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Without a subwoofer, there’s little to complain about. Those BBC models do so much good that with a lot of music you don’t really miss those deepest bass notes. Surely there is something in the DNA of those LS3/5a models that other speakers simply don’t have. So the Harbeth P3ESR XD is already a very fine speaker without a sub. But of course there is a lot of music where you do miss some foundation and that is what the Nelson serves.
The bass that magically looms perfectly between the speakers via the Nelsons is not the ultra-tight kind. This subwoofer does not hold the bass in an iron ‘Nelson’ grip but rather supports the distinctive flow of the monitor. A smart choice by Harbeth. Of course the P3ESR XD defines the playback but with the Nelson added, the balance changes a bit. It plays a bit rounder, bigger, obviously goes deeper and sets a wider stereo image.
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Billie Eilish’s new album is ideal test material. It’s a bizarre experience to hear two mini-monitors perfectly blend the fragility of Billie’s voice with those ridiculous subsonic beats. The bass doesn’t sound unwieldy or heavy but neither does it sound super punchy. It’s somewhere in between. The beats roll along nicely and last for a while. Very impressive.
Katherine Priddy also has a special voice and although her album “The Pendulum Swing” sounds completely different, again the purity of the vocals stands out. With the Nelson subwoofers added, the song “Anyway, Always” sounds at once fragile and healing. The Nelson puts a warm blanket over the music without touching the uniqueness of the P3ESR XD.
The Big Scary, an Australian duo, makes a kind of dream pop that we do love. Their new album “Wing” is a voyage of discovery full of unusual music. A maverick in pop music. The second track “What’s it all about” features a thumping bass that has little impact without the Nelson. With the subwoofer, you also physically feel the bass and are more carried away in the music. Then again on the next track, ‘The End of the Road’ you notice how beautifully this combination ‘disappears’ as only monitors can.
Even more striking is how well this combo works with rock and hard rock. Megadeth is standard in our test list but rarely comes into its own. Not even with many a floorstander. Here it sounds great and as a result the volume knob quickly goes up. There is a lot of body in the midrange which gives the often poor recordings in this genre enough carcass to convince. In addition, the P3ESR XD ensures that a lot of information comes through. We chased the entire “Countdown To Extinction” album through it and rarely enjoyed it so much. Blessed!