The very best review of the Harbeth M40.1 speakers

[Jean-Marc jmajma]

Michael,

Me too, because I'm curious.

But with the Alexia's, I've found my own nirvana.

BTW, I can see in your sig you're too McIntosh heavily addict????

[Volks]

Originally Posted by Jean-Marc jmajma

Michael,

Me too, because I'm curious.

But with the Alexia's, I've found my own nirvana.

BTW, I can see in your sig you're too McIntosh heavily addict????

Someday hopefully i will hear them with Mcintosh gear...........Yes i love Mcintosh indeed

[Jean-Marc jmajma]

Me too, Michael.

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Jerome W

Kev,

You'll notice that Alberto stated " leans to the Shindo sound". Of course the full Shindo sound is with a full Shindo system only, no doubt about that.
Harbeth speakers, as Jeff wrote in his review are not "audiophile" speakers. They are for music lovers. In this regard, they are clearly cousins of the Shindo philosophy. Like DeVore and others.

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

Thank you for clarifying Jerome. That is indeed what I meant. To be clear, I was talking about a similarity in "sonic signature"; choosing to emphasize some characteristics instead of others. Some people use words like "musical" and "analytic" as opposite ends of the spectrum, others use "forgiving/warm" and "revealing/cold". Each of these terms carries some connotations that often create disharmony between people: "You mean my system is non-musical and cold!", so I prefer to stay away from labels with some implied judgment (after all, who am I to determine what is "cold") and think in terms of similarities between the "house sound" of certain brands.

That's all.

Alberto

[Jean-Marc jmajma]

Very well said, Alberto, as usual!

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by Jean-Marc jmajma

As I told you, we had a very sympathetic listening session at Jérôme's place.

I didn't like HARBETH/VERDIER/EMT cart/SHINDO: too much in the bass domain, which made a little bit disappear the mids and treble. Sorry to say that, but Jérôme knows I'm a guy who says what he feels, not what his friend should be happy to hear. I speak frankly.

Things were a bit better when he used the Ortofon SPU Gold cart.

We then used FLAC files out his McBookPro going in the AMR: it was really excellent, I don't know why, but it was.

Now, we then used the MC225 for amp with Shindo preamp/VERDIER/HARBETH: the best we heard during the afternoon.

Jérôme has explanations for all these points.

Don't forget, we speak of a top notch system, that much revealing that we could immediately notice these differences; but even in the first combo I didn't like, it smokes many and many systems I've heard here and there.

These Harbeth are very special at the voices and the mids, and at the deepness of the stage. Impressive in the last combo, easy with analog and with digital.

Thanks Jean Marc !

As always a big pleasure to have you at home.
I would add to your description that the bass with the EMT and CCQ's is perfect with good recordings. Clearly when the sound engineers emphasize the bass in the recording, then the CCQs deliver the full power of it and the room is overloaded.
I rarely have the problem though because I listen at lower volumes than what we did.
But I agree fully that the 225 is magic.

[HiFiCrossFit]

I heard the Harbeth Super HL5 plus today. It was driven by a Octave V110 - Premier. The source was a Acoustic Signature WOW XL, we listened to only vinyl. I was blown away by the Harbeth.

[harpyvan]

Originally Posted by Jerome W

....is in Tone Audio # 23, by my friend Jeff Dorgay.

After the few months I spent with these speakers, I just found this review and was very surprised at how it precisely describes the strengths of the Harbeth Monitor 40.1 speakers.
I usually find pro audio reviews a bit boring by using tons of "clichés". This review is a true exception. Jeff captured the essence of this awesome speakers better than any other reviewer. I agree to each and every word but especially when he describes the bass performance, opposing the Harbeths to overdamped speakers in the bass and explaining how real instruments are much closer to the Harbeth sound compared to those overdamped bass speakers. This is very precisely how I feel about the bass difference between the WP8 and the Harbeths. The Harbeths just kill the Wilsons when it comes to reveal the true timbre and presence of an acoustic bass sound. The Wilsons may sound more impressive on electric bass. But they are indeed less accurate than the Harbeths. In each every field of sound reproduction.

Listening to my Monitor 40.1 is a an ever amazing experience, opening each and every time, new horizons of musical bliss even for recordings that had no mysteries to me.
I just cannot find any shortcoming to their performance. They surely are not perfect. No speaker is. But they are the perfect speakers for my illness. They are the very first ones that really put me aside from looking at anything else. I just do not care now how the rest of the speakers sound. I AM CURED ! I just want to listen to music and does not care about the gear anymore.

The Monitor 40.1 will be my last speakers for my main system. I will die with them. Along with my Shindo and Verdier components. Now I can spend all my "music" dollars on recordings.
Who wants to bet ?
If you want to really understand why I felt so much in love, just read Jeff's review in Tone Audio.

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

I've only tried the Monitor 40.1 at a shop, but I too was impressed - it was extremely well-balanced. Consumer Top has a rather in-depth review of it too that you might want to see. I'll check out the one in Tone Audio!

[755a]

Originally Posted by Jean-Marc jmajma

As I told you, we had a very sympathetic listening session at Jérôme's place. I didn't like HARBETH/VERDIER/EMT cart/SHINDO: too much in the bass domain, which made a little bit disappear the mids and treble. Sorry to say that, but Jérôme knows I'm a guy who says what he feels, not what his friend should be happy to hear. I speak frankly. Things were a bit better when he used the Ortofon SPU Gold cart. We then used FLAC files out his McBookPro going in the AMR: it was really excellent, I don't know why, but it was. Now, we then used the MC225 for amp with Shindo preamp/VERDIER/HARBETH: the best we heard during the afternoon. Jérôme has explanations for all these points. Don't forget, we speak of a top notch system, that much revealing that we could immediately notice these differences; but even in the first combo I didn't like, it smokes many and many systems I've heard here and there. These Harbeth are very special at the voices and the mids, and at the deepness of the stage. Impressive in the last combo, easy with analog and with digital.

I think the Shindo is amazing and I think the Harbeth is amazing. However I am not surprised by your report. Both Alan shaw and Jonathan have said that neither will be at their best when used together....

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by 755a

I think the Shindo is amazing and I think the Harbeth is amazing. However I am not surprised by your report. Both Alan shaw and Jonathan have said that neither will be at their best when used together....

I would be very curious to read A. Shaw on this.
I had a few discussions with him and the only thing he always pointed out was that the 40.1 need a minimum of 50W of power. Which is done by the CCQs.
Moreover, if you read the 40.1 Stereophile review of Art Dudley, you will notice that the 40.1 shined with his CC's.
All opinions are in the nature and unfortunately, people who speak on things they never heard are numerous.

Jean Marc, a few things changed since you listened to the 40.1 in my room.
First, the decoupling of the speakers. The speakers are now decoupled from their stands with custom made lignofol disks. I do not have any bass issue now. And believe it or not, I can have their bass sound like the Wilson one when I put PAB AVF between the speakers and the stands. But I do not like this bass anymore.
The Harbeth bass I get now is clean, deep and tight, goes much deeper and fuller than the one of the WP8, without the overdamping of the Wilsons. 2 very different presentations.
Second, one of my CCQs had a ground problem. My tech discovered that both monoblocks were not wired the same. This was corrected and they sound tighter now.
Last but not least, the carts are the Lyra Delos and the SPU Classic MKII. The EMT TSD15 is not the best match with the Harbeths. It is better now but I still prefer the Lyra.

I could tell you to come back for a listen but there is little interest in this. Harbeth and Wilson have symmetrically opposed philosophies. You won't like the Harbeths anyway, as I do not like Wilson anymore. The WP8's in the back corner of my room are like a pin in my foot now ! I even lost the reason why I chose them once !

Hopefully, there are many different choices in hifi, and that's all good because we all have different ears.