Spendor, Harbeth...why so hot ?

As Charlie implies, they are not "small monitors pretty good for the money." Both Harbeth and Spendor make a range of speakers. Both make LS3/5a size (shoebox) nearfield monitors that are very very good, but those aren't what the buzz is all about. The Harbeth Compact 7 (Charlie and I have these) a large 2 way stand mounter, and the Spendor 1/2 (3 way) and 2/3 (2 way) have the most natural sounding midranges among box speakers. They do the human voice as accurately as can be and are generally as tonally accurate as speakers come. The Harbeths are better, I think, in terms of musicality, ie, faithfulness to real life dynamics, micro and macro, but may have a little dryer bass compared to the Spendors. A matter of taste, I suppose. Nothing under $5,000 retail can be said to be better than the $2500 Harbeth Compact 7 or Spendor 1/2.

Now, Harbeth also makes one of the best speakers built period, the Monitor 40, a very large 3 way, sort of a Compact 7 with a 12 inch woofer added on and a soft dome more extended tweeter substituted for the metal dome. I think they are around $7,000 list. Harbeth's 8 inch mid-woofers and 12 inch woofers are made from a proprietary material called "RADIAL" developed under a BBC grant. They are simply the least colored lowest distortion mid and low range drivers made.

Lots of reviews downloadable from the Harbeth website.

Charlie, they're talking about Spendors. Nobody will ever find the Harbeth Compact 7 dead, flat or lacking detail. But you're right that they are not designed to call attention to themselves, just to the performers you've invited into your listening room.

Jmfb, what is the UK retail price of the Spendor? (Bigger box and an extra driver to add to the cost of materials by the way.)

Chas, Jmfb: I am surprised to be cited as a Spendor supporter. I'm not. I responded above to a question about "why" Harbeth and Spendor are being discussed a lot, and a response to that question that was misleading, just to say that both make very very fine full-range speakers, and they both have tonal accuracy as their primary design objective. Chas, I havent heard the 2/3s. So your impression of them is good enough for me. I note Bob doesn't say anything about them and he's a big SP1/2 fan.

To respond to Jmfb's comment about size, I havent tried my Compact 7's in a room larger than my 5400 cu. ft family room (don't have one and don't have any interest in hearing them anywhere else), but if you say so, maybe in a larger room, the Harbeth Super HL5 would be better. And, of course, the Monitor 40 would be better still. The Harbeths are less efficient than the Spendors, accept and require more power to really open up. I think if you drive the C7's with enough power, there is nothing lacking at all.

In terms of pricing, configuration and size, the Spendor SP1/2 "competes" with the Harbeth Super HL5, the SP2/3 with the Compact 7.

I don't want to criticize anyone's choice of speaker. The Harbeths are my choice. The Compact 7's and above with large drivers made from the proprietary "RADIAL" material are the only speakers I would ever consider again. But, there are other fine speakers out there.

Another footnote, re the mini-monitors slighted above as "pretty good for the money." I am not familiar with the Spendor S3/5, but it has many fans. The Harbeth P3 I do know. It is superb. With good source, electronics and cabling, properly sited near field (to avoid reflections) with the tweeters at ear height, the P3 is just stunning. Accurate tonality, clarity and precise imaging with palpable 3 dimensionality. Incredibly revealing. There's another thread about Stereophile's recommended list in which some of us commented on the difference between Class C and B. The Class C rated Harbeth P3 is easily better than several of the Class B small speakers reviewed over the years. I know many many people who, like me, prefer the P3 to, for example, the much more expensive B-rated ProAc 1s or sc (for the reasons suggested above by Bob) or the somewhat more expensive B-rated Totem Model 1. So, much much more than "pretty good for the money."

My P3's, like my Compact 7's, were assembled by one technician, tested and certified to match within less than 1/2 db, and videotaped in case the cabinets ever need service. They are also Alan Shaw designs, a very hands-on designer and managing director.

Bob, you remind me of my mother who, when she saw me putting sugar in my coffee asked, "why do you drink coffee if you don't like it?"