I’ve never heard the Mac, but it seems to me it was built primarily as a headphone amp and you may be missing out on what your Monitor 30s are capable of. Again, it’s just a comment based on my impression of driving really good speakers from a headphone amp, speaker terminals notwithstanding. But that’s a guess. On a more solid plane, I’ve owned the M30s and the SHL5s and, IMO, the SHL5s presented a larger, more expansive soundstage and are more tolerant of equipment than the M30s, which, again, IMO, are more demanding of better ancillary gear. I think the SHL5s might deliver more of what you are referring to as an "organic" sound, which in my mind translates into wanting more warmth to the sound, especially in the mid and upper midbass. Then again, 50 watts is not that much power for either of those speakers, unless you are listening at very moderate volumes. I would not even think about whether a speaker is 2 or 3 way. IMO, it doesn’t matter. It’s the design. Just one last thought. If you are intent on keeping and using the Mac for speakers and you have a smaller space, consider the P3s. I cannot tell you how impressed I am with them. Given the right setup, they have their own musical quality that I find extremely addictive. And I would think they would be very attractive to an obviously very serious headphone person such as yourself.
3 Way Stand Mount Speakers
Having gotten a REALLY good deal on a gently used McIntosh MHA-100 to drive my Harbeth M30.1's & various headphones I started thinking about my holy grail speakers(Harbeth M40.2/3)& started to look at other options..So far I am HIGHLY impressed by what I'm reading & hearing(U Tube)from the Wharfedale Linton & wondered what other choices are available in a 3 way stand mount speaker..I value an organic sound & they will be driven by the McIntosh MHA-100's 50wpc.@ 8ohms..
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