Harbeth vs Sound Lab

[Ambio]

Hello to all,

I recorded a short clip from Mgkos - Kind of Swing using iTalk . Do you hear any difference ? If so, please let me know which one you prefer and why. I wasn't expecting any difference but the results did surprise me.

MgkosA


MgkosB

Thank you.

 

[magma]

A just fools you into giving more details
but the singers voice has a serious lisp which i dont fancy

B is rounded off and far more natural
detail freaks may not prefer it though

P.S : i cant give more serious comments
since listening was done only casually with monitors
rather than on my HIFI

If you want more in depth analysis you need to mail me the flacs

 

[mpw]

MgkosA - i think the vocals had mode body and were more extended on the freq band.

having said that i must tell you i am hearing the tracks on JBL pebbles.... these are very small computer speakers...

but thats just me..

regards
mpw

 

[Ambio]

Thank you guys. I felt the same when I listened with IPhone and PC. I too have two answers. Could you guys cast your votes? Thank you.

P.s. this were recorded at my sitting place holding the iPhone. The audio quality of iPhone isn't that great. I will upload the WAV files tomorrow.

 

[rikhav]

Hi

It can also be the iphone mic is not good enough to record such a sound

I mean it might not give the true sound the speakers are outputting

It can be that the sound you actually hear on your seating position is very different from how the sound is recorded by the iphone

 

[vijwilso]

When listening through the MAC book pro tiny speaker .

A -> Crisp , Separation is better , notes seems to be thrown more powerful
B -> Rounded-off warm presentation

I liked the A from laptop speakers ,listening in a noisy environment

 

[Ambio]

It wasn't easy to level match as SL behaves very differently. They appear to be level matched but after recorded SL shows they are way lower than Harbeth. I have to really crank up the volume to match the Harbeth.

It would be a great idea if you guys too share your recordings using your mobile phone. I believe iTalk frequency range is very limited but at least it gives an idea of room coloration in the crucial mid frequencies.

And most importantly, my system hardly sounds like what you hear in the recordings. Even my pocket transistor sounds 100 time better than the sample clips above. Rikhav, you may get better result with different phones.

 

[Ambio]

198 views and 3 votes. Guess nothing much we can up with this observation.

 

[Ambio]

Thanks Dude111 for helping out by voting.

 

[Ambio]

Thank you to ghatgepatil, and vijwilso for taking part and helping me to decide.

I have also included another two tracks made using iPhone recording of the Harbeth and Sound Lab playing in the same room and from the exact position. I hope more FM would provide your valuable feedback and votes.

Please look here for the second poll.

Thank you.

 

[keith_correa]

I hear vocal sibilance in MgkosA & B both. A is crisp, clear & detailed, B is rolled off - un-natural to me.

 

[Ambio]

I hear vocal sibilance in MgkosA & B both. A is crisp, clear & detailed, B is rolled off - un-natural to me.

Thank you for your feedback. The sibilance is somehow over emphasized by the iPhone mic. The only way we can really compare if for someone to use a iPhone and record his speakers sound. That would be very interesting to compare and learn more about individual setup and preference.

 

[BLASTO]

A is soundlab and
B is Harbeth.

I will take the Harbeth, thanks.

 

[Ambio]

So 7 V 2. What would be your choice here?

http://www.hifivision.com/av-lounge/54299-part-2-harbeth-vs-sound-lab.html

 

[panditji]

If the price is the same, then the Soundlabs for me please.....else the Harbeths...
You should tell us the prices of the speakers as well to decide objectively....

 

[Ambio]

If the price is the same, then the Soundlabs for me please.....else the Harbeths...
You should tell us the prices of the speakers as well to decide objectively....

Price is immaterial. It is the sound. If you like I could do a $1500 vs $16000 CDP DBT but what's the purpose.....

 

[panditji]

Then it is not a fair comparison...it is obvious that the Soundlabs are better when it comes to the detail and the overall sound but with the price comes a better perspective as to how much better and if it is worth it or not...

Since you only want to know which one is better, you have got the answer but I guess you knew it before...

 

[Ambio]

It would been fair had I not revealed the speakers.

 

[panditji]

the sound clips were quite obvious and anyone having heard electrostats would have guessed correctly....