Proac response D2 or Harbeth for a Leben cs-600

what do you have now?

Groenlykke, congratulations on your CS-600 purchase. It's a very special and versatile amp tobesure. Curious as to which model of Harbeth's you were thinking of; and how big is your room?

There are many write ups on the pairing of the Leben CS-600 with ProAc's D2. I can attest, it's a match made in heaven, and with the RS-30EQ Phono Pre-amp it sings as an analog front end.

The D2's allow for easy room placement; tight bass; sweet mids and highs (roll tubes to your tastes) and the ability to handle any and all music you throw at it equally well.

There are so many inquiries along these lines, and I always find it interesting, and a little strange. Speakers determine the personality of the system so much that it almost seems like buying an amplifier and then looking for speakers to match it is ike buying a wedding band and then looking for someone to marry.

good point Roxy54.

Hi,
Groenlykke, I would ignore Roxy54`s poor analogy . His response in a audiophile cliche that places over emphasis on the speaker`s role in an audio system. Sure you can build a system around a speaker, but you can do the same just as sucessfully with an amplifier as the staring point. If one decided to own a SET or an OTL amp one would then audtion or seek out speakers compatible with the amp requirements. I did this when I went down the SET pathway and selected components that complemented my 300b monoblocks. This included finding benign load and higher efficiency speakers (not a difficult task at all). You have found your amp and now searching for a matching speaker. Again either method can work ouy just fine.
Good Luck

we still don't know what the current speakers are.

Charles1dad,
If it's a "cliche", maybe it is because many people feel that way. There are many ways of approaching anything, but it still seems to make more sense to choose the speaker you like best, and then the amp that brings out the best in that speaker.

Concur with Charles1dad.

To the OP, if you prefer your sound on the heavier, bassier side of things then Harbeth's are less likely to deliver.

Devore speakers have been suggested in the past as a musical match ... maybe worth considering also.

I use to own the Leben CS600 and Harbeth SHL5. Although pleasant sounding, I wasn't overally impressed with the synergy, even after changing to Sovtek EL34 or Harma 5881 tubes. For my taste I found the Harbeth's sounded better with my Audiosector Patek SE (40w/ch gainclone) amp. Using the more precise and neutral sounding Patek, with DNM reson IC and speaker cables, the SHL5 sang with greater cohesion with a tighter, punchier mid bass and neutral mid range. I also found the SHL5 responded very well with proper speaker stands and care with positioning.

Thanks to all of you, for your comments on this topic.
The reason for me to buy the amp before the speakers, was that I suddently had a great offer to buy a used cs-600 right in my neighbourhood.
At the moment I have a pair of Evox made on the Dali factory in denmark.
it is a very good speaker for its price tag. But now I want something else.
I think I will try with proacs, I am having a demo next week. And hopefully I will borrow them home with me, and try them out here.

May want to audition Verity Finns or Zu Souls. These pair exceptionally well.

OP was asking about ProAc D2 or Harbeth.

Your suggestions are irrelevant.

Notec

He said "but which speakers." I wanted to expand his playing field.

I listened to the Leben amp driving a pair of DeVore Nines. It was in a really cool shop in Montreal, and the front end was a high end Clearaudio table with a Benz pick-up. The music sounded absolutely wonderful, and the shop owners were really happy with the synergy between Leben and DeVore. I don't know how Leben matches up with ProAc and Harbeth, but I do know that I loved what I heard. Good Luck with your speaker search, and have fun ! It's all about the music, so enjoy whatever sounds good to you.

Hi, I own a CS600 as well and use it to drive pair of Merlin TSMs. they are a fantastic match and have the combination for more than 18 months now.
I would guess that the Proac D2s would do very well as would Devore (I have heard them with Devore entry level floorstander)

another speaker in the same range could be Green mountain Audio Eos

The Proac D2 is one of the most mediocre speakers from Proac factory. The Response 1SC was a lot superior. Harbeths have anyway never impressed me. Look at the Focus Audio FS788 if you are looking at full range sound. They are on the warm side of the neutral and present a huge open airy soundstage. The Leben would really work well these.

the harbeth shl5 and the cs600 was not a very good match personally.
However the c7es3 was a better match w/ the cs600s.

Pani sounds like you were turned down for a dealership on these brands and have an axe to grind.

Now Nolitan, what are you saying? I've heard all the Harbeths with the Leben 600, and they were all fabulous!
what was your beef? The Leben 600 also sounds wonderful with all the Devores.
Haven't heard a Proac in years....sigh..

Chaschas

I lived with the Leben CS600 for quite sometime & have the SHL5s. It was thru Jeff Day recommendation that led me to try the CS600.
I also followed Jeff Day advice on the Auditorium 23 speaker cables with the leben + SHL5s.
It sounds ok but nothing out of the ordinary.
However when a buddy tried his C7es3 with the Leben, we both felt that the synergy was better.
As a matter of fact, so good that he bought the Leben cs600 from me to pair with the C7es3s.
That's my story with the cs600+SHL5s. If you feel that your experience sounded fabulous, that's great!! But for me, it was ok...ymmv

Fair enough, we all hear differently...indeed, the 7's/600 is a great combo.
and actually, Jeff Day moved on from auditorium and went to Acoustic Revive cables for his 5's.
Are you using a Luxman with your Harbeths?
take care

I've been trying different amps with my SHL5s. Leben CS600 as mentioned, LFD, Luxman, McIntosh Int and some custom made amps.
This is an ever involving hobby.

Pani sounds like you were turned down for a dealership on these brands and have an axe to grind.

Audioconnection, your reaction is hilarious :).
I have never thought about getting into audio commercially because I strongly believe, the moment one does this for money he is no more enjoying the hobby, all he cares for is money making.

Anyway, I do have a couple of extensive threads on AA which I had started when I was looking at upgrading from my Dynaudio Contours about a year back. Harbeth and Proac were on top of my list at that time. I was almost ready to buy blind but was advised strongly to listen to them. After auditioning they were on the bottom of my list !!!!
Upgrading from a quality speaker like a Contour 1.3SE the deficiencies of these speakers were evident within minutes of audition, however I did give them a fair chance and listened to them multiple times to believe my own findings.
I finally bought the ATC.

ATC's are great speakers pani!! I heard them also a few times. Very neutral, natural. Bass is impressive. Power really brings these speakers alive.

Yes Nolitan, ATCs are a different breed. They turned out to be the best speakers among the 50 odd speakers I heard when I was at Singapore shopping for my next speakers. They speak truth with such genuine-ness and authenticity that you would even enjoy poor recordings on them as long as there is some good music in that recording. Basically you would not hate them for telling the truth. Finally, it is the God of Tone and Timbre !! You can tell the difference between a Steinway and a Yamaha in seconds, just by the tone.

Love ATC. They never work with tubes, unless you mate a tube pre-amp with their active ones.

I am yet to get into their actives. However I have managed to mate a good tube preamp with a Symphonic Line power amp driving the speakers.

But I would be amazed if a high quality high powered tube amp doesnt work with the ATC !! Though they are low in sensitivity they are not difficult loads. A nice 845 based tube amp putting out 100 watts per channel should work well I guess.

Do you think cs600 is great combi with Zu druids MKIV/08? or should I go with cs300xs