Best Tube/SS Amps for Harbeth 7ES-3


Hi, I just bought a pair of Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 - beautiful sounded speakers. Very natural and musical.

Now I need to get an integrated or Pre/Power combo to drive it. Budget is about $3-4K new or used. I read the 7ES-3 is easy to drive. Which amp works better with the 7ES - Tube or SS?

What amps do you use for your Harbeth 7ES? How much power output do I need to drive the 7ES to its full potential?

Would a 20 watt per channel tube amp drive the Harbeth?

Now that I've settled on the speakers, I can focus on getting the amps :)

Thanks.
r0817

Showing 1 response by smrex13

I have found that the C7s sound better with more power.  Some say they are dull speakers, but when they are provided with sufficient power they can sound dynamic and agile.  I'd suggest 100 wpc as a good minimum.  So, something like the Cronus Magnum 2 or the Primaluna Dialog Premium HP (w/KT 150s) would be sufficient power from a tube amp.  Harbeths sound quite good with solid state power as well, and there are many solid state integrated amps at 100 wpc and above.  A tube preamp and a powerful SS amp would also be a great match with the Harbeths. 

Good luck!  Scott