Harbeth SHL5.....R they worth it?

dhart86

OK ....so the Harbeths arrived while I was away on business. Couldn't wait to get home to unbox, sit back and be blown away. So the following is a report (not a review) on my initial experience with my new SuperHL5's.

So last night I tore into the double boxed packages and pulled out speakers that were little larger than I had imagined and they were packed extremely well to make the trip cross country.

Anyway, I hooked them up to my McCormack DNA 0.5 amp and fired it up! I listened for 2 hrs and i gotta tell ya'll....I was a bit underwhelmed. It seemed that the sound was too laid back....and I like laid back, but this seemed to be too recessed or something.

So i thought? Let me switch out the Psvane CV -181-t( 6sn7) tubes from the pre and I threw in some Sylvania 6SN7s. The sound came forward a little, so it was a little better, but not good enough to meet my expectations. I was becoming a little disturbed at this point, feeling like I had shelled out $$$$ for a small improvement. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, that's why you go audition gear, dummy!

Tried to listen for a few more hours to get use to the sound signature, but I was feeling like these speakers didn't sound much better than my Polk speakers (705-modded monitor 7 -modded SDA1c)

So today I began to listen and was having the same experience as last nite----then the light came on...... my IC cables are MIT S1, so I adjusted the impedance selection on the boxes and dam if everything didn't open up a bit and come a little more to the front. Sounds much better. However, I'm still contemplating whether it was worth the thousands over my Polks.

Well, back to the laboratory...
at some point I will A/B against my Polk 705's

voltz

Sounds good Darren, hope your able to deal them in to your liking. Don't forget to give them some burn-in time? Louis from omega told me to give my new speakers some bass heavy music and give those drivers a workout

tonyb

Give them some time chief. Also throw in another set of IC's without the impedance box if you have some laying around. Sometimes those things work great, sometimes it can be a hindrance.....depends.

dhart86

Voltz......the speakers are pre-owned, the previous owner claims they are one year old, they may be burned in, but I will give the drivers a workout as you suggest...thanks

tonyb thanks for the suggestions, I will give them a try. My ears are starting to come around now it is getting better.

BTW anybody know if these speakers are placement sensitive ?

[Deleted User]

may take a couple of weeks of critical listening...
These are on stands I take it. .vs. the 705's? Dunno about that.
Grill on or off? How is the Bass?
Just read where someone liked the tweeter just above ear level...

heiney9

Way too early to give up on them. It's taken me 3-4 months to audition my new pre-amp. Try placement, tubes and cables. I have found not so subtle differences with tubes. Just because that tube worked in one situation doesn't mean it works well in all.

Really bone up on proper placement. Some speakers sound good anywhere, others take time to dial in. Every room environment is different. Once you've exhausted all the scenarios then you can say they aren't for you.

This hobby takes time sometimes to get it right.

H9

heiney9

You may find in the end your gear is too laid back for those speakers.

Conradicles

You also may find the speakers are not to your liking.

SCompRacer

Nice speakers!

I ran into something similar when I got my Salk SS8's. Stuck them right where the old speakers were, didn't work. Don't give up too easy.

Like Brock mentioned. Have you tried different placement? Midrange could be down several dB, try moving them away or closer to rear wall. Also, if you have any acoustic treatment behind them, try removing them. It took different placement and no treatment directly behind my speakers to sound alive and be a worthwhile upgrade.

I forgot what pre you have. Does it invert phase?

steveinaz

Some of the best speakers I've owned, underwhelmed me initially. This is usually an indication of good linearity--no particular freq's are standing out to grab your attention; which can later lead to listeners fatique. Hang in there, and push them a little harder.

Harbeth doesn't try to create bass that isn't there---they are about accuracy, sometimes this can come off as sounding a bit too restrained or lack of slam. If you are used to cabinet resonances adding to the drama of lower tone (common with towers that are ported) it will take awhile to get used to the cleaner lower bass presentation.

heiney9

The above is also why it's very important to demo with various kinds of music. Program content can vary widely. That's why I have about 10 different songs that I know intimately and therefore can be a better judge of what's going on when I add something new in the chain.

H9

WagnerRC

tonyb wrote: »

Give them some time chief. Also throw in another set of IC's without the impedance box if you have some laying around. Sometimes those things work great, sometimes it can be a hindrance.....depends.

I have a pair of acoustic zen satori speaker cables here you are welcome to try.

Tony turned me on to these cable and I very impressed. These are an extra pair that I have laying around. Let me know if this would help.

dhart86

steveinaz wrote: »

Some of the best speakers I've owned, underwhelmed me initially. This is usually an indication of good linearity--no particular freq's are standing out to grab your attention; which can later lead to listeners fatique. Hang in there, and push them a little harder.

Thanks Steve.....this was that exact feedback I need to hear

dhart86

h9 / SCompRacer / Dskip you guys are right, I know I gotta exercise so patience and trial and error. Duly noted guys

dhart86

WagnerRC wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

Give them some time chief. Also throw in another set of IC's without the impedance box if you have some laying around. Sometimes those things work great, sometimes it can be a hindrance.....depends.

I have a pair of acoustic zen satori speaker cables here you are welcome to try.

Tony turned me on to these cable and I very impressed. These are an extra pair that I have laying around. Let me know if this would help.

WagnerRC I would love to try the acoustic zen satori speaker cables. Thanks for your generous consideration

SCompRacer

The top line is the second sweep I did with the Salk's. The result of moving speakers out 1 foot more. Look what it did for the upper mid range, +15dB added to that suckout. Removing the acoustic treatments gained more. You can't beat setup by ear and with room sweeps. Period. Most of my listening is done at lower volume levels, thus no 85dB sweep off the bat.

tonyb

dhart86 wrote: »

WagnerRC wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

Give them some time chief. Also throw in another set of IC's without the impedance box if you have some laying around. Sometimes those things work great, sometimes it can be a hindrance.....depends.

I have a pair of acoustic zen satori speaker cables here you are welcome to try.

Tony turned me on to these cable and I very impressed. These are an extra pair that I have laying around. Let me know if this would help.

WagnerRC I would love to try the acoustic zen satori speaker cables. Thanks for your generous consideration

and you should. Take Mr. Wagner up on his generous offer, he's a great guy anyway. Good suggestion too, as I think the Satories will bring out some of what you think is missing.

....AND, like the guys said, never underestimate the value of proper placement. In the end, they may not be your cup of tea, no shame in that either, just give them the proper chance to shine is all.

[Deleted User]

so how is the listening going?

WagnerRC

Dhart took me up on my offer and the cables are in his hands.

tonyb

You are a champ pal, very generous of you....but, I have a feeling getting them back may take sending the goon squad out. lol

dhart86

tonyb wrote: »

You are a champ pal, very generous of you....but, I have a feeling getting them back may take sending the goon squad out. lol

Hahahahaha....
Bob the cables arrived today and I was surprised you got them to me so fast...thank you! However, tony b is right about 2 things:

1. You may have to pry these cables out of my hands. They are some serious chord!
I threw them right on and they transform my sound system. Things opened up very nicely. Just been about an hour so far

2. This was very, very generous of you to do for me. I need a lot more listening time, but I like the difference they are making in my rig with the Harbeths

I will shoot you a PM later.......thanks again Bob (you da man!)

lightman1

tonyb wrote: »

You are a champ pal, very generous of you....but, I have a feeling getting them back may take sending the goon squad out. lol

You need me and Steve, Tony?

steveinaz

I can break his tumbs there vinny.

dhart86

Be careful there fellers.....In New Jersey, we believe the the best defense is a good offense....

I love this forum, meet so many good people..... you guys are my brothers!

BTW these speaker cables seem to be the missing ingredient. Really like what I'm hearing now

tonyb

Cool man. Had a feeling. Listen for a week, then put the MIT's back in and listen. It's amazing what the right synergy with cables can do.

Jimbo18

Wait, I'm confused. So cables do make a difference

dhart86

Yup!

tonyb ....I just noticed you had a pair of these babies
They are the real deal.......good synergy with my current rig

dhart86

A very big Thank You goes out to WagnerRC (Bob) for not only suggesting but sending me the speaker cables to sample that make my Harbeths sing. They were nowhere on my radar prior to your suggestion buddy. A debt of gratitude owed

tonyb

Bob's a great guy, I owe him a nice dinner myself should he ever grace Chicago. Given where he lives though, I wouldn't leave either.

Now, if you want to kick it up a notch, match those AZ Satori's with their Matrix 2 interconnects. I bough my Satories for 400 bones, pretty reasonable if you ask me. Bob sold me his Matrix 2 IC's at a very nice price.

Others may work well for you too, like Harmonic technology cables. Very similar sound to the AZ's, considering the owner of AZ used to be at HT also.

I like MIT cables....on the right gear, but as you know, no one cable brand is perfect for everyone.

tonyb

lightman1 wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

You are a champ pal, very generous of you....but, I have a feeling getting them back may take sending the goon squad out. lol

You need me and Steve, Tony?

Bob may need all 3 of us to go get his cables back, lol. Jersey is like Chicago, things have a way of disappearing.