Полочная акустика — Harbeth P3ESR XD2

The P3ESR XD2 is the smallest two-way stand-mount in the current XD2 range from Harbeth, a British maker that has spent more than 40 years refining the loudspeaker work begun at the BBC. It is Harbeth's continuation of the BBC LS3/5A minimonitor idea, a compact monitor sized for small rooms, desks and close listening. Like the rest of the XD2 line it is handmade in England with high-grade wood veneers.

Key specs that matter

Two Harbeth-made drive units do the work - a 110 mm RADIAL4 bass and midrange cone and a 19 mm tweeter cooled with ferrofluid. Harbeth quotes a free-space response of 75 Hz to 20 kHz within plus or minus 3 dB, measured with the grille fitted, and describes the off-axis response as smooth. Axial sensitivity is 83 dB for 2.83 V at 1 m, nominal impedance is 6 ohm, and the programme power handling is 50 W. The cabinet measures 306 mm high, 190 mm wide and 184 mm deep, with a further 12 mm at the back taken up by the grille and binding posts.

Engineering and use context

The XD2 generation brings two changes over earlier P3ESR versions. The first is the new RADIAL4 cone compound, Harbeth's own material. The second is a newly refined crossover that Harbeth says improves the integration between the bass and treble sections. Connection is through 4 mm binding posts carrying Harbeth branding. For placement the maker advises keeping the cabinet more than 0.30 m from the wall behind it, and a stand should raise the tweeter to ear height. Its bass extension is limited by the small internal volume, so the model is best suited to modest spaces around 20 m2 or less, or to a desktop and near-field layout. Buyers can choose from six veneers - Walnut Burr, Rosewood, Oak, Walnut, Cherry and a satin Black Ash.

Pairing

Harbeth suggests amplification from 15 W per channel upward, so low-powered valve designs and small integrated amplifiers are both workable. Since sensitivity is on the low side, more headroom is useful when the speakers sit further from the listener, while the modest power handling means a very large amplifier should be run with care. A subwoofer can take over below the lower limit of the speaker where extra bass is wanted, and rigid stands of suitable height complete the setup.

Alternatives

For more bass reach within the same range, the Harbeth M30.3 XD2 steps up to a 200 mm RADIAL4 cone with a rated 50 Hz lower limit and 85 dB sensitivity.