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  #11  
Old 04-18-2019, 12:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CGabriel View Post
Yes, I understand. But all opinions need to be mitigated and balanced by the possible financial interests of the opinion source.

Seriously, I have absolutely NO idea how anyone could come up with such an opinion. Those opinions may be honest opinions but there must have been some other factor at work. There is nothing wrong with the speaker playing any genre of music. And in our opinion, (all the employees here at SR) the Harbeth specifically excels in a full and rich bass response that is paramount to a really good rock & roll speaker. Dynamics are excellent and they can play extremely loudly without strain or distress. Specifically, I would pair them with a good solid-state amplifier 200+ watts/ch.

There are other "common knowledge" non-facts out there about these speakers. One of them is that the cabinet was designed intentionally to resonate. Ridiculous. The cabinet is extremely well damped. So as it is with other audio products that have been around for some time - fake news does exist and once it starts it is difficult to correct it. I would listen to the people that actually have the speaker and have the ability to use them with a variety of associated equipment.

I have NO financial interest or personal relationship with Harbeth. Actually I think the designer's opinion on speaker cables is ludicrous. This is an interesting opinion given the fact that they actually use a very good quality of internal wire. Yes, I have taken the speaker apart and have made some minor improvements so that is not opinion or guess work. Additionally, the quality of the crossover elements are also of very high quality.

I have owned many, many speakers over the years. Very few of them are memorable. The Harbeth 40.2 is a truly impressive speaker.


Outstanding post.

I too am a big fan of Harbeth, and they exhibit all the fine attributes you have discussed. They are also very beautiful with respect reproducing the human voice. If I didn't already have big Dyns and a small place, I would have a pair of them as well. I particularly like the 30.1s
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  #12  
Old 04-18-2019, 10:45 AM
Jdsmoke Jdsmoke is offline
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I listen to mostly rock (classic through alternative) and I have Harbeth speakers. I love them for my small listening space. Great clarity, very musical and sound stage. I do have a sub as I found the really low end to be a little light which is to be expected w the monitors I have. Are their other speakers that might be better, I’m sure someone can find them. For me they work great.
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  #13  
Old 04-18-2019, 12:38 PM
LarsT LarsT is offline
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So I texted a Harbeth dealer last night that I have bought other products from previously. His first response was “Harbeth is NOT for rock music.” Then he said he’d be happy to sell me a pair but thinks it’s the wrong speaker. Too funny. I think I will go with the opinions of the Harbeth owners and get a listening session set up.
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Old 04-18-2019, 04:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarsT View Post
So I texted a Harbeth dealer last night that I have bought other products from previously. His first response was “Harbeth is NOT for rock music.” Then he said he’d be happy to sell me a pair but thinks it’s the wrong speaker. Too funny. I think I will go with the opinions of the Harbeth owners and get a listening session set up.
If I were to hazard a guess, your sales person has an ulterior motive. My guess is he wants to "upsell" you another, more expensive speaker for rock.
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Old 04-18-2019, 05:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeAllan70 View Post
Harb's with Rock.... Jimi H., Stones, Zepp, ELO, Beatles Outstanding!!


Metallica....not so much....
That’s pretty much how I feel. My 40.2s deliver a superb experience of sound, clarity and detail.

If there is any shortcoming, IMO, it would be hard rock, head banging music, which I fortunately do not listen to (unless my son is visiting).
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Last edited by GreginNH1; 04-18-2019 at 05:12 PM.
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  #16  
Old 04-20-2019, 09:57 PM
Delmac Delmac is offline
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Are the Harbeths going to be the replacement for the Signatures you had for sale? I currently own Signatures and listen to mostly late 60’s to 80’s rock and find them really good and especially forgiving with bad recordings (so common on so much old rock). I replaced Kef Ref 3’s which in some ways were better, but did not play nice with marginally recorded music. Will be interesting to how you will compare the Harbeths to the Signatures. Have honestly not heard them myself and was also told not great rocking speakers, so I never pursued them.
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  #17  
Old 04-21-2019, 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Delmac View Post
Are the Harbeths going to be the replacement for the Signatures you had for sale? I currently own Signatures and listen to mostly late 60’s to 80’s rock and find them really good and especially forgiving with bad recordings (so common on so much old rock). I replaced Kef Ref 3’s which in some ways were better, but did not play nice with marginally recorded music. Will be interesting to how you will compare the Harbeths to the Signatures. Have honestly not heard them myself and was also told not great rocking speakers, so I never pursued them.
The Harbeths would be replacing B&W 802D3s, which replaced Persona 5F, which replaced the Sigs...
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  #18  
Old 04-21-2019, 12:13 PM
rnrmf1971 rnrmf1971 is offline
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Officially, I'll be testing this theory, within 2 weeks.
Harbeth 40.2's purchased!
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north: Vitus SIA-030, Luxman D10X, Sony TC-KA3ES, Harbeth 40.2, Siltech cables
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  #19  
Old 04-21-2019, 12:15 PM
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Congratulations!
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  #20  
Old 04-21-2019, 12:43 PM
rnrmf1971 rnrmf1971 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarsT View Post
Congratulations!
Thanks, Lars.
I've never heard them and I'm only going by questions I've asked and reviews. If I could have, I'd have bought used 40.1's but I was outbid on an eBay auction about 6 weeks ago.
I didn't want to spend this much for a second system speaker, but it's probably the best choice, based on my tastes for a non-fatiguing, not bright sounding, speaker.
I had high hopes for the JBL L100 but that was almost 180 degrees away from my tastes when I listened to them.
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south: Mark Levinson No. 52 pre, Bricasti M28 amps, Lumin A1, Oppo BDP-205, Pioneer CT-43, Sony SS-AR1 Speakers, Audioquest Dragon PCs, Audioquest speaker cables, Audioquest interconnects, HB Power Design Powerslave Star Galaxy power distributor

north: Vitus SIA-030, Luxman D10X, Sony TC-KA3ES, Harbeth 40.2, Siltech cables
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