Hey fellas, it has been about 6 months since I received my Harbottle Audio C18L2 subwoofers and I thought this might be a good time to add to my original impressions. This is a subjective review of my experience and dealings with Harbottle Audio Ltd as a company and their CEO, Cody Hiebert as their principal director. I am simply a satisfied customer and not receiving any sort of compensation for this. While I was researching I really found peoples personal reviews to be helpful for me, and I would like to take the time to help others in the same boat. I apologize in advance for the length, I do not have the gift of brevity or good writing skills. I am simply and audio enthusiast.
So for those who missed it here is the original from late August:
I caught the audio bug at a young age and it never really left. I've always enjoyed the gear and hearing and feeling great music and great sound in general. Music and movies have always been an important part of my life both recreationally and therapeutically. I have been pursuing higher fidelity for 40+ years, 25 of which have occurred in the same living room. As I have matured in this hobby so have my wants and desires and it really has been a fun journey. I always enjoyed researching equipment to try and find the perfect blend of value and performance but recently aesthetics has been becoming more important to me. I have always had ported subs in the past and thought I would give sealed a try for the obvious reasons. At the level of gear I had I knew it would take a very special subwoofer to satisfy me as I have had several different subwoofers from PSA (15, 18, and dual 18”) and JTR (CAP 4000). My research lead me to Harbottle Audio and I began the long and enjoyable process of learning what makes these subs so special. I began with reading every thread and watching every video I find on the internet and ended with a call to Cody Heibert. Let me tell you, I was so excited and a bit intimidated to have a discussion with the actual engineer/designer/builder of Harbottle subwoofers. I am so glad I made the call and can't tell you how informational and helpful these conversations were in my decision making process. Learning what makes Harbottle products special from somebody as intelligent and passionate about great audio as Cody is was a wonderful experience. There was never any pressure, it was just wonderful to have every detail explained from a master of his trades on why things are the way they are. I placed the order and tried to remain patient. Talking with Cody helped me understand the product I was looking to purchase so much better, it really is reassuring.
As I was unboxing them I was just blown away by the absolute perfection and attention to every single detail paid to every single aspect of these units. They really are a pleasure to look at and touch. They are built and finished better than anything else I own.I got them hooked up and ran room correction and it was crazy...even the test tones sounded bad assed. The subwoofers are totally silent. I have experience with "hum” in the past and it is very frustrating to get to the bottom of.
Next I started listening to my favorite songs and I just couldn't believe it. I adjusted the gain to my liking and was just amazed and the sound and feeling I was getting from these things. The fidelity, resolution and impact is much better than I was expecting. It is one thing to read about and have LDLC explained to you, but please believe me when I say it is incredible to experience. I was expecting the typical tradeoffs talked about endlessly in every "which subwoofer should I buy, sealed or ported, and subwoofer comparison " thread I have read over the years. Imagine my disbelief when I realized that I had taken a substantial step forward in all aspects that mattered to me. I couldn't believe it. I finally now have the clean powerful, articulate and impactful bass I always wanted without any of the negative trade offs I thought I had to make. The dynamics and resolution are crazy, I mean the sound just starts and stops with such precision now. I immediately noticed and appreciated the lack of mechanical noise and resonances. Everything became more crisp, clear and felt more powerful. I really am hearing new details for the first time in my favorite content. I really look forward to the time I can spend enjoying my new and improved set up. It is hard to explain but, the room became so much quieter. I can still feel all of the tactile response in the suspended floor and on my body but there is no bloat. I had no idea a subwoofer could be so quiet reproducing subsonic frequencies. That goes double for room noise.
I can not overstate the value Cody himself brings to this. We have all read about his reputation my experience is it is well earned. The communication and knowledge he brings and shares is as peerless as it is priceless. When I try to consider all it must take to actually design and build a subwoofer of this caliber let alone the support, I realize just was a tremendous bargain these subs are. This is an entirely different level of insane quality and engineering from the ground up. Throughout this whole process, the more I learned the more I appreciate all of the tireless work and effort Cody, Caitlyn and crew put into making something like this possible for a guy like me to enjoy. I really had some high expectations for these subs and they were surpassed in every aspect. This company is crazy about producing the best possible product period. Nothing is overlooked and it all matters in the finished product. If somebody asked me "What makes these subs so great?" my simple answer would be "Everything". Every single part and component. The knowledge and attention to detail is astonishing and I really feel great being able to own and enjoy these subs. They really do make everything better for me from the mains to the room. I still can't believe how significant the improvement is. I wanted the best and I have them full stop, no more wondering. To get them at such a reasonable price almost seems too good to be true.
Now for the post calibration/integration part:
I have now had about 6 months with my C18L2’s and my appreciation for the company and products has only increased. My only regret was not making the upgrade sooner.As much as I love good audio I have always had a difficult time with the technical side of calibration. I knew I would never be able to get ever last spec of performance from these on my own. Out of the box with RoomPerfect RC and adjusting the gain gave me very enjoyable results, but purchasing a product from Harbottle doesn’t stop there. Early October I had a Harbottle Audio authorized integrator come and do a calibration. The integrator was great to communicate with and a pleasure to meet in person after talking several times on the phone to find out what my tastes and goals were for performance. He showed up promptly and immediately got to work testing the subwoofer and checking that everything is running to spec. I mean EVERYTHING, all of the parameters, settings and performance specs. There are like 500 qc checkpoints on each sub. When I loaded up some of my favorite music and movies to demonstrate the changes I was floored. It is a very good feeling to KNOW you have the best subwoofer running at peak performance. My main speakers have never sounded so good. I was really surprised. The imaging is totally insane. It really sounds like music is coming from all over the room. I have to walk up and put my ear next to the center and surrounds just to make sure I am in stereo mode. But wait, I have said this before…it even gets better. In addition to getting the peace of mind that comes from knowing everything is running optimally you also get an entire year added to the warranty! For me this was very reassuring. All of the tremendous amount of work that went into the sub, DSP and calibration get saved and stored with the company so if anything ever happens solutions can be found in the best way possible. I did not just buy two world class subwoofers, I got the entire world class package.
I have only owned ported subs in the past and have spent years on the forums reading and rereading that it takes 3 sealed subs to equal the output of a similar spec’ed ported subwoofer. I took it as gospel. Being as I was coming from a JTR CAP 4000 I was a little apprehensive. When I read Michael Steven’s (Youthman) comment on Facebook “Harbottle makes great subs with similar performance as JTR They just cost 3 times as much.” I have to chuckle and wonder if he has ever heard a Harbottle Audio subwoofer. On paper a CAP should smoke the C18 but that was not my experience at all. I mean I understand he is a salesman/agent, but I have had them both in the same room at the same time, there is simply no comparison to be made on performance, build quality or engineering. The increase in dynamics and lack of compression and distortion is stunning. Please do yourself a favor and go to Harbottle Audios website and look around if you are considering a end game subwoofer. The website is chuck full of information documented studies and data. When you call Cody you get knowledge, science, and physics not sales pitch or hype so be prepared. I am always careful asking engineers questions about how and why things work the way they do, but he would always take the time to explain the physics and engineering principles completely in a way that I could understand (not as easy as it sounds
. I have pages of notes from my interactions with him.
I have watched and read every interview I could get my hands on prior to my purchase and I knew Cody was the tip of the spear in subwoofer engineering, designing and building. I have always thought that if there is anything that portrays excellence and confidence in a product by a company it is the and guarantees and warranty. Most subwoofer companies post specs and performance stats, Harbottle Audio guarantees them. These subwoofers are made to be used and enjoyed at full capacity with content for extended periods of time. The testing they go through before they ever leave the shop is like nothing I have ever read about from any audio company.
I really hope people considering Harbottle Audio find this helpful as that was my goal. As always if you have any questions please contact:
Cody H. | Director | Harbottle Audio Ltd.
www.harbottleaudio.com
Whatsapp, Phone, & Text 604-341-6875
Here are some pics of the subwoofers during final assembly and and in room
So for those who missed it here is the original from late August:
I caught the audio bug at a young age and it never really left. I've always enjoyed the gear and hearing and feeling great music and great sound in general. Music and movies have always been an important part of my life both recreationally and therapeutically. I have been pursuing higher fidelity for 40+ years, 25 of which have occurred in the same living room. As I have matured in this hobby so have my wants and desires and it really has been a fun journey. I always enjoyed researching equipment to try and find the perfect blend of value and performance but recently aesthetics has been becoming more important to me. I have always had ported subs in the past and thought I would give sealed a try for the obvious reasons. At the level of gear I had I knew it would take a very special subwoofer to satisfy me as I have had several different subwoofers from PSA (15, 18, and dual 18”) and JTR (CAP 4000). My research lead me to Harbottle Audio and I began the long and enjoyable process of learning what makes these subs so special. I began with reading every thread and watching every video I find on the internet and ended with a call to Cody Heibert. Let me tell you, I was so excited and a bit intimidated to have a discussion with the actual engineer/designer/builder of Harbottle subwoofers. I am so glad I made the call and can't tell you how informational and helpful these conversations were in my decision making process. Learning what makes Harbottle products special from somebody as intelligent and passionate about great audio as Cody is was a wonderful experience. There was never any pressure, it was just wonderful to have every detail explained from a master of his trades on why things are the way they are. I placed the order and tried to remain patient. Talking with Cody helped me understand the product I was looking to purchase so much better, it really is reassuring.
As I was unboxing them I was just blown away by the absolute perfection and attention to every single detail paid to every single aspect of these units. They really are a pleasure to look at and touch. They are built and finished better than anything else I own.I got them hooked up and ran room correction and it was crazy...even the test tones sounded bad assed. The subwoofers are totally silent. I have experience with "hum” in the past and it is very frustrating to get to the bottom of.
Next I started listening to my favorite songs and I just couldn't believe it. I adjusted the gain to my liking and was just amazed and the sound and feeling I was getting from these things. The fidelity, resolution and impact is much better than I was expecting. It is one thing to read about and have LDLC explained to you, but please believe me when I say it is incredible to experience. I was expecting the typical tradeoffs talked about endlessly in every "which subwoofer should I buy, sealed or ported, and subwoofer comparison " thread I have read over the years. Imagine my disbelief when I realized that I had taken a substantial step forward in all aspects that mattered to me. I couldn't believe it. I finally now have the clean powerful, articulate and impactful bass I always wanted without any of the negative trade offs I thought I had to make. The dynamics and resolution are crazy, I mean the sound just starts and stops with such precision now. I immediately noticed and appreciated the lack of mechanical noise and resonances. Everything became more crisp, clear and felt more powerful. I really am hearing new details for the first time in my favorite content. I really look forward to the time I can spend enjoying my new and improved set up. It is hard to explain but, the room became so much quieter. I can still feel all of the tactile response in the suspended floor and on my body but there is no bloat. I had no idea a subwoofer could be so quiet reproducing subsonic frequencies. That goes double for room noise.
I can not overstate the value Cody himself brings to this. We have all read about his reputation my experience is it is well earned. The communication and knowledge he brings and shares is as peerless as it is priceless. When I try to consider all it must take to actually design and build a subwoofer of this caliber let alone the support, I realize just was a tremendous bargain these subs are. This is an entirely different level of insane quality and engineering from the ground up. Throughout this whole process, the more I learned the more I appreciate all of the tireless work and effort Cody, Caitlyn and crew put into making something like this possible for a guy like me to enjoy. I really had some high expectations for these subs and they were surpassed in every aspect. This company is crazy about producing the best possible product period. Nothing is overlooked and it all matters in the finished product. If somebody asked me "What makes these subs so great?" my simple answer would be "Everything". Every single part and component. The knowledge and attention to detail is astonishing and I really feel great being able to own and enjoy these subs. They really do make everything better for me from the mains to the room. I still can't believe how significant the improvement is. I wanted the best and I have them full stop, no more wondering. To get them at such a reasonable price almost seems too good to be true.
Now for the post calibration/integration part:
I have now had about 6 months with my C18L2’s and my appreciation for the company and products has only increased. My only regret was not making the upgrade sooner.As much as I love good audio I have always had a difficult time with the technical side of calibration. I knew I would never be able to get ever last spec of performance from these on my own. Out of the box with RoomPerfect RC and adjusting the gain gave me very enjoyable results, but purchasing a product from Harbottle doesn’t stop there. Early October I had a Harbottle Audio authorized integrator come and do a calibration. The integrator was great to communicate with and a pleasure to meet in person after talking several times on the phone to find out what my tastes and goals were for performance. He showed up promptly and immediately got to work testing the subwoofer and checking that everything is running to spec. I mean EVERYTHING, all of the parameters, settings and performance specs. There are like 500 qc checkpoints on each sub. When I loaded up some of my favorite music and movies to demonstrate the changes I was floored. It is a very good feeling to KNOW you have the best subwoofer running at peak performance. My main speakers have never sounded so good. I was really surprised. The imaging is totally insane. It really sounds like music is coming from all over the room. I have to walk up and put my ear next to the center and surrounds just to make sure I am in stereo mode. But wait, I have said this before…it even gets better. In addition to getting the peace of mind that comes from knowing everything is running optimally you also get an entire year added to the warranty! For me this was very reassuring. All of the tremendous amount of work that went into the sub, DSP and calibration get saved and stored with the company so if anything ever happens solutions can be found in the best way possible. I did not just buy two world class subwoofers, I got the entire world class package.
I have only owned ported subs in the past and have spent years on the forums reading and rereading that it takes 3 sealed subs to equal the output of a similar spec’ed ported subwoofer. I took it as gospel. Being as I was coming from a JTR CAP 4000 I was a little apprehensive. When I read Michael Steven’s (Youthman) comment on Facebook “Harbottle makes great subs with similar performance as JTR They just cost 3 times as much.” I have to chuckle and wonder if he has ever heard a Harbottle Audio subwoofer. On paper a CAP should smoke the C18 but that was not my experience at all. I mean I understand he is a salesman/agent, but I have had them both in the same room at the same time, there is simply no comparison to be made on performance, build quality or engineering. The increase in dynamics and lack of compression and distortion is stunning. Please do yourself a favor and go to Harbottle Audios website and look around if you are considering a end game subwoofer. The website is chuck full of information documented studies and data. When you call Cody you get knowledge, science, and physics not sales pitch or hype so be prepared. I am always careful asking engineers questions about how and why things work the way they do, but he would always take the time to explain the physics and engineering principles completely in a way that I could understand (not as easy as it sounds
. I have pages of notes from my interactions with him.I have watched and read every interview I could get my hands on prior to my purchase and I knew Cody was the tip of the spear in subwoofer engineering, designing and building. I have always thought that if there is anything that portrays excellence and confidence in a product by a company it is the and guarantees and warranty. Most subwoofer companies post specs and performance stats, Harbottle Audio guarantees them. These subwoofers are made to be used and enjoyed at full capacity with content for extended periods of time. The testing they go through before they ever leave the shop is like nothing I have ever read about from any audio company.
I really hope people considering Harbottle Audio find this helpful as that was my goal. As always if you have any questions please contact:
Cody H. | Director | Harbottle Audio Ltd.
www.harbottleaudio.com
Whatsapp, Phone, & Text 604-341-6875
Here are some pics of the subwoofers during final assembly and and in room
Last edited:
