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A move from Harbeth to... Wilson?

Hi gang, hoping for some thoughts. 

I'm very happy at the moment with my system, but getting a slight itch for an upgrade. So many options and directions I could go, but the one I'm pondering at the moment is moving from my Harbeth C7ES-3 speakers to Wilson Sabrinas. (The Sabrina X is now out, which may bring the Sabrina down to my budget... maybe.)

My room is approx. 10'6" x 15'6" with the speakers along the short wall and my listening chair is about 2/3 back from said wall. The C7s plus their stands are just about the right size for this room, and the Sabrinas on their floor spikes are similar in "overall" size, though obviously the speakers themselves are bigger.

Current amp is a Pass Labs XA30.5 which doubles down at 4Ohms (plus lots of headroom) and comes just within Wilson's "recommended" amplifier power. The room is on the smaller side, and I don't listen loud; I've never "wanted" for more power with the C7s. (Though every once in a while I wonder what a pair of XA60.5s would sound like in here, but that's an entirely different thread.)

Eh? Any thoughts?
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Showing 3 responses by cd318

cd318
2,636 posts
 
@soix

"What areas would you like to change or improve upon over your current speakers?"


Since any loudspeaker will have necessary compromises, including the C7s and Sabrina’s (though I imagine quite different ones) that must be the key question here before pulling that trigger.

As said previously, a genuine upgrade over the C7ES-3s as opposed to a mere shuffling of compromises, would be the M40s (“Ye cannae change the laws of physics Jim").

Unless the ’compromise’ that most bothers you is one that ALL Harbeth speakers are afflicted with, that would be the safe route.


[If you’re able to hang on to both the C7 and the Sabrina to compare, and of course, satisfy that pesky itch, then lucky you!]
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@yogiboy 

Great links.

No doubt the smaller panels of the P3ESR will help with the disappearing act.

I once read a slightly troubling review of that renowned speaker where the listener got confused as to which speaker was actually playing at the time. 

The other speaker in the room was the M40!

Maybe the ability to sound like a much larger speaker is the P3s best parlour trick, but it did leave me wondering just how big the actual differences might be.

This is not going to be easy for the OP, is it?


@clearthinker,

What a wonderfully refreshing post to read. Thanks!
cd318
2,636 posts
 

@daveuk

I owned "BBC monitor" style speakers for decades from the likes of Rogers, Spendor, KEF, B&W, et al. They are all wonderful with what my grandmother would have called a "nice tone".

 

Yes, but it's that 'tone' that is so incredibly appealing and addictive to so many of us.

Is it not fair to ask why can't we, after all these years of development, have the best of both?

Has it got to be one or the other?

Or is that like having our cake and eating it?

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