Harbeth HL Compact 7ES‑3 Loudspeaker

Perfecting the BBC school of design

Previous Compact 7s remain excellent speakers, but this new one is a really great speaker. How great? Well, I’m not about to give up my Quads any time soon, but if forced to, I doubt I’d feel terribly deprived if 7ES‑3s replaced them. Indeed, with respect to its class and design type— compact two‑way in a box—this speaker sets, in my experience, a new benchmark in neutrality and natural tonal balance over its usable range, regardless of price. TAS