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Dynaudio Confidence 5 vs Harbeth

Hi All,

Looking at changing my my C5 out to the Harbeth range. For those that know the C5 it has a great mid range, in fact the overal presentaion is very good, just a hard speaker to drive. It has been compared to the temptation in the way of sound. It is a lot nicer speaker than any of the current confidence range by far.

Anyone done a side my side comparison with the C5 and the Harbeths or heard both? Would love to hear your thoughts. I can't hear the harbeths (as no distributor in my country) so I'm taking a wild guess here.

I found the Proac (Tablette Ref 8 Sig) to quite frankly sound harsh in the mids / highs compared to the C5 which were silky smooth. We are talking two diferent prices here. The Dyns cost over twice the value of the Harbeths when I brought them. So am I expecting to much from the Harbeths?

Obviously looking at improving the sound. Mainly into vocals and going to harbeth I can afford to change to a lot smaller amp. Presently using 220W of OTL to drive the Dyns and they do a great job of it (dont go past 12 o'clock) on the pre amp.

Thanks all for your input.
che13

Showing 4 responses by ryder

ryder
1,682 posts
 
Since you prefer the Confidence 5 over the current Confidence range of speakers, I wager you like a sound that has more meat on the bones with less top-end detail. Hence I am not surprised you have found the Proac Tablette Ref 8 Sigs to sound harsh and bright since most Proacs are thin-sounding in the midrange with extended top-end.

I have not listened to the Confidence 5 but heard the C1 and C4. Harbeth speakers are not as analytical as the Dynaudios, sound more organic from midrange to the top and possess lower levels of listening fatigue. If you listen mainly to vocals and favor the usage of low-powered amps, the Harbeth makes an excellent proposition.

Although price is predominantly the factor in establishing the quality of equipment in that gears which are priced higher *should* sound better than the cheaper ones, there can be some good and cheaper gears that outperform their higher-priced equivalents. If you are worried the cheaper Harbeths may not sound any better than the more costly Dynaudio Confidence 5, think again. Pdreher moved from the latest C4's to the Harbeth.

Good luck.
ryder
1,682 posts
 
Hi Che13,

No problem. I have owned the Proac Tablette 50 Signatures and similarly they lasted less than 2 months in my system due to their leanness and lack of body. No doubt the Proacs possess excellent pin-point imaging but their lean sound and treble cause a high-listening fatigue as my ears couldn't tolerate the piercing treble in extended listening sessions. Most folks who use Proac bookshelves compensate the brightness with the warmth of tube amps. The floorstanders don't sound as lean as the added bass gives a more fuller sound.

Good luck in auditioning some Harbeth speakers when you are in the US.
ryder
1,682 posts
 
Agreed that everything is IMO. In this hobby everything is subjective as the listener's musical preference will take precedence over anything else. The Dynaudio Confidence may be in another league for one and the Harbeth to another. I have listened to the Dynaudio C4s at hifi shows driven by equipment that can buy a nice house and I preferred the sound of the Harbeth. Not to say the Harbeths are in another league. It is more appropriate to say the Harbeth house sound suits my listening preferences more than the Dynaudios.
ryder
1,682 posts
 
Pdreher, 13.5'x13.5'x9'.
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