Harbeth speakers are at their best when used off the floor and as far as possible away from adjacent surfaces, on stands made from non-resonant material. The top-plate of the stands must be adequately large and the stands themselves stable to prevent the speakers from toppling over. Speaker stands are often fitted with sharp spiked feet that further improve stability. Note: we recommend felt or rubber dots as an interface between the bottom of the speakers and the top of the stands. If you must use Blu-tack or similar, use the absolute minimum quantity in very small balls not much bigger than grains of rice as it can permanently bond with the veneer. Ideally, the stands should place the tweeter about level with your ear when seated at your usual listening position — the so-called reference axis’ — where the frequency response is optimised for perfect integration of the sound waves from the drive units. Few users will be able or willing to raise their speakers (or lower their seats) to replicate the laboratory perfection of listening on the reference axis, so there is always a compromise involving the aesthetics of tall stands the technically ideal listening height and stand stability. Some users prefer both speakers toed-in towards the listening seat by a few degrees. Adjusting the toe-in alters the balance between the mid and high frequencies arriving directly at your ear versus those reflected off walls on either side of the speaker.

Harbeths are designed to present an ‘easy’ electrical load to the amplifier and will work well with solid-state amplifiers. Tube amplifiers are influenced by the electrical load of loudspeakers and we cannot accurately determine in advance how they will perform with any particular loudspeaker. Playing loud in a large acoustically dry, well-furnished room will demand a powerful amp. Conversely in a small setting listening closer to the speakers, much less power will be needed. As an approximation for normal domestic daytime listening, an amplifier of about 45W into 8ohms per channel rating is a good choice, and 100W into 8 ohms per channel will provide a welcome reserve of power for the louder musical passages in bigger rooms. Be aware that many amplifiers regardless of output power rating have high input sensitivity, which when driven by an energetic source can drive the amplifier into input-stage saturation, with loss of fidelity. Also, amplifiers with limited output power capability will run out of power and into signal clipping when driven hard, resulting in reduced musical dynamics and potential damage to loudspeaker drive units which is not covered under our warranty. Note: The amplifier’s performance can change over time, and it should ideally be tested and serviced periodically.

A sonic compromise should be reached between placing the speakers near walls or positioned farther out in the listening area. When a loudspeaker is close to a boundary wall (floor, wall, ceiling or corner) the speaker becomes ‘acoustically coupled’ to the surfaces, just as if it is attached to it. The speaker would then no longer operate in free space with a predictable frequency response, but with a sound output that is elevated in the low-mid frequency range. Well stocked bookcases behind or beside speakers can greatly improve the quality of low frequency as can an asymmetrical placement of the speakers in the room. Some listeners say that the most natural sound-stage is achieved when the speakers are somewhat closer to each other than they are away from the listener (above) – please experiment for yourself to see what sounds best to you. Optimising your speakers in your room needs experimentation but the general rule is the more absorption in the room, the less the room influences the overall reproduced sound. Parallel surfaces such as opposite walls, floor, and ceiling encourage and sustain certain musical notes. Flexible plasterboard walls and wooden floors over cavities such as a basement or garage may resonate and cause a boom. Echoes or reflections can be readily identified by moving around your room and loudly clapping your hands as you listen to the sound decay into silence. In the middle and upper frequencies, soft-fabric treatments are an easy solution to damping a ‘live’ room. Progressively add absorption and listen again until there are no obvious acoustic issues; don’t overdo sound damping – add just enough to tame reflections and no more! Curtains, thick carpets, rugs, and bookcases strategically positioned to minimise reflections in the room can make a dramatic improvement in fidelity. Pleated curtains on tracks across windows or side walls are an excellent way of temporarily adjusting room acoustics. Tone controls and modern digital signal-processing room correction systems can, when used carefully, offer an effective solution to getting the best sound in your room, especially in the lower frequencies where domestic rooms have little absorption. Mid and upper frequencies are best treated with conventional soft materials.