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speaker endgame upgrade recommendations coming from Harbeth C7ES-3 XD2?

Hello All,

After a few years now of going through a number of speakers I took a chance on some Harbeth Compacts and they have resonated me to a significant degree above and beyond anything I have owned recently,

my recent speakers include B&W 805 D4, Kef LS50 Metas, Totem element Fire V2, Dynaudio Heritage Specials, Dynaudio Special 40s, Wharfedale Elysians

The Harbeths to me sound far more musical, extremely so, vocals are truly lifelike to me and they just sound better to my ears than the others by a big margin

With that said, and now having somewhat of a baseline I want to see if I can get into an endgame set of speakers 20K price range that provide a significant upgrade

I suspect that larger Harbeths may just give me more of the same?  

I was thinking Tannoys, Fyne Classic Series, even maybe Klipsch Heritage, Devore O/96, a friend also recommended active ATC's and Dynaudio Confidence

Im no longer concerned with may of the attributes people chase in high end speakers, I just want something fun and musical to which the juice would be worth the squeeze dollarwise when upgrading

appreciate suggestions

thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

audiocanada
jperry
2,539 posts
 

Devore O Bronze is the answer to your question

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,877 posts
 

Get off the speaker merry-go-round and stick with the Harbeth C7ES's. This endless speaker search is a symptom of an underlying neurosis!

thriftyaudio's avatar
thriftyaudio
194 posts
 

I am very picky regarding speakers. My Acoustat 1+1 pair has been the rock of my system for 30+ years. The only speakers that I have been tempted to replace them with are the TAD speakers. There are a few options in your price range.

mofojo
2,423 posts
 

If you like what Herbeths do and your musical tastes gear towards what they do well I’m not sure you will find something better for you. A lot of speakers would sound really sterile compared to the Harbeth. The 30.1 was probably the best thing I’ve had for acoustic music, acoustic rock. They were actually better at harder stuff than I thought they would be but not ideal. 

chayro
3,093 posts
 

Not sure about “end game” and I have never heard the 40’s, but IMO, the SHL5s were a significant upgrade from the 7s and I did do a direct A/B at the dealer. Bigger, fuller sound with more satisfying bass, but with the Harbeth vocal accuracy you appear to value. I have also owned the P3s and M30s and I personally preferred the SHL5s to either by far. I. have also owned several fine speakers, including the Totem Forest, Hawks, Chartwell L6s, Trenner & Friedel Pharoahs and Audio Note Ks.  I liked all of them, but the SHL5s had the most realistic vocals, IMO.  But I also felt that they were extremely sensitive to stands. I found that open- frame metal stands worked best, but I never heard the Tontrager wood stands that people seem to rave about. I would try to audition the 40s if your really looking for “end game,” but I think you would appreciate the SHL5s, at least as an interim upgrade. 

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