Performance — where it sits in the catalog
| Bass reach | Treble reach | Cone area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLE-1 | 75 Hz | 20 kHz | 98 cm² |
| Median | 43 Hz | 22 kHz | 155 cm² |
How to read this chart
Each axis spans the range the 448 bookshelves in the catalog actually cover, so equal distance means equal difference — and for cone area and the two frequencies, which are read as ratios, equal distance means equal ratio. The dashed inner ring is where the scale starts, not zero. Ranked within a class because a bookshelf measured against floorstanders is feeble on every axis for the single reason that it is a bookshelf. Cone area is summed from the drive units — no maker publishes it. Bass and treble reach are quoted to different tolerances and only 56% of the catalog says which, so read those two axes as approximate. The grey outline is the median of this speaker's own class, the 71 active bookshelves — same type, same side of the active/passive line, which matters because the two halves are not the same product: the median active bookshelf carries 155 cm² of cone against the passive median's 219. Median rather than mean, because a handful of very large cabinets would drag a mean above most of the class it claims to describe. Not shown: Sensitivity, Easy load — the maker publishes no figure. Active speakers quote no sensitivity and no impedance, because with the amplifier inside both describe the electronics rather than the cabinet.
Suggested TrueScale comparisons
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Harbeth · NLE · Bookshelf
NLE-1
Performance — where it sits in the catalog
| Bass reach | Treble reach | Cone area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLE-1 | 75 Hz | 20 kHz | 98 cm² |
| Median | 43 Hz | 22 kHz | 155 cm² |
How to read this chart
Each axis spans the range the 448 bookshelves in the catalog actually cover, so equal distance means equal difference — and for cone area and the two frequencies, which are read as ratios, equal distance means equal ratio. The dashed inner ring is where the scale starts, not zero. Ranked within a class because a bookshelf measured against floorstanders is feeble on every axis for the single reason that it is a bookshelf. Cone area is summed from the drive units — no maker publishes it. Bass and treble reach are quoted to different tolerances and only 56% of the catalog says which, so read those two axes as approximate. The grey outline is the median of this speaker's own class, the 71 active bookshelves — same type, same side of the active/passive line, which matters because the two halves are not the same product: the median active bookshelf carries 155 cm² of cone against the passive median's 219. Median rather than mean, because a handful of very large cabinets would drag a mean above most of the class it claims to describe. Not shown: Sensitivity, Easy load — the maker publishes no figure. Active speakers quote no sensitivity and no impedance, because with the amplifier inside both describe the electronics rather than the cabinet.
| Type | Bookshelf |
|---|---|
| HiFi ladder position | #48 of 448 bookshelf |
| Power | Active |
| Height | 275 mm |
| Width | 166 mm |
| Depth | 230 mm |
| Weight | 7.6 kg |
| Enclosure | Sealed |
| Drivers | 1× 110 mm mid-bass (RADIAL polymer cone), 1× 19 mm tweeter (ferrofluid-cooled dome) |
| Frequency response | 75–20000 Hz |
| MAP (USD) | $3,790 / pair |
| Amplification (per driver) | mid-bass 50 W (class D) · tweeter 50 W (class D) |
| Total amp power | 100 W |
| Max SPL @ 1 m | — |
| Hi-res audio | — |
| Wired inputs | XLR balanced, RCA |
| Streaming / wireless | — |
| Outputs | — |
| Room correction | — |
| Primary + secondary pair | — |
| Wireless inter-speaker link | — |
| Latency | — |
| Idle power | 0.06 W |
| Max consumption | — |
| Where to buy | Check availability ↗ |
| Manufacturer | harbeth.co.uk ↗ |
| Product page | Open product page ↗ |
Suggested TrueScale comparisons
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