Don't understand the attack on Amir from ASR, especially when you go on to mention physics. Plus Alan Shaw, as far as I know has no qualifications in engineering. Now can you explain to me how harbeth came up with their cone Composit ? Perhaps they used a bit of science and measurements ! . If you ever watch Alan explain about speaker design, he use papers by BBC engineers from the 1970. Not any of his own ! Sorry but I had to give you a thumbs down for the attack on the ASR forum, you disregard science at your peril and wallet.
Hello and welcome to this channel. Do you have an open mind to actually discuss this topic with me, or like many, you've come to defend someone whom needs no defending? Truly, do you think my little satirical jabs are worthy of using the word "Attack"? That is really strong language. It is interesting that you automatically give this video a thumbs down from your own lack of effort to gain more insight. Nevertheless, have you followed ASR for long? Have you actually read some of his component reviews, from post one to page 81? Out of fairness, with specific speakers I have covered, I have. For me it starts with how Amir covered Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2EX a few years back now. There are other speakers as well, but it boils down to leading a group of acolytes who bash products they've never heard in their own homes, all because Amir posts data points and describes his interpretation of the data. I'm not going to recreate the entire subject because you can go back and start at the beginning if you truly are curious. In my review of the Sierra Acoustic speakers, yes, I am more forceful in calling out Amir's tactics. I would be remis if I did not say I find a lot of his measurements useful for my own loose interpretations. You failed to ask me if I still visit the site to look at current reviews - from time to time I do, but like you just did, folks do not get a fair shake at holding dialogue about subjective reviews on that forum - they are smeared and degraded. Now, I am not blind or willfully ignorant of my own process and lack of testing equipment for carrying out bench testing and or lab measurements. Moreover, I am also not willfully blind to the impossible act of recreating the environment the speaker builders subject their products to, in order to arrive at their own posted specifications. I ask questions and I simply comment if I can achieve something similar in my own set up through rudimentary listening test. As for your bashing Allan Shaw because he doesn't post his own white papers on his Radial cone, well, I'm not here to defend him. However, why is it wrong for him to use the mountains of BBC papers, of which several directly relate to Dudley's original improvement of his poly cone? At some point, protecting proprietary information comes in to play, but that's not my fight. Like I always say, I'm an acquired taste.
@@2ChannelListening I recently listened to the SLH5 with my own €3k amplifier at dealer show room. I fell under their spell and totally agree with every word you say. including the budget dilemma. Having spent a number of hours reading through ASR in search of honest (if not "objectivist") opinions. I found that the approach had its merits but was really put off by lots of not so grounded comments of zealous new converts. I found your lighthearted little joke funny in that context. Your reply is a "modele du genre" in terms of balanced opinion. It's a hobby after all. let's keep it enjoyable.
You have given me a very wonder compliment David and I thank you. I do my best to answer most questions within my purview. I feel the Harbeth SHL5+ XD really turned "paper specs" and my own general interpretations on their head. The Canton Chrono 90 DC I just reviewed are the perfect juxtaposition with their over-inflated specifications. Specs are a guide to make sure you are in the right ball park with ancillary gear and a general idea of what you can expect - beyond that, one must demo said speakers in their own prepared space, it is a labor of love. Merci beaucoup!
@@2ChannelListening you talk of being open minded, the put a picture of a vu meter pointing to bullshit with the face of Amir. So what was you actually saying ? If you don't like ASR, then don't go there, but don't insult it, especially if your open minded as you say. Surly it's better to spend your time on subjective reviews. You ask if I've followed ASR for long, what difference would that make to my views on speakers ? Maybe if you did follow it a bit more, you may actually learn something. After all the admission is free ! And I was not bashing Alan Shaw, just asking the question of his engineering background. He does a great job with marketing his speakers, and maybe that's were his strengths actually lie. He can use the BBC papers if he wants, after all he has a licence to produce their speakers. Along with other companies, who also do a fantastic job .
@@davidkabile8540 you may find the joke funny, but how do you think Amir feels. Myself personally would not even bother to mention the ASR forum if I have no interest, after all that's just being a bully. I saw no value at all in the joke. But that's just physics 👍 moving forward, I would say "don't do that !".
Now, that was an interesting comparison 🤣 Comparing pictures to sound, and the Harbeth model line in relation to pictures. I never saw that coming, but it worked out just fine 😊 I must admit, that when you started compairing specs from a sheet of paper, I at first thought that you would completely miss the point. Luckily you didn't 😉 I own a pair of Harbeth Super HL5XD in Rosewood. They amaze me every single day, give me chills over and over again,. Set up right (4 feet from all walls, minimal toe in, with no gear whatsoever between them), they outperform everything else I have heard, and literally 'disapear', leaving a perfect soundstage in all dimensions. They are certainly not for sale. Ever. Period. Greetings from Denmark 🇩🇰🇩🇰🇩🇰 Happy holidays 🎅
So you are saying you will not sell me your SHL5+XD's? 🤣😉 Welcome Denmark! I thank you for the candid feedback and fortitude with watching till the near end, I do give this a little bit of thoughtfulness. Lol. I love that the SHL5 exist, they have proven a good lesson for me about price bias and over thinking what a spec sheet says before listening. I adore those speakers as my new #1 favorite. I thank you for taking the time to post and compliment my work in its unorthodox manner. I hope to see future posts from you. Cheers indeed! 👍
Got to Love Jason's honesty and realism... these Harbeth's seem very nice and after this review I almost purchased them, but 2 years later...I ended up with the 92db sensitive vintage Tannoy Berkeley 15" dual concentric speakers and they pair quite well with tube amplifiers like my recently aquired Conrad Johnson Premier 11a 6550c tube amplifier...now I need to sell a pair of vintage Spendor S100 that in there own right are awesome speakers...
That's one heck of a vintage speaker Brian, congratulations. You must be in listening bliss now. Thank you for your kindness and sharing your updates with me. Enjoy sir! 👍
I have a pair of SHL5+, owned a pair of 40th, and heard a pair of XD's recently. There's not a huge night and day difference in it. The XD/40th have possibly a slightly smoother transition to treble, and a very slightly sweeter top end, but in most other ways sound identical. I'm a big fan. It's hard to quantify the SHL5+ magic, but I recently gave some thought to replacing them and I really couldn't find anything that gave me the same mix of qualities. The thin walled design, however it works, seems to do what it says on the tin. Resonances are pushed so low that they aren't really audible, as a result midband is incredibly free to breathe. In spite of looking like two giant coffins, they are the least boxy sounding speakers i've heard this site of a set of electrostatics. They exhibit no "box" characteristics, and every other speaker I tried, sounded closed in, boxy and muffled by comparison. Yes, there are speakers with more bass "heft". Yes there are speakers with even better imaging and soundstage depth (although the SHL5+ are very good at this), and yes there are speakers with smoother / warmer top end. But, when it comes to the art of making the sound in front of me "tangible", making my toe tap, and sheer engagement. I can't see past the harbeths. What I would say, is that they are a little unforgiving of upstream equipment. You don't want to be running anything that could risk becoming "bright" or thin. You want muscular sounding kit with great control and very smooth sonics. I've ended up with a Hegel amplifier which was a perfect match for the harbies. I think the SHL5+ are lifers for me. Maybe an upgrade to XD one day if a good deal comes up.
Very well said, thank you for this contribution. I would add to your list in how flexible the big SHL5+ with room placement, including small rooms like mine. I also agree with you in how I cannot get past how much I think about the sound quality of these speakers and how many attributes they hit for me. Ultimately, I don't like the price, yet I would be willing to stretch my budget more than I ever thought would to obtain a pair, eventually... Thank you!
@@2ChannelListening why not just pick up an older pair. There’s almost nothing in it. If you can find a pair of 40th anniversary models, they are identical in every way to the XD internally. Only difference is posh binding posts.
@@1061shrink1061 I know this will sound bizarre to many, however, I prefer to live with my C7ES-XD for the time being. They are very good and they help me make fairer comparisons. The SHL5+ are in a category that I do not play in (yet) as far as product reviews, price points and therefore they also tend make resetting my bias more difficult. The other factor is time spent with them in place. So often my personal speakers have to get moved out of the room when I have two review pairs in house. Not ready for that commitment yet. 😂😉
This is what I thought until recently when I saw a remark by A.S. on the HUG forum stating the 5 XD were an upgraded version in way of some parts over 40th Anni. I was under the impression that after the limited run of all 40th models they just carried the same specs through to the XDs but it seems I am wrong. @@1061shrink1061
Interesting review.. I got these shl5xd's a couple of years ago and totally love them. It took me a good 2 years of travelling with my hegel amp, chord DAC and the cables I regularly use before I got these speakers. The moment I heard them they put a grin on my face. I am not a technically inclined person but just went by what I heard and felt. I did hear far more expensive and commercially well known brands but this one connected.
Hi, I just joined this channel as I am looking for a maximum of information regarding the SHL5 + XD. A few weeks ago, at a dealer's show, I had the chance to listen to this pair, it was hooked to a Cayin tube amp, can't remember the model. I was litteraly blown away with this liveliness of the sound coming out of this pair. With your different listening experiences, did you have the opportunity to listen to the Spendor Classic range, more especially the Classic 1/2, how would you compare both ?
Good day Olivier, I have not had the opportunity to listen to Spendor models yet, so I cannot help you there. Thank you for joining! Good luck with your hunt, don't stress, enjoy the chase.
I just listened to a pair of these fed by a Hegel H590 at deciBel in Chicago today, it was breath-taking. I immediately looked up reviews when I got back to our AirBnB. Voila !! You did review this one !! Now I have a reference point, thanks !!
They are amazing speakers, I think about them often as the kind of speaker that would be something I could set and forget! Thank you for the nice comment.
Love the dirty speaker talk, very good narrative indeed. I have always wanted to hear the SHL5 and thought about that special three driver array and the two Sq foot box as historical throwback that is actually magic.
As someone said in a different channel about a very good power amplifier, truth hurts, meaning perfect reproduction is perhaps not what everyone wants. A fully neutral best-in-tests piece of equipment is perhaps too revealing. I experienced that with DACs for instance. That is why I pay attention to test results but at the same time take into account my biased taste when purchasing a piece of equipment. Furthermore, tests reveal things we can measure, perhaps there are other aspects of the sound that cannot be measured at this time but eventually will! Remember jitter in the early 80s? … I have a pair of the SPHL5+ XD and these are my last pair of speakers! My only complaint is the name, I keep forgetting all the letters and number.
Indeed, I am reminded of Benchmark gear, folks love them or cannot stand them, not much of a neutral position due to equipment synergy and audible preferences. I am not being cheeky when I say this, however I am not sure what "perfect reproduction" sounds like. Is it hearing every detail captured in a recording at a natural level? Unfortunately what happens at the studio still effects how "the best" equipment sounds. You bring up jitter and early CD players with lousy vibration control. HiFi is such a riot, you can have the best speakers and best amp, but what about your source, what about your preamp, cables and biggest difference is the room they are in. We love it, but it drives us crazy. Some lucky folks can spend over $100k building the perfect listening room before buying their first piece of equipment. Such an odd hobby. Thanks for your post.
Jason, what does the XD add to the super shl5? is it different than the shl5 40th anniversary? I just commited to buying the ones you like in this video...super shl5 XD...they should have more dynamics than my dali rubicon 6 and i don't need to keep looking for better subs...😵💫
The XD is the latest generation of these models with a slightly revised crossover for a bit more treble air. I cannot decide for you, your ears 👂 will decide what you like best.
Hi Jason...thanks for always! keeping it real, not just throwing up a lot of numbers and graphs...you make it feel very comfortable and very informative watching and listening to your videos...most trustworthy audiofile I know to RU-vid...I would just like to see, maybe towards the end of your videos some demo of the speakers you review...😁✌️🎶
Thank you Brian. The problem with demos is being demonetized. I put in far more hours to make these videos than most folks realize. Its a big bummer to do it all for free with copyright issues.
The Sony 75" Mini LED of Speakers🎉? jump on it for 3500 new in the box cherry?...will it blow away my Dali Rubicon 6? yeah it's dirty that you think of the SHL5 XD...lol, you would have to be kissing up for a week to the wife for turning around to check out that chick😜
Keep up the great work! the effort shows in the quality of your wording. Havent seen any video on audio that I found I appreciated as much as this one *thumbsup* Now subscribed.
nice comparison using TV screens. I'm torn between SHL5 (non XD) vs Focal 926 for primarily vinyl use in a medium sized room. Any insight on which would be better?
Greetings from London, UK. Wonderful review, and thank you for sharing your thoughts. May I ask for your advice, please. I currently have the P3XD and looking to move up to either the M30.2XD or the SHL5plusXD. My dealer recommended SHL5plusXD because it is better overall, plus he said the speakers are not too big for my room (4.5m x 4.5m). I listen mainly to jazz vocal, opera and classical. Should I go for the M30.2XD or SHL5plusXD? Thank you.
Greetings Tommy. Well, I think you might have been able to tell from my video that the Super HL5+ XD are my favorite from the Harbeth line up. I sincerely believe the SHL5+ are a spectacular multipurpose speaker. Yes, the Compact 7 are very good on a stricter budget, however, if you can afford the SHL5+ there is no question about there ability to better fulfil your classical music needs over M30.2's. The M30.2's would require dual REL subs or similar to fill in more of the bottom end notes. At modest listening levels, the SHL5+ are more convincing in the bass department without aid. A purist would love the vocals on M30.2's, yet broader range choices reach for the other. Ultimately, you must make a call over your own priority. You need not worry over being disappointed, either speaker is going to bring you joy and listening pleasure. Happy hunting.
Yeah but you could get a couple of subwoofers for your compact 7s, but keep the subwoofers small 8" to 10" ideally Kevlar driver. The KEF subwoofer might work well Another thing you could place them on a resonance box couple the bottom of the speaker with double-sided tape 5 pieces. Try and find some thin bamboo board no more than 6mm thick double the depth of the speaker use half an inch ply to glue the two pieces together leaving an opening on one side. Put a bridge between the two boards in the middle of the speaker about 4 nches long and an inch wide making sure this goes with the grain. If you got a guitar tuner tun to e-flat minor
Hey Hoobs. Man, a couple of subwoofers...not in this room. Dedicated HT space, absolutely. I have more to do in my room, when I can, the front and rear wall will have treatment. Just like the old Johnny Cash song, "one piece at a time". Thanks for your post, one of these days I need to see a few pictures of your room, you plant so many interesting visuals in my mind.
I would say without a doubt, in the right room, the 30.2 with two Rel's would be an endgame set up. However, I was very surprised how much easier the bigger SHL5+ worked in my smaller room verses the M30. I honestly cannot make any judgements about the Fire's without another pair in my new room. My intuition tells me the Fire would split the difference between a 30.1 and SHL5+.
I am a very happy owner of the C7s Since 2007. I love them and they have brought a lot of joy. You have nearly convinced me to get the supers. Nice review thanks.
I listen to music in a room that measures 6x4 meters. I like to listen to vinyl from the 60's and 70's. The M30.2 xd model is the one I had chosen, but I think the shl5 xd is going to be the one that comes home instead of the M30. These will be the speakers of my life and I don't want to make a mistake in choosing. The amplification I have is a built-in hybrid at 100w. Which speaker do you recommend me buy?
You talked about the Sony LCD and its dynamic contrast ratio etc, let me just say that Sony do not make screens, you are in fact talking about Samsung Screens. Those Harbeth Speakers look lovely though.
Very true, however the SHL5 have upper treble extension and spaciousness the C7 cannot match. A REL would be a great combo for the C7. Thanks for watching Mark.
@@2ChannelListeningTo me the Super SHL 5 + XD had a less refined treble than C7s. Keep in mind two different rooms and two different integrateds. C7 was using Dartzeel and Esoteric cd player and Super 5s was streaming through Hegel 390. Same songs from Norah Jones "Come Away With Me! What you think?
Surprisingly, the SHL5+ performed very well in my small room, so unless your room is less than 11'x11', with acoustical treatment, I wouldn't let the room stop you.
@@2ChannelListening No speaker is going to be perfect or room they are in. I myself have the Revel m126be speakers, built on a lot of research and science. Very good sounding speakers, but do need a sub.
@@mullerurs3766 the size comparison is of course very different birds. Naturally the mids will sound a tad bit warmer and not as hyper focused, an effect of less bass capability of the P3 and not loss of micro detail. You will find the SHL5+ performing effortlessly, even at low listening levels, one of my favorite attributes. I think you would be shocked by the difference of the auditory field (landscape) the SHL5+ is capable of. Good luck!
Harbeth is a very lazy designed box has no bracing and colours the bass and lower midrange badly. Even 1k is to much for a speakers that is this poorly built. They are a speaker you need to get used to. They wld have been good in the late 80s but fall far behind modern build quality.
Based on your love of the Harbeth brand, I wonder how much time you have spent with other mainstream speakers in the $2k-$8.5K range. I've seen worse from boutique builders trying to recoup their fancy veneers over substance and driver quality. I have been lucky to hear a lot of speakers and no matter what camp you are in with Harbeth, they sound very good for what they are, the formula works. Luckily there is a speaker and brand out there for everyone. Cheers!
