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Harbeth P3ESR XD - Friday Musings...

Is there not a ‘thing’ about unconnected speakers in a room causing problems ie the drivers still move or something like that?
 
JTC said:
Part of the problem is access to the window and space behind the Ardens at present. My only worry is ensuring that the Harbeths would be secure enough where they are now. This is a temp arrangement but they work very, very well in this position. Maybe the Ardens act as a sort of PBR, though not obviously…
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Ah, yeah, I see how this would be an issue. What an annoying problem to have. Ok, time to see if Lockwood have ever used their ceiling mounts on Ardens - could be quite imposing I guess :)
 
twotone said:
Is there not a ‘thing’ about unconnected speakers in a room causing problems ie the drivers still move or something like that?
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You’d think so but putting my hand gently on the cones of the 15” DCs and they barely vibrate at all when the P3s are up at decent levels.
 
JTC said:
You’d think so but putting my hand gently on the cones of the 15” DCs and they barely vibrate at all when the P3s are up at decent levels.
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Pretty sure there was a thread on here about this thing.

Maybe someone will be along who knows about it and can comment either that I’m talking pish:D
 
Listening to some Jonathan Wilson right now and the P3s sound sublime. They are special speakers (at least in combination with the superlative Luxman). Thinking about SVS SB3000 to fill in the bottom end. But against all logic there’s good solid bass that paradoxically seems complete and super tight. Fun, this ;)
 
JTC said:
Listening to some Jonathan Wilson right now and the P3s sound sublime. They are special speakers (at least in combination with the superlative Luxman). Thinking about SVS SB3000 to fill in the bottom end. But against all logic there’s good solid bass that paradoxically seems complete and super tight. Fun, this ;)
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I’ve a pair of Totem Kin minis I can lend you I think you would be amazed at how good these things sound and I’m only using a DENON AVR.

I’ve two pairs one of which is only being used for rear surround speakers and are totally wasted there.
 
JTC said:
I think I’ll gain quite a bit of space (speakers probably roughly where they’ll end up):

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The P3s look like nothing compared to those Tannoys!
 
Yeah, they're dwarfed. But last night I cranked them up to what measured as about 70dB avg at my listening position (which isn't stupidly loud but about as loud as I would normally listen) and they sounded like significantly bigger speakers. Not Arden big, but (at those volumes) not far behind, lacking just that heft of the bottom octave (0). But they put proportionate, tuneful, tight and detailed octave 1 bass (from 63Hz if I remember) as good as anything I've heard.

This next statement is based on unreliable memories, but I do think the P3ESR XD is as close as I've found to a box-speaker version of my much-missed ESL57s, both in terms of tonal accuracy, speed, transparency, imaging and all the other characteristics. Which is why I think I like them so much. The Ardens are superb speakers, sounding waaaay more nimble than their size suggests, but they're not quite as nimble and as balanced as the P3s, bottom octave notwithstanding (and taking into account my room and listening level habits).

I'm pretty sure they're keepers....
 
I bought my first pair of Harbeths (C7s) a few months ago and first used a similar pillar-type stand (Partington Dreadnoughts) and found them dead. Open framed Something Solid sound miles better to me fwiw if you see a pair around it may be worth trying
 
TCar said:
I bought my first pair of Harbeths (C7s) a few months ago and first used a similar pillar-type stand (Partington Dreadnoughts) and found them dead. Open framed Something Solid sound miles better to me fwiw if you see a pair around it may be worth trying
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Its weird because the Falcon acoustic stands which are made specially for Falcon ls3/5a, is a traditional heavy pillar stand. And it sound phenomenal
 
JTC said:
This next statement is based on unreliable memories, but I do think the P3ESR XD is as close as I've found to a box-speaker version of my much-missed ESL57s....
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Maybe you should seek out a pair of Quad 77-10L next, as they were designed to emulate the performance of Quad ESL in a small sealed speaker. I have a pair here and they're very good although I understand the previous owner of them actually replaced them with some Harbeth P3ESR, so perhaps the little Quads are outclassed in other areas.

Do you happen to have the room to store the Ardens while you use the Harbeths for a month or two? Just so that you allow yourself the time to be absolutely sure that it's the right change etc.

I have similar dilemmas about box size as I have Lancasters in my living room that have to be in front of window seats as there's nowhere else that works. However having tried to downsize to tidy little standmounts before I eventually had to accept that I simply prefer big speakers. Plus my better half doesn't really like stands and trailing wires, and actually seems comfortable with the appearance of the big Tannoy boxes (or at least doesn't actively object to them).
 
Is this still the Harbeths you bought from me? they are SEs not the latest XD model...... and by many accounts are preferred to the XD. I preferred the Harbeths in your room to the Ardens by some way, but I've never liked the big Tannoy DCs, I sent a pair of Turnberrys back in disappointment a few years ago.
 
TCar said:
I bought my first pair of Harbeths (C7s) a few months ago and first used a similar pillar-type stand (Partington Dreadnoughts) and found them dead. Open framed Something Solid sound miles better to me fwiw if you see a pair around it may be worth trying
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I use Heybrook HBS1 spiked flat packed open frame stands with my C7s, I used to use spiked open frames with my ESL57s, which improved the sound dramatically, The C7s are slightly more murky but are just as enjoyable and more dynamic. The spiked stands focus the sound more precisely.
 
In my experience heavy stands with a plate don't work good with Harbeth speaker from the M30.x upwards. Something solid was the best stand for my taste.
 
P3s were the most frustrating speaker I've had. Transcendentally, sublimely brilliant at times but couldn't ignore the low end compression at others. Especially coming from bigger speakers. Really wanted to keep them but they were starting to dictate what got played.
 
Fretbuzz said:
P3s were the most frustrating speaker I've had. Transcendentally, sublimely brilliant at times but couldn't ignore the low end compression at others. Especially coming from bigger speakers. Really wanted to keep them but they were starting to dictate what got played.
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Low-end compression? Do tell. I’m not hearing that at all. Maybe different model/amp/room/position has an effect?
 
Everytime I play my Spendor D1s or Harbeth P3 I think I could have left my ANJ s in their boxes and moved them on. Every time I play
the ANJs l think I couldn't.
 
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