The “H” word (Edit: Harbeth!)

Congratulations. I don't know who remembers, or not, anything about my speaker journey but it stops happily at my Harbeth SHL-5s. The only thing I'm interested in is the other Harbeths. Ok, maybe Devores but that's for another system. And my Quad 63s, Which, actually, sound a lot like my Harbeths.

For those not familiar with the BBC/Spendor/Harbeth school of thin-walled speakers, the idea is absolutely clarity through the midrange by the fastest and most controlled dissipation of stored resonate energy. It's counter to what most everybody else does, which is to conquer cabinet resonance with mass and rigidity. Which, in the mind of the thin-walled school, just stores it and mucks things up. If you're not going to capture and kill it, then just get it out of there in a way you can control, in a way that isn't musically destructive. I may have messed up the details but it's all solved by a listen. They are simply some of the most musically intact, harmonically rich, speakers around regardless of cost.

I'm debating on whether to splurge on a used pair of Monitor 30s for my 2nd system, or maybe just P3esrs. I previously had the Compact 7es3s. In my all-vintage system, I have the grandfather of them all, a mint pair of Spendor BC-1s, from which my beloved SHL-5s eventually trickled down from. I love them all.

Again, congratulations on those lovely speakers. I'll poke around to see what stand options I can unearth as I'm always curious myself.
 
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Don C, give David Michael Audio a call. They used the Tontraeger stands when they debuted and earlier model Harbeth speaker, at an early Fest, and still carry them today.
 
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Don C, give David Michael Audio a call. They used the Tontraeger stands when they debuted and earlier model Harbeth speaker, at an early Fest, and still carry them today.
I had just read about those stands two days ago and couldn't remember the name. Those look wonderful (and I'm guessing around or north of $1000?)
 
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I had just read about those stands two days ago and couldn't remember the name. Those look wonderful (and I'm guessing around or north of $1000?)
I followed a link on the mfg site to fidelisav.com where a review of the brand indicated the P3 stands were $1395. Ouch.

That said, the demo process for mine showed the importance of decent stands for these speakers.
 
I followed a link on the mfg site to fidelisav.com where a review of the brand indicated the P3 stands were $1395. Ouch.

That said, the demo process for mine showed the importance of decent stands for these speakers.

Yeah, Fidelis A/V was the importer website I saw. If that's the price range, I will likely consider other options first. Darn, but they're so nice.
 
I think the Resonant Woods stands come in around $700-$800 new? I'm not sure but that's kind of what my sleuthing is suggesting.
 
I believe they are no longer made, but the Atlantis Reference speaker stands were always nice for Harbeth speakers (assuming the aesthetic works too). They come up from time to time on the used marketplaces.

The problem there is the freight costs, they weigh a ton.
 
Congrats on the new speakers, but I do hope you were kidding about the Heresys. Never heard 'em sound like that.

My apologies, I didn't mean to be rude. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the Hereseys and perhaps my criticism came across a little too harsh.
 
I think the Resonant Woods stands come in around $700-$800 new? I'm not sure but that's kind of what my sleuthing is suggesting.

Thanks, that seems promising. I'll have to do some digging as soon as I can.
 
My neighbor does nice work on stuff like those stands. (He refinished the Heath Kit speakers you have seen) If you give me some dimensions and design ideas, I'll approach him. I can also see if the guy that did our basement is interested. He is a fine craftsman.
 
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I believe they are no longer made, but the Atlantis Reference speaker stands were always nice for Harbeth speakers (assuming the aesthetic works too). They come up from time to time on the used marketplaces.

The problem there is the freight costs, they weigh a ton.

They're a little bulky for my tastes, and I think maybe a little too "massive" for what I'm going for. I think the thinner/lighter "skeletal" stands are what my mind wants to let them live and breathe.

The more "open frame" stands seem to connect with the speaker cabinet along the outer edges (or in the corners) of the bottom panel, not flat along the whole bottom, allowing the bottom panel to continue to do it's vibrating thing (see John's post(s) above) as opposed to shunting that vibrational energy to be damped by the stand itself.

Eh?
 
That's what I figured out with mine. The bottom needs to be open, allowed to vibrate. I had the C7s on heavy four post target stands and the life was sucked out of them. It really surprised me. The got kind of shouty, hard to explain (plus its a very old memory....).
 
They're a little bulky for my tastes, and I think maybe a little too "massive" for what I'm going for. I think the thinner/lighter "skeletal" stands are what my mind wants to let them live and breathe.

The more "open frame" stands seem to connect with the speaker cabinet along the outer edges (or in the corners) of the bottom panel, not flat along the whole bottom, allowing the bottom panel to continue to do it's vibrating thing (see John's post(s) above) as opposed to shunting that vibrational energy to be damped by the stand itself.

Eh?

Makes sense for that type of cabinet, though I never really thought the more massive stands ruined the sound of either the HL-P3, or the C7, but I guess to some extent it might also matter as to how they are coupled. I've always preferred Bostik Blu-Tak, but maybe I was going about it all wrong?
 
That's what I figured out with mine. The bottom needs to be open, allowed to vibrate. I had the C7s on heavy four post target stands and the life was sucked out of them. It really surprised me. The got kind of shouty, hard to explain (plus its a very old memory....).
Old memory for me too, but I do recall what you are describing, though I also seem to remember it was cured by not filling all 4 pillars fully with sand or lead shot, some filling was OK, but not completely filled. Again, perhaps I was going about it all wrong.
 
At the time my 4-post Target stands were empty but they were also the most massive stands they offered, so even empty they were something to behold. I have them all filled up now, with clay cat liter, and they way a ton...which works underneath the Elacs. They were too tall for the Harbeths anyway. The Compact 7s are an oddly sized speaker.... bigger than most standmounts but smaller than the standard 2 cubic foot BBC BC-1 types, like my current SHL-5s. They almost demand custom made stands that are made specifically for them.
 
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