Harbeth Monitor 40.1 specific

[A.S.]

Some days I have a little time to reply, and other days I'm extremely busy.

I cannot give you a 'hard and fast' answer. That is not because I am being evasive, but because for me, the amplifier worry ceased over twenty years ago. What I mean is that in my opinion electronic amplifiers (unlike electromechanical loudspeakers) reached a certain performance plateau at about that time and real technical improvement since then have been very small. As I am not an audiophile and do not have money to waste money chasing audio dreams, I long long ago decided to standardise on an amplifier concept from that era and have collected several pieces over the years. It's built like a tank.

Like you, I just want to listen to the music at the end of a long day and I am not obsessed with extracting microscopic performance advantages from amplifiers. The amp I uses to listen and design is frankly "good enough" and certainly not exotic. I'm listing through the amp to the speakers and so should you.

It's certainly true that many Harbeth customers are delighted with their Sugden amplifiers and the others you mention. What interests me about amplifiers is not the circuit but the mind-set of the people that create and make it every day. Are they honest engineers? Are they tarting up the mundane as the exotic? Would you feel comfortable sharing a meal and a few pints of beer discussing the rights and wrongs of the modern world with them? Could you empathise with them and through that empathy feel confident in their amplifier's ability to deliver music at home? Are they solid businessmen properly (cautiously) managing their business for the long-run?

The management of the Sugden company is, as you'd expect from northerners (people living in the North of England) blunt, direct, frank, cost conscious and of pragmatic engineers. That encourages me to believe that Sugden amplifiers philosophically and electrically perfectly marry Harbeth speakers. Its up to you to do some research yourself to validate the management behind any company or brand before you spend serious money. People I like and trust may not be people you particularly like, and vice versa. You must make the decision; not me because if I recommend and the amplifier fails, you will naturally hold me responsible. I can say that if you buy a Sugden I believe that they have demonstrated from father to son their long-term commitment to making good amplifiers over about 40 years. In short, they are people of integrity. If service is needed even many years from now, I have the strong conviction that they'll be there to help. To me, that comfort zone is worth far, far more than some hairsplitting or possibly imaginary sonic argument.*

I'm really sorry about I just cannot give you any more specific recommendations as the amplifiers I choose to use is too humble to be taken seriously by today's audiophile. They suit me perfectly. I reiterate yet again: whatever amp you have available will almost certainly make great music with your Harbeths providing that it is working to its original specification.

*Would you buy an expensive and exotic sports car - no matter how incredible the performance - if you were not 100% certain that spare parts would be available in the future? Of course not. So apply the same logic to the selection of an amplifier.

[chord]

Alan,

I have a general question. Would you say there is absolutely no difference in design or material used among different batches of M40.1 or other Harbeth speakers?

I vaguely remember that it was once discussed a few years ago that there could be small incremental upgrade if any for the same version of speakers. Therefore, current speakers could be slightly better than the same speakers a few years ago.

Could you comment again? Thanks

[A.S.]

The honest answer is that nothing stands still - nothing is totally frozen in time. For example, the 8" RADIAL woofer used in all Harbeths (except P3) has been constantly evolving over the years. In particular, we have adjusted the type of glue that we have used on the various glue joints based on longevity experience, health and safety considerations for our staff and what is available from suppliers. Fifteen years or so ago when we were making the first RADIAL woofers,many of the glues that we used were of a 'soft' type. Experience showed that harder, more permanent glues (cyanoacrylates) were better for some joints so we started to use these.

As we could not obtain continuous supplies over the last year or two asked the glue experts at Loctite to analyse our glue joints In their laboratory using their international experience or bonding non-porous surfaces. They've made some suggestions which we've accepted (although the cost is quite high*) and these have been incorporated, step by step into production of the RADIAL woofer. As every woofer is serial numbered and traceable, we can look up the exact combination of parts, glues etc. used to make every one so that we can gain long-term experience experience. In negotiating with suppliers we make it crystal clear to them that they should view us as a small but very long-term and loyal customer and to set their price, stocks and quality level to hold our business. If they don't or can't we do have to make appropriate adjustments as every manufacturer does.

Our long-standing policy is that we do not like to make changes to a released products unless it is forced upon us (supplier issues) or because I feel that the speaker truly will benefit from a change as I have done my best to get the design right before we start "mass" production. I should add that is you physically examine the crossovers you could indeed see different physical components (colour, size) but their functionality is the same.

The Monitor 40.1 has been made to a final build specification this year.

* 1 litre of one special superglue costs us USD 400. We keep it refrigerated as this extends its working life.

[rgshar]

I currently have SHL5s, but would consider M40.1s if they would work in my room, which is 21 feet by 14 feet but the speakers are on the long wall. I have been advised (on Audiogon forums and by some Harbeth owners) that there would be overwhelming bass. The SHL5s do not over-do the bass, even when they are not on their Skylan stands (sitting right on the floor). Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[A.S.]

I do not think that there are any bass issues with the M40.1. The design brief that we worked to was to make the speaker as room friendly as possible and the M40.1 design was definitely optimised for home use - the M40 wasn't: it was very definitely designed for studio use, but to my surprise (and delight) found a loyal following in people's homes.

[ANADA]

Hi everybody i copy pasted the following text from audiogoN
For Sale "Harbeth 40.1 in cherry with matching stands. Musical Fidelity KW 550 integrated amp. Resolution Opus 21 CD player. I put systems together as a hobby. Sometimes a system clicks and it is unreal. This is one of them. Less than one month old. Low easy hours. Perfect. Check my feedback so you know everything is as stated."

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ull&1235942877

Can this be true? any comments?

[Jmohd]

Hi,

I've seen 2 posts in the Audiogon. Another guy was saying that he is selling his M40.1 to change to Tiger Ebony. He is paying extra 2K. I don't thing its true coz M40.1 does not come in Tiger Ebony.

[A.S.]

Actually, we have made just one or two pairs of M40.1 in tiger ebony. However, due to the huge increase in the cost of cabinets through 2008 we have had to discontinue that (and similar) expensive veneers at this time. However, we do not think that our cabinet makers should in effect punish our customers by the price hikes we've experienced this year nor do we think that Harbeth UK should abandon offering 'exotic' veneers. It does not help this situation that the UK pound is now so weak.

We have made the decision to thoroughly investigate all potential suppliers who can give us as an ISO9001 company the cost/performance we need so that we can again offer these exotics veneers at a reasonable price. That's our ambition for the middle of this year. We certainly like to see and handle these exotics in production and I'm frustrated by the ludicrous cost increases.

[A.S.]

You can read about it here and follow the link to the Flash movie.

[gemincor]

Alan,

I own a pair of 40.1s and have placed them on Skylan stands. Harbeth speakers on Skylan stands make a synergistic fit. The polyurethane pads on the 4 corners of the top shelf of the stands have excellent friction on them to secure the speakers onto the stands. These small pads are just the right thickness.

With a variety of music playing at moderate to loud volumes, there is little vibration to be felt on the 4 legs of the stands which are filled with kitty litter. I have Soundcare superspikes installed on the bottom shelf to the marble floor.

I also did have the opportunity to examine the Sound Foundation stands for ther 40.1s, in my view, the Skylan stands are more rigid. Strangely enough, the metal Sound Foundation stands seem to allow a twisting action to take place along the horizontal axis. This certainly does not bode well for providing a secure platform for speakers. Filling the Sound Foundation stands will in my opinion not help overcome this design issue.

My journey thus far has brought me from Totem, to Avalon to Vandersteen and now Harbeth. What a journey it has been!

[Gan CK]

Alan,

I own a pair of 40.1s and have placed them on Skylan stands. Harbeth speakers on Skylan stands make a synergistic fit. The polyurethane pads on the 4 corners of the top shelf of the stands have excellent friction on them to secure the speakers onto the stands. These small pads are just the right thickness.

With a variety of music playing at moderate to loud volumes, there is little vibration to be felt on the 4 legs of the stands which are filled with kitty litter. I have Soundcare superspikes installed on the bottom shelf to the marble floor.

I also did have the opportunity to examine the Sound Foundation stands for ther 40.1s, in my view, the Skylan stands are more rigid. Strangely enough, the metal Sound Foundation stands seem to allow a twisting action to take place along the horizontal axis. This certainly does not bode well for providing a secure platform for speakers. Filling the Sound Foundation stands will in my opinion not help overcome this design issue.

My journey thus far has brought me from Totem, to Avalon to Vandersteen and now Harbeth. What a journey it has been!

Wow so you must be the 1st guy in spore to own the king? Care to share some initial impression of the king with us here? Thks in advance.

[gemincor]

Going from the Vandersteen 3A Signature to the Harbeth 40.1s is a revelation to me. The fine nuances of the music is easy to hear even at lower volumes without straining. The presentation takes on an altogether relaxed and unforced character. I am able to be caressed by the music without feeling fatigued. The highs are simply natural, smooth and extended with no grainy character.Somehow each listening session does not seem to be long enough. Even my family members hearing from another room are able to discern greater clarity and discernability in the lyrics of vocal pieces. Its still early days for the speakers. I am allowing some more time on them to allow for a fuller appreciation of their prowess. Having said that, I can state with guarded confidence that these speakers are for keeps in the long run.

[Gan CK]

Going from the Vandersteen 3A Signature to the Harbeth 40.1s is a revelation to me. The fine nuances of the music is easy to hear even at lower volumes without straining. The presentation takes on an altogether relaxed and unforced character. I am able to be caressed by the music without feeling fatigued. The highs are simply natural, smooth and extended with no grainy character.Somehow each listening session does not seem to be long enough. Even my family members hearing from another room are able to discern greater clarity and discernability in the lyrics of vocal pieces. Its still early days for the speakers. I am allowing some more time on them to allow for a fuller appreciation of their prowess. Having said that, I can state with guarded confidence that these speakers are for keeps in the long run.

Hi Germincor, thks for sharing your thoughts on the M40.1 with us here. Its certainly good to hear that you are enjoying them more than the Vandy 3A. Harbeths are designed to give the listener a long term musical satisfaction.

[Jmohd]

Going from the Vandersteen 3A Signature to the Harbeth 40.1s is a revelation to me. The fine nuances of the music is easy to hear even at lower volumes without straining. The presentation takes on an altogether relaxed and unforced character. I am able to be caressed by the music without feeling fatigued. The highs are simply natural, smooth and extended with no grainy character.Somehow each listening session does not seem to be long enough. Even my family members hearing from another room are able to discern greater clarity and discernability in the lyrics of vocal pieces. Its still early days for the speakers. I am allowing some more time on them to allow for a fuller appreciation of their prowess. Having said that, I can state with guarded confidence that these speakers are for keeps in the long run.

Hi gemincor,

Congrats on your NEW M40.1 and thanks for sharing with us your revelation. I hope to own the speakers one day. BTW, could you please post some pictures of your wonderful system.

[gemincor]

Hello JMohd,

The 40.1s are running in slowly. I have been listening mainly to classical and vocal pieces on them powered by the Jeff Rowland Model 312. The sounds of the harp and other stringed instruments was exquisitely refined and floated free of the speakers. The drums provided a powerful and deep impact to Carmina Burana. Though not a fan of classical music, I now have a new found appreciation of it. It just relaxes one's mind and soothes away stresses of the work day. On vocals, Diana Krall. Holly Cole, Cassandra Wilson and Sarah Vaughn were justly showcased highlighting the style of each singer. I have yet to get down to photographing my system, lets see.

Last but not least, I have registered the speakers online with Harbeth. The question remains whether the warranty period is for 1 year or 3 years. An official clarification from Alan Shaw would be greatly appreciated.

[Jeff Day]

I've had my M40.1 for a while now and have been working on getting them optimized to my room and equipment. I used the three-step speaker installation technique outlined by Jim Smith in his book Get Better Sound and it provided excellent results: I set up an installation grid, determined the position of the loudspeakers for the deepest and smoothest bass (using the naturally recorded string bass from Duke Ellington's and Ray Brown's This One's for Blanton), and finally voiced the system for tone (the other option being optimizing for audiophile-style sound effects like imaging, soundstaging, and the like, which I don't consider as important as tone).

I ended up with the M40.1 out about 6.5 feet from the wall behind them, about 9.5 feet apart, and toed out somewhat from the listening axis. The listening position is about 12 feet on the diagonal from the front of the M40.1. This positioning gives me the most natural presentation of bass & tone in my room, a deep & moderately wide soundstage, and quite a sense of an expansive soundspace. See photo below (first time posting a photo, I hope it works).

Best,

Jeff

[keithwwk]

Hi Jeff,
What a nice setup you hv there!

Can you please share me how the M40.1 vs 5 in term of dynamic in the same room?

I heard the M40.1 in a not so good setup and room but I did feel the M40.1 to be most balance sounding in term of tonality and big dynamic swing..from ppp to fff..

[Gan CK]

I've had my M40.1 for a while now and have been working on getting them optimized to my room and equipment. I used the three-step speaker installation technique outlined by Jim Smith in his book Get Better Sound and it provided excellent results: I set up an installation grid, determined the position of the loudspeakers for the deepest and smoothest bass (using the naturally recorded string bass from Duke Ellington's and Ray Brown's This One's for Blanton), and finally voiced the system for tone (the other option being optimizing for audiophile-style sound effects like imaging, soundstaging, and the like, which I don't consider as important as tone).

I ended up with the M40.1 out about 6.5 feet from the wall behind them, about 9.5 feet apart, and toed out somewhat from the listening axis. The listening position is about 12 feet on the diagonal from the front of the M40.1. This positioning gives me the most natural presentation of bass & tone in my room, a deep & moderately wide soundstage, and quite a sense of an expansive soundspace. See photo below (first time posting a photo, I hope it works).

Best,

Jeff

Wow what a nice pic there. I am sure the M40.1 sound immersely musical, enveloping & majestic in that room of yours. Your pic makes me drool.

[Jeff Day]

Hi Jeff,
What a nice setup you hv there!

Can you please share me how the M40.1 vs 5 in term of dynamic in the same room?

I heard the M40.1 in a not so good setup and room but I did feel the M40.1 to be most balance sounding in term of tonality and big dynamic swing..from ppp to fff..

Hi Keith,

The M40.1 really is excellent on portraying dynamics, both fixed dynamics (ppp to fff), and graded dynamics (crescendos and diminuendos). it is a 'big' and very powerful sounding speaker when the music is, and also very articulate and expressive at the softer end, and it gets everything in between very nicely. Some speakers seem to present dynamics as a step function, acting like a light switch from soft to loud, but miss many levels of fixed dynamcis in between the extremes. Not so with the M40.1, it is able to realistically convey all of the dynamic nuance that is in music, which really brings the music to life. And it scales up the graded dynamics so smoothly and convincingly - it's a real joy in that way.

It's a little hard for me at the moment to compare it to my SHL5s in terms of dynamics, as I haven't really been analytically comparing them in that way. I guess I could say that both are cut from the same cloth from a dynamic standpoint (very natural sounding dynamically), but I suppose that the M40.1 is the bigger cloth and captures the big dynamic swings with more authority, more power, particularly in the bass region.

Having said that though, like the M40.1, the Super 5 is a wonderful speaker and I wouldn't part with mine for anything.

I hope that helps.

Best,

Jeff

[Jmohd]

Hi Jeff,
What a nice setup you hv there!

Can you please share me how the M40.1 vs 5 in term of dynamic in the same room?

I heard the M40.1 in a not so good setup and room but I did feel the M40.1 to be most balance sounding in term of tonality and big dynamic swing..from ppp to fff..

Hi Bro,

Where do you listen to the M40.1?