The “H” word (Edit: Harbeth!)
- Thread starter DC
- Start date
Well, right now they’re boxed in a closet but I’ll pull them out today. Stands are Sound Anchor 3-post ‘T’ top stands, not the 4 post square open top, which I’m pretty sure are far superior. And I’m guessing, based on my experience with the big Spendors, that the four post hard wood Resonant Wood or Ton Trager are the best. Still, I’m thinking they may have to be sold.
House was built in 1913. Funny thing, there still are several small ceramic insulators against the ceiling in the attic.
I'd think the 3-post T stands would sound better than them in the boxes, but that's just me, fanboi that I am.
And you've got Harbeth C7s boxed in a closet, I've got KEF LS-50s boxed in a closet - we are an embarrassment of riches around here.
This place was built in the 20s and we still have about 75% knob-and-tube wiring throughout. I try not to think about it...
I would sell the big Spendors and the C7s and use the combined proceeds get larger Harbeths if you're only doing one system, even if its used previous SHL-5s (which is what I have..the SHL-5+ came out soon after, of course).
This is an excellent suggestion.
It's interesting, as I would not have expected a huge difference - they're just stands - but there's a marked improvement in the bass resolution. With the little tables as stands, there was some bass boominess every once in a while. Now there seems to be better clarity - a bloatedness that some describe (and that I very occasionally seemed to experience, though not in a bad or offensive way) is gone - bass is a little cleaner, clearer, faster. If there was ever a hint of one-noteness, it now seems to be gone. I guess if there was one improvement I had hoped and perhaps expected to be improved, this was it, and it seems to have worked. Yay! (Too bad it's an expensive way to get there.)
I should be working or something...
KEFs are on the block, thanks for the reminder. Sonus Fabers are long gone.
Kitty's getting better, and the fans allow me to enjoy the very occasional cigar while listening up here without the room smelling like an old bowling alley. (Actually quite effective.)
Blaspheme! Blaspheme!
I’m keeping the SP100s.
Actually I will probably sell the S100s and BC3s. And probably the Harbeth C7ES3s. And then there’s the Vapors too.
I’ve heard and read mixed reports comparing the C7s and the SHL-5 Plus. A few people actually prefer the C7s for detail
but most prefer the SHL-5s for the bass, primarily. So it sounds like a great speaker, knowing how terrific the C7s are.
Still, the Spendors have gotten in me but I appreciate the suggestions.
I think the Hiquophon tweeters would be interesting in the SP-100s. My really only gripe with them was I thought they showed a bit of their age in the treble (and they were too big for my place).
Update 2020: Loving speakers, stands, cables, system, music, heck even business is good.
However, back when I got the Resonant Woods stands, there was a minor drawback. The stands are supplied with, instead of pointy feet, round balls:
They thread in just like feet, have a jam-nut for tightening to a certain depth/height, and all that. Just like pointy feet, except balls. Resonant Woods was all about them in their ad copy, but I didn't love the idea. I have a thickish rug in here and decided that I'd prefer pointy feet to go through the rug to the wood floor underneath. No worries, there are lots of aftermarket pointy feet available, and @MikeT. got his stands before mine shipped and went through the trial-and-error on my behalf (haha) of a few different 1/4-20 threaded feet before settling on a nice set that he liked and suggested for me, too. (Thanks, Mike.) They were not exactly inexpensive, but no bother, because Harbeth.
Important: In the bottoms of the legs of the stands are metal thread-inserts that the feet thread in to, thus the 1/4-20 thread requirement for feet.
Not important: There are about a gajillion relatively inexpensive and probably satisfactory pointy feet options, but the vast majority have metric threads, many even interchangeable metric threads; the 1/4-20 options are less abundant. (Again, thanks @Mike.T.)
Anyway, my just-OCD-enough-to-be-dangerous self decided that the slightly loose-ish threads on the ball feet needed a good tightening of the jam-nut to keep them nice and solid in the legs of the stands. Except that when I tightened the nut against the metal threaded insert, the insert itself loosened. Badly. Oops, better be more careful. Except the next one did it, too. And the next, WTH?? So I removed the loosest one, and found what you see here. Look carefully... notice anything amiss?
Yes, those of you who are likely not left-handed may notice that the metal insert has a left-handed thread to screw it in to its corresponding hole. Meaning that if you tighten a threaded shaft in it, right-handedly, you risk turning the threaded insert to the right, thus starting it to unscrew. Without going in to any amount of obvious physics, this is VERY VERY DUMB. I managed to get enough of the threaded inserts screwed back in to the bases tight enough, and get the ball-feet-threads just tight enough to keep me from going insane, and they've been like that ever since. Mocking me.
Quite randomly, a couple months ago I went to [insert your favorite hardware store or home center here] on a mission and found the inserts pictured above on the left. While they're very cheap and thin and not expensive and not heavy duty and certainly not audiophile-grade, they do have ACTUAL RIGHT HAND THREADS. They've been sitting on the shelf between the speakers for probably two months. I looked at them every time I came up here to listen. Every time.
So an evening last weekend, after Manhattan #2, I decided this was the time to tackle them. I went downstairs with the new inserts, found the appropriate hex-drive bit needed to screw them in (6mm, in case you're curious), and headed back up to do business. I flipped a stand over and assaulted the first round ball foot I touched until I [removed] (this is a much nicer verb than I originally typed) the foot as well as its threaded insert. After checking the depth of the hole and that the center shaft of each insert was roughtly the same diameter (so the hole didn't need to be drilled or reamed), I carefully threaded the new, properly-oriented insert in to the old hole. A very tight fit. Even audiophile tight. Good. I replaced the ball-feet, this time being able to tighten up the jam-nut nice and tight, and my slight-OCD is relatively satiated.
Now that I had acceptable thread-inserts in the stands, the next step was to find pointy feet. I was hoping I might find something that was a little taller than the ones @Mike.T got, as I felt I wanted just a tiny bit more height than what I was getting with the ball feet, and with some of the optional feet we considered and discussed. I managed to find these (below) the right height, thread, and "close enough" finish. The color says "black chrome" which turns out to mean "chrome" as there isn't much "black" about them, though they do have a darkish tint to them, rather than, say, a blue tint. (Chrome can vary a lot...) Anyway, "close enough for Jazz" in this context.
www.madisoundspeakerstore.com
They arrived this week, and I also got some black rubber washers to interface between the top of the cones and the flat bottoms of the legs to give some "stick" and hopefully prevent loosening over time. I also added a "thick" washer to the front legs only to give a tiny amount of tilt back to aide with the need for a little more height. This afternoon I finished re-doing both stands and getting everything in place and hooked back up.
And I'm happy with the results. They are the right height, the "chrome" appears more dull than shiny, and definitely seems to reflect more dark and black than accentuate any light. The points reach through the rug and bite nicely to the wood floor under and still provide that extra height I was hoping for. And you can't see the washers unless you get down on the floor and look for it, which I almost never do while listening.
As a counter to Mr. Ken's recent thread about Harbeth/Spendor stands, perhaps this post could be called "Not So Cheap and Cheerful Harbeth Stands"?
Happy Listening, gang!
However, back when I got the Resonant Woods stands, there was a minor drawback. The stands are supplied with, instead of pointy feet, round balls:
They thread in just like feet, have a jam-nut for tightening to a certain depth/height, and all that. Just like pointy feet, except balls. Resonant Woods was all about them in their ad copy, but I didn't love the idea. I have a thickish rug in here and decided that I'd prefer pointy feet to go through the rug to the wood floor underneath. No worries, there are lots of aftermarket pointy feet available, and @MikeT. got his stands before mine shipped and went through the trial-and-error on my behalf (haha) of a few different 1/4-20 threaded feet before settling on a nice set that he liked and suggested for me, too. (Thanks, Mike.) They were not exactly inexpensive, but no bother, because Harbeth.
Important: In the bottoms of the legs of the stands are metal thread-inserts that the feet thread in to, thus the 1/4-20 thread requirement for feet.
Not important: There are about a gajillion relatively inexpensive and probably satisfactory pointy feet options, but the vast majority have metric threads, many even interchangeable metric threads; the 1/4-20 options are less abundant. (Again, thanks @Mike.T.)
Anyway, my just-OCD-enough-to-be-dangerous self decided that the slightly loose-ish threads on the ball feet needed a good tightening of the jam-nut to keep them nice and solid in the legs of the stands. Except that when I tightened the nut against the metal threaded insert, the insert itself loosened. Badly. Oops, better be more careful. Except the next one did it, too. And the next, WTH?? So I removed the loosest one, and found what you see here. Look carefully... notice anything amiss?
Yes, those of you who are likely not left-handed may notice that the metal insert has a left-handed thread to screw it in to its corresponding hole. Meaning that if you tighten a threaded shaft in it, right-handedly, you risk turning the threaded insert to the right, thus starting it to unscrew. Without going in to any amount of obvious physics, this is VERY VERY DUMB. I managed to get enough of the threaded inserts screwed back in to the bases tight enough, and get the ball-feet-threads just tight enough to keep me from going insane, and they've been like that ever since. Mocking me.
Quite randomly, a couple months ago I went to [insert your favorite hardware store or home center here] on a mission and found the inserts pictured above on the left. While they're very cheap and thin and not expensive and not heavy duty and certainly not audiophile-grade, they do have ACTUAL RIGHT HAND THREADS. They've been sitting on the shelf between the speakers for probably two months. I looked at them every time I came up here to listen. Every time.
So an evening last weekend, after Manhattan #2, I decided this was the time to tackle them. I went downstairs with the new inserts, found the appropriate hex-drive bit needed to screw them in (6mm, in case you're curious), and headed back up to do business. I flipped a stand over and assaulted the first round ball foot I touched until I [removed] (this is a much nicer verb than I originally typed) the foot as well as its threaded insert. After checking the depth of the hole and that the center shaft of each insert was roughtly the same diameter (so the hole didn't need to be drilled or reamed), I carefully threaded the new, properly-oriented insert in to the old hole. A very tight fit. Even audiophile tight. Good. I replaced the ball-feet, this time being able to tighten up the jam-nut nice and tight, and my slight-OCD is relatively satiated.
Now that I had acceptable thread-inserts in the stands, the next step was to find pointy feet. I was hoping I might find something that was a little taller than the ones @Mike.T got, as I felt I wanted just a tiny bit more height than what I was getting with the ball feet, and with some of the optional feet we considered and discussed. I managed to find these (below) the right height, thread, and "close enough" finish. The color says "black chrome" which turns out to mean "chrome" as there isn't much "black" about them, though they do have a darkish tint to them, rather than, say, a blue tint. (Chrome can vary a lot...) Anyway, "close enough for Jazz" in this context.
Feet: Yung YBLC Black Chrome TipToe - 2.15"
Yung "Long" Subwoofer TiptoeThis has what is called a black chrome finish. It is not black, it is silver chrome colored. It has a dark reflection and that makes it difficult to photograph. 2.15" TallBlack Chrome plated brass1-1/4" diameter at baseThreaded insert (11/32" drill bit for the...
www.madisoundspeakerstore.com
They arrived this week, and I also got some black rubber washers to interface between the top of the cones and the flat bottoms of the legs to give some "stick" and hopefully prevent loosening over time. I also added a "thick" washer to the front legs only to give a tiny amount of tilt back to aide with the need for a little more height. This afternoon I finished re-doing both stands and getting everything in place and hooked back up.
And I'm happy with the results. They are the right height, the "chrome" appears more dull than shiny, and definitely seems to reflect more dark and black than accentuate any light. The points reach through the rug and bite nicely to the wood floor under and still provide that extra height I was hoping for. And you can't see the washers unless you get down on the floor and look for it, which I almost never do while listening.
As a counter to Mr. Ken's recent thread about Harbeth/Spendor stands, perhaps this post could be called "Not So Cheap and Cheerful Harbeth Stands"?
Happy Listening, gang!
If they do, I somehow missed that memo.
@DC , full disclosure and confession. 
I do appreciate your nods for all of my “hard work”.
Because my dealer has a trade in policy I returned my Resonant Woods stands and went with the Skylan/kitty litter solution. Why, when the bass was more accurate with RW? Why, when the RW look was more elegant??
There are several practical but convoluted reasons. The BALLS got on my nerves even though they made positioning the Harbeths extremely easy. I found a solution with the spikes but they turned out to be just a tad too high for the ideal listening position. I saw where this could turn into one of those merry-go-round experiences. So went back to my dealer for a discussion.
The problem lies with having such a great dealer who loaned me a pair of his demo Skylans while the proper height RW stands were ordered. The Skylans are an example of a product in our hobby which does most everything right and gets out of the way. I couldn’t get them completely out of my head even while listening to the RWs, which I agree has slight superior bass. Plus, I got some money back (the practical).
There, confession made.
I do appreciate your nods for all of my “hard work”.Because my dealer has a trade in policy I returned my Resonant Woods stands and went with the Skylan/kitty litter solution. Why, when the bass was more accurate with RW? Why, when the RW look was more elegant??
There are several practical but convoluted reasons. The BALLS got on my nerves even though they made positioning the Harbeths extremely easy. I found a solution with the spikes but they turned out to be just a tad too high for the ideal listening position. I saw where this could turn into one of those merry-go-round experiences. So went back to my dealer for a discussion.
The problem lies with having such a great dealer who loaned me a pair of his demo Skylans while the proper height RW stands were ordered. The Skylans are an example of a product in our hobby which does most everything right and gets out of the way. I couldn’t get them completely out of my head even while listening to the RWs, which I agree has slight superior bass. Plus, I got some money back (the practical).
There, confession made.
@DC , full disclosure and confession.
Because my dealer has a trade in policy I returned my Resonant Woods stands and went with the Skylan/kitty litter solution. Why, when the bass was more accurate with RW? Why, when the RW look was more elegant??
There are several practical but convoluted reasons. The BALLS got on my nerves even though they made positioning the Harbeths extremely easy. I found a solution with the spikes but they turned out to be just a tad too high for the ideal listening position. I saw where this could turn into one of those merry-go-round experiences. So went back to my dealer for a discussion.
The problem lies with having such a great dealer who loaned me a pair of his demo Skylans while the proper height RW stands were ordered. The Skylans are an example of a product in our hobby which does most everything right and gets out of the way. I couldn’t get them completely out of my head even while listening to the RWs, which I agree has slight superior bass. Plus, I got some money back (the practical).
There, confession made.
View attachment 19874
Ha! True confession, I didn’t even know.
No worries, glad you got someplace where you’re happy. After this (rather minor, really) trial, I’m there, too.
No feline assistance, I did it all by myself!
