I think Spendor has been through a couple of different US importers/distributors over the years and this has affected how widely they've been marketed here. I bought my pair from Gene Rubin Audio. They still sell Spendor but it looks like the price on the 4/5 has zoomed upwards quite a bit.
Harbeth P3ESR versus LS3/5a by Rogers/Falcon/Sterling/etc
The P3ESR has been described as the best evolution of the 3/5 (or some similar wordings), and some of the Falcons (Gold Badge or ?) have been described as the best version of the LS3/5a.
so which is “better”. Or perhaps better stated, which do you prefer? And why?
If it influences your comments, I would be driving them with AtmaSphere class D monos with a Conrad Johnson ET7 tube preamp
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I have a pair of Falcon Q7 Gold Badge that I think sound really good. I rotate them in for something different from my Fritz Rev7SEs. The Q7 is the LS3/5a in a slightly larger cabinet with a slightly deeper response. The Q7 has very similar x characteristics to the LS3/5a but significantly cheaper as a build kit or prebuilt from Falcon. They are 15ohms I believe. |
@meiatflask : I think Harbeth have a much better marketing strategy overall, regardless of the region. They have a dedicated forum called HUG (!) and Alan Shaw seems to be a skilled salesman. But they are not necessary the better speakers IMO, just the most popular alternative. |
I had the Harbeth P3ESR a few years ago. I now have a pair of the current version of the Graham Chartwell LS3/5A. I haven't heard the Falcons but my Graham LS3/5As are much better than the Harbeths. Like all Harbeths, the P3ESR have a slight plumminess to the sound; they tend to impose their own character on the music, regardless of amplifier. The Graham LS3/5A are much more neutral, and much better at reproducing the distinct tonality of instruments accurately, while remaining dynamic, musical and engaging. |
I am new to the P3esr having just bought a used pair cheaply ($1k) - at that price I just had to find out for myself how they sound. I was surprised at just how small they are in person. Given that I am really pleased at their sound, very impactful, clear and natural sounding. Vocal and acoustic jazz really shine with that well-documented midrange quality. Like others I found they responded even better with more power, my Wyred4sound mINT class D (ICE) amp drives them perfectly and I liked that pairing better in my setup than my sugden A21se signature. My advice - snag a used pair and try them out, it’s no hassle to sell them on should they disappoint. |
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