PDA

View Full Version : Harbeth Super HL5's & Radford STA25 Renaissance Review



The Black Adder
24-02-2011, 19:39
Harbeth SHL5 loudspeakers with Radford STA25 Renaissance amplifier.

To anyone wondering about these speakers as a choice or for someone who has already has them and would to hear someone else's experience or to anyone who is simply curious about BBC style monitors then please read on.

I'll start with saying that most of the speakers I've listened to either through owning and/or demoing over the last few years have been more than good but without sounding like a cliché I've been looking for something that will satisfy that deep down feeling of finding something really very special.

What I found in some of the modern designs was that they lacked or lost the magic and presentation of the music. They lost how they make you visualise the soundstage and appreciate it. I've always felt that a good speaker system should be like looking through a huge open window. We know it's not live but everything that should be there is there and it's easy to sonically see everything (in the minds eye).

The visual acceptability of a product is of course very important too but in recent years I felt that aesthetics (to some manufactures) are a very good way of hiding a mediocre sounding speaker design. It's easy to be drawn in and to be parted with your gravy (money) more than ever with chrome bezels, kevlar woven cones and carbon fibre but as we all know looks don't always pay off.

Some hot sauce with your speakers sir?

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/DSC04573.jpg

My new yet old source for the Harbeths is a Radford STA25 Renaissance ampifier with matching valve (dual mono) SC-25 Pre amplifier. With a full NOS Mullard refurbishment on both units I found this to be my next amplification source after numerous experimentations with transistorised sources such as Chord, NVA, Musical Fidelity, Densen, Exposure, Naim and Quad. It's a superb amplifier driven by EL34's and is renowned for its balanced presentation of which I have to agree. It's been a real eye opener to what a good valve amplifier can do and leave many modern amplifiers by the wayside. The full NOS Mullard re-valve cost a fortune but it was so worth it and realising the potential of the amplifier I went through a few speaker choices.

Harking back to my experience with my fathers DL10's a couple of years ago that have been around since I was a kid in the 80's I thought I'd start with some old time speakers that were more suiting to the amp in age terms to age so I took a listen to some old Celestion Ditton 15XR's from the 1970's and some DL12's from the 1980's. The 15XR's and DL12's were a very nice speakers although like the DL10's maybe a little woolly but this was the sound presentation I was looking for, a full-fat, powerful and focused sound but with faster, clearer mids and bass.

After deliberating with vintage speakers for a few months I decided to try and find something modern but with a more traditional design. My previous speakers being, B&W, Monitor Audio, Wilson Benesch, Sonus Faber, Dali.

First up was the WLM Diva's – Very good efficiency @97db -1m. They had Tannoy like concentric drivers and a front facing reflex. Then to my dismay I then found that without the extra semi active unit (costing an extra £650 that would have taken the LF down to 34hz) I felt the bass extension was no where near where I wanted to be given a standard 50hz. The front reflex port made things better but they didn't have the clout or depth of which I wanted. Also, there is no grilles for these. My understanding for this was that if their were grilles fitted the bass would have been even less.

Next on the list was the Quad 57 Electrostatics of which I have to admit I've still not tried with the current setup. Thing is, they are too big (width wise) so they are on the list when I get a bigger place. These are on the list

As another experiment I tried my pair of very nice Dali Helicon 800 MKII's that was in my second system using a Chord setup. (Chord CPM 2600, SPM 600) They had a very good efficiency with 89db -1m as well as being big, heavy and very well made. The sound was superb with lovely bass, mids and presence (And at £7k they should be) but alas they were too big for my main room with the tweeter hight being approximatly a foot above ear level and generating brightness due to reflections in the room. I must admit that the Dali's didn't like my square room much at all in the higher frequency bands.

The itchiness set in again… Sleepless nights, cold sweats…(only kidding) but it was time to look in to something else.

So although I wanted to explore traditional designs I had the opportunity to take in some Sonus Faber Liuto towers. These are entry level SF's (after the Toy version) and had even less efficiency than the Dali's but I was curious and I also wanted to explore a darker sounding speaker.

I found the SF's to be just that which was good but I felt that they seemed to be a little lifeless by exhausting the sound with a slight coloured/chesty veiled sound. The speakers were again very nicely made and sounded great but I felt that they were for transistor rather than valve.

Radford STA25 Renaissance & The Harbeth SHL5's

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/DSC04553.jpg

When I bought the Harbeths they were only 3 weeks old so not even run in. I heard them being run with a Prima Luna Prologue 2 setup, a very nice amplifier but the owner wasn't happy with the way they sounded in his room. So with this in mind I was curious to know what he wasn't getting on with as other users were very happy with owning them.

When he demoed me the Harbeths, initially I thought that the midrange was nicely presented but with a slightly over emphasised treble. The bass was there, it was just not coming forward enough, little grunt. The sound was nice but because it was in on an alien system in an alien room I wasn't going to pass judgement until I heard them on my system and in my room.

In my opinion the only conclusion to why the previous owner didn't like what he heard was likely to be down to a system mismatch between amplifier and/or cables and speakers in some way, not only that but systems and rooms can also differ from each other too.

The Harbeth Super HL5 are the sixth generation of the acclaimed Harbeth Monitor which launched in 1977. Slightly wider in proportion to the BBC Monitors they incorporate the latest 200mm antimagnet polymetric composite radial-cone driver to produce a warm yet powerful sound underpinning the incredible midband clarity.

The high frequencies are handled by a SEAS 20mm titanium tweeter augmented by a neodymium magnet SuperTweeter resulting in a smooth extended and balanced dispersion.

The cabinet is constructed as a sandwich with front and back panels being separate parts attached by numerous specific anti-resonance screws each carefully tensioned. The walls of the cabinet are crafted around a thin wall construction technique extensively researched and proved by the BBC and used in all BBC style monitoring speakers.

The speakers do look rather conventional and retro in comparison to a lot of speakers and my previous speakers so this got thumbs up to me. It may put some people off as there is no carbon fibre or kevlar anywhere but don't let as the quality of the build and the finished veneering is really top notch and sitting on decent stands (in this case the ‘XF' stands by ‘Something Solid') they look absolutely superb once in situ.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/DSC04581.jpg

Right then, let's spin some black stuff and get down to how the Harbeth HL5's actually sound in my room.

The phono stage being used here is my Nick Gorham valve phono stage of which, I have to say, has to be one of the best stages I've ever heard andI've hear quite a few up to now. My turntable is a fully refurbished Thorens TD124 MKII with the SME 3009 tonearm and the cartridge is an Ortofon Rondo Red MC cart. All interconnects are Mark Grant HD1000 of which are also superb.

From the off once they were in my room I found them much more wholesome and bigger sounding with no hard treble. The midrange sounded much the same as it did when I demoed them but with a much rounder clarity. I simply plonked them down in typical toed in positions and with the Radford still warming up I was very surprised with the depth and couldn't wait for the amp to loosen up.

Made me grin!


http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/blind-faith-blind-faith-front.jpg

I found my first choice of music to be Blind Faith's album on vinyl and the track ‘Do what you like'. From Stevie's first Hammond swirl at the start they opened up like listening in widescreen. From the off the whole image was focused but with a much wider aspect like having two huge windows open. Ginger Bakers drum solo sounded fresh, snappy, crisp with superb imagery.
A quick adjustment on the speaker positions (a little wider and further in to the room) at this point found that bass came through stronger and further.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/we-love-life.jpg

Next up was Pulps ‘We Love Life' album. Jarvis Cocker's dark and deep dramatic tones rumbled towards the centre on ‘The Wicker Man' sounding so full and giving that centre spot a solid focus. The underwater effects at the end of the track sounded superb. This was the part I judged with other speakers with only the Dali's coming closest to the bass and imaging.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/goldfrapp-seventh_tree.jpg

Goldfrapp's ‘Seventh Tree' was next. The haunting feeling of Alison's vocals came through with an eerie and airy sounding backing that was very apparent and very wide. I find Goldfrapp a good test as they include a good ensemble of frequencies and speeds.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/goldfrapp-black-cherry.jpg

After an hour or so things were getting much better as the amp was now in ‘groove' mode so sticking with Goldfrapp the next album was ‘Black Cherry' – A much more dancy, beat like style to this one of which I was totally amazed by. Fast, rock solid bass, no flappyness and perfectly timed on ‘Train'. The track ‘Black Cherry', a slower and more soulful track flowed out with such ease and authority.

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/DSC04577.jpg

Throughout the best part of 3 days I adjusted them using my tried and tested ‘magic 5' theory. Basically taking the best out of five positions and plotting them on the carpet with duct tape. Then adjust again after a day or so to let the ears adjust to the new sound.

At this point I'd say that the given 40hz for the SHL5's is certainly very conservative as once they are set up properly they sound much deeper and more powerful. They do also sound much more sensitive than the given 86db so if anyone is worried especially with valve equipment that they won't give that full range then I'd suggest taking your amp down to the shop and having a demo, I think you'll be surprised.

In presentation terms the Harbeth SHL5's do something special. Everything happens together through one central (yet wide) focal point that does not shout, they have no apparent signature and everything happens seamlessly and instantly revealing the music's natural timing together with no emphasised lag or colour. They have a very natural and balanced sound, superb powerful and smooth bass, very realistic mids and highs with no ear bending brightness.

The Harbeth SHL5's are really quite astonishing loudspeakers, beautifully made and very well engineered to the most important aspect, how they sound.

If anyone has any questions regarding this review please PM me, I'll be very happy to awnser any questions.

By Joe Lewis

http://i457.photobucket.com/albums/qq295/musical_submarine/Harbeth/DSC04549.jpg


I ended up with the following measurements:
Room Size: 5m x 5m
Distance apart:1.8m
Toe in: about 15degrees
Distance from back wall: 1ft

System Specifications:
Radford SC-25 Preamplifier (NOS Mullard driven)
Radford STA25 Renaissance (NOS Mullard driven)
Nick Gorham Phono Stage (ECC88's)
Thorens TD-124 MKII (Schopper refurbished)
SME 3009 Tonearm
Ortofon Rondo Red MC
Trio DP700

Cables:
Mark Grant HD1000 Interconnects
Stirling Black Mamba speaker cable

Specifications of Super HL5:
Transducer system Vented 3 way loudspeaker - Bass/mid, HF and Supertweeter Frequency response 40Hz - 24kHz ± 3dB free space, 1m with grille on, smooth off axis response
Impedance 8 ohms
Amplifier suggestion 25-150W
Power handling 150W programme
Connector Four 4mm gold-plated binding posts (biwireable)
Dimensions (h x w x d) 638 x 322 x 300mm
Finish Cherry, eucalyptus (extra cost) real wood veneers.
Weight 17.2kg each, unpacked
Packing Single speaker per carton

hifi_dave
24-02-2011, 21:04
Hi Joe, great write-up on a wonderful speaker. Good job you didn't get put off by the initial listen with unsuitable amp...:doh:

Welder
24-02-2011, 21:32
Lovely speakers; one of the few commercially built speakers worth bothering with imo :)
What I’ve always admired about them is they’re flexibility. They’ll play pretty much an genre of music with the same accurate but fluid sound and they’ll take some power if your listening environment can cope with the decibels.
Nice review Joe and if I may say, a rather nice system :)

DSJR
24-02-2011, 21:32
Transformer coupled valve amps can take some care to integrate with modern lower impedance speakers. I think this is one reason why so many top vintage designs were 8 Ohm MINIMUM and usually around 11 - 15 Ohms IMO to improve matching.

Usually, it's been my experience to place BBC legacy monitors as far away from the back wall as can be got. If you've experimented and found the best audible position for you, then well done for persevering. HiFi dave's 40.1's are close to corners yet don't boom at all.

I don't know the Radford preamp you have, the SC22 being the one I had back in 1976. The 25 power amp showed great potential, but noone was willing to properly service mine, not even the small service dept we had, so after a year or so the amp went to Budapest along with some BC1's...

Well done for writing such an encouraging review. The HL series have all been good, getting more consistent from mk1 to mk4 and then developing the formula from then on. The full balance is in stark contrast to bleached-out modern boxes, but so good at low to medium levels, the clarity of these making low level listening a true pleasure :)

The Black Adder
24-02-2011, 22:10
Cheers guys, that really means a lot. Glad you like it.

It took me a while but I just had to write it up, I'm simply very happy with them indeed.

"If you've experimented and found the best audible position for you, then well done for persevering." - never say die!... lol

"I don't know the Radford preamp you have, the SC22 being the one I had back in 1976." - Yeah, this one is from the 80's. It's a superb pre with lots of knobs on it, haha... Oh.. to own an ex BBC LFO unit.... I can dream!

The Black Adder
24-02-2011, 22:13
btw.... Roxy Music's - For Your Pleasure sounds foooookin top!

Alex_UK
24-02-2011, 22:46
Great post Joe. I can't wait to hear some Harbeth's at Hifi_Dave's (is that a subtle enough hint for you DSJR?! ;) ) but I'm equally scared that I will have to sell my Granny - not a big issue in itself, except both are long gone so I'll have to sell someone else's! :lol:

The Black Adder
24-02-2011, 22:52
www.granniesforcash.com - it doesn't exist... yet! :)

keiths
24-02-2011, 23:00
www.webuyanygran.com

The Black Adder
24-02-2011, 23:05
HAHA!!!! Thats ace!

Alex_UK
24-02-2011, 23:06
LMAO! :D

hifi_dave
26-02-2011, 17:44
Great post Joe. I can't wait to hear some Harbeth's at Hifi_Dave's (is that a subtle enough hint for you DSJR?! ;) ) but I'm equally scared that I will have to sell my Granny - not a big issue in itself, except both are long gone so I'll have to sell someone else's! :lol:

I think you will need to do the journey on your own, because DSJR gets a nose bleed when he leaves Suffolk...:eyebrows:

Marco
26-02-2011, 22:49
Yes, I've noticed that myself!!

Marco.

Barry
26-02-2011, 22:54
Great write-up Joe. I really enjoyed reading it; well written - though a few more commas would have helped.

Shame you find the Quad 57s physically too wide for your room, as they would ably demonstrate the 'open window' portrayal you admire.

The Thorens 124/II looks lovely. Did you get Schopper to supply the original ash plinth?

Again, an excellent review. Well done!

Regards

The Black Adder
27-02-2011, 20:05
Hello Barry..

Many thanks, I'm really glad you liked it. Yes, sorry for the errors, I wrote it in sections...lol I will try some 57's eventually when I get a bigger room.

Yes, the plinth is also from Schopper. The TD124 runs as new, no fluctuations on the strobe, totally rock solid.