advertisement


Harbeth P3/Amp

My P3's are sounding really nice with the 220 expert pro, I don't think they were such a good match with Naim. Nothing to do with power, the Naims always drove them well just not great in the treble as far as detail goes and a good central image and depth.
 
What sort of wpc 6 ohms are your amps ?.Hoping the rega will be stunning through them ,love the sound of the amp so much,better than the primare ,just needed the extra power for the atc scm 11 ,but just cant get on with the sound.
 
The Elex-r will be just fine with the Harbeths.

Rega + Harbeth is always a popular combination with my customers.
 
I have only heard them with the 300 and not the 600 and they sounded very sweet. Not to say they don't sound as good with the more powerful amp.
 
MikeMA said:
I've used a Jadis Orchestra, a Jadis DA30, QUAD 33/303 and Roksan Caspian integrated with my P3ESRs and P3ES2s (and M30s and LS3/As).

I've never heard any Naim kit so cannot compare, but in my system I prefer the Harbeths with valves for the top and mid-range sweetness and imigery, though the Caspian (now sold) drove them very well, with plenty of bass grip. The QUAD is more valve-like to my ears.

Although not a Naim fan myself, I'm slightly surprised at the OP's comments, as Harbeths seem very popular with Naim (and Croft) etc owners.
Click to expand...

It's worth mentioning that the OP was using the Naim NAC172 to drive the P3ESR. Perhaps that was the reason the OP found the combination to sound dull, lacklustre and lacking in detail. The internal Burr Brown DAC and preamp section of the 172 are likely the culprit to the poor performance. Apart from the quality of preamp, the source (DAC) is also very important as the Harbeths are inherently a soft and smooth sounding speaker.

FWIW I tried the Nait XS + decent source with the Harbeth SHL5 and it sounded decent, though not spectacular. I believe the Nait XS is a better amp than the 172 due to the higher quality preamp section. Combined with a good source the Nait XS can easily surpass the 172. The 202/200 brought more detail and life to the Harbeth, and the 282/250 gave even more.
 
FWIW I did not like the Rega-Harbeth combination. My experience was with the Rega Elicit Mk2. The combination sounded soft, lush and flat, lacking separation, dynamics and detail. The Harbeth sounds more lively with the Naim (202/200 and above as the Nait XS sounds almost the same as the Rega Elicit when matched with the Harbeth). There is more attack in the sound, better separation and macrodynamics with the Naim 202/200. The 282/250 gave an even bolder sound.

Perhaps folks who prefer Rega (with the Harbeth) primarily listen to mellow stuff and vocals.
 
the rega elicit is more mellow,lush sounding,the elex r is more lively sounding,and does everything perfect,only down side is trying to drive speakers that need loads of power up them.But i have mates who run the elex r with atc scm mk 2 ,and love it,problem for me was adding a primare a34.2 with the atc ,both very neutral sounding,and at times could grate alittle ,even with the bottom end being solid ,the highs overiding it still,same as a lot of people,i live in a flat with people upstairs,for the atc to sound good,that was around 9 oclock,so daytime listen ,they had to listen ,night time listen ,the sound was flat,harbeth p3esr with rega elex r will bring a little magic and both low and a little louder just fine.also looking back ,not sure class d is the sound for me,even with the top class d amps ,theres something alittle sterile overall.
 
The answer my friend is echoing round your room. 3's will like whichever amp provides what they need to sound ok in your room. Which is, as Alan S rightly says, almost any well designed amp. However I'd avoid class D, since it's cold, untextured presentation doesn't sit well IME. After that, if you find 'em a tad clinical, add class A / valves is all I'd suggest.
 
Tigerjones said:
I have only heard them with the 300 and not the 600 and they sounded very sweet. Not to say they don't sound as good with the more powerful amp.
Click to expand...

I've used a Leben 600 with P3ESRs. It sounded lovely to me and I've always regretted not buying it! I'd have one like a shot if it came up now. I'd sell a Jadis!
 
Tried my P3ESRs with a number of amps and it did just fine with any of them. The speakers are not the most sensitive speakers so if your room is large you might want some current.

In my office room my Marantz PM 17 mkii with "just" 60 watts does amazing!
 
I find the Leben CS300XS works great with the P3ESR in my smallish living room and I've also used a Sugden A21SE in the same space.

I'd still like to try some Croft amps out for the hell of it.
 
ryder said:
It's worth mentioning that the OP was using the Naim NAC172 to drive the P3ESR. Perhaps that was the reason the OP found the combination to sound dull, lacklustre and lacking in detail. The internal Burr Brown DAC and preamp section of the 172 are likely the culprit to the poor performance. Apart from the quality of preamp, the source (DAC) is also very important as the Harbeths are inherently a soft and smooth sounding speaker.

FWIW I tried the Nait XS + decent source with the Harbeth SHL5 and it sounded decent, though not spectacular. I believe the Nait XS is a better amp than the 172 due to the higher quality preamp section. Combined with a good source the Nait XS can easily surpass the 172. The 202/200 brought more detail and life to the Harbeth, and the 282/250 gave even more.
Click to expand...
I used P3 ESRs with an Exposure Super XV. I would not say the were smooth or lush, they were ruthlessly accurate and positively sparkled on bright programme material. It remains the best small room amp/speaker combo I have ever used.

If your room is large you will need bigger speakers as they swiftly get lost in large spaces.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top