Harbeth 30.1 or 40.1

@mapman can you please elaborate on your experience between the Spatial and 40.2?  Which model of Spatial you hear?  Are they in different settings, different room and different equipment?  
Since the Spatial is open baffle, I hope or expect it gives a bigger sound stage and more life-like.  This is one of the reason I buy it, and it is true compared to my Zu Omen Def MK I.  The X5 has a big Air Motion Transformer for high frequency of 1k and up.  It provides more detail and sound more transparent than the Zu, but at the same time, I need to be careful about pairing equipments.  For instance, I bought a Toppings DX7 pro which also offers all the details, and I feel fatigued after an hour of listening and need to turn down the volume.  
By comparing YouTube videos and my X5, I believe the Harbeth gives warmer sound.  But I hope it also gives the same level, or a bit less, of detail and clarity.  I expect the soundstage May get smaller.  I hope the instrument separation is still good.  

Thanks for all the reply.  I believe the only way to find out if I will the Harbeth is to buy one and use it at home.  Although not yet audition the Harbeth, based on my past experience, it is not that useful; because the room is different, the amp, the source ... everything are different.  So, my approach is buy used, bring it home, and if it doesn’t work out, I will sell it out hopefully won’t lose too much.  
It seems now the determining factor is the price.  Not only the 40.1 is more expensive, I believe it needs a more powerful amp as well which is also more expensive.  

Correction:

The Harbeths I auditioned were 40.2, not 40.1.

I own the Super HL5 Plus 40th Anniversary Edition and absolutely love them.  I'm looking forward to hearing the 40.2.  I'll post my impressions.

big_greg,

There's always been a feeling that the tweeter used in the 30 and 40 is superior to that of the SLH5 - nothing confirmed - just a feeling kicking around the net for a few years now.

It would be great if you could feed back your impressions of the 40.2s. I've never heard a pair (only SLH5s sadly) but the 40s have long been regarded as amongst the big hitters of the audio world.

At least going back around 20 years ever since an iconic review by Robert E Greene.

big_greg,

There has a been a online feeling going around for a few years now that the tweeter used in both the 30s and 40s is superior to the one used in the SLH5 - nothing confirmed, just a feeling.

It would be interesting if you could post your impressions of the 40.2s, as I’ve only heard the SLH5s sadly).

The 40s have long been regarded as amongst the big hitters of the audio world, going back around 20 years since
Robert E. Greene posted his iconic review.

He used to own a pair back then but I’m not too sure what R.E.G. thinks of them today.

Yea I have heard both spatial and Harbeth 40.1 and presentation is much different but both were very good with midrange when I heard them. 

I’d be Very careful judging solely on You Tube.

Curious why the Super HL5 Plus isn't under consideration?  I haven't heard the 30 or 40 series.  One of my friends purchased some 40.2's recently and I'll be checking those out tomorrow.

This is a no brainer - get the 40.1 if you must have one or the other. It can easily be used in a room like yours. Both designs share the same well regarded tweeter and are both considered excellent loudspeakers, but the 40 is naturally more excellent.

Furthermore all Harbeth speakers can be used near field and are voiced to sound good at low volumes.

However, however, just like @andysf asked above, I would also ask you to think carefully before pulling the trigger.

I’m far from certain that the Spatial X5s are so easily bettered.

Have you considered the possibility that your Spatial X5 speakers might even be better than the Harbeth 40.1s?
It’s certainly not impossible.

Isn’t it all too easy to sometimes denigrate what we have whilst pursuing something better?

Just yesterday I was playing a Smiths compilation on my Tannoys and it suddenly hit me, ’Wow, these are really good speakers!’

Maybe Morrissey’s voice and diction could have been a touch cleaner, maybe the speakers could have disappeared better leaving a ghost like sound behind, maybe the timbre could have been a hint more life-like, but yeah, pretty good.

Good enough to let me forget that I was listening to a recording.

At least for a while.

@gte357s if there's nothing wrong with your current speaker/amp setup and you are basing your desire on a YouTube video I think you would be wasting your $$$" IMHO. Not only will you need a new amp but also different cables to best match.

@jjss49 can you elaborate?  Honestly, don’t really know the differences.  But it seems the 30.1 and 40.1 are more popular.  I would like to be educated.

thanks.

wrong on both

shl5 super or compact 7

40.1 seem designed for larger rooms and yes far out from walls. 

I’d start with the smaller Harbeths in that room.

Buy used and don’t overpay or buy new with return policy if you want to keep your options open.

When you say the 40.1 has much deeper bass, does it need a louder volume to bring it out?  Or they are at similar volume?

gte357 to me there is an optimum listening volume for each piece of music not so much for each speaker. To my ears the difference between the two is the 30.1 images a bit more precisely but the images don't have the density of the 40.1. Also you get more sense of the room the music was recorded in with the 40.1 because of their much deeper bass. The 40.1 is much deeper in the bass but a tad less airy on top. Both speakers have a top notch midrange detailed and transparent with natural warmth. 

@jond how would you describe the difference?  I never own a monitor speaker, all my speakers are full range speakers.  But then recently, I feel they are actually a bit too big for me.  I realize they sound better when I turn up the volume, but then it is too loud to my taste.  Is there such a thing as optimum listening volume for different speakers?

Actually, nothing wrong with the Spatial X5.  But hear the Harbeth on You tube and the midrange sound can’t get away from my head.  I know the sound quality from YouTube is not good in any way, and it depends on the gear and room condition.  But still, I know I need to try them.  The videos I saw are for 30.1.  But there is a used 40.1 for sale locally, so I am wondering.  Another consideration is the price.  The 40.1 is a double of 30.1.  I also need to buy an amp.  So, I can get the 30.1 and the amp for the price of the 40.1.  The biggest concern is, I am spending the money but can’t utilize the benefit because of the constraint of room size and listen volume.

I think the 40.1 might be too big for your room-they have to be out from the walls quite a bit.  Spatial speakers are really good.  What is wrong with yours?

To me they are very different speakers I like them both but the 30.1 is a great small monitor speaker. The 40.1 though stand mounted is totally full range you definitely wouldn't need a sub with it. With 30.1's you may not need a sub either unless you're a bass freak. Do you have a chance to audition them and see which you prefer?

I don't think you would need a sub with either. The 40's will blow more air which might be not more but much more then you would want. With the Harbeth what you get is a special midrange that in itself is very satisfying. Hook em up to a sweet sounding amp, tubes are nice and you should be happy. For me I would go with the 30's. less room resonance fewer acoustical treatments tighter sound....just me.