New purchase pics...

24

Comments

  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited January 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    The Placette has a remote. Everything connects thru the Benchmark, then the BM out to the Placettes' single input.

    Yeah I see that now. I was interested since for my 2 channel rig I want to build up I want something like the benchmark dac/pre but need volume control via a remote as well, and you have to get the Benchmark HDR which is a lot more to get it all in one.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2012
    With hindsight, and if it had been released when I bought my DAC/PRE--I would have went with the HDR.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited January 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    With hindsight, and if it had been released when I bought my DAC/PRE--I would have went with the HDR.

    Its probably the 1st item I will get when I look to upgrade my 2 channel system as I want to keep it as simple as possible (unlike my HT mess lol).

    The plan is to go FLAC from MediaMonkey via USB to the HDR to an amp, to speakers. This requires the least amount of cables, so I can afford to play with more expensive ones since I only need 1 set.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2012
    Yep. My system has 2 sets of IC's, for a total of 1.5 meters. That's it.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited January 2012
    Ok, here is the stupid question. Is this a two way, three way or 2.5 cascade array? Because I notice that the bass driver seems to have something like a "ring radiator" at its center (a tweeter mounted like at KEF Uni-Q?). Not that familiar with this model.

    Also, that is one heck of a "complex" crossover! I always wonder if such complexity is necessary? Perhaps it is if you have three drivers working above!

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2012
    2-way, but the crossover featured is not the 7ES-3. I'm not sure why the dust cap has the funny look----must be a harbeth "thing" just like the unique (inverted) surround on the woofer.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2012
    Here's the 7ES-3 crossover:
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Here's the 7ES-3 crossover:

    Whoa, those are some gnarly caps.

    Did the speakers arrive yet?
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2012
    Tommorrow!
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Tommorrow!

    So excited for you!
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2012
    Better beauty shots:
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • obieone
    obieone Posts: 5,077
    edited January 2012
    I hope you have a highend camcorder, so you can SHARE what they sound like:wink:

    I've been intrigued by their Monitor 40's, but, I'll prolly never get to hear them in person:sad:
    I refuse to argue with idiots, because people can't tell the DIFFERENCE!
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  • Oldfatdogs
    Oldfatdogs Posts: 1,874
    edited January 2012
    Very nice Steve I hope they make you smile. Dan
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited January 2012
    I want to hear a good review after the honeymoon phase :) The only review I could take seriously would be the one I hear about a month after you've owned them :cheesygrin:
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  • janmike
    janmike Posts: 6,146
    edited February 2012
    Congrats Steve. Thoses are very nice looking.
    Michael ;)
    In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
    NORTH of 60°
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    *tap* *tap* *tap*...fingers tapping...LOL
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    Wow, those suckers on the Harbeth forum have a stick up their ****, about 15 feet long. Typical european "you don't question authority" attitude. F that, I'm a damn American! LOL

    You can make a casual comment, and it's met with "HAVE YOU A/B TESTED THAT", "HOW DO YOU KNOW CONDITIONS WERE SETUP PROPERLY" "YOUR OPINION IS BASELSS BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T...." man, pull the stick out of your bum, mate. LOL. I think the stiff upper lip is a result of their panties being stuck up their crack.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited February 2012
    Do they also think wire is wire?

    Suspense killin' ya hey?
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    Yes, everytime I hear a vehicle go by, my dog & I's tails are wagging...LOL

    They're just very critical, right out of the gate---defensive. It's wierd. The minute you step out of the box. No wonder we rule the planet.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited February 2012
    You know the first thing you have to do when you get them unboxed is take a couple quick pics and post them here, you know this right?
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,011
    edited February 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Yes, everytime I hear a vehicle go by, my dog & I's tails are wagging...LOL

    Dog probably has a better **** anyway.:biggrin:

    Good luck....have the camera ready man. Though John has been seen lurking in the neighborhood in an old black '72 Caddy....with the trunk open and ready to go. Be aware !!
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited February 2012
    Alright it's late enough. Where are these pictures!?
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited February 2012
    Drenis wrote: »
    Alright it's late enough. Where are these pictures!?

    +1

    :cheesygrin:
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,093
    edited February 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Wow, those suckers on the Harbeth forum have a stick up their ****, about 15 feet long. Typical european "you don't question authority" attitude. F that, I'm a damn American! LOL

    You can make a casual comment, and it's met with "HAVE YOU A/B TESTED THAT", "HOW DO YOU KNOW CONDITIONS WERE SETUP PROPERLY" "YOUR OPINION IS BASELSS BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T...." man, pull the stick out of your bum, mate. LOL. I think the stiff upper lip is a result of their panties being stuck up their crack.

    Very nice Steve!!! I always wanted to have a listen to a pair of Harbeth monitors. Congrats & enjoy!! As far as the rest of your post...I had a pretty good laugh, kinda like you never left the forum here. We have our resident characters here too. :smile: Intruders beware!
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    Pics this evening fellas, I was waiting for the stands to arrive.....the speaks are mint and sound wonderful. Fred had them triple boxed!
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    Initial impressions:

    Out of respect for Polk, I'll keep my observations buried in this thread.

    The speakers arrive early afternoon, so I was able to do about 6hrs of listening yesterday. Being used, and already broken in--no need to hold off on the obvious. Wow. It's nice that every once in awhile the hype is pretty darn close to reality. Musical, flowing, easy; drawing you into the performance to the point where you don't even want to take a bathroom break...LOL. Treble is neither laid back, nor forward---it's just right. Incredible air and the most 3 dimensional soundstage these ears have ever heard, period. Mid-range is buttery smooth, making acoustic instruments and electric rythm guitars darn fun, and never cold or strident sounding. Voices also benefit; zero chestiness in male vocals, and female vocals soar. Bass was interesting--and the first thing that was the most "different" in tonal character from previous speakers. It took me awhile to articulate what I was hearing, but here goes...The 7ES-3 doesn't do "bookshelf bass"...huh? you say. Many bookshelf's try to reproduce more bass than they are capable of, and in the process come off as wooly, or thick in mid-bass as a distraction from the fact that they can't plummet the depths. The 7ES-3 doesn't bother. It does what it can do, realistically, and in a strange paradox the bass is actually outstandingly real and a touch punchy. There's zero artificial mid-bass bloom--which is a good thing, and this adds to the overall linearity of the system top to bottom. This is an "end the tail-chasing" speaker; I suggest you take a listen before plucking $5 large down on anything else.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,011
    edited February 2012
    So....I take it you like it then ? LOL

    Good for you Steve, it's like a big weight has been lifted when you find your speaker. Congrats, you may have to buy a new couch now because your butt is going to be planted on it way too much.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    I was very satisfied with the Carbon 7, no doubt; but I've always wanted Harbeth's. I'm just over-joyed that I'm not disappointed; and somewhat surprised at how much more satisfying the 7ES-3 is. Sometimes you can over-indulge in speaker reviews and set yourself up for big disappointment--not in this case; they are everything and more than I expected.

    Man did I pick the right seller too. The speakers look brand new. I cannot find a single flaw. I'll get some pics tonight, once I have the stands in place (arriving today).
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited February 2012
    Very nice Steve, I think we all know about the not being able to tear yourself away syndrome. Be interesting to revist this in a month. Sounds like they may be like my SDA's to me, in that I crack a smile every single time I sit and down and listen and they have been with me 3-4 years now and I used to sell them back in the 80's at an audio store. Still love 'em.

    Are your comments in comparison to the Fritz's or everything you've owned, because they sound like the perfect speaker?

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2012
    My comments are mostly general observations, but some are comparisons to the Carbon 7. The Fritz C7 is an outstanding value, so I don't want to take anything away from it's performance--keep in mind we're talking a speaker that is less than 1/2 the price of the Harbeth.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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