Harbeth HL-P3ES-2

mrbiron

I'm looking into moving away from the RTiA5's for my 2 chan speakers and looking into a pair of used Harbeth HL-P3ES-2 that showed up locally.
I have a couple questions. First and foremost, what is going rate on a speaker like this used?
Also, i'd be using them in a roughly 12' x 15' room with my associated Anthem gear. Are these speakers too small for this room? I don't know the sound of these speakers so knowing the Anthem sound, does this seem like a decent pairing? I'd mostly be listening to vinyl with the occasional internet radio/mp3/flac. I've read that the bass response in smaller rooms is quite good but, again, my room seems slightly larger than a "small room" so would i need a sub?

Any info/suggestion would be appreciated.

Thanks.

cnh

I'm no expert on Harbeths, there are others (steve) that own some larger models who should be PM-ed, but aren't these more like a NEAR field monitor in size and function. An odd choice to replace towers that reach in the the 40hz range. Definitely going to need a sub!

More will chime in!


cnh

mrbiron

Yeah i here ya. All of the reviews i've read are very positive but i find that most people seem to have them in 10x10 rooms IE, office system. I'm just looking to try the next thing. Surprisingly the A5's are a very capable speaker for what they are.
I ran the A5's with a sub but prefer them without. The reviews of the Harbeths all say that the bass response is quite good which makes the change much easier on the wallet.

steveinaz

Depends on how loud you want to listen. I have found with my 7es-3's that they play cleanly far louder than the impressions I was given, and I have a large room. They haven't ran out of steam on me yet, and I listen pretty damn loud on occassion.

Pricing: They hold their value well, like the Harley Davidson of speakers; so while you can pick them up cheaper used, it won't be quite the discount you might expect.

Bass: I use a sub with my 7es-3's, but in all honesty I'd be perfectly happy with them minus the sub. The 7es-3 is down 3dB @ 46Hz.

If you're a vocal accuracy fanatic, you'll love them. Harbeth gets the midrange/treble more realistic than I've ever heard in 37yrs of this hobby. I picked up my 7es-3's used, and Harbeth is still honoring the warranty! I may in the future, go ahead and upgrade to the Super HL5 Harbeth.

audiocr381ve

Off-topic but damn I love the classic look of Harbeth speakers.

steveinaz

They are truly a "get off the merry-go-round" speaker, IMO.

audiocr381ve

steveinaz wrote: »

They are truly a "get off the merry-go-round" speaker, IMO.

I'd like to get off the merry-go-round. Can't wait to get my ears on a pair of Harbeths.