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Which Harbeths?

Trying to decide between the the M30.1/2 and the C7es3/XD. I’ve researched it a fair amount and I’m coming up a bid confused. Like most things it seems people have conflicting opinions. I’m coming from using various Totems for the last decade. I also just had a pair of Dynaudio special 40s for a short time before selling. I found the 40s were better at playing louder and had a bit softer top end, but overall just lacked that something special, ironically. What I’m really after is that just rightness I get with Totems. While I find there top end a bit much I’ve been willing to work with it because of the just rightness I personally get from them. My wife likes to say they sing which I think gets the just of it as well. Harbeth has sounded very attractive to me for a while and hope to find another version of a special speaker in them.  One that hopefully is a bit smoother in the presence and treble areas while also being very engaging and musical. I use a McIntosh mc302 and C46, so plenty of power for any of the Harbeths I’d think.  Anyways, I’d appreciate any feedback in these two models I can get. Anybody who has experience with both Harbeth and Toen I would have particular interest in your take. I live about 4 hours from any dealer and I don’t like to waste their time since I will inevitably buy used anyways.  
brylandgoodman
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@yogiboy and @arafiq are good heads, well known participants, credible contributors here

i would just say here, that my experience is opposite from theirs, i prefer the compact 7 to the mon 30... it’s possible i hadn’t set up the mon 30s in their ideal setup (room and ancillaries) when i had a set, and likewise it might be that they did not either with their experience with the c7 - i have no doubt set up well, matched well in system and room, both can produce exemplary enthralling music

it just shows what one should expect in this hobby/pursuit, people have different tastes, experiences -- all worth sharing, no right or wrong

btw - both models are longstanding stalwarts in the harbeth line, both descendants of original bbc designs, both very good sellers, used and loved by many many all around the world

op

glad you found the right connection to your mac amp... and more glad that your enjoyment of the speakers has been taken up a notch
orfeo_monteverdi's avatar
orfeo_monteverdi
41 posts
 
[please excuse my bad English]

I am, too, glad that you found the right connection to your Mc Intosh amp.


You mentioned the C7's are a bit forward now on the 8 Ohms output of the amplifier. A few points to try
  1. you had removed the grilles => try to put them back. The grilles are part of the design loop, and John Atkinson did not removed them to measure the M30.2 Anniversary (which does not emphasize treble). The grilles off -> +1.5dB above 6KHz, IIRC.
  2. Let them running in. A few weeks minimum is necessary. If the speakers are brand new, you can let them play at relatively low level when you are outside.


indydan's avatar
indydan
2 posts
 
I went from Totem Tribe Towers to Harbeth C7es3-XD. The Harbeths are even clearer than the Totems while sounding more natural. The tweeter on the C7 is a real winner. The one on the Totem was a tiny bit harsh with some music. 
The Harbeths also sound bigger and have more bass. I really can't see myself going back to the Totems (which were already very good). 
ryder
1,689 posts
 
Indydan, similar experience though mine is with the Totem Model 1. When I tried the Model 1s about 10 years ago, I already own the Harbeth SHL5 during that time. The Model 1s were lively, fun and engaging with a lit top end. That’s where the good story ends. There is a certain harshness I hear somewhere in the midrange and treble, a metallic harsh sound which is rather irritating to the ears. The Harbeth not only sounds a lot smoother but is letting a lot more fine detail through which contributes to the added clarity. Somehow the Totem is masking some of the detail and sounds less transparent.

I’m not sure about the higher range Totems such as the Hawks or Forest Signature etc. which are well received by many owners. Based on my experience with the Model 1s, I find it unrefined and harsh with reduced clarity and detail when compared to the Harbeth. It’s not exactly a bad sounding speaker. It’s fun and lively but the shortcomings or differences are apparent once you compare it to the Harbeth or other superior designs.
ryder
1,689 posts
 
you had removed the grilles => try to put them back. The grilles are part of the design loop, and John Atkinson did not removed them to measure the M30.2 Anniversary (which does not emphasize treble). The grilles off -> +1.5dB above 6KHz, IIRC.

Perhaps the XD has been made to sound noticeably more transparent and lit in the treble as this is the current trend with the evolution of Harbeth speakers people have noticed. I have personally experienced this increased clarity and brightness in the treble with the M30 series, starting from the M30 right up to the M30.2 Anniversary.

M30 - rolled off treble and sounds excessively warm and dead (avoid this)
M30.1 - sounds brighter and more open but still warm
M30.2 Anniversary - sounds brighter and more open
M30.2 XD - ?? (no experience with this one)

My experience with the SHL5 and SHL5+ (more than 12 years now) is they sound great with the grilles on, more open and transparent with the grilles removed. Similarly I understand that the grilles are part of the design. Nevertheless, owners have the option to listen with the grilles on or off depending on their listening preference. If one finds the speaker to sound too bright in the treble, leave the grilles on. If a bit more clarity and sparkle are preferred, remove the grilles. I used to listen with the grilles off but now leave them on. It’s quite troublesome to keep removing the grilles and putting them back on every time I want to listen to music.
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