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Harbeth 40.2 OR Spendor Classic 100 OR ??

I'm midway through the quest for the next set of speakers, and the purpose of this thread is just to check if there are any makes/models out there that I should be taking into consideration, but are not currently on my radar.

My current two finalists are as above, Harbeth 40.2 and Spendor Classic 100.

Both of these have displaced my previous "fav", the Vienna Acoustics Liszt.

In various auditionings, I've also been impressed by Audio Note AN-E and Shahinian Oberlisk. I know both of these models are "divergent", but I mention them not because they're also real contenders, but because I was really impressed by the timbral presentation of the AN--as natural as I've heard, and the spatial presentation of the Shahinian--as, well, spacious as I've heard..  At the same time, they both have drawbacks that rule them out for me.

I hope this list gives some idea of where my acoustic tastes align.  Is there anything else out there I should listen to?  I have heard Spendor D7 and ProAc D30, and extrapolating from them, ruled out their corresponding larger models.  I've also heard Devore O/93, and again preferred Harbeth, Spendor, as well as AN (his inspiration).

I'm not really interested in suggestions from the "usual suspects" pool--you know, Vandersteen, Magico, Focal, Revel, B&W, PSB, Monitor Audio, Dynaudio, etc.

BTW, to be driven by Belles Aria monoblocks in what I would describe as a medium-sized room wherein placement would allow for a good 3' away from front and both side walls.

128x128twoleftears
firstnot's avatar
firstnot
248 posts
 
Has the new Spendor ownership been a positive thing ?

dodgealum
1,398 posts
 
Lou and Daedalus will be at CAF in November. I believe he is bringing the smallest of the Apollo series (called the "Apollo"). He is building a pair for me as I write. The Apollo would be the closest to the large Spendor/Harbeth's you are looking at--they are also a three-way design with a large woofer with a BIG sound in a relatively small package. (One that is IMHO far more attractive than the large cube you get with the British brands). The Argos would be another I would recommend exploring. You will never hear me bashing a pair of Harbeth/Spendors. I have heard the Harbeth 40.1's on many occasions and they are unfailingly musical. Compared with the Daedalus Ulysses that @pdreher owned, I would give a slight nod to the 40.1s--they just sound bigger and more robust (I have a buddy who had the Ulysses in a great system and heard them many times). However, Lou's Apollo series speakers are in a different league from the Ulysses, which is dated at this point. The new 10" driver is incredible and Lou has significantly improved the crossover network, which is now isolated in the cabinet. There is also a new tweeter as well as custom mounting fixtures for both the mid and woofer. The cabinets are much more significantly braced. I could go on but the bottom line is that the Apollo series are a significant step up from the Ulysses, which was a great speaker in its day. I flew out to Ferndale to visit Lou and hear the new design and we did a direct comparison to two earlier models. The difference is not at all subtle. I came back and sold my beloved Daedalus DA-1.1s and ordered the Apollos.  If you can get to CAF to hear the new Apollo's, go for it!
salectric
747 posts
 
 Dodgealum, that is interesting indeed.  I will make a point to listen to the new Apollo at CAF in November.  I have heard the Ulysses a number of times and some of the other models less often, but only at shows, and frankly I was always disappointed by the sound.  Given all the rave reviews, I expected better.  Maybe this year the Apollo will be different.
riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook's avatar
riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook
979 posts
 
Did you try AN-E SPX Al Nico or just the plain jane AN-E?
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears OP
5,313 posts
 
@riaa...  Plain Jane.  That was what was in the showroom.  I like the extra "air" from positioning well away from boundaries, and doing that to the AN's just loses too much of the bass reinforcement.  Plus I really don't need high sensitivity.  But as I say, the honest, natural, true-to-life timbral presentation of the AN's was very, very impressive.
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