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

meiatflask

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.

@jasonbourne71 , Huh? What am i missing here? You ask everyone to go to ASR and look at the measurements. And then, you paid $960 for this crappy speaker and you’re calling it a win somehow?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/rogers-ls3-5a-bbc-speaker-review.49746/

Go to Audio Science Review (ASR) and read the results of the testing of the LS3/5a.

I have a pair of Rogers LS3/5a’s (39269 A&B). Bought 7 years ago from an eBay seller in Lithuania for $960 including shipping. At that price a good buy! Yes, they sound wonderful despite having a 6db bump at 120hz and poor off-axis response.

Go to ASR if you want to visit the dumbest audio forum on the planet, filled from end to end with credulous morons begging to be convinced that the latest $100 piece of plastic crap from China that sounds like a dental drill is better than more expensive, well-engineered products because of one or two spurious "measurements". 

I remember when I bought the Harbeth P3esr's for my home office, I was a bit underwhelmed at first. The P3er's replaced my Kef LS50s which I really liked. But a funny thing happened along the way. There was something very seductive about the P3esrs that made me want to listen to them for hours. On the surface, they really don't do anything special. They don't have thunderous bass or extreme clarity or detail. They don't grab your attention like some other speakers do. They just grow on your over time. I sold my KEFs within two weeks :)