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Harbeth Super HL5 plus Break-in

The following is an excerpt from the Harbeth User Guide:

"After exercising your new Harbeths for just a few hours they will be fully ready for a lifetime of enjoyment".

After going to the Harbeth site it pretty much said the same thing as the user guide but added that the supertweeter would take a little longer to break-in.
My new Harbeth's sounded the same after I put on around the first 100 hours so I believed the above until around the 120-150 hour mark I noticed (or so I think) the midrange sounding more realistic to the point of more enjoyment! I don't know if I'm actually hearing an improvement or I'm just getting used to the Harbeth sound since the 5's are my first experience with Harbeth in my listening room.

I would like to hear others that have owned or still own the Super 5's and whether or not you have experienced the same thing as me or something else.
routeman21
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,465 posts
 
@routeman21 You're posting as far as I can see about expecting further improvement from the Harbeths. Why? What's not satisfying? 
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,313 posts
 
I have about 60 hours on 40.2's right now.  Frankly, they sounded great out of the box, but around the 50 hour mark there was some kind of fairly minor change, a little more relaxed, in the sense that I could turn the amp down a notch or two and still get the same level of presentation/enjoyment.  I'm more than content right now, but only time will tell if anything further develops.
prof
3,449 posts
 

No break in on mine.
The mind is a wonderful thing.  ;-)
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
A mind is a terrible thing to have.
avanti1960
1,406 posts
 
I have never owned a speaker that didn't stop changing through 250 hours or so. 
Mainly the bass is impacted as the driver suspension, motor assembly and surrounds have loosened their grip slightly.  Also the tweeters tend to sound smoother because of their own break in but also a warmer overall sound signature caused by more efficient bass response.  
The most drastic changes happened to a set of PSB towers where the bass became so elevated as to dominate the sound and I had to sell them.  
My Harbeth C7ES3 also increased its bass response and was left with a very nicely smooth tweeter after 250 hrs.  

So far I have ~ 200 hrs on the SHL5+'s and they have definitely changed their sound since out of the box. 

In the mean time the SHL5+'s tonality can be altered with things like placement from wall (24" mimimum), toe in -on axis yields a stronger bass response/ smoother top end, mild toe-in yields a more forward sound - all impressions at a nearfield listening setup.
Stand height brings the air and sparkle with a higher tweeter at or slightly above ear level.  Grilles off also make for more transparency, dynamics and air.  
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