1. Home
  2. speakers
  3. 197203-2183

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.

stephenjess
stephenjess OP
8 posts
 

Thanks everyone, some great advice before I try swapping the Harbeths, and good luck suggestions if I do. 

jastralfu's avatar
jastralfu
562 posts
 

@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.

lanx0003
1,935 posts
 

To pair well with a capable tube amp, you might want to consider the ATC SCM11 v2, which is known for its precision, imaging, and tight control. It can sound a bit analytical, but that character should complement a tube amplifier nicely to reveal micro-details and transient dynamics.

macg19
1,350 posts
 

Have you considered that the amp might be the issue? The worst amp pairing I had with 2 different Harbeth models used KT 150’s.

What SS amps did you try?

wolf_garcia
6,893 posts
 

Get a Schiit Loki EQ.

More to discover