Are Harbeths really "all that?"

Down, boys, down!! ;-)

Seriously, though.... as the OP here, I was just curious, for some of the same reasons that have been mentioned earlier. Many reviewers describe the line as being extraordinarily musical and involving, yet when you look at them (which isn't the point, agreed) they don't seem like much.

I suspect that the greatest part of their expense (at least here in the States) is attributable to their being hand-built in the UK -- and the exchange rate between the US dollar and the UK pound is a killer.

Paulfolbrecht's point about "dead, skinny cabinets" is an interesting one. Actually, I was wondering about that. The Stereo Times reviewer raves about their "pin point imaging," but when you see those drivers recessed in those wide, shallow cabinets, you can't help thinking "edge diffraction effects" all over the place.

There's a Harbeth dealer (more accurately, a guy selling them out of his house) here in Austin. Perhaps over the summer break I'll go have a listen and see if I can tell what all the fuss is about...

Ryder,

I have a pair of Ohm Walsh 100 S3's. About 5 months old and still not totally broken in, but very, very good, indeed. :-)

Shadorne,

Right... I’m thinking of very narrow floorstanders like the Totem Arro or Silverline Prelude, where the drivers take up almost the width of the whole speaker and the very rigid cabinet is supposed to help imaging and soundstage... or so the marketing hype suggests.

What a great thread, guys! I learn a lot from all of you.