive been evaluating how it compares with the Emotiva’s in terms of dynamics and grunt. Ill have to hook up this older Parasound I bought awhile ago that the owner changed out the power supply caps. My sense is not all class A amps are the same which is why the Sugden may not have performed well .. although if all else is operating properly they are just coming up a bit short on the power needed to drive Harbeths.

If you're looking for tubes, I heard a pair of Harbeths recently paired with the Bob Carver Crimson 275.  It was very very sweet.  I dont recall the model of the Harbeths, but that 275 runs at 75 watts per channel and will be stable to 2 ohms.  IMHO a great value. Just an FYI.

listening to my c73es3s with a rogue cronus magnum ii all amperex holland nos small signal tubes.  glorious sound that has it all, detail, dynamics, impact, soundstage, etc.   i had budgeted for some significant upgrades this year for speakers and or amp, preamp, etc.  but nothing i have heard is making me want it very badly....

Congrats on the new Harbeths.
I agree with some of the other suggestions here - @ 85db and 6ohm the M30.1 aren't really in the neighborhood of being an efficient speaker. A lot of very, very good speakers get a bad rap from being paired with insufficient power (even at low volumes) to make them sing. If going with tubes, I'd give serious consideration to the Carver Crimson 275, the Rogue, Cronus Mag II, or a Prima Luna, Dialogue Premium or Premium HP. any of which  would pair well with the Harbeths and not leave you underwhelmed with their performance
I am running a Rogue, Cronus Mag II with a pr. of Maggie 1.7s (also not what you would call an efficient speaker) and have been most pleased.
Best of luck....Jim

Well I’ve had them set up for about 20 hours and to say I am absolutely gobsmacked would be an understatement!
I expected a bass light & anemic sound with the 15wpc.Quad amp.WRONG!!!
I can’t figure out why some people say they don’t come alive without power.They play as loud and clean as I care to listen & have beautiful presence at VERY low listening levels.Bass is slightly less than the Fritz but seems to have better definition,mids & highs are clear & clean,without the very slightly darkish tone of the Fritz Carbon 7SE’s...
I believe unless I hit the slots again & can move up to the 30.2 Anniversaries I’ve found my speakers...

PS:^^^ @jmolsberg you were RIGHT,they do sound kick ass with my little amp!

how wonderful!!!!! enjoy the music

@freediver  how is the m30.1 after a year? I personally never caught on with the speakers as I found it too nasal and bass resonance too much. 

They are without a doubt the finest speakers I have ever owned..I'm searching for a back alley doctor to remove a kidney so I can upgrade to the 40.2's....

Freediver I was right 😃! 

^^^Yea that little Quad amp was something special but had a bad design flaw I couldn't live with so I sold it & got a Cayin CS-55.These are the only speakers I've ever had that can clearly show the differences in cables & tubes..I settled on Matched & Balanced Mullard NOS small signal tubes from the early 1960's with Gold Lion KT88 reissues for power..Anyone who says they can't do bass should hear the opening riffs of Jimmy Hendrix Born Under a Bad Sign from the "Blues"cd...

What was the design flaw?

Biasing required working a powered up,bottomless & upside down amp with 2 multimeter probes and a screwdriver.As bad as my hands shake that's not a good combination.My new amp has bias test points & adjustment pots right on the top,next to each power tube not to mention far superior bass depth & tightness...

Yeah. That's a drag. I had a 90 pound amp that required the same underside adjustment.

Almost 2.5 years & still LOVING my 30.1's..Early 2020 I had ordered my dream amp from Icon Audio & Covid-19 came along so I never even opened the amp & had to sell it..For well over a year I've been running them with a 15wpc.Chinese Class A amp based on the Sugden A21 circuit & they are STILL the best speakers I've ever owned...Finally getting back to normal financially now & just about have the $ for a new Sugden A21SE!

I get it :-).  I have a pair of M30.1's for about 4 years now.  Driven with a Pass INT-25 class a integrated.  Sometimes I think about "upgrading" to another apartment friendly speaker but really feel no "compulsion" to do so.  There really doesn't seem to be much else in the $5k range that would beat the M30.1's. 

 ^^^ Oh I would LOVE to hear them behind a Pass What I am constantly amazed at is the VERY low volume performance..EVERYONE says low impedance speakers don't sound good unless you turn up the volume but I listen at whisper quiet levels in the wee wee hours & everything is still there,tone,imaging,soundstaging..
 Am getting SOOO excited to get a real amp for them,about 6 weeks now but I'm torn between the Sugden & the Pathos Inpol ReMix Class A,decisions decisions...