Considering Harbeth C 7ES-3

I owned the C7ES3 for the better part of three years.  Position them right, use good quality stands and you will have one of the best sounding speakers on the market regardless of price.  

The C7ES3 treble is incredible and best in the Harbeth line IMHO.  
Possibly the nicest sounding application of an aluminum dome that I have ever heard- natural but with a shimmering amount of air that adds trailing edge detail without going too far.  
The P3ESR and 30.1 / .2 use the soft domes and they are too rounded off for me.  
The SHL5+ have a super tweeter that while impressive does have some cancellations with the main tweeter that give the C7ES3 the edge.  
The 40.1 /2 sound overly natural with a rounded off top end and dominating bottom end. 
Again with the right system synergy and room setup the C7ES3 are spooky good speakers. 

you truly don't know what you've got until it's gone with the C7ES3.  they gave me so many moments where I just marveled at the sound and never anything to be irritated about.  but like a bonehead i had to complain about some slightly excessive enclosure warmth on some recordings and at the same time falling for the hype of faster, more efficient speakers so i sold them.  
although the new speakers i bought were clearly an upgrade in sound they simply did not sound natural and did not deliver the same amount of moments to marvel at.  
Harbeth is my brand for life.