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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
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
6,821 posts
 
Isn't that the same designer that says that amps don't matter?
cd318
2,636 posts
 
big_greg,

He said any competently designed amplifier played back at the SAME volume would be indistinguishable from any other.

I believe he is right.

Give or take the odd tube design, but even they are now sounding like SS amplifiers!
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
cd318
Give or take the odd tube design, but even they are now sounding like SS amplifiers!

>>>>Gawd, I hope not. 😩
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,360 posts
 

Deja Vu (Harbeth dealer) certainly recommends open-topped stands (no "plate"), but also asserts that wood stands vs. metal stands will result in a mild difference in tonality, along the lines of the standard associations of wood vs. metal.  Anyone have any experience?

@routeman21  @hleeid  I'm curious what you are using at the interface of the bottom of the speaker and the top of the stand.  There seems to be a wide range of practice here, with no one solution emerging as a clear favorite.


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