I own a pair of the Dalit se. You really need to listen to both, however I know that can be difficult. I love my Dali, but then I own 12 pairs of bookshelf’ speakers. They have surprisingly good bass, very detailed, but I would not call them bright. Another surprise is how full they sound for such a small speaker. The Harbeth, I’m sure would be warmer if that is the sound u prefer.
Small compact 2-way speakers? Harbeth p3esr xd vs DALI Menuet SE ?
I am considering upgrading the speakers in a bedroom. Only used for casual listening, usually in the early morning and then nighttime before bed. Currently have a perfectly fine 20 year old pair of ELAC “Elegant” 312s, which i quite like, but feel that newer technology and maybe better engineering would give me more depth in the mid-range and maybe even a touch more naturalness in the upper frequencies. (The bass from the tiny 312s is pretty impressive.)
I’d be very interested if anybody has compared the Harbeth P3ES-2s to the DALI Menuet SEs. They are both only a bit bigger than my ELACs, and I would like not to go any bigger than that.
Amp is the NAD M10 v2 (integrated streamer/DAC). So whatever speakers I would consider have to play nicely with nCore Class D. The speakers would sit on a built solid wood dresser, about 14” from the wall in back. (No room for stands.) But I probably would put them on some sort of isolator pads. The room is about 14” x 12”.
Any thoughts, reactions and advice, very much appreciated!
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Thank you, @dwest1023 The DALI’s are a touch smaller and that is a plus in this setting. I have DALI Epicon 6s in my main system and love them; so that is one reason I thought of the Menuet SEs. But a friend has a big pair of Harbeth’s — not sure which model — and they sound awesome in his set up, but he’s all vinyl and i am 100% streaming. |
I don’t own either but I do have a pair of Falcon Q7 Gold Badges that are excellent. They are certainly within your price point and speaker category. Based on @dwest1023 description of the Dalis the Q7s likely sound similar with maybe a bit more treble. I know it’s neither of the speakers you asked about so maybe it’s no help but the Q7 is pretty great imho. And it’s a sealed box design so relatively easy to place. |
Thank you, @jastralfu . |
I am currently using an older set of Infinity Modulus satellites, made in about 1992 with EMIT tweeters, and they sound fine, moved from my office to our bedroom. I replaced them in my office with a pair of Paradigm Premier 200B’s, which sound super. They are what I would call “full-sized bookshelf” speakers, not exactly compact. However, the sound reproduction is superb. They are fairly efficient, not too expensive, and they are made in Canada. They are worth. Look, as are the 100B’s which have the same tweeter but have a 5.25” mid/bass driver instead of the 6.5” driver of the 200B’s. They are not much cheaper, but they are more compact. We also listen at moderate levels in both the office and bedroom. Good luck in your search. |
I have to mention these Diapason Karis speakers from Italy that get stellar reviews and are just flat-out gorgeous. Best of luck https://grooveaudio.com/products/diapason-karis-iii-high-end-bookshelf-speakers-handmade-in-italy https://the-ear.net/review-hardware/diapason-karis-iii-standmount-loudspeaker/
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@soix, thank you. I had not heard of Diapason Karis before. They do look great and are definitely the right size. I will investigate if i can find a pair to audition.
And thank you @mike4597. |
@mike4597 so you prefer the Paradigms over the Infinitys? |
It’s close at the high end, but the larger woofer/midrange in the Paradigms make a significant improvement over the Infinities in the upper bass. The Paradigms actually seem a bit “brighter,” but the Infinities seem a bit “smoother.” I realzie that might not be much of an answer, but that’s my sensing. I still think the Infinities sound great after 33 years, and their lack of bass in my office is offset by an old Definitive Technology Supercube 6000 subwoofer. There’s no room in the bedroom for a sub, so that’s where the Paradigms will remain. |
thank you, @mike4597. i appreciate your response. |
Denouement: In case anybody is following along at home, i went with the DALI Menuet SEs and am very happy. Perfect size and the sound is really excellent for the room they’re in. (I put them IsoAcoustic little pucks.) Managed through kindness and luck to get a pair new for $2,000, so it was hard to say no. |