Полочная акустика — Harbeth NLE-1

The NLE-1 is a compact active monitor from Harbeth, the British maker of speakers built by hand in the UK, and it is the first model in the catalogue to be fully self-powered and digitally controlled. It was designed for recording engineers, mixers and producers working in smaller control rooms, for near-field listening on a desk, and as a high-resolution element inside larger multichannel systems. The UK list price is GBP 2,995 per pair, and the US price is USD 3,790 per pair.

Key specs that matter

The driver pair consists of a 110 mm Harbeth-made mid and bass unit with a RADIAL cone and a 19 mm ferrofluid-cooled dome tweeter. The response is stated as 75 Hz to 20 kHz within 3 dB in free space. Two class D amplifiers of 50 W each are built into every speaker, one for each driver, and Harbeth describes them as ultra-low-distortion designs with a high damping factor. Inputs are a balanced XLR socket for streamers and an unbalanced RCA pair for turntables, CD players or preamplifiers. Power consumption is 60 mW at idle and 50 W at most. The cabinet is 275 mm high, 166 mm wide and 230 mm deep, and each speaker weighs 7.6 kg without packing or 11.2 kg boxed.

Engineering and use context

There is no passive crossover inside. An internal DSP crossover splits the signal and controls the two drive units independently, so each amplifier channel sees only its own driver and the filter slopes are set digitally rather than by coils and capacitors. A three-position personality switch on the DSP changes the voicing, and one of its settings adds an extra octave of bass at lower listening levels. The rear panel also holds a volume knob, a power button and an IEC mains inlet, so the pair can run without a separate preamplifier when the source has a fixed output. Seven finishes are offered - Satin Black, Satin White, Titanium Grey, Ivory Sand, Midnight Blue, Racing Green and Crimson Red - which lets the speakers suit a studio desk or a domestic room.

Pairing

With the amplifiers inside, each cabinet requires just a signal lead and a mains cable. A network streamer or audio interface with balanced outputs connects through the XLR inputs, while a CD player or a record player followed by an outboard phono preamp goes into the RCA pair. A computer with a DAC that offers a volume control can drive the speakers directly on a desk, and a preamplifier with variable output gives central level control when several sources are in use.

Alternatives

The Harbeth P3ESR XD2 is a passive compact speaker from the same maker that uses a 110 mm RADIAL mid and bass unit with a 19 mm tweeter and an impedance of 6 ohm.