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Would u rather have: Snell J/Leben or Harbeth/Yamaha?

jamesd

jamesd

pfm Member
Just thinking out loud and would be interested how the PFM crowd would tackle these options.

Current situation: Snell JIII and Yamaha AS-801

Option #1: keep Snells and add Leben CS300 and Leben phono stage

Option #2: keep Yamaha and add Harbeth Super HL5 Plus

Just a thought experiment if you feel like typing and lending advice. I’d be curious to see if there’s a clear consensus between these two paths. Thanks for playing
 
What would you be trying to achieve?

If you got the Leben and then decided to go for the Harbeth, you'd have to get rid of the Leben. Love my SHL5+40th
 
I'm pretty much operating option 2 (A-S701). I think it's likely best to let your room dictate the best option for you. I gather Snell/ AN variants appreciate corner loading, perhaps better suited to most typical UK spaces than the SHL5 plus. All that said, I use the Plus in less than ideal conditions and they perform more than admirably. I go through a lot of electronica/ hip-hop and on occasion find the need the dial down the bass a tad if playing loudly. Otherwise the amps chugs away happily flat.
 
my room is suspended wood floors and windows on every wall. Couldn't be less ideal acoustically, but I enjoy sitting in that room. I like the Snells in the corners but I prefer them in "normal" positions, away from the wall and in an equilateral triangle from the listening position.

Part of the thought on the Harbeths is that I already have the Skylan stands for them (not a great reason) and it's my understanding that they aren't as picky about amplification as the Snells are.
 
not chalk and cheese. I've owned both speakers and know the leben300's series well.
IF you want that perfect small speaker valve sound, there is not much around that beats the leben/snell combo. You won't get natural full scale orchestra at high volume reproduction, and hard and loud rock is jusy 'ok', but if those are not on your shelves anyway, and the room is moderate sized, I reckon that's about as good a valve/thin walled speaker sound as there is at tht price...
I think option 2 will give you SOME of that warmth, but there's a lot more control at the bottom end with the Harbeths, and they'll fill a much bigger room if you can drive them hard. I don't know the amp, but admire yamaha electronics...they should be fine. It's much more of an all round system and will play anything very well. It won't do simply miked female vocals, string quartetes or folk like the leben/snell will but everything else will be betterer IMO, so
depends on your music library I'd say.
 
as long as you get a home demo of the shl5plus first then its well worth considering them . enjoyed the anniversary version recently and that midrange is to die for . i can`t cope with the top end too well as it makes my ears tired but i would say that the midrange is slightly better than my tannoy eatons . they both cost the same . the eatons i think have a smoother top end and much bigger and better bass . the harbs are certainly entrancing if you can give them space and the right amp
 
I like the Snells and will keep them regardless of which direction I go. they're not worth selling for what they go for on the secondary market, in my opinion. I like how they do scale and sound fuller/fatter than most slim tower type speakers I've had through my system.
 
May I suggest more options please !
Plenty of (better) alternatives out there, why restrict to just two options ?

If looking for SHL5 try the Graham range as well
Particular I liked their LS5/9 which I thought sounded better than any Harbeths
IMO some of these are lacking in bas performance/notes for their asking price they should not have this degree of compromise
I have heard M40 & SHL several times, left extremely dissapointed even mids were wonderfull.

As for older Snell of the non-Peter Snell origin I believe your right, their resale value are lousy so better just keep them

As nice as the little Leben amp is, certainly not able to perform even realistic spl levels unless highly effective speakers or very small room

No experience with the Yam's
 
I've swapped in some Vienna Acoustics Bach Grands I had laying around. They seem to work far better in this room and they're a great match with the Yamaha.

I wonder how the bass in something like Super HL5 Plus or even Compact 7ES-3's compares to the VA's? I've had the VA's for years and their bass has always been impressive for their size. They always go lower and louder than I expect, but now with the Yamaha, the bass feels very fast too. That's new to me.

has anyone compared Vienna Acoustics floorstanders to a Harbeth (or Graham) monitor?
 
Don't get fooled by per, he is known for his Harbeth disliking posts. BTW: Every speaker is a compromise. You gain something, you lose something...laws of physic...Graham uses cheap and simple polypropylene chassis IMHO they are way too expansive.
 
I use Leben CS300XS with Harbeth P3ESR in my small room and it's lovely.

Definitely worth trying some SHL5 if you get the chance. I'd love to hear some more of the range either with my Leben or a bigger SS amp.
 
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