Harbeth Monitor 40.2 ~ Introduction

[@socksumi]

All a thin walled birch ply cabinet does is introduce a high Q resonance in the upper bass to lower mids that adds warmth to the sound of the drivers. It helps compensate for the floor dip common in stand mounted monitors. At higher frequencies the cabinet is nicely damped. It's a trick that's been done for years starting with early BBC designs like Spendor and Rogers. I had a pair of Mission 770s that also employed this trick to good effect. It's what gives these classic speakers the their charm. But in the end it's still a cabinet resonance.

[@yongzhongzhang3913]

professional “ sound colored”

[@brooklynbummer]

I have heard these speakers at the RMOF and I am impressed.

[@Kowinaida]

The editing is amazing!

[@trubadyr99]

These types of videos should be edited well. Make no mistake: this is advertising.

[@djscott9207]

LOL

[@elmhurst86]

Beautiful! Going for a demo so I can hear them, soon. Thanks for the clip.

[@jackbarnard1781]

Joe says.. I want to experiment w/ this speaker. Yup I sure do also lol 😆

[@Thereznap]

GREAT Review.. thank you. i would really love to know what equipment Mr Alan Shaw uses to drive the M40.3 Speakers ???!. i wanna know so i can get the Max out of them. unfortunately HARBETH does not tell / recommend what Amp, pre-amp, integrated, solid, tube to use. kinda frustrating.

[@joakimbengtsson5581]

Thanks, nice review! Cheers.

[@richarddegannes2928]

Hello, Are these Harbeth M40.2 speakers really value for money? Would a subwoofer be needed? How much would a pair of these plus stands run me in the USA? Thanks.

[@hi-ficorner]

Hello, the pro monitor version come with speakon connections rather than the gold plated binding posts. They also come with carry handles and a basic painted finish rather than the real wood finish that the domestic versions come in. Feel free to give us a call for more details.

[@shahabudeensyed9343]

Its a wonder... only when a new version is released Reviewers find eveything at fault with older models once they said are spectacular... Lol....

[@bikemike1118]

Yes. one sees that at car launches as well. EVERYTHING was great … up until the successor was presented 😂

[@frankjames4573]

So, what did you think, after listening at home Joe?

[@jeremyphilander8833]

I heard the xcross over is made cheaper..with inferior materials?

[@philj212]

will these work for movies?

[@johnsweda2999]

Do you know what the difference is between them and the studio version 40.2 pro, I'm assuming they are active.

[@jwester7009]

What's the difference between the monitor and domestic version?

[@isiahbethel5956]

What happened to standard scale?

[@presidentpotato222]

I love the comments about a speaker brand they have never heard .. it make music ... beautiful music ..

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

No. It PLAYS music. LOL

[@victoralexander848]

what front end did you used was it analogue on digital also how current hungry are they

[@marklydon435]

Aways makes me laugh when a reviewer says something like this new driver is "A vast improvement" on the old driver yet the older version had great reviews. If the difference was so bloody vast how come they managed to sell any of the previous version? I'm guessing the version 3 will be night and day better than these v2's.

[@joerusso4219]

$14K for three speakers in a wood box. I am sure they sound great but that's a ton of money for speakers.

[@opiestanborough4774]

son of a ..... ! doesnt anyone make a 12" or 15" 3 way that doesnt cost more than a Buick

[@StookieBill]

they're the most beautiful speaker i ever listened to. I was taken aback.

[@jonuiuc]

@@opiestanborough4774 Klipsch Fortes are the cheapest 3-ways I can think of with a 12" and cornwalls for a 15"

[@JohnHendicott]

$14k for 6 speakers in 2 wooden boxes. That sound like pure bliss. Lifetime investment

[@19761999]

@@jonuiuc Klipsch Heresy are 3 way with a 12" woofer and cost less than Forte.

[@milojenikolovski7522]

Great review, regards.

[@andrewhaines8603]

So much nicer to listen to.....so let's hear it please!

[@drs-Rigo-Reus]

this the only Harbeth true 3 way speaker no?

[@paulb.3227]

No: the HL5 speakers have 3 units too.

[@Zockopa]

Personaly i would never buy speakers in that price range but rather design and build them myself. One has probably to invest around 2k a pair and doing some soldiering and some woodwork to get at least a pair of speakers with equal if not better sound quality. Speakers in that price class have a huge profit margin im unwilling to pay.

[@paulb.3227]

You really think you can beat this kind of quality by building your own DIY project ? No. If you could, you would be a famous designer. A bit of modesty would suit you....

[@jitrapornpha5104]

@@paulb.3227 maybe he’s got better things to do than enter an overcrowded market of grossly overpriced snake oil.

[@ericschulze5641]

​@paulb.3227 your very very wrong

[@Borednlonely]

Which Naim amplification did you rest it with?

[@hi-ficorner]

Hi Umar, We use a NAC272 and 250DR as a reference system, but we also tested the 40.2 on our NAC552 (DR), NAP300 (DR) with NDS and 555PS with fantastic results. As always with speaker at this level setting them up in the room correctly is what makes the biggest difference.

[@wim1983]

Look at the big yummy woofer, the second radial woofer, and the soft tweeter, god it's a dream speakers, it seem it's not that heavy

[@Feelingawesome0]

But does it sound better than the jbl charge 3?

[@LincolnRon]

If you are going to pay over $15,000 US for a pair of speakers. Might as well pay the extra $1,000 for a different color than cherry. So anybody who knows the speaker knows you didn't buy the cheapest one. If you are going to show off how much money you have by buying Harbeth M40.2 speakers. You are kind of defeating your purpose by skimping on the wood stain. It's like buying a new Rolls Royce that has hail damage.

[@dxhighendamplifiers]

Why not to put it to play despite be speaking about?

[@d-manc2749]

Mic ineffiency alone will degrade the actual sound.

[@nigelivey5067]

What are you listening to KZbin on????

[@socksumi]

Seems strange that you call it "big". Maybe compared to the shoe boxes that pass as speakers these days. Back in the 70s this would have been classified as a large bookshelf design.

[@quinto34]

I want those damnit..

[@MadTango]

Harbeth only makes the mid-range Radial speaker in house. The woofer is made by the awesome Seas Speaker company which is considered one the very, very best drivers on the planet. Notice how the materials are different. I can't remember who makes the tweeter, but it has to be top-notch for sure to be in a Flagship Harbeth.

[@mickyandrosie]

MadTango. Harbeth does in fact make the woofer for these M40.2 in house . It's the tweeters that are sourced from SEAS Excel.

[@paulp.4970]

Why is it so difficult to LISTEN to the man?

[@philbarone4603]

I’ll never understand why they make it in that finish.

[@LIHPIT]

Vastly improved some sucker will buy

[@LIHPIT]

Extra little sparkle they might be a great speaker but I don't like being sold that's the first and last video thanks

[@andershammer9307]

These speakers look home brew to me with all the screws and where is the anti diffraction material to stop the sound from bouncing off the baffle. There is too much baffle area at the mid and tweeter and I never heard a dual port speaker with good bass. If you are talking about spending over $10K on speakers I personally would go for full range electrostatics.

[@dabbidaa1547]

You didn't design these so you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about... why even comment?

[@andershammer9307]

@@dabbidaa1547 Because I use to sell high-end speakers and I heard many and I used to modify them.

[@dabbidaa1547]

@@andershammer9307 ok, but you still didnt design them and actually have no clue about their baffle reflections or other caracteristics or why they were made the way they are… my point exactly.

[@andershammer9307]

@@dabbidaa1547 I have seen and heard enough speakers to get a good idea just by looking at them.

[@dabbidaa1547]

@@andershammer9307 A true professional engineer and physicist you must be then, impressive.

[@misterdecibel]

Damping. The word is damping, not dampening.

[@keitholdbean3173]

These speakers are overpriced . you can buy all the drivers for 600 then the crossovers are 100 the box is just a box lets say another 100 . so lets say for all the parts you need you spend 800 . these speakers should have a price tag of around 2000 . maximum .

[@mikemcguinness1304]

They are not overpriced .

[@skymarshallmarz5573]

Well, keep in mind the markup which about every company uses. Roughly 3-5 times the price of the total parts, which allows for profit and the ability to continue making them.

[@georgieboy2432]

If they were made in China, they would be much cheaper.

[@AN-ce1nd]

Looks like it was made in 1975

[@rennelenriquez3618]

Have you heard how they promoted/advertised the predecessor 40.1? They said it was perfectly made. Now they are saying different things. 😂

[@leckel1996]

Rennel Enriquez perfectly made taking into consideration that we’re humans and 1. Not perfect and 2. Constantly evolving and improving technology.

[@SliderMC]

Might be a good speaker for the 70s....

[@jajaj33]

Open it!

[@eugeniurosu1808]

I would definetaly purchased Danley Sound Labs for the $

[@StormCentre88]

Not worth it for that price. Many other monitors out there are better for that price.

[@anonymousonlineuser6543]

With a new tweeter and a new cross over and a new damping there ....., it is still a dog coffin and it sounds like one.

[@sMASHsound]

i like dog coffins, but i will build them at around $200 a pop... 90% accuracy in reproduction is good enough for me.

[@brokenot]

"the grill is designed to be used with the speaker" I enjoy reading product manuals. Someone send me a link to an online product manual for a speaker whose manufacturer tells the consumer in the manual to NOT use the grill that they provide with the speaker....

[@hi-ficorner]

There are many speaker designers who admit the speakers were tuned with the grills off. A manual is limited to a technical description only. All advice we give is from our own listening and/or the designers input :)

[@djscott9207]

Like the beard, Joe, but you're trying too hard here.

[@pittbrat7963]

I heard Dynaco's who will walk all over this gadget...

[@edg5367]

This is the USA We use inches guy

[@hi-ficorner]

An American in Scotland for this video

[@geez-hd6dn]

Ridiculous amount of money for an old fashion design speaker. Good sales advertising.

[@szeplnglau1633]

^

[@marcuspetery1823]

Sorry, but for 10000$ there are MUCH better speakers in every aspect out there.

[@paulp.4970]

That must be the price for only the left speaker :-) In Holland ( close to England and with a strong euro ) they cost 16.000 € a pair. What better speakers do you have in mind?

[@marcuspetery1823]

Really, 16000€ a pair??? I would rather buy the ATC SCM100ASLT or the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond 803 D3 or the Wilson Audio Sophia III or the.......... There are too many choices at that price range, better made, with more advanced technology than these dog coffin boxes.

[@kwokontommyyun6146]

蒸發器

[@nigelivey5067]

Based on a side by side comparison?

[@marcuspetery1823]

Meaning what? That the Harbeths maybe sound "better" than any of the above mentioned alternatives?

[@clarkmillis1929]

People should have their ass kicked for buying these. $15K! Really?

[@dabbidaa1547]

It's only expensive if you're poor. Let the rest of us enjoy them.

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

Ridiculous pricing. Come on. Yeah they do design and mfg. "in house" (does that mean China or Eastern Europe?) but the thin cabinets (yea yea part of the design blah blah) and nowadays they're MORE THAN $20,000US per pair! LOL

[@82ivaylo]

Design= zeroooooo

[@raymondmattos6173]

millimeters...really? who are u making this video for, europeans? give it to us in inches, pounds..

[@hi-ficorner]

Yes Europeans