Every speaker line has a no-compromise flagship, and in the Harbeth family this is the highly respected Monitor 40. The inspiration of the design can be traced right back to the 1960's and the LS5/5, the ground breaking world's first plastic-coned three way monitor. Although originally developed for professional use in BBC control rooms - where many pairs are in use - the Monitor 40 has been taken-up as a domestic reference system, and where space permits brings the ultimate in natural sound to the serious home listener.
Whilst the professional version is finished in hard wearing textured paint (and fitted with a Speakon connector) this domestic version is crafted in real wood cherry or eucalyptus veneer and is fitted with tri-wirng binding post terminals for maximum flexibility. To get the best possible performance in a domestic room the Monitor 40 should be used on a tall stand and the room should be well furnished and acoustically damped - just like a traditional BBC control room.
Specification of Monitor 40 domestic
Transducer system
Vented 3 way professional monitor loudspeaker
Frequency response
40Hz - 20kHz ± 3dB free space, 1m with grille on, smooth off axis response
Impedance
4 ohms
Amplifier suggestion
100W+
Power handling
200W programme
Connector
Six 4mm gold-plated binding posts (triwireable)
Dimensions
(h x w x d)
750 x 432 x 400mm
Finish
Cherry, eucalyptus (extra cost) real wood veneers. Others: please call.
Weight
34kg each
Packing
Single speaker per carton
It's not easy to ascribe a sonic characteristic to the Monitor 40: nor should it have one. Perhaps the concept "three dimensional curtain of sound" says it all. And that is surely what a great monitor is all about.
“The real punch line, here, though, is something quite beside the audiophile categories and descriptions. The Monitor 40 sounds beautiful, and with the beauty of music, the beauty of reality. They are accurate, as befits a would-be ultimate monitor speaker. But their uncoloured, ultra-pure, balanced sound actually makes a great many recordings sound wonderful."
Review of the Monitor 40 in 'The Absolute Sound'
Downloadable PDF documents (also check your own language - see 'Sales')
