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Which Harbeth would work in my room?

Hi,

Harbeths have been on my radar screen for a few years now and I am looking for advice from Harbeth owners regarding which model will work in my listening room.

This is going to be a big change from my Thiel CS5's, which I have decided are a bit too big for my space, so I want to aim for the best suited Harbeth model.

My listening space is about 16 foot wide with nine foot ceilings and an open stairway on one side. Due to room logistics and WAF, my front wall is about eleven feet from the listening position but there is another fifteen feet of open space behind me.

My thoughts are that I should consider the SHL5 Plus or possibly a 40.1/40.2.

Can anyone share their thoughts regarding recommended distances between speakers and listening position for the various Harbeth models?

Thanks for real world advice!

Dsper
dsper

Showing 2 responses by twoleftears

twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 
Thanks! but just to be clear, it's not my review, it's someone else's, but I think it exemplifies well the size of room that 40.2's can work in, even if that size is not optimal.

Vu of Deja Vu in Wash DC, a Harbeth dealer, told me they needed a minimum of 2' each side to be able to breathe OK.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,320 posts
 

I've posted this link before, but worth repeating.

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/harbeth-monitor-40-2.25222/

Scroll down, and down, for the photos.

Frankly, this may be pushing it, but as just said, with a minimum of 2' behind and 2' to the sides, I'd seriously consider the 40.2's, as those Thiels weren't exactly small.

I've heard both, and to me the SHL5's have a different acoustic presentation (though some would tell you they are more size-appropriate for your room), and I preferred the 40.2s.

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