Where did you go after Harbeth?


Hi everyone,

The question above says it all. Where did you go after Harbeth? I'd like to know what you were looking to improve in the sound you had with Harbeth and which speaker allow you to do so.

Sébastien
128x128sebastienl
Daedalus DA-1.1's. I loved my Compact 7's and spent two years looking for a speaker that was as true and natural in the midrange and non-fatiguing as the Harbeths but had a bigger, more dynamic and "quicker" sound. Daedalus did that like no other speaker I auditioned. I would encourage you to add them to your list.
I'd recommend the Penaudio Cenya which is what several of our clients, former Harbeth owners, have embraced without an ounce of regret.
I always enjoyed my Harbeths because they were easy to listen to. What they cannot do, however, is ever make you forget that you are listening to recorded music. For this, a horn system with SET amplification is a must. There are dynamics, and air movement, that can only be achieved with a horn with a compression driver behind it, and a large woofer below it. Everything else, (including my Harbeths) are just not in the same league.
Tannoy 15" Dual Concentric with 300B SET amp, e.g., Art Audio Jota or Wavelength Audio Triton Signature. The large Tannoys have a doped-paper 15" driver which sounds better than plastic driver in many smaller Tannoys. For the best of the best, look for a large Tannoy DC.
It's interesting to hear from you guys. On my side, I'm pretty happy with my Harbeth SHL5 but I'm thinking of a speaker that can be powered by SET (300B, 2A3, 845, 211, etc.). So it must be more sensitive. For sure, I want to keep the sound as natural and non-fatiguing as possible and like the Harbeth, I want an excellent balance, even at low volume.

To Hornsystem, may I ask you if you are refering to a specific horn model? I have not heard many horn speakers in my like. A good friend of mine have a pair of Klipsch Cornwall II amplified with Bottlehead 2A3 and it's not very much in my taste. I found the music very colored vs. the Harbeth.

Sébastien