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I haven't been this excited in a while!

I have been growing my system for 8 years going through 8 preamps, 6 amps, 5 phonostages, 8 DACs, 8 streamers, 6 turntables and 7 sets of speakers.  Lots of long drives pulling a U-Haul haha.  I live in Memphis and have been to Dallas, Bethesda, DC, Jersey, Charlotte and Asheville.  

My Wilson Sophia 1 have been the speaker that keeps making the most musical sound in my system through all the electronic upgrades.  Other Wilson(Yvette/Sasha DAW/Alexia 1) had an overly bright/harsh sound that I could not enjoy.  EgglestonWorks Viginti and Focal 1038Be did the same.  I often have an experience with gear that doesn't fit the mould of what is expected.  Wilson and dealers all were in disbelief that my inverted metal dome tweeters in the Sophias play smoother than the soft-dome, but it wasn't just me...had a couple local audiophile friends over and I will never forget, one used the expression that they make you want to run out of the room.

A few weeks ago a friend  let me listen to his Harbeth Compact 7ES-2s and I was blown away.  All the assessments and reviews were spot on.  They were so musical and natural sounding.  This medium sized speaker was also super impressive in how the bass filled my large space.  

I started looking for some older model 40s and am going in about a week to pick up my M40.1s.  I was never a huge fan of their aesthetics with the old school box design.  I do love wood however it may be used in a home and with that sound they are looking more and more beautiful to me.  

Sonus Faber have a similar reputation and with their sleeker and more modern design, I had thought they would be my next contender but at the price point and the reviews of these 40.1s, as I said...I am just giddy over getting them home and seeing how they can perform.

I listen to all genres of music and will report back in a couple weeks on how things work out.  I was curious of others that are new to the Harbeth sound.

Cheers,
Dana

dhite71
tosnc
30 posts
 

I had the same experience with Wilson as you. Nothing sounded better than my Sophia 2s. Even the Sophia 3s. The newer Wilsons became a little strident on some tracks. The current Watt Puppies fixed that and they sounded like the Sophias but more bass and more articulate. Very easy to listen to. 

My Sophias were put in place and never moved for 15 years. When they were packed for trade in the foam around the speakers was very brittle. If they replaced it at Wilson, you are probably fine but maw want to remove the grills and gently touch it. They sell repair kits to replace it.  Also, mine had a crack on the left side of each where the top unit attached to the lower unit. Maybe that was the secret to great sound?😀

Enjoy the Harbeths and please provide your thoughts comparing them to the Sophias. There is no dealer around me so it should be interesting. 

dhite71 OP
454 posts
 

@tosnc 

I am glad to hear the new WP are providing a similar and better experience compared to the Sophias.  I had the opportunity to visit the Wilson factory about a year ago and got a tour that included a few songs in the listening room with the WP and it was quite impressive.  

roadcykler
339 posts
 

I hope you find the sound you're looking for because I can't imagine how much money you've spent (and lost) going through all that equipment. But maybe money isn't an issue with you. frown

dhite71 OP
454 posts
 

@roadcykler 

This is my main hobby so I do invest a lot but I only buy used.  The only thing I have ever bought new is a Bluesound Node.  I always sell pretty close to what I paid.  Many times I have made a few hundred dollars on a deal for my trouble and got the experience.  I love the journey and the opportunity to hear different components.  

arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,790 posts
 

@dhite71 Congrats on acquiring a Harbeth speaker. As you know I owned the Harbeth 40.2 model which I regrettably sold last year. Prior to owning the 40.2, I briefly auditioned the 40.1 at a friend's place. The 40.1 was a little too warm and rolled off for my taste. But my friend actually preferred the sound signature over 40.2. The 40.2 was a bit more transparent and open sounding but your experience might differ from mine. Either way, whether that's your final stop or not, it's worth exploring and enjoying the Harbeth/BBC monitor experience. It might not do everything well but it excels at what it does best -- beautiful midrange, seductive transparency, lifelike vocals, accurate tone and timbre, and musical bass (no, it's not tight or punchy). However, they are not 'trebly' or as airy as some speakers like Focals or Wilson Audio, nor do they disappear as well as some narrow baffled speakers.

Lastly, while I certainly enjoyed it with tube amps, it really needs solid state to grip those woofers and make them obey. A tube preamp + SS amp was the ticket for me.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I might consider buying 40.3XD in the future if and when finances allow.

 

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