LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

Postby buhaykamote » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:06 am

anyone compared the legendary LS3/5A to the new production lines of Harbeth and Spendor which according to them is the predecessor of the LS3/5A?

comments please.

thanks
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Postby Superman » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:09 am

Aba, mukhang ito ang target mo diyan sa Macau ha! :D

IMHO, you can;t go wrong w/ these choices...but (this is me!) i'd choose a harbeth anytime! I'll go for the P3...though if i had the dough, i'd go for the compact 7 es-3 or the super hl-5, thanks!
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Postby rtsyrtsy » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:14 pm

Definitely get in touch with fld (Ferdi Ludo). He displayed Accuphase-driven Harbeth at the recent show. He's been providing me spot on audio guidance for many years now.

There are many LS3/5a afficionados on the board (calling Mozilla, VD!).
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Postby raffy » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:31 pm

difficult to compare, unless you have the same powerful amp.

ls3/5a's aren't that hard to drive and favor certain tubes over others(el34,kt 66, el 84) the latter two speakers are harder to drive and may even prefer the grip of a solid state, esp the s35.

ymmv
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Postby marty_e » Tue Dec 11, 2007 1:10 pm

Harbeth and Spendor were both licensees for the famed BBC spec'd studio monitor, the LS3/5a. The Spendor S3/5 and the Harbeth HL-P3 are both mini monitor offspring/nephews of the LS3's while the Super HL5 and the Compact 7 ES are not, and would not compare on even terms with the smaller speakers mentioned. Apples and Oranges...

I've listened to both the Harbeth and Spendor versions of the LS3/5a as well as the HL-P3 and the S3/5. In general, the Spendors lean towards a warmer, less fatiguing sound while the Harbeths offer a cleaner, slightly more analytical presentation. They both, in LS3/5a tradition, seem to have that mid-bass hump but less so in the S3/5 than in the HL-P3. Both speakers stake their claim in the clarity of the midrange and faithful reproduction of the human voice but offer little else beyond that. Both are sealed boxes, thus good for tight, small places. However, the sealed box design does lower efficiency a bit.

As for what should drive them, perhaps, you can rule out SET's. Start with 35wpc PP tube amps. It's all a matter of taste but i've heard them driven by Plinius SS, Vintage Marantz, Conrad Johnson and its all a matter of taste. Either way, I find them both equally satisfying monitors worth an audition.
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Postby buhaykamote » Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:39 am

thanks for the inputs superman, rtsyrtsy, raffy and marty_e!

i will be setting it up in a small room (about 4 x 5 sqm) thats why i am eyeing small speakers. and also would like to pair with SETs but since these are hard to drive maybe i'll try SS first. we'll see. :D
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Postby Raf » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:57 am

As luck would have it, I have had a chance to spend a lot of time with a Harbeth ls3/5a and a Spendor sp 3/1p both playing off a Dynaco Mark IV stock amplifier. Here are some a non-technical, non-expert, and purely experiential based comments:

The Harbeth LS3/5as are one of the most clear and transparent speakers I have ever heard. while I have only an exremely limited exposure to speaker types, brands, and configurations I must say that the Harbeth LS3/5As are just about the clearest and uncolored speakers I have ever heard. They have a weakness in producing deep base punch but can actually handel kick drum level frequencies with reasonable ease. when tuning/adjusting a tonearm, these speakers will really report to you what is going on with your front end. They are very up-front and really deliver and serve up the sound to you. I love them for their plain and honest quality and a very deep soundstage.

I have also spent a lot of time with a pair of Spendor sp3/1ps. These speakers have an excellent tweeter and really give out a clean and neat Brit sound with a dark/opaque rear soundstage, and a great mix of warmth, weight and detail. In my humble opinion, the Spendor sp3/1p is very musical and communicative with a certain indescribable color that I really love. They appeal to emotion, in my opinion and are really a music lovers joy. Laid back in its presentation, the Spendors draw you in and sort of wrap around you.
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Postby Tubedude » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:58 am

Superman wrote:Aba, mukhang ito ang target mo diyan sa Macau ha! :D

IMHO, you can;t go wrong w/ these choices...but (this is me!) i'd choose a harbeth anytime! I'll go for the P3...though if i had the dough, i'd go for the compact 7 es-3 or the super hl-5, thanks!



I agree with you Superman,
I love my Harbeth LS3/5A it is one speaker that I will never let go. However the new Harbeth are very very good. The new Super HL-5 is one of the best speakers I have heard at any cost. However it is nothing like the LS. The Harbeth ES-3 is one you should give a try.
A 300B SET will power LS3/5A's in a small room but only just. Not a good match IMO.
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Postby buhaykamote » Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:03 am

Tubedude wrote:

I agree with you Superman,
I love my Harbeth LS3/5A it is one speaker that I will never let go. However the new Harbeth are very very good. The new Super HL-5 is one of the best speakers I have heard at any cost. However it is nothing like the LS. The Harbeth ES-3 is one you should give a try.
A 300B SET will power LS3/5A's in a small room but only just. Not a good match IMO.


not a good match ba kamo? hmmm :? :? :? sayang!!!
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Re: LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

Postby obsi » Tue Jan 13, 2015 9:55 pm

Tried my Spendor S3/5SE on my 300B monoblocks, di kaya unless your listening in a closet :D . Settled on A Quad 606 to power them :)
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Re: LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

Postby obsi » Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:04 pm

Apologies, I just realized I posted in an 8 year old thread :lol:
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Re: LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

Postby carbondated » Thu Jan 15, 2015 3:07 pm

Yes, in the meantime the LS50 has come out, which trounces all the others. But it's a modern speaker with a clean, contemporary sound, not woolly vintage nostalgia...
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Re: LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

Postby buhaykamote » Sat Jan 17, 2015 10:33 pm

obsi wrote:Apologies, I just realized I posted in an 8 year old thread :lol:



Yep, how time flies! And we're still here enjoying sweeet music!

OTH, i need to try those LS50! I've read alot of great reviews about this speakers!
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Re: LS3/5A vs. Harbeth P3 or Spendor S3/5

Postby obsi » Sun Jan 18, 2015 12:08 am

buhaykamote wrote:
obsi wrote:Apologies, I just realized I posted in an 8 year old thread :lol:



Yep, how time flies! And we're still here enjoying sweeet music!

OTH, i need to try those LS50! I've read alot of great reviews about this speakers!


Those are KEF's right?
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