They don't seem to be exposing weaknesses that I can discern, though I'm not sure how I could tell unless I had a reference for comparison.
I'm willing to sacrifice some bass and dynamics for the tonal improvements, but I still like some good hard rock once in a while. I'm trying to be patient with break-in. |
Yogiboy,
The P3ESR may have tighter bass but I can't imagine they could fill a room as large as mine with realistic levels. I think the C7 cabinet volume is probably the minimum I can get away with and still achieve loud, uncompressed sound. The dealer claims the Spendors can dig a little deeper despite their contradicting specs.
Break-in seems to be yielding. improvement, either that or I'm just becoming used to their sound.
If I could manage just %10 improvement in bass, I think one of these BBC monitors might have a future in my house. I'd like to avoid attempting to integrate a sub. |
For the heck of it, I removed the Harbeths from my system and hooked up my Epos Epic 2s in their place, on the same Sound Anchor stands, same positioning.
I was astonished by what I was hearing. My $400 Epos Epics, despite being considerably smaller, with a smaller woofer, have stronger and better defined bass. Not only was the bass superior, but the midrange and every other aspect of these speakers held its own against the $3800 Harbeths. I am now having a hard time deciding which of these is the better speaker! The Harbeths seem to have the better midrange tone, but only by a small margin. Of course the Harbeths aren't broken-in yet, though I've got about 20 hours on them now. It's too bad the Epos' look so bland. I'm "slack jawed" as the reviewers like to say.
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Donvito101,
I'm not yet ready to claim I like the Epos speakers better, but they do seem to have more of the type of bass that I like. To be fair, the Epos speakers have a reputation for bass that beguiles their size. It's doubtful that the smaller BBC sizes would match them in this regard.
My room is 25.5' x 15.5 x 8 and the rear opens to a hallway.
I really love the midrange tone (just sounds correct) of the C7s. I'm considering stretching my budget to try the SHL5+, though I've read conflicting opinions on the differences of the bass between these models. I would imagine the larger cabinet size of the SHL5 would yield better bass.
I'm currently running a Parasound Halo integrated, Yamaha Aventage universal blu-ray player, and an Acoustic Signature Wow XL turntable with Shure M97xe/SAS cartridge. My cables are simple OFC 12 gauge with high quality bananas. I'm not a big believer in cable differences.
The C7s are about 6 feet apart, about 15 degrees toe-in, and I'm sitting 8 feet from them. They're 25 inches from my forward wall and about 4 feet from the side walls. |
Noromance,
I didn't take your post that way at all. I've been tempted to try Tekton, but I just can't get over their relative ugliness. They look much better with a premium finish, but I just can't bring myself to take the risk.
I did some swapping between the Epos and Harbeths again last night. The Epos definitely have the superior bass. Both speakers have about equal resolution. The Epos has a cooler midrange, that's not quite as sweet with female vocals and piano. I almost want to convince myself that the Harbeths are worth keeping for that trait alone.
I was also considering Spendor floorstanders, the D7s, but the dealer told me the floorstanding configurations just don't have the midrange magic. I'd like to believe that somewhere out there is an affordable speaker that can match a Harbeth-like midrange with fast, punchy, and deep bass, that doesn't look like a high school shop project. |
Donvito,
No kidding. Most dealers near me expect customers to buy without a demo, or a demo in poor set-up conditions, with their gear. I've read many posts from people who apparently have dealers that allow in-home trials. I thought stingy dealers were the exception...apparently not.
I think the dealer is working with me for the fact that I'm a repeat customer and have already spent a fair bit of coin with them. |
I've read a lot of unflattering remarks about ATC. I'd also like to avoid speakers with foam surrounds as the climate here can be rough on foam. |
No shipping involved, they're local. |
I don't know why I thought they used foam surrounds, something I thought I read somewhere. My local dealer didn't have any ATCs in stock.
I picked up the Spendors today. The Harbeths were just not cutting it. My first impressions will follow soon. |
I'm about three hours into the Spendors. So far, these have the most amazing midrange I've ever heard in my system. In fact, it was about only 20 seconds into the first song that I realized these are something special. The dealer had some Spendor SP100s (older ones) in their showroom and these are sounding very similar. The bass started off somewhat anemic, but it's already improved significantly. These definitely have a warmer tone than the Harbeths, but despite this, they seem to have just a bit more detail. I prefer the imaging of these as well. They sound a bit less "open," than the Harbeths but they're somehow superior in performing the disappearing act. The midrange is simply captivating.
Also, the cabinets have the best veneer finish I've encountered, absolutely flawless! |
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Thanks fjn04, these British monitor brands are great.
Digsmthd,
The lower cycles fill the room with ease, but the midbass can be somewhat anemic still. I need to experiment with placement. I think my room is difficult for most speakers in one way or another. With my MA Silvers, it was a fine line between bass boom and too little bass, so my hunch is that I've got some null effects going on. These speakers are worth moving my system to one of my auxiliary bedrooms if necessary.
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Avanti,
You're correct, the bass has improved quite a lot. I'll probably still invest in a couple good subs, maybe some Rythmiks or Velodynes. I might also try placing them along the long wall.
itzhak,
The MA Silver 8s are superior in the bass but that's the only advantage they have over these Spendors. They're a great speaker but they still produced mild fatigue after a couple hours, even with my smooth and warmish amp. There's something organic about these British monitors that is missing in the MAs, and fatigue is completely a non-issue. These stand mounters just reach out and stir the soul. They are quite the opposite of a mistake, I love these speakers.
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I was prepared to put down the cash for some Spendor D7s, but my dealer said they sound quite different from the Classic series, and they don't have as nice a midrange. He claimed there's some level of detriment to the midrange that comes from a floor standing cabinet. I could've had him open many pairs of new speakers, but at some point I had to consider his position, in that he would be left to sell the rejects as "open box." He spent a lot of time working with me on finding the right pair. In the near future, I might have some young teenagers living in the house and the system will likely be moved to a dedicated bedroom of much smaller size. Hopefully they wouldn't overwhelm a 12.5 x 11 room, but I suppose the front facing ports are an advantage in that regard.
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@vdotman
I still have the SP2/3R2s. I agree with your assessment. Their bass isn't as punchy as I was accustomed to with other speakers, but as you noted, it's very natural. I now have them paired with a Yamaha integrated, a perfect match to my ears.
If I ever upgrade, it'll be to the larger Spendor Classic models. The SP100s are still the best I've heard, regardless of price. |
