Speaker or integrated

[sidvee]

Is there any good floor stander speaker which will be good for stereo and HT. .

AFAIK Renjith most stereo speakers which are fine with music will be relatively fine with movies (please note some speakers are exclusively made for movie soundtracks like M&K, Atlantic technology etc) because center channel which is very important for dialog intelligibility (provided you get a timber matched center channel) is present for HT, which the l&r won't handle anyways. However what is critical is the amplification. If you use a AVR it will work great for movies but at-least all the receivers I heard around 1 - 1.5 lakh range are not too good for music (these receivers are geared towards movies which use foley effects i.e fake effects where as real instruments and human voices are not fake) . Hence the splitting of the two. Some cases in high end settings separate processor is used for HT and a pass through set up with unity gain is provided so again a separates based system can be used for 2 channel, but all the purists I know (including myself) do not want any HT component (electronics) near a 2 channel system. Anyways just my opinion, I am not an expert, from my limited experience. Ultimately you should do what is comfortable to you both in expenses and sound quality.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[Naturelover]

There's a pair of SHL5 for sale on the forum by a Hyderabad FM.

 

[renjith lal]

AFAIK Renjith most stereo speakers which are fine with music will be relatively fine with movies (please note some speakers are exclusively made for movie soundtracks like M&K, Atlantic technology etc) because center channel which is very important for dialog intelligibility (provided you get a timber matched center channel) is present for HT, which the l&r won't handle anyways. However what is critical is the amplification. If you use a AVR it will work great for movies but at-least all the receivers I heard around 1 - 1.5 lakh range are not too good for music (these receivers are geared towards movies which use foley effects i.e fake effects where as real instruments and human voices are not fake) . Hence the splitting of the two. Some cases in high end settings separate processor is used for HT and a pass through set up with unity gain is provided so again a separates based system can be used for 2 channel, but all the purists I know (including myself) do not want any HT component (electronics) near a 2 channel system. Anyways just my opinion, I am not an expert, from my limited experience. Ultimately you should do what is comfortable to you both in expenses and sound quality.
Cheers,
Sid

Thanks a lot Sidvee. I got the answer.

 

[renjith lal]

An update to my journey for stereo listening. Bought Harbeth Compact 7ES3 speakers.
Now need to buy stands compact.

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions.

 

[Naturelover]

Congratulations!
soundfoundations.in owned by fellow FM magma
A whole lot of FMs use his products.
He has made a pair of stands for SHL5 for another FM

 

[panditji]

COngratulations Renjith...Do post your impressions with your amp...Superb buy...

 

[vivek_r]

Congratulations, and welcome to the Harbeth sound. Hope the God of Customs was kind to you!

I have found that stands are very important to get the right sound out of the Harbeths, though in the Harbeth forum there are many who say they don't matter at all!

 

[sidvee]

An update to my journey for stereo listening. Bought Harbeth Compact 7ES3 speakers.
Now need to buy stands compact.

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions.

Many Congrats Renjith.
Cheers,
Sid

 

[docd]

Renjith
Congrats! Your long search has ended!

 

[renjith lal]

Congratulations, and welcome to the Harbeth sound. Hope the God of Customs was kind to you!

I have found that stands are very important to get the right sound out of the Harbeths, though in the Harbeth forum there are many who say they don't matter at all!

Thanks a lot.
Customs was not a very big issue but speaker with double packing was above the allowable size and it was more than 30Kg. So check-in baggage was a bit issue and need to pay.

Can you please let me know which is the best stand and where it is available to buy? I assume that you have done lot of experiments and if you can share me your findings it will be great. I have not played it yet. I am in hometown due to Onam festival.


Thanks

 

[vivek_r]

Hi Renjith, Belated Happy Onam to you and your family. Nice way to celebrate the festival with new speakers.

In my opinion, and perhaps other Harbeth owners can chime in, the best stand is one that looks like the one in the ad below(I googled "Harbeth Compact 7ES3 stands" to get to it):

New Harbeth HL compact 7es-3 Cherry colour 2 months old!!!! Photo #290786 - Canuck Audio Mart

Its not a heavy damping design and allows the speakers to breathe. I started off with a wood "stool" like stand, that made the bass very woolly and didn't let the midrange magic come through. Then I carved off the middle portion (the seating portion if it was a stool) to kind of replicate the one below. And MAGIC! Honestly.


??????????????????? Harbeth HL Compact 7ES-3 ????????????

Notice how the stand also has a 'disk' (for the lack of a better description, it is darker in colour in the picture) on top to minimise the contact point of the speaker with the stand - it does improve the sound further.

Depending on your home design, either will work. Only, for the metal stands, there is sound foundation in Mumbai (I am sure Ali, who owns it, is a hifivision member) who can make it - he understands stands for BBC designs very well.

Else it is your friendly neighbourhood carpenter.

Best of luck.

Vivek

 

[Naturelover]

This might help.
http://www.hifivision.com/audio-video-accessories/56188-stands-harbeth-shl5.html

 

[renjith lal]

Hi Renjith, Belated Happy Onam to you and your family. Nice way to celebrate the festival with new speakers.

In my opinion, and perhaps other Harbeth owners can chime in, the best stand is one that looks like the one in the ad below(I googled "Harbeth Compact 7ES3 stands" to get to it):

New Harbeth HL compact 7es-3 Cherry colour 2 months old!!!! Photo #290786 - Canuck Audio Mart

Its not a heavy damping design and allows the speakers to breathe. I started off with a wood "stool" like stand, that made the bass very woolly and didn't let the midrange magic come through. Then I carved off the middle portion (the seating portion if it was a stool) to kind of replicate the one below. And MAGIC! Honestly.


??????????????????? Harbeth HL Compact 7ES-3 ????????????

Notice how the stand also has a 'disk' (for the lack of a better description, it is darker in colour in the picture) on top to minimise the contact point of the speaker with the stand - it does improve the sound further.

Depending on your home design, either will work. Only, for the metal stands, there is sound foundation in Mumbai (I am sure Ali, who owns it, is a hifivision member) who can make it - he understands stands for BBC designs very well.

Else it is your friendly neighbourhood carpenter.

Best of luck.

Vivek

Belated Onam wishes to you and family.
Thanks a lot Vivek for your help.

I have seen similar stands in Yodobashi (a very famous shop in Japan) The black color component is like a rubber like material but hard. I prefer stand made of wood than metal but need to see which one is easily made or bought. Thanks a lot Vivek. Can you PM me your contact number.

Will talk to Sound foundation and see.

Thanks once again.

 

[renjith lal]

This might help.
http://www.hifivision.com/audio-video-accessories/56188-stands-harbeth-shl5.html

Thanks Naturelover

 

[vivek_r]

Hi Renjith Lal, I have also posted my impressions of various amplifiers I have used with Harbeth in an Ayre thread in the forum. Perhaps you may find that useful (and hopefully not send you on an audiophile hunt all over again!) - fast, sweet and powerful amps are my choice.

Vivek

 

[vivek_r]

Naturelover, thanks for your link too. Yes I agree from practice - lossy is what I prefer, but the height of tweeter level (just above your ears) is very critical for the best of Harbeth sound.

Though I daresay I can boogie with the Harbeth playing in the living room and me in the kitchen too! Really musical speakers!

 

[panditji]

Renjith, Vivek_r recently told me about a tweak and was kind enough to actually send it across to me which have made substantial improvments to the sound of my Compact 7s..
It is a very simple tweak which has brought about a clear improvement.. Would suggest you to get in touch with him as he would be able to guide you about the stands as well since he has experimented a lot over the years with the Compact 7ES3s..

Thanks Vivek for the help...

 

[renjith lal]

Thanks panditji.
I have talked to Vivek_r.
Vivek suggested to have open frame stand which is even open at top where speaker is supported. Thanks for the help.
I hope I will get the stand this week. Mr Murthy from Bangalore is making it for me.

 

[Orko]

It is a very simple tweak which has brought about a clear improvement.

I'm intrigued. Can you tell us more?

 

[panditji]

Orko, have a word with Vivek who has posted on this thread..He will be able to guide you better as he has experimented a lot with the Compact 7s... Do PM him...