Alternative to my P3ESR
I have a pair of Harbeth P3ESR in my desktop set-up, powered by a Primaluna Dialogue Premium with KT150 power tubes. I love the imaging and mids, especially in acoustic music, but I miss the mid-bass. I have a Rel T5, but it's helping the lowest bass, not giving that mid-bass thump I am looking for. I tried a few solid-state amps but missed the tube sound - and they both felt fatiguing in comparison.
Any suggestions on an alternative standmount at a similar price that I should consider for near-field listening? I'm about four feet from the speakers, they're three feet from the back wall.
You have moved the P3 closer to the wall behind them? That can help with bass, of course. I agree with @dekay that different subs would blend differently with the P3. I am using a small B&W with good results. Last time I looked a measurements for a REL, it rolled off quickly at higher frequencies, which would be great for many applications but maybe not ideal for yours. This is nothing against REL, just a potential case of horses for courses. |
These Proacs are a bit above your $2k price range but would undoubtedly flesh out the lower mids/upper bass much more and not a hard load for your amp. The tweeters need to be at ear level though as the treble will roll off if ears are off axis by too much. https://www.ebay.com/itm/116989610234 Alternatively, at a lower price point these Silverline Minuets also go quite a bit deeper than your Harbeths and are also a fairly benign load for amps. https://www.ebay.com/itm/358063192946 Just a couple ideas FWIW, and best of luck. |
@dekay makes a great point about adjusting crossover frequency and gain on your subs. When I swap my Q7s in I have to adjust my subs accordingly. I found that I needed to set the crossover much higher than I anticipated and am able to get them well integrated. |
