2. speakers
  3. 195384-202224

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!

 

 

 

 

kirkwallace

Showing 2 responses by akg_ca

akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,417 posts
 

Ive auditioned  both of these fine speakers. IMO, it boils down to the best available synergy (or. lack of it …) with your upstream electronics., and personal bias of faves.

 I would generally pick the HARBETHs ….BUT …( and it’s a big “ but”….) their sonic signature and class leading midrange excel with beefy Euro (especially British  ) upstream electronics with their respective bespoke sonic signatures as stablemates to the HARBETHs .  . Think robust Class A or Class AB amps and source here.

WPC specs alone are meaningless…it’s the “grunt” evidenced by an abundance of high-current (amps)  that matters here. I would be very cautious and personally audition the HARBETHs first with their 6 ohm impedance and lowly 83db sensitivity / efficiency, …..and resist just blindly pairing them up to your NAD M2 class D amp with its comparative bespoke darker sonic signature.

System Synergy matters ….big time.

akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,417 posts
 

HARBETH P3ESR review 


https://youtu.be/vF1rWiEhEjY?si=fnswP9fohFuVULT5

 

 

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