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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
avanti1960
1,402 posts
 
stands are important for best sound.  i use open frame high mass rigid 4 post sound anchors.  
on another forum there is a survey about which instrument your speakers reproduce best.  i said piano, the shl5+ and my previous harbeth reproduce piano extremely well, best i have heard.  i agree with you @hleeid
riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook's avatar
riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook
979 posts
 
If you want BEST sound for Harbeth's use TON TRAGER and not Sound Anchors.  You get what you pay for.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
When the designer of the speakers insists that there is no such thing as break-in (after the initial first few minutes) and that they were designed to be used with their grilles left on, don't you think it's worth paying attention to his words?

Disatisfaction is the mother of tweaking, and using Harbeths without grilles is definitely tweaking. Why do you think the grilles are deliberately made difficult to remove?

My guess is that you're not yet accustomed to the sound. I'd strongly advise to persevere until you've given your mind enough time to recalibrate or 'break in'.

If you were to record their sound now and compare with much later you might find both versions have somehow dramatically improved much later. Or you might not.

Remember that Harbeths were not designed to impress. More to settle into and appreciate. Some can settle and remain there forever whilst others can't and move on.

The tweaking camp are usually on a hiding to nothing with a speaker of this kind of heritage and pedigree.

Good luck with the settling in. If I had a pair I'd give them at least a year.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
cd318
When the designer of the speakers insists that there is no such thing as break-in (after the initial first few minutes) and that they were designed to be used with their grilles left on, don’t you think it’s worth paying attention to his words?

>>>>Designers are oft the last to get the word. It’s called having blinders on. 😎 Or perhaps Resting on one’s laurels. 🌿 Hyper focused 👀 on circuits. Happens all the time. Witness Electronics Designers and wire directionality, fuse directionality, aftermarket fuses, power cords. Are they living in caves somewhere?
big_greg
6,553 posts
 
Isn't that the same designer that says that amps don't matter?
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