can harbeth speakers play loud

Not really, no.

I guess it depends on what you mean by loud. My Compact 7 es3's crank loud in my 12x20 room. I think I play it loud but in reality I know I don't. Back in the eighties I clipped some B&W's and smoke wafted out of my amp. That was mid winter with windows closed and my company was rather impressed up until that point. Now that I'm off the cocaine I listen at regular levels and enjoy music for what it is....art. I barely turn up my stereo and I van hear it from the street.

The best information you can get prior to purchasing anything is listening. That's my advice along with bringing along your amp to see how it might integrate with this speaker. It is the only way you can get a semblence of what to expect. There are no shortcut opinions that will necessarily guide you to reaching a destination satisfying to you. Let listening guide you. Cheap advice? Maybe, but in my experience, the only road that is consistent. Trust yourself and use advice from others as a tool and not a bottom line basis for a decision. Your query suggests you might value the opinion of others over your own ears. Trust your own ears and listen for yourself, nobody in this hobby is an expert, trust me on that if nothing else!

I did not mean to offend

enjoy!

my room size is 14' x 20'. I'm planning on using a cinepro 2 ch. amp that puts out about 300 Watts at 8 ohms for now with a jl audio fathom sub. I plan on upgrading the amp next. I apologize if the question sounds kinda dumb, I just had heard that the harbeths were really made to play at low volumes so I wanted to make sure that playing them loud every once in a while wasn't going to ruin them or make em sound funny. I'm just trying to get as much info as I can before I buy.

Regarding Harbeths, Playing how loud has a direct relation with you room as they react with the room a lot! Could you tell your room size?

Never had any problems playing them loud when I owned them. Great speakers IME.

What amplifier are you going to use with them?

a 12" woofer and a 6.5" midrange and you are concerned about enough volume? really?

I heard these at a show and they cranked pretty good and I am sure they were just cruising along not even sweating...