Harbeth speakers

[Willem]

Yes, they are a dedicated and easy to implement solution. Connection is high level, and the low pass filter is tailored to the slope of the Harbeth P3ESR speaker, so integration should be easy and very good. The downside is that you cannot high pass the small main speakers, so you don't get some extra headroom. It is a nice solution for inexpert users with a small room and deep pockets. I am sure there is market for them, even if it is not me.
It is interesting to note that for Harbeth this is a journey into new territory, with active speakers with electronic crossovers and dsp filtering. There will be more of that in the not too far away future.

 

[Soniclife]

Harbeth came up with a new product. Sub+stand
Only 50W?
3.995€

Nelson subwoofer stand solution

The Nelson bass extender + stand solution delivers intense bass performance for mini monitors without compromising space.

harbeth.co.uk

It's the 5 inch driver that's the real eye opener for me, this isn't going to be a subwoofer, it's going to have very limited output. It might have enough output to help matching an actual subwoofer to the speakers, if your being charitable.

 

[Willem]

They simply add an octave of low frequency extension in a smallish room such as in many UK homes, and in a small form factor. For that they probably have enough power. In short, they serve a niche market. They would be out of place in my 70 sq m listening space.
In fact, I just did a little experiment with the Harbeth P3ESRs that I use as desk top speakers in my study. I connected them instead of the Quad 2805 speakers in my main system that includes three subwoofers. With the subwoofers the P3s were transformed into remarkably impressive speakers with an uncannily deep sound, but even so they could not quite fill the room. This improved with a high pass filter that gave them more headroom, but it still remained marginal in such a large room.
So yes, subwoofering such small speakers extends their frequency range and makes them a bit more suitable for larger rooms, but only up to a point. So in that sense I think the criticism that these are not real subwoofers is a bit misguided. Even with a lot more subwoofer in the system such as I did, such small speakers remain a small speaker only suitable to smallish rooms.

 

[ThoFi]

So the sub+stands and the P3 do cost > €6.000…not cheap.
Why it only has 50Watts?
Alan Shaw always prays how important a hugh amount of Watts are!?
Also Watts are totally cheap these days.
I do not understand why 50Watts are enough…?

 

[CapMan]

It is a creative product and fills a
gap in the market - I wish Alan every success.

Far too much money and far too limited in function for my taste, but I am a tinkerer and not the target audience

 

[Phorize]

So the sub+stands and the P3 do cost > €6.000…not cheap.
Why it only has 50Watts?
Alan Shaw always prays how important a hugh amount of Watts are!?
Also Watts are totally cheap these days.
I do not understand why 50Watts are enough…?

 

[mSpot]

So the sub+stands and the P3 do cost > €6.000…not cheap.
Why it only has 50Watts?
Alan Shaw always prays how important a hugh amount of Watts are!?
Also Watts are totally cheap these days.
I do not understand why 50Watts are enough…?

Shaw's explanation in the HUG forum is that the P3ESR (a shoebox size mini-monitor) is limited in how loud it can play, and 50W is sufficient for the subwoofer to match the P3's maximum output capability.

I agree that it is expensive. It might make sense as a plug-and-play upgrade for an existing P3ESR system, but for a new system using Harbeth it makes more sense to simply start with a larger speaker model with more bass.