Impressive review (scope and depth of comments, ancillary equipment choice and instructive on how to approach listening for review).

@BelieveHiFi

4 жыл бұрын

Thankyou Philippe, appreciate it :)

That was awesome, real in depth explanation, good stuff mate

One of the best reviews I have ever heard and even read! That is how to do a helpful non biased review, well done!

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Thankyou for the feedback :)

Beautiful review, your impressions are communicated so well...thanks a lot!

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

Glad you like them! I am trying to reduce waffling on too much but still being myself and unfiltered

Great review. This channel is fantastic. I enjoy your approach a lot.

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

thank you!!!

Great review, keep up the good work

What a fantastic video. I have B&W speakers that are too sharp and bright. I would love to hear these Harbeth speakers and also the Graham Audio LS6. Thank you, you explained everything beautifully.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Thankyou kind sir! Both are fantastic speakers, add the Spendor classic to that list too!! But for pure vocals, accoustic instruments its very hard to beat the new 30.2 XD. Although I would say the Spendor is the best allrounder to cover all music types and with the least weaknesses.

Thought I had found my perfect speaker. But I listen to a wide range of music including Jazz, pop and EDM. Thanks for the review. It was a stellar description.

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

thank you!!

Good review, and yes the Lavardin is a good match. Hope it is okay to write a little about my system if it could help somebody. I have the Super hl5 and prefer it over the plus and anniversary versions becaurse it to my ears is more homogeneous in sound reproduction and is almost neutral. You can therefore tweak the sound in a direction you like, even despite the speaker have a little bit of warth in the upper midrange. I Have a North Star Dac and Moon Neo 260d cd transport. I had the Lavardin Is Ref to drive them, but now i use a restored ML No. 383 integrated amp. and is happy with the sound. I use Purist 25 anniversary speaker- and interconnect cables. For Harbeth the Lavardin, Naim, Mark Levinson, Hegel and Audionet are great amplifiers. Stello, North Star, Moon, Mola Mola, Esoteric DAC works great. The speakers works with a lot of gear and tweaks. A good day to all.

Thank you great review. I just auditioned the Tannoy Stirling prestige GR for a week. From your words it reminds me of the same experience. I would imagine the Tannoy just is more...

In the 5 years since I own the M30.1s I used them with Naim NAP 200 then 250DR (with Icon Audio LA4 MkIII tube pre-amp), the original 1st gen Nait 1, the Exogal Comet + Ion PowerDAC, but the real match made in heaven turned out to be my old Musical Fidelity A-1000. It makes the voices and the acoustic instruments you mentioned just even more fleshed out, almost frighteningly close to the real deal with really good recordings. I use them with a REL B2 subwoofer which is painfully adjusted to provide practically flat response down to 20Hz at my listening spot. The sources now the Exogal Comet with a SBooster linear PSU (frankly an end-of-the-road source for me, seriously under represented at least here in Europe). But I enjoy very much my old Densen Beat B-400 Plus for CDs.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

sounds fantastic Id love to have a listen

I also find that "simple" music are what my current KEF speakers shine with (acoustic, vocal, pop, folk, bluegrass) .. Everything I've heard about Harbeth makes me think they'd be ideal for my tastes -- but having no chance to hear them where I live, that's quite a pricey investment to take in the dark. So for my next upgrade, I'm leaning a little more toward KEF R3 Metas - because I know I'll love em. (replacing my current q150s) .. I'd love to hear from a Harbeth owner who also has experience with KEFs and might be able to explain the most striking differences. I'm sure they're quite far apart in tonal quality. The KEFs certainly don't sound their best with poorly mixed or very old recordings. (Original masters of Pre 1950s jazz leaves a lot to be desired) so that's one way Harbeth would probably benefit me. I'd also like to find a second set of speakers that are best for high energy music (eg Smashing Pumpkins Melon Collie) .. I like all styles of music , but my Kefs lose coherence when I throw on music with too much going on. I wouldn't even know where to begin to look, as I'm somewhat new to the speaker market and lack experience with most brands.

Nice vid

Very good video and description. I own the C7ES 40th Anniversary edition and have to say that even more busy music or some IDM can sound fabulous on these. Try Jlin - Black Origami. I would be curious how it is handled by the 30.1 and if one can generalise it to the Harbeth range. Compressed metal sounds quite bad but i think this is rather the problem of the mastering rather than the speaker itself.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I have moved on my Harbeth speakers but I will have some exciting news shortly now I have settled into my new life in Malta

I'm strongly considering the 30.1 after this and many other reviews. I think it will suit my listening which is mainly jazz, acoustic oriented & some classical. However, I would like to know if these will pair well with my current amp., which is a marantz PM8006. Thanks

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately I haven't tried the pair. Despite Allan Shaw, the owner of Harbeth, claiming amps shouldnt make much difference, that wasnt my experience. Sure they sounded good from every amp I tried, but defiantely improved considerably as better and better amps were used. I think they are great for those genres especially if you like a more laid back warm sound. Otherwise Consider ATC :)

I’d love to get your thoughts on moving from the Harbeth P3’s to the M30.1 or 30.2. What would you gain and lose in terms of the sound presentation? Thanks!!

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

the 30 series will provide a much better solution for mid - far field listening. Bigger soundstage, more depth, more bottom end. However the 30 series monitors are much harder to place correctly especially in a very small space... The P3 is definitely the way to go in a near field setup...

Excellent review. What do you think about C7 XD compared to 30.2 XD?

totaly agree with imaging opinion. I am actually using kef ls50 meta seraching for upgrade, because I simply cant listen reverbes being lasercut placed in to the soundstage. With human voices ls50 meta is very recording quality picky to my ears. Thought Harbeth 30.2 will heal my problem but I am now a bit concerned if it is not very do it all speaker.

Great review , so for a mixing engineer and record engineer this will be a good monitor to Mix ?? For tracking base on your review is good for tracking vocals and acoustic instruments

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Ummm I think its too colored for a mixing engineer. It will make your mixes sound so nice even if they arent. look to ATC if you want a beautiful midrange but for mixing and tracking. I owned their SCM 25Apro. Very very impressive speaker

Great review, M30.1/2 sound fantastic but lazy, by which I mean allot of speakers can do guitar waif music and these sound like perrenial leaders of the bunch. I like quick and complex acoustic music with a bit more low end so thats where these don't quite match my taste (Diapason Adamantes III 25)

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

I can totally relate to what you are saying. I have recently had a bit of a love affair with the brand Spendor. Its like 3 brands in 1 with the different series they have.

I wonder how 30.1 pair with Yamaha A-s1200 🤔. They sure will look amazing together.

If you don’t mind me asking, what amp and source were you using with the H30.1?

Hi, thank you for sharing your experience. I want to ask a question. I used Atc scm11 for 10 months but I need to move another place and new place is really big for the 11s. So now I am between the Super hl5+ and Proac d30r. I also can buy scm40 but need lots of power for 40 m2. I mostly listen from Tom Waits to Radiohead and lots of jazz. Any advice if you have an experience these to models?

@BelieveHiFi

4 жыл бұрын

To be totally honest I actually preferred the 30.2 over the super hl5+. The scm40 definitely needs a fair amount of juice to get going. I think you should strongly consider the Spendor D7 much easier to drive than the ATC SCM40. They are a truly outstanding alternative and can easily pressurize a decent sized room. So in saying that I would maybe look at the 30.2 with 2x rel t5i subwoofers in stereo. OR the spendor D7 The harbeth system giving you a more rounder warmer forgiving sound, the spendor system being more resolving and ultra detailed

@the1model1

4 жыл бұрын

@@BelieveHiFi Thank you for the respond. I actually listened 7.2 side by side with spendor sp2/3r2 and I like the last one much more. I think I am a monitor type guy :) Will listen the 30.2s too. Thank you again.

@BelieveHiFi

4 жыл бұрын

@@the1model1 very interesting, yeah it does seem that way. Definitely listen to the 30.2s!!!

i have the Harbeth C7s and *they* are very quick/fast. And it's cheaper than the 30.1s!

Hi, I have the opportunity to acquire some Harbeth M30.2 xd for 3k. I like to listen to classic rock. Do you recommend these speakers at this price

Has anyone compared the harbeth 30.1 vs 30.2xd vs 30.2 40th anniversary? If so what are the major differences.

Great review!! What did you think of 40.1?

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Umm I feel the 30.1s only true advantages are slightly better imaging (as with most smaller bookshelf speakers compared to their larger brothers) Also maybe the perception of a slightly more open and airy treble (but this isnt a characteristic they have in general, just in the comparison). Other than this, the 40.1 is a better choice, IF you have the space for them, I would suggest trying them both in your room

Never heard the 30.1, but I have to say with the new XD version of this speaker, it handles all types of music wonderfully. Rock, Metal, Classical, Jazz, I think they really got this one right.

@Believe HiFi A very good review, with much necessary details. Thank you. I had a couple of questions, of you can look at: 1 How does these 30.1 compare with ELACs Carina and Vela? 2 Regarding the amps, have you tried the Hypex or Purifi based amps? I understand they are extremely transparent.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

1) very different speakers, I think the 30.1s are for sure my preference when it comes to the midrange and tonality. The Velas I heard were in my listening room and were very impressive for the price. They were a bit leaner sounding, had a bit more dynamism and punch though. I think it depends on what music you listen to and what you want but for me the harbeth are preferable. 2) Unfortunately I have not heard the pairing

Thought I recognised you, saw you at minidisc!

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

Yeah definitely was me, I love visiting the team there and listening to the new releases against my benchmarks in the price ranges

How do I become an audiophile? Having been a musician for the best part of my life I never listened to music as you do. The mathematical approach. Can guys like you enjoy music even when being played from a 1970's cassette player? I always wonder. Just enjoying the artist's creativity?

@AdamsOlympia

2 ай бұрын

I'm also a musician (Hobby songwriter) who grew up in the 80s. From the age of 3 i enjoyed music on anything I could get my hands on. Cheap consumer speakers or radios from Sears or Service Merchandise , listening to vinyl, cassettes and 8-tracks -- it didn't matter to me. My friends thought I was nuts when I bought my first hundred dollar set of headphones in the early 90s (probably Bose) .. From that point onward I realized how much more detail and nuance you can get out of music with some quality gear. I've been a headphone-only guy for decades, owning only a pair of Sennheiser HD-600s and a budget amp until I just got into passive speakers last year. Does that make me an "audiophile" ? I don't know or really care about labels. I just know music sounds much better on certain speakers and headphones than others. Some have a more linear frequency range and are more revealing and transparent.

Interesting review. You talk of ‘simple music’, a few instruments and vocals. I listen very often to ‘TOOL’. Is this too much for the 30.1?

@jonathandavis9507

2 ай бұрын

Yes

I noticed you now have a few spendor instead did you change your mind on them?

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

no not at all, Both are fantastic speakers. The spendors are better all-rounders and better value for money BUT the Harbeth do have the edge in that "magic" quality when you give them the right type of music they love

these or the harbeth classic that you mentioned in a newer video

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

The Spendor classic defiantely over the 30.1, the spendor classic vs the 30.2 is a tougher call... The Spendor is more dynamic and plays better as an allrounder but the Spendor may still have a touch more magic when it comes to the music it really shines with

I've seen people advise using a strong magnet to get the grille off

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

yes this definitely works!

9:18 word.

I used like haberth30.1 very much, but after I compared to my JBL L300 summit. I like L300 more than haberth 30.1.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Both fun speakers :) At the end of the day most speakers are good. Its just a prerference at the end of the day.

I beleive they have Harbeth also use Hegel amplifiers at shows.

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

yeah they have definitely used them in the past. I hope he has finally changes his opinions on amplifiers in general though... he has said some pretty controversial stuff

7:36 I have left the chat

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

hahaha fair, I need to be brutally honest in all videos with the good and the bad

I don't buy expensive cans anymore - they'll never compete with by Harbeths

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

hahaha possibly!! All I know is its a wonderful sounding DAC

Finally I bought 30.1 yesterday. I already have ATC SCM 40, but With Harbeth 30.1 maybe I’ll have less fatigue…..

@BelieveHiFi

Жыл бұрын

how's it going @chocabek , the 30.1 definitely are not a fatiguing speaker, just take care with placement they can be fussy

While I appreciate your passion for Harbeth, as an owner of the far less expensive Linton, I take issue with spending thousands of dollars on such a limited indication speaker for music--simple arrangements, few instruments playing music or vocals; in other words, music without complexity and excitement. This is the reason I would not buy Harbeth.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

For sure we all need to find that thing that gets us going. I played the new XD with a full Chord set-up amps dacs,n all and was shocked with how it could play with dynamism and the extra detail and control. But yes for some people it can be seen as a lot to spend, but as an audiophile sometimes it is just that little bit more that really makes everything come together

We only see you talking about the speakers. No offence dude, you seem like a good guy and knowledgeable, but this video is not as convincing without seeing you with the speakers, let alone using them . Too many guys go on youtube "reviewing" hifi components without demonstrating that they even have the product. I don't disbelieve that you have them, but your review would be much more believable if you actually demoed them.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

Fair comment, I have a bunch of photos of them in my listening room before I had to return to the family home before leaving for Malta but my room was soo messy at the time, happy to share a link to them if youd really like to see them?

@bareknuckles2u

3 жыл бұрын

@@BelieveHiFi No worries, mate. Like I said, I don't disbelieve that you own them. It's just that there are so many guys on KZread posting reviews of stuff that I have no way of verifying whether or not they actually have used said items because they don't show the item they are supposedly reviewing. Sometimes they add stock pictures from the manufacturers website but that's it! My real point is that it is becoming difficult to tell what is a real review and what is a fake review on KZread these days. No negativity towards you though. Like I also said: you seem like a good guy and knowledgeable. Cheers.

@BelieveHiFi

3 жыл бұрын

@@bareknuckles2u Thanks mate :)