The Harbeth phenomenon


In my search for a new pair of speakers, I've gone through many threads here and noticed that many owners or fans of Harbeth have almost a love-like connection with Harbeth speakers. It is almost as if the speakers cast a spell upon them. I know many audiophiles love their speakers but Harbeth owners seem especially enamored with theirs. I am extremely puzzled by this phenomenon because on paper Harbeth speakers look average at best and lack many of the attributes that generally make a great speaker.

Their sensitivity of generally around the 86dB mark makes them rather inefficient and therefore, at least in theory, not a good match for many lower powered tube amps, or any amps below 100wpc. Their frequency range is simply inferior to most high-end speakers since they don't go below 40 Hz. This alone should, again at least in theory, disqualify Harbeth speakers from consideration as top high end speakers. And yet I've never heard anyone complain about their bass, while people complain about lack of bass in the Gibbon Nines from DeVore, which is a fantastic speaker. Their cabinets look like a cheap DIY enclosure (disclaimer: I've never seen a Harbeth up close, only pictures). The 7ES-3 is rated B-Restricted, while the smaller and cheaper Usher Be-718 A-Restricted in Stereophile but garners nowhere near the same amount of admiration, praise and following among audiophiles.

So what's going on here? Is this a big conspiracy plot by the company that paid off a few hundred of people to infiltrate audiophile internet forums and a few reviewers? I am of course joking here, but the question is serious. How can speakers so average on paper be so good in real life? I know the opposite is often true, but you rarely see this phenomenon.

Please speak up.
actusreus
I am enjoying the little PsEsr very much during some in-home testing. Not the Quatro Woods I am replacing, but very, very nice for my purposes.
Hello all,

I have the privilege of informing you that Tim Nguyen of Tone of Music, a Simon Yorke dealer in the SF Bay Area, will be exhibiting the $15,000 euro Simon Yorke S-10 Record Player at the 2010 California Audio Show.

www.caaudioshow.com

Thank you.

Constantine Soo
Addendum:

Tone of Music will exhibit the $12,900 Harbeth 40.1 and the $4,995 Super HL5 at the 2010 California Audio Show.

Thank you.

Constantine Soo
I have a pr of 40.1's. They really are amazing speakers.
I too attend live concerts regularly. I also have a musical household - my son plays piano and violin, I play violin, and my other son plays trumpet. I know what instruments should sound like.
These speakers do not beam sound. They reproduce music.
What is your desire? I am truely impressed by them.
I have been doing audio stuff for years now. I have spent lots of money. I think these speakers will be the last I own for some time.
In his review of the Compact 7s, Sam Tellig said you've really got to listen to them from at least nine feet away. Any closer, he said, and the drivers don't really come together as one. Has anyone else found this to be true?

-Bob