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Harbeth P3ESR vs Fritz Rev 5 vs DeVore Gibbon 3XL

Ok, here's the deal.....

I'd like to assemble a secondary two channel music system in my small den. It is only 11.5 ft by 11.5 ft .....so not only is it very small, but also square! Also, because the room is so small, the speakers will have to be placed quite close to the wall that resides behind the back of the speaker. Yikes!

The music I'd like to listen to in this room would be vocals, violin/cello sonatas, piano, and anything acoustical in nature.

Tone and timbre are of paramount importance to me. I do not want to use a subwoofer.....hoping one would not be needed for the above listed music types.

There are no Fritz dealers, but he does allow an in home trial....very nice!
The closest DeVore dealer is several states away from me.
The closest Harbeth dealer is a 12 hour round trip car ride for me.

So, if anyone here has had any experience with the above mentioned speakers and could share any insight of how they may perform in my small and non-optimum room.....it would be greatly appreciated.
no_regrets

Showing 9 responses by no_regrets

no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hi Tom6897, I am located in Wisconsin.

Hi Yogiboy, thank you for your comments. I am seriously considering the little Harbeth. I think there is a good chance that it would work in my small room and if not, it seems to be popular enough that I could probably resell quite easily.

Hi Arh, Thank you for the link in regards to the DeVore's. It was this review that had gotten me interested in the DeVore 3XL's. Have you heard them yourself? These are rear ported speakers.....any idea on how close they can be placed to the wall that is behind them?

DeVore has a great reputation, they are unique looking, and I'm would imagine that they sound splendid....I'm just concerned on whether or not they would work well in my small room being close to the wall that is behind them.
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hello Tom6897,

That is a wonderful suggestion! I am in no rush as I have my reference system that I enjoy immensely and I do want to make sure that I choose the right speaker for this difficult room. With any luck, some of my choices will be represented there.

Many years ago, I attended the Stereophile show in Chicago and had a blast. Met several nice people, heard a lot of different systems, took in some live music, but a ton of vinyl..... Just a fantastic weekend overall.
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hello Team212,

Thank you for your post. Have you heard the DeVore 3XL's? If so, how do they compare or differ from that of the Harbeth P3ESR?

Are you currently using Harbeths? If so, which model?
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hello Mightyburner,

Thank you for your post. Yes, Fritz does seem like a really great guy. We have been emailing back and forth a few times.

When you mentioned that the bass seemed a little overwhelming.....that is a big concern of mine. With this room being so small and being square, it will be difficult to find a speaker to work well, I'm afraid.

I tried stuffing the ports of my vintage Tannoys when I had them in this room. I felt that it changed the sound too much in a negative way. It simply didn't sound "right". Did you notice anything when you stuffed the ports on your REV 5's?

I suppose I could look into digital room correction. I have never done so before and so this would be completely new to me.

I appreciate your response !
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hello R_burke,

For this room, I am planning on using a custom tube amp that utilizes a pair of German EL84's per channel, with a very robust power supply that will give me a very fast, dynamic, yet full bodied 15 watts in push/pull.

Both Fritz and a dealer for the DeVore 3XL thought that this amp would work well with there speakers. I know that the sensitivity of the Harbeths are on the low side, but it's been said that they are a pretty easy load.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this though.
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hi Drubin,

Thank you for your response.

What is it about the P3ESR that makes it your favorite of the other Harbeths you have owned?

What makes the little one so magical...more so than the others?

Do you have an opinion on how the P3ESR or any of the other Harbeths would work in my small den of 11.5ft by 11.5 ft?

Also, most importantly......do you feel that the P3ESR miniaturizes the sound of instruments compared to the other Harbeth models?

Sorry for all the questions, but it seems as though you may have much experience with the Harbeth line.

Any thoughts you could share with me would be greatly appreciated.
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Hello Drubin,

Thank you again for your reply. I don't know if you had noticed in my system link, but my reference speakers are Dunlavy SCIV Signatures (used in my larger dedicated room). It seems as though we may have similar tastes in sound reproduction. Which Dunlavys are you using?

Do you find that you prefer the midrange of the P3ESR to that of your Dunlavys?

I'm about 7.5 hours each way to Bloomington, IN.
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Drubin, I'm sorry...I forgot to ask. Have you had an opportunity to hear the new 30.1 yet? If so, how do you feel it compares to the P3ESR?
no_regrets OP
362 posts
 
Thanks Drubin! I know what you mean when you say Pricey. Ouch! But the way I look at it is this. If it is a speaker that you will truly enjoy, then the price will only hurt once....the initial outlay. But if you settle for something that you won't quite enjoy as much because it costs less, then it will hurt often....everytime you wish you would have sprung for what you truly wanted.

The speakers that I enjoy, I tend to keep for many, many years and enjoy them immensely. So when you amortize the price/enjoyment over all those years it really doesn't seem so bad. (I know, I have a problem lol, and I am just trying to justify the purchase, right?)
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