I’ve owned many speakers around the price point of Harbeth 30.2. Yes you pay a bit more, but if you dig that sound signature nothing else comes close. Regardless of what the naysayers have to say, Harbeth has been around and will be around for a long time. Their longevity should tell us something.
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Don’t overlook the SHL5’s. I much preferred them to the original Monitor 30s, which I also owned, although the results may be the opposite in a different room. But to me, the SHL5’s sounded bigger, fuller and were more forgiving of electronics. The 30’s have gotten high praise, but I personally liked the SHL5’s. So all I’m saying is to audition them before making a final choice.
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Had a pair of Harbeth 30.2 on Ton Trager stands for 5 years. Great speaker. Yes, the SHL5 is fuller but the 30.2 has better mids and is incomparable for voice timber at this price point IMHO. The 30.3 are worthy of an audition. If you get them I suggest a min. Of 2 feet from the back wall and the side walls. The Ton Trager make a huge difference to ensure complete cabinet resonance. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Auditioned the SHL5, M30 and the C7ES-XD and chose the C7. You can’t go wrong with any of these speakers. They have a wonderful midrange that makes music come alive. The 30 for me was too monitor like with a warmer midrange than I like and a less open and airy soundstage. The SHL 5 was similar to the 30 but with a much deeper low end. The C7 is the outlier in the range. It’s not specifically of the BBC monitor heritage like the others. It’s Alan Shaw’s own design. It has a surprisingly impactful low end. Significantly better than the 30 and close to the SHL5. And the soundstage and imaging is exceptional. But the characteristic that truly sets these speakers apart from other brands is the beautiful life like midrange. Vocalists and instrumentalists are in the room. Audition this line if you can, especially if you love acoustic music such as Classical, Jazz or well recorded vocal artists.
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You’re right on the money. There’s a reason why the C7 is reputed to be Shaw’s favorite model. I originally bought my pair on Art Dudley’s recommendation. I was pining for my Quad ESLs, which I was forced to sell during a downsizing move, and Art told me something like "Everyone who sells their Quads eventually regrets the decision, but a Harbeth C7 is the closest thing you’ll get to Quad voicing out of a box."
In retrospect, he was 95% right. Especially if you don’t have a lot of space, C7s complemented by a pair of outstanding subs -- I’m talking about Perlistens here, not RELs -- won’t duplicate the ESL’s (as JGH once said) "pant-wetting midrange", but for a total system cost well under $10K, they come amazingly close, with a thunderous low end to boot. And they’re small enough for an apartment, stable enough to be driven by just about anything, & light enough for a senior citizen (like me) to physically handle with aplomb.
Sometimes the upgrade bug gets me and I think about auditioning MBLs or Vivids or whatever. But then I fire up the Harbeths with a UHQR or Living Stereo and just forget about the whole idea. The bigger Harbeths boast greater dynamic range and bass extension, and like jfrmusic says, you simply can’t go wrong with any of ’em. But IMHO, the sweet spot in the product line is the C7, regardless of whether you’re thinking about an E3, XD, XD2, or any other iteration.
Over the years, I’ve upgraded repeatedly from a $1500 ELAC Class D amp & Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge to a $20,000 T+A amp & DS Audio optical. And at no time could I consider the C7s to be a weak link.
My 2c.
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