Harbeth Super HL5 Speakers
The Harbeth Super HL5 is the sixth generation of the acclaimed Harbeth Monitor which launched the Harbeth company in 1977. Retaining the same classic "two cubic foot" proportions as the BBC monitors (actually a little wider), the exclusive Harbeth-made 200mm RADIAL-cone driver produces a big, warm sound that underpins the incredible midband clarity.
For the higher frequencies, the 20mm main tweeter is augmented by a SuperTweeter, via a full crossover circuit so that the combination results in an extended, smooth and even dispersion right to the upper edge of the audio band.
The 60 litre (external) cabinet is, of course, built in the tradition of 'thin-wall' panels that have characterised Harbeth monitors, and both the front and rear panels are attached using 12 brass screws in the traditional way. The crossover comprises 27 components soldered to a high quality glass fibre PCB, and the rear panel features a pair of biwiring terminals. The bass/midrange unit is connected via the crossover to the lower pair and the main tweeter and supertweeter are connected, via their individual crossover components, to the upper pair.
Supported by a pair of good quality stands, the SuperHL5 is capable of fantastic performance: breathtaking transparency - a huge sound stage and a total sense of being immersed in the performance.
| Frequency response |
 |
40Hz - 24kHz ± 3dB free space,
1m with grille on with smooth off axis response |
| Impedance |
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8 ohms |
| Amplifier suggestion |
|
25W + |
| Connector |
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Four 4mm gold-plated binding posts (biwireable) |
Dimensions
(h x w x d) |
|
638 x 322 x 300mm
(25" x 12.7" x 11.8") |
| Space needs |
|
At least 30 cm (1 ft.) from rear wall |
| Stands |
|
Typically 30-45 cm (12-18 in.) |
| Finish |
|
Cherry (standard cost), eucalyptus & tiger ebony (extra cost). Others: please call. |
| Weight |
|
17.2kg (37.9 pds.) each |
| | 
Click for large picture
“Never, at any price or design type, have I heard a speaker that so completely got out of the way and let the music speak for itself. Never have I heard a speaker that exceeds the HL5’s ability to reveal the artistic quality of the music and its performance. Never have I heard a speaker that does so many of the fundamentals of music reproduction so right: timbre, rhythm, phrasing, articulation, parsing, dynamic flow, sound stage reconstruction, placement of instruments, and the delineation of the ambience of the recording site are all produced with an ease and natural-ness so convincing and so adept at evoking musical gestalts that immersion into the music was as easy as breathing.”
Review of the Super HL5 in 'The Stereo Times' |
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