Mid-Priced Speakers

With a specific mission to upgrade my existing system, my buddies and I set out on a quest to find the best speakers that money (or more specifically, around RM 8,000) can buy.

We tested several speakers that day but in the end, only two stood out — with one honorable mention: the KEF reference series, which, while very good, was way, way, way beyond my paltry budget (about 4 times beyond to be exact).

B&W Nautilus 805:

First, a note about the B&W showroom in MidValley. This shop is ONE of the BEST, if not THE BEST hi-fi shop in terms of size, variety (if you’re looking for B&Ws and Arcams), interior decoration and, oh yes, tastefully furnished and sonically superb listening rooms.

Now for the speaker:- the Nautilus 805 speaker is sweet!

We tested it with a generic fusion track, and the results were excellent. The highs were crisp, and the mid-range was crystal clear. Being a bookshelf speaker, the bass was slightly muted, but the low end was deep enough for most purposes. It was fast, with excellent transients.

However, there was one small issue—it was a little too sweet for my taste. Normally, I can handle bright speakers, but something about the Nautilus 805 felt incomplete. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it… until we tried the Harbeth.

Harbeth HL Compact 7ES-2:

Before I get into the Harbeth, let’s talk about the shop that sells them—Tropical Audio in Setapak.

This place is the polar opposite of the B&W showroom. Tucked between motorcycle repair shops, it looks completely unassuming from the outside. Upon entering, I was greeted by a shockingly modest listening “area”—which wasn’t really a room at all.

There, against the left wall, was an old rattan sofa, the kind that was popular in the early 1980s. On the right side, a lineup of speakers stood in a row, with an old, dusty Quad CD player and 606 amplifier in the middle. To top it off, I spotted a JBL subwoofer in the setup. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

Then I saw them.

Three pairs of the ugliest speakers I had ever laid eyes on.

No fancy curves, no glossy finishes—just plain rectangular boxes.

Things got even worse when the shop owner’s wife inserted a Jacky Cheung CD into the player. At that moment, I nearly walked out.

Still, I decided to close my eyes and listen.

And then—pure magic.

The 7ES-2 came alive with tight, controlled bass that went surprisingly low for a half-floor-stander (though we had to convince the lady to turn off the JBL subwoofer, which was adding an artificial rumble to the setup). The highs were clean and natural.

But the real game-changer? The stereo imaging.

I could literally see Jacky Cheung standing in the middle of the room.

Wanting to test it further, I protested against Aaron Neville (which the lady tried to play next) and got her to switch to Telarc’s Happy Trails instead. Once again, the 7ES-2 delivered. I felt as if the orchestra was right there with me– I could almost pinch the red-haired oboist sitting to my right.

The Final Decision

Comparing both speakers, I finally understood what the Nautilus 805 lacked—it didn’t have the superb stereo imaging, clarity, and sheer musical passion of the 7ES-2.

And so, I had no choice but to abandon my personal favorite (though the B&W still looks undeniably sexy) and settle for a pair of boring-looking, yet sonically superior, Harbeth speakers.

Because in the end, it’s not about looks—it’s about the music.