Speakers In Tiger Ebony Finish At Less Than 3k

Just curious if there are any bookshelf speakers in tiger ebony finish at RM3k or less. So far I only know of 2 speakers that have this finish, the Proac Tablette Reference 8 Signature and Harbeth M30/C7ES3.

Thanks.

I once had a harbeth P3 in tiger ebony...

The Quad 12L also came in tiger ebony and I think it costs less than RM3K. However, I think its quite rare though.

why purposely looking for this type of finishes?

Thanks for all responses.

Lamkochai -- because it looks nice, something I may be considering for a 2nd system where aesthetics are as important as sound. There is something about the tiger ebony finish that appeals to me.

Just found out that Stirling LS3/5a comes in tiger ebony as well but priced at above RM5k brand new in Singapore.







Looking pretty peachy to me. Luckily the one tiger ebony can fit into the cropped pictures above on the extreme right. I wonder why the uploaded pictures here on hifi4sale were always cropped off at the ends.

You ought to be careful to ensure that it is real wood veneered in ebony. All LS3/5A are such but not all speakers. Stirlings also sell ebony cabinet in standard version and reference thin-wall-screwed back version for you to fit non-ebony LS3/5A if you so wished.

And the type of veneer do impart slight sonic signature to it. Most LS3/5A lisencee only issue ebony veneer finish for special editions.

Jo Ki

Thanks for the heads-up. It is intriguing to note that not all finishes on the LS3/5a's are in real wood veneer. I guess that is why tiger ebony veneers on some speakers look fake.

It is unlikely I will consider the Stirlings as at the price it is near to the Harbeth's C7ES3(in tiger ebony) which is the ideal speaker for my needs. Need to put in more thought whether to spend this much money for a secondary system that won't see much use since it will mainly be an "eye-candy" for guests to the house and used for background music. No serious listening.

Cheers.

Apart from Ho's LS3/5A, all BBC approved manufacturers (except Ho's) are/were using real wood veneer.

Peter Su of Taiwan is also in the verge of releasing the Taiwanese version of LS3/5A. I last communicated with him, said that he is in the process to submit the document to BBC for approval. We shall see if BBC would indeed issue license to company outside of UK. It would be the first if he gets it.

Your choice on Harbeth is understandable, it is a good speakers, so a good choice. But for second system, normally the budget would be low. C7ES3, to others, is their main system. Good for you.

Jo Ki

What intrigued me is this; why are you so intrigue about 'tiger' ebony veneer? Have you seen Champhor Burl, Mapple Burl or even Elm Burl before? They are beautiful beyond description!

Some veneer is passes on as "ebony" which they are not; the 'tiger ebony' you mentioned, looks more like Brown Heart or otherwise, Sassfras Black Heart.

Jo Ki

Ya Brother,

You better keep your money to eat more famous bah kut teh in Klang than owning Harbeth C7ES3, albeit some people found that rosewood and ebony wood veneer may improve the sound quality. And the worst part is the amplifier the dealer using is QUAD! Which is old and not your cup of tea(that you mentioned in other thread).

ryder wrote:
Similarly the Quad amps and source used to drive the Harbeth are not quite my cup of tea although there are many happy owners using this combination. Well, they have been a perennial match to Harbeth here and I can understand the proven magical combination endorsed by many....

(taken from http://www.hifi4sale.net/hi-fi-shows-exhibitions-f4/klavs-2010-reports-from-attendees-t8988-50.htm)

FYI, Jo Ki sifu is using QUAD amp. to match with his beloved LS 3/5a, eg. Rogers,Harbeth, Kef, Stirling...

The thing about Ebony.
Solid Ebony wood is great for room tuning. In most countries it is no longer allowed to be exported. It is very very expensive
So that is why the appeal on the veneer, which cost more. I guess you are paying for the finish. If it is selling cheap I wonder if it is laminated or MDF rather than a veneer. If it is the other it is a layer of paper printed in any wood grains profiles that you choose- the nicer , realistic and classic prints are manufactured in Germany

jokiarch wrote:What intrigued me is this; why are you so intrigue about 'tiger' ebony veneer? Have you seen Champhor Burl, Mapple Burl or even Elm Burl before? They are beautiful beyond description!

Well, I guess I have an infatuation with tiger ebony veneer, more of a personal preference than anything else. Yes, I have seen maple burl and other shiny exotic finishes before. Have the privelege of owning a bookshelf in birds-eye maple too. They are indeed beautiful.

knight wrote:You better keep your money to eat more famous bah kut teh in Klang than owning Harbeth C7ES3, albeit some people found that rosewood and ebony wood veneer may improve the sound quality. And the worst part is the amplifier the dealer using is QUAD! Which is old and not your cup of tea(that you mentioned in other thread).

ryder wrote:
Similarly the Quad amps and source used to drive the Harbeth are not quite my cup of tea although there are many happy owners using this combination. Well, they have been a perennial match to Harbeth here and I can understand the proven magical combination endorsed by many....

(taken from http://www.hifi4sale.net/hi-fi-shows-exhibitions-f4/klavs-2010-reports-from-attendees-t8988-50.htm)

FYI, Jo Ki sifu is using QUAD amp. to match with his beloved LS 3/5a, eg. Rogers,Harbeth, Kef, Stirling...

That's a good joke of the day. Too much bak kut teh is not good for health though. :-)

As with the use of Quad amps with Harbeth, many of my close friends are using this combination. I have no qualms the Quads are excellent and good value amps that match very well with the Harbeth and some other speakers. As with this hobby, most folks have their own favourites dictated by listening preference and musical choice, so there isn't an "ultimate" amp that will fit all. The adage of "one man's meat is another man's poison" or "one man's trash is another man's treasure" will mostly apply here.

I thought Jo is now using FM Acoustics in his main system driving the Rogers LS3/5as.