Speaker recommendation (KEF LS50 size)

The cheaper ProAc Tablet 10’s are very popular and I was very pressed with the much more expensive K6 floor standers (K being their first Kevlar drivers). The D1’s are quite different from the P3ESR (rear ported vs. sealed thin wall, D10’s are heavy) and are relatively bright and boomy. It’s a matter of taste.

That looks very unstable…

I strongly recommend the Harbeth P3ESR.

I own the Harbeths which I bought for a similar arrangement in a small den/office. They are marvelous. Even though I’ve upgraded to Joseph Audio Pulsars in a larger room now I still own them and listen to the P3ESRs often. The midrange is their strength but they produce plenty of top end air and enough bass to really enjoy the music you have listed. Given their sound, flexibility and very easy to store size, I can’t imagine ever selling them.

No rear port makes them very easy to place. They image very precisely. The construction and quality is top notch, something that you will always be proud to own. No equipment upgrade will overwhelm them. They are a bit too small for large rooms but in a setup like you’ve described I think they are ideal.

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Well I did it.

Decibel audio had a nearly new pair of Anniversary P3ESR’s (three-months used, traded in for 30.2’s), for $500 off. Free ship, no tax, yada yada.

I’ll have em in a couple of days. :crazy_face:

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I have a pair of the P3’s for my desktop system. I am extremely satisfied with them. I use a sub to fill in the region below 75hz.

yep, I currently use a small powered sub that works great with my existing speakers.

http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/buchardt-audio-s400-loudspeakers/?fbclid=IwAR3cVfGu383X6u6Ezy7_lcsXoC_2I6dR3OMNzfQCsfrL8KDEH2CHspta9-g

nice.

I really do think i might look at those S400’s in the main part of my house. Currently i have some PSB imagine mini’s in there with a sub. The PSB’s do sound good, but such is the nature of this obsession, right?

with the P3ESR’s, I need to think about some stands.

In the first post you can see the stands I made for the Silverlines (which raise up the speakers about 6 inches). But the Harbeth’s are going to be about 3 inches taller, so for proper height of the tweeters, I need to build some short/low stands.

They’re on a credenza about six feet from my listening position. They’re not on my desk, so I don’t want them tilted.

I could do a squat version of the taller ones here:

But really, I think they only need to be about 3 inches tall. Maybe a short, lighter version of this very clean, simple stand:

Thoughts?

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I like those.

Congratulations! Enjoy.

The Harbeths arrived yesterday, but I wasn’t able to give them a proper audition until today (needed to get some new speaker cables)…

They sound fantastic. Very neutral, and they just sound so natural and they really seem to disappear. Very happy with the sound.

Anyway, I was able to A/B them against the Silverline Minuet Supreme Plus speakers, as the CXA80 has A/B speaker channels. And here’s what I found: The Minuets are REALLY GOOD, too.

The Minuets are brighter, and not quite as full (I think the woofer is 4"). And the frequency range is definitely concentrated in the mids. But they have an energy about them that’s really fun. The Harbeths are better, but they don’t blow them away. I mean, yeah, as I switch between speakers, the P3ESR’s have the edge, but it’s not wickedly dramatic. The one place that’s really noticeable, though, is drums. More controlled and tight on the Harbeths, but I’d hope so with a bigger driver.

Now, it might be the amplifier. It’s good, but it’s not crazy-good. Perhaps, as someone said earlier, I might feel compelled to hop on the upgrade wagon to find something that really allows the Harbeths to show their best stuff. (Heaven help me!)

And also, it could be that the Harbeths are new. (But not brand new, so they’ve had some play time.) Reading the comments on the Harbeth forum from Alan Shaw, though, he says no break-in is needed.

I’ll post some pics when I get the stands finished. Going in a different direction than those above. Stay tuned.

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Congratulations and enjoy them. Beware of the urge to upgrade the amplifier as those P3ESRs can really sing. Maybe some M700’s in the future?

Congratulations! Enjoy. :kissing_heart:

Don’t get me started. :woozy_face:

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I’m likely getting the smaller ARB-51s for my desktop to flank my computer monitor for my near-field listening needs; choosing this over the KEF LSX and LS-50 wireless models.
https://www.elac.com/series/navis-powered-speakers/

ok, Harbeths are in place and I made some 3" risers. I had some brazilian cherry and just kept it simple. Kinda mimics the walnut plinth on the Thorens.

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Looks good Bro …

Here are my S 400 in the cottage.

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update, and I posted this in the System Photos thread… but I’m really feeling the sound I’m getting from a pair of PSB Imagine B’s.

Dilemma. Do I sell the Harbeths? :thinking: