Harbeth P3ESR XD, tilting base
Cut, per base
- Bores Ø9 × 15 mm deep, four, 6 mm bit, pocket or helix, about 2 mm per pass. Check Ø against your inserts first.
- Logo pocket 1 mm deep, 54 mm wide, centred. 3.175 mm bit; its inside corners round to about 1.6 mm, a V-bit keeps them crisp.
- Profile 190 × 184 mm, outside, 25 mm through, 6 mm bit, 3 to 4 mm per pass plus a 0.5 mm finish pass, with tabs.
- Edges 1 mm chamfer top and bottom, V-bit or by hand.
- Finish hardwax oil, satin.
Parts, for a pair
- 2 boards, 25 mm, cut from about 200 × 195 mm
- 8 M6 threaded inserts, 15 mm
- 8 M6 spikes with lock nuts, 30 mm thread or more
- 8 floor cups
- 8 silicone pads, about 15 mm
Wood
For rosewood speakers: black walnut sits close in tone and cuts cleanly. Oak or maple if you want contrast.
Read moreRead less
A low base for the Harbeth P3ESR XD, for a sideboard or low shelf. Rear spikes are fixed; winding the front pair out tilts the base and speaker back. The exploded view separates it along the spike axis: floor cups, spikes, lock nuts, washers, board, pads, cabinet. The base matches the 190 × 184 mm cabinet exactly. With 134 mm between front and rear spikes, each degree needs about 2.3 mm more on the front spikes and lifts the tweeter's aim about 5 cm at 3 m.
How to choose the tilt
Harbeth asks for the P3ESR to be heard with your ears level with the tweeter. Its tweeter sits 230 mm above the cabinet base; on this base (spikes, a 25 mm board and pads) that is about 295 mm above the surface the speaker stands on. When the speaker stands lower than your ears, tilting it back points the tweeter at you instead.
tilt = arctan ((ear height − tweeter height) ÷ listening distance)
| Stands on | Surface | Tweeter | Ears at 1000 mm | Ears at 1100 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sideboard | 450 mm | 745 mm | 5.5° | 7.7°, too much |
| Stand | 600 mm | 895 mm | 2.5° | 4.5° |
| Kitchen table | 750 mm | 1045 mm | flat | 1° |
This base tilts from 0 to 6°. Each degree needs about 2.3 mm more on the front spikes, and lifts where the tweeter aims by about 5 cm at 3 m. Where a setup needs more than 6°, raise the speaker rather than tilting further.
The speaker
The Harbeth P3ESR XD is a compact two-way monitor: 306 × 190 × 184 mm, 6.1 kg, with a 110 mm RADIAL2 bass/mid driver and a 25 mm soft-dome tweeter. Dimensions and tweeter height are from Harbeth's technical information sheet; the drawing is to scale.
Questions
What height should Harbeth P3ESR speakers be?
Harbeth asks for your ears to be level with the tweeter, which sits 230 mm above the cabinet base. For a seated ear height around 1000 mm that means the cabinet base should sit about 770 mm above the floor, or lower with the speaker tilted back toward you.
How much should I tilt a speaker back?
Tilt it by arctan((ear height minus tweeter height) divided by listening distance). On a 450 mm sideboard with ears at 1000 mm and 2.5 m away, a P3ESR XD on this base needs about 5.5°; on a 600 mm stand about 2.5°.
How do you tilt a speaker back with spikes?
Keep the rear spikes fixed and wind the front pair out. With 134 mm between front and rear spikes, each degree of tilt needs about 2.3 mm more on the front spikes.