Harbeth Monitor 30 domestic specific

[airdavid]

nobody......and with Naim nait 5i ?

[airdavid]

Are they arrived?
So, what's your opinion?
regards,

David

David-
I will give you a personal opinion as soon as my 30's arrive.
Because of factory delivery, i'm told it may be 45-60 days.
Does anyone else hear of 2 month (aprox) delivery times for
M 30?
I am so looking forward to these!!
Regards,
Hal

[Paris Kotsis]

Hallo to everyone. Just got my Monitor 30's yestereday and, yes, it took over two months of delivery time-I almost had forgotten them. I previously owned M40 but they prooved too big for my amps (I use low power tubes and Crimson 620E) and my room so I had to scale down the speaker. M30 is very similar sounding, also very natural, but much more easy to drive and place, you just let go the 20-40 Hz first otave. I always prefer Harbeths with grills on as I feel I hear less of the "baffle" reaction in the mid-treble region. Now I have a small question for Mr. Shaw. My pair is No 2285 with wood veneered back panel. I noticed an earlier pair (No 2018 I think) photo on the official site that has the flat back panel for binding posts, not the older recessed one (with black paint). Still, in my own, new pair, it is recessed. I know this is not important, and you can feel that this is a question just for fun...but is there some hidden uncertainty for the binding posts to be recessed or not and you keep changing it;

[airdavid]

Hallo to everyone. Just got my Monitor 30's yestereday and, yes, it took over two months of delivery time-I almost had forgotten them. I previously owned M40 but they prooved too big for my amps (I use low power tubes and Crimson 620E) and my room so I had to scale down the speaker. M30 is very similar sounding, also very natural, but much more easy to drive and place, you just let go the 20-40 Hz first otave. I always prefer Harbeths with grills on as I feel I hear less of the "baffle" reaction in the mid-treble region. Now I have a small question for Mr. Shaw. My pair is No 2285 with wood veneered back panel. I noticed an earlier pair (No 2018 I think) photo on the official site that has the flat back panel for binding posts, not the older recessed one (with black paint). Still, in my own, new pair, it is recessed. I know this is not important, and you can feel that this is a question just for fun...but is there some hidden uncertainty for the binding posts to be recessed or not and you keep changing it;

Paris,
how big is your room?
regards,

David

[A.S.]

You don't say but I assume that your back panel must be black? In which case, you would expect to have the (expensively) recessed terminal panel.

[Paris Kotsis]

David,
my room is basically 20 sq.meters but has a large opening to the kitchen, which should make around 30 sq.meters. Main problem with M40 was not the volume of the room, i guess, but its construction and, of course, the need for plenty of power. I don't like big amps and I always keep a system with high sensitivity/low power tube. Having heard the amazing bass of M30 with just 40 watts, I now realize how difficult it would be for a room/amp combo to make justice to M40's extended response
Paris

[Paris Kotsis]

Alan,
Thank you for your interest. Back panel of my M30's is not black, but "woody", which I mentioned as "wood veneered". That is why I didn't expect recessed binding posts.
Paris

[JoeH]

I purchased the Model 30 to replace 15 ohm LS3/5A's for use with my NYAL Futterman OTL 4. I love the top and mid range of the Futterman but it is a very speaker sensitive amp. The model 30 was the best match of the speakers I heard. More time will refine my opinion. The speakers are being used in a small room 13x11 and will be about 7' from my chair.

[airdavid]

does anybody listen to Monitor 30 with Exposure XXXV ?
In Italy it's said it's a wonderful match...

David

[JoeH]

Yes, they sound good with grills on.
I use mid-weight Skylan stands with 2 columns ( www.skylanstands.com ), 60cm (= 24") high

bye

David

I have owned my Model 30 about 6 months. Orginally heard with a Viva intergrated tube amp I purchased them to replace a 25 years old LS3/5a's. I will be using them with a Futterman OTL 4 in a small room 11'x13'. The Futterman has been in for repair for about 3 months so I have been using a Halfer DH200. The diference without the grills on the high end is dramatic but even more inpressive has been biwiring. I am currently using audioquest midnight and it is WORK to connect the wire. Any comments on the biwiring or on wire in general
Joe

[jaybar]

Hi

I have a Monitor 30 question.

Assuming good setup relative to the room, what is the soundstage presentation of these speakers, when listening nearfield?

Does the front of the soundstage start:

1) well in front of the speakers?

or

2) At the splane of the speakers?

I am asking because I have been doing a lot of system tweaking (new racks, power conditioning, equipment footers etc) and the soundstage presentation has changed markedly.

I realize that I have lost sight regarding what the baseline shoould be for these speakers.

Thanks so much,

Jay

[A.S.]

Quick answer: I personally detest a sound stage that bows out towards the listener; it is so unnatural. So, the M30 is as your No.2) in the plane of the speakers.

More here: http://www.harbeth.co.uk/designersno...r7-1/index.php

[LS5/9]

I used to use Old Quad II's set to 8 ohm with a Croft pre to drive my Rogers LS5/9 (very near to the 30 Harbeth)
The sound was wonderful , lacked nothing except for deep bass which I don't need/like.
tim

[berenello]

Hi,
which center channel do yo suggest for Monitor 30?
have someone experienced something about it?

[JoeH]

Is anyone using time alighted speaker stands. I listen in the nearfield and I was wondering if anyone found the leaninfg the speaker back to time aline the vice coils had a positive effect

[A.S.]

I regret that you have made a fatal assumption. I have already time aligned the woofer and tweeter in the crososver on the listening axis. If you tip the speakers backwards you will in fact un-align them.

The not-so humble "crossover" has several functions in a quality speaker:

1. Adjust the relative levels of the woofer and tweeter (tweeters are usually more sensitive and need to be turned down to match the woofer).

2. Adjust for the 'baffle step'.

3. Filter action at the top end of the woofer/mid and bottom end of the tweeter.

4. Shelving, or other frequency selective control or compensation.

5. Control of dispersion of sound on and off axis.

6. Time alignment. Note: With conventional woofers and tweeters that are spaced apart on the baffle (in contract to coaxial type drivers) it is only possible to optimise the time alignment at one point in space - logically on the listening axis (or indeed anywhere else you want, but only at one point in space).

and it has to perform all of these tasks simultaneously, without degrading the sound quality and most especially, without making the speaker difficult to drive. It is a complex multi-dimensional problem which appeals to me intellectually and I take considerable personal pride in doing the job properly.

[JoeH]

Thank you for that information, if it is in the literature I missed it. I am using old target stands that were for the Proac tablettes. I used my LS3/5a stand orginally but the spiked tablette stands increased the focus. These stands are much heavier than the Rogers stands. JoeH

[JLL]

I have already posted a message with the same question but in he wrong topic.
I have for the moment a cambridge audio (A75-C75) old brand.
I love the sound but I have got a problem with bass. I think the bass is not well drived.
I would like to know what kind of amplifier could sound like my old A75-C75 but with bass mor drived (not necessary with mor bass).
In france, my amplifier is not known.
I know that naim and sugden are named to drive Harbteth, but what kind of models are suitable for the monitor 30.

Thank for your help.

[Jeff Stake]

I regret that you have made a fatal assumption. I have already time aligned the woofer and tweeter in the crososver on the listening axis. If you tip the speakers backwards you will in fact un-align them.

What is the listening axis for the M30?

[A.S.]

It's on or close to the tweeter axis.