ProAc Tablette 10 Vs Spendor A1 Vs Harbeth PE3SR

Here we go.
A1s are looking pretty good for what is rhe cheapest Spendor money can buy. Since you have spent a good bit of time with the A1s, tell us more about the tonality, layering, speakers disappearing completely, etc The Spendors are apparently masters of these audiophile attributes, has that been your experience? That accuphase amp with these speakers should be an exceptional combination. Are these speakers really that good?

Please also tell us if the A1s ran the P3ESR close or if you actually preferred the A1 over the Harbeth.
 
Hello Fellow Members,

Hope you are doing great.

Need some help in deciding 1 among the 3. (Harbeth a bit out of budget but is extra money worth spending against spendor or proac?)
This is for one of my colleagues who will be getting it from UK.
Would be really great if you can share the usage/ownership experience of these speakers.
Open for any other brand/model as well in the similar price range.
Edit - Sealed enclosure preferred with great emphasis on mid range.

Does your friend hate bass :D

No that was a serious question :)

All these speakers are iterations of the BBC design. If he is serious about classical orchestra or vocals. Please ask him to include the falcon ls3/5a in the mix too.
 
Does your friend hate bass :D

No that was a serious question :)

All these speakers are iterations of the BBC design. If he is serious about classical orchestra or vocals. Please ask him to include the falcon ls3/5a in the mix too.
Thanks @newlash09, more than my friend, this has become my personal persuit now ;)
And no, neither me nor my colleague hates bass, we do like to an extent where it doesnt alter the mids and highs.
I understand that these BBCs are not that efficient in producing deep bass but I intend to deploy my velodyne SPL800i subwoofer for bass duty.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to audition any of the speakers as of now owing to COVID lockdown, But advice taken , will keep Falcon as one contender to audition. Any idea on its pricing and availability in India?
 
Thanks @newlash09, more than my friend, this has become my personal persuit now ;)
And no, neither me nor my colleague hates bass, we do like to an extent where it doesnt alter the mids and highs.
I understand that these BBCs are not that efficient in producing deep bass but I intend to deploy my velodyne SPL800i subwoofer for bass duty.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to audition any of the speakers as of now owing to COVID lockdown, But advice taken , will keep Falcon as one contender to audition. Any idea on its pricing and availability in India?

Hi Kumar :)

Glad to know you have a very competent sub at hand. These particular book shelves lend themselves very well to sub integration at 70hz. Especially the harbeths, if you go down that route. Should be the same for the Proacs and the spendors too. Unfortunately i have no clue if the falcons are available in India. I do see them from time to time in the UK and USA on sale. The spendors, proacs and harbeths have a slightly different sound. But if you love the harbeths sound, then the falcons are supposed to better it :)

That is also from my research, as I was seriously chasing harbeths before I went down the DIY route. All the best my friend :)
 
Thanks @newlash09, more than my friend, this has become my personal persuit now ;)
And no, neither me nor my colleague hates bass, we do like to an extent where it doesnt alter the mids and highs.
I understand that these BBCs are not that efficient in producing deep bass but I intend to deploy my velodyne SPL800i subwoofer for bass duty.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to audition any of the speakers as of now owing to COVID lockdown, But advice taken , will keep Falcon as one contender to audition. Any idea on its pricing and availability in India?

The dealer is in Mumbai ..but I don't remember now..
 
one more to the mix :)

go to falcon acoustics Uk website - they sell DiY kits incl cabinet - BBC monitors / LS 3/5a etc..

you can have a lot of fun making this kit whilst saving a lot of money
 
one more to the mix :)

go to falcon acoustics Uk website - they sell DiY kits incl cabinet - BBC monitors / LS 3/5a etc..

you can have a lot of fun making this kit whilst saving a lot of money
Interesting, m not too comfortable taking DIY route
 
Hi Kumar :)

Glad to know you have a very competent sub at hand. These particular book shelves lend themselves very well to sub integration at 70hz. Especially the harbeths, if you go down that route. Should be the same for the Proacs and the spendors too. Unfortunately i have no clue if the falcons are available in India. I do see them from time to time in the UK and USA on sale. The spendors, proacs and harbeths have a slightly different sound. But if you love the harbeths sound, then the falcons are supposed to better it :)

That is also from my research, as I was seriously chasing harbeths before I went down the DIY route. All the best my friend :)
Thanks a ton newlash for the review. Will certainly look for an audition and decide. M in no hurry this time around.
Its always said that u shud change your job when you are happy with your current job, This gives you a lot of time and patience to evaluate the offers at hand and not take a hasty decision.
M currently in that state where I am relatively happy with my setup and will take a very judicious call post evaluation of all the available options.
 
Fully built is GBP 1485 less 20% Vat

Fyi..

No significant difference I believe, as the complete assembled unit is available for 1600 GBP. Plus, given the fact that I am nearly illiterate when it comes to technology so dont want to take the risk :-(
I Understand your push but DIY is certainly not my cup of tea. Apologies.
 
A1s are looking pretty good for what is rhe cheapest Spendor money can buy. Since you have spent a good bit of time with the A1s, tell us more about the tonality, layering, speakers disappearing completely, etc The Spendors are apparently masters of these audiophile attributes, has that been your experience? That accuphase amp with these speakers should be an exceptional combination. Are these speakers really that good?

Please also tell us if the A1s ran the P3ESR close or if you actually preferred the A1 over the Harbeth.
First and foremost, I need to emphasize that my listening room is FAR from optimal. 11 m2 on the 2nd floor if a wooden house, there is a major bump around 65Hz and a loss of energy between 80-100Hz, some up'n'downs after that. The sound is quite thin, but with bigger speakers the 65Hz bump becomes a showstopper (having owned bigger Proacs and PMCs, with whixh also the treble was too much). 10 cm behind the listener's head is a window. Thus, don't take my word on which speaker is better. But better behaving in this room and positioning - A1 over P3ESR, yes. Slightly more forgiving, a little less detailed, more even bass, easier treble. I can hear the virtues of P3ESR, but still want speakers that work better in that room.

The Accuphases are most likely an overkill as their talent is lost in my room (should really try another amp to be sure!) In any case the A1s can disappear totally, they image with pinpoint accuracy, although some 3D is lost for me as I keep the speakers so close to the wall to help low-volume listening. Esp. male vocals are presented well. Bass in A1s becomes a bit soft-edged when very fast drumming is required. This may be due to the Custom Design stands, though. In the lower treble there is a shine (sorry for no better word) of which a part of me likes.
I opted to try a Dspeaker-corrected sub to fill the hole at 80-100 Hz. It seems to eat some accuracy but the room seems to need it.

I am not in final, however. I'd like to try a bit more kick and groove, but then, fatique may become an issue. My previous speakers were PMC Twenty5.22s with the aforementioned virtues, but A1s on me over with the balance.
 
First and foremost, I need to emphasize that my listening room is FAR from optimal. 11 m2 on the 2nd floor if a wooden house, there is a major bump around 65Hz and a loss of energy between 80-100Hz, some up'n'downs after that. The sound is quite thin, but with bigger speakers the 65Hz bump becomes a showstopper (having owned bigger Proacs and PMCs, with whixh also the treble was too much). 10 cm behind the listener's head is a window. Thus, don't take my word on which speaker is better. But better behaving in this room and positioning - A1 over P3ESR, yes. Slightly more forgiving, a little less detailed, more even bass, easier treble. I can hear the virtues of P3ESR, but still want speakers that work better in that room.

The Accuphases are most likely an overkill as their talent is lost in my room (should really try another amp to be sure!) In any case the A1s can disappear totally, they image with pinpoint accuracy, although some 3D is lost for me as I keep the speakers so close to the wall to help low-volume listening. Esp. male vocals are presented well. Bass in A1s becomes a bit soft-edged when very fast drumming is required. This may be due to the Custom Design stands, though. In the lower treble there is a shine (sorry for no better word) of which a part of me likes.
I opted to try a Dspeaker-corrected sub to fill the hole at 80-100 Hz. It seems to eat some accuracy but the room seems to need it.

I am not in final, however. I'd like to try a bit more kick and groove, but then, fatique may become an issue. My previous speakers were PMC Twenty5.22s with the aforementioned virtues, but A1s on me over with the balance.

That’s a commendably objective look at one’s own equipment. Also admire the precise use of audio terms that helps readers to get nuanced understanding of its virtues and limitations.
 
First and foremost, I need to emphasize that my listening room is FAR from optimal. 11 m2 on the 2nd floor if a wooden house, there is a major bump around 65Hz and a loss of energy between 80-100Hz, some up'n'downs after that. The sound is quite thin, but with bigger speakers the 65Hz bump becomes a showstopper (having owned bigger Proacs and PMCs, with whixh also the treble was too much). 10 cm behind the listener's head is a window. Thus, don't take my word on which speaker is better. But better behaving in this room and positioning - A1 over P3ESR, yes. Slightly more forgiving, a little less detailed, more even bass, easier treble. I can hear the virtues of P3ESR, but still want speakers that work better in that room.

The Accuphases are most likely an overkill as their talent is lost in my room (should really try another amp to be sure!) In any case the A1s can disappear totally, they image with pinpoint accuracy, although some 3D is lost for me as I keep the speakers so close to the wall to help low-volume listening. Esp. male vocals are presented well. Bass in A1s becomes a bit soft-edged when very fast drumming is required. This may be due to the Custom Design stands, though. In the lower treble there is a shine (sorry for no better word) of which a part of me likes.
I opted to try a Dspeaker-corrected sub to fill the hole at 80-100 Hz. It seems to eat some accuracy but the room seems to need it.

I am not in final, however. I'd like to try a bit more kick and groove, but then, fatique may become an issue. My previous speakers were PMC Twenty5.22s with the aforementioned virtues, but A1s on me over with the balance.
Thanks for the reply, that these speakers can disappear appears to be an universal observation. The bigger monitors like the 2/3 with ports evidently cannot do this although they offer more bass.

I can relate to your setup, my room is 12 ft x 14ft and have to contend with windows. I need to listen at low levels, looking for speakers that sound good at low levels in the near field to mid field. The balance from across tbe frequency range is also frequently mentioned and your experience appears to be the same. This looks like a speaker designed in real world conditions rather than ideal conditions.

In any event it's the A1 that is available for an audition and it's the one that's competitively priced, will go and listen to it first.
 
Thanks for the reply, that these speakers can disappear appears to be an universal observation. The bigger monitors like the 2/3 with ports evidently cannot do this although they offer more bass.

I can relate to your setup, my room is 12 ft x 14ft and have to contend with windows. I need to listen at low levels, looking for speakers that sound good at low levels in the near field to mid field. The balance from across tbe frequency range is also frequently mentioned and your experience appears to be the same. This looks like a speaker designed in real world conditions rather than ideal conditions.

In any event it's the A1 that is available for an audition and it's the one that's competitively priced, will go and listen to it first.

when you audition try to hear them with and w/o subwoofer

Try to check if low volume listenability levels are good with or w/o subwoofer
 
Thanks for the reply, that these speakers can disappear appears to be an universal observation. The bigger monitors like the 2/3 with ports evidently cannot do this although they offer more bass.

I can relate to your setup, my room is 12 ft x 14ft and have to contend with windows. I need to listen at low levels, looking for speakers that sound good at low levels in the near field to mid field. The balance from across tbe frequency range is also frequently mentioned and your experience appears to be the same. This looks like a speaker designed in real world conditions rather than ideal conditions.

In any event it's the A1 that is available for an audition and it's the one that's competitively priced, will go and listen to it first.
Have been in touch with audio lounge Bangalore for it's audition. They have classic 3/5 for audition in Bangalore and not A1. They claim that both are pretty much same .
Can someone through some light on this please?
 
looks the same to me externally

speaker technologies dont change too drastically as well

if you like what you hear - maybe you can ask for a better price ?
 
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