Harbeth 30.1 ? The Ultimate Speaker under $5K ?


I have been on a mission lately to find the best speakers within my budget - under $5K ...I am definitely an audio freak and my sound engineer in LA told me we went to a HiFi convention of sorts in Newport and heard every high end boutique speaker there is and hands down the Harbeth 30.1 was the best...thought it was a live band as he turned the corner into room ! 


Local hiFi high end shops always push whatever they deal....guy near me recommends Paradigm Prestige 95s but the seem more for home theatre use...here's my profile: 

I listen MOSTLY to LPs (stream on occasion with Audioengine B1)
Marantz PM-11S1 Mono Block Amp
Sony STR-V7 Amp
Technics SL-15 
1 SVS SB1000 Sub (if necessary) 
My listening room : is approximately 15 feet from Hifi to sitting position, wood floors , pitched ceiling about 10-15 feet in spots ...entire room approx 30 feet across . I consider it a VERY live, reflective space. 

I am a drummer so I love fat , tight kick drum. Rock i.e.: Rush , Prince, old 70s / 80s fusion/Jazz  
I listen to all different volume levels, sometimes low, sometimes I turn up music very loud and crappy speakers always seem to lose definition at high volume . 

I currently have some NHTs 2.3 & Infinity IL60s for surround....

Is the Harbeth 30.1 too small of a speaker for my spot?  what do you guys recommend! Thank You !
tommypenngotti

Showing 1 response by gryphongryph

Have nothing against Harbeth speakers, I listen at a dealer for a few hours to a pair of 30.1 that I had lusted after for years, left the shop very disappointed and confused. A year later I bought Graham Audio ls5/9 unheard as I wanted to own a bbc speaker once in my lifetime, having read a lot of reviews and user experience on the differences of the two speakers I took the chance.
I find the difference to be quite big, the 30.1 was too much in my face, very detailed and the tweeter was notably in the picture, the Graham’s have a lot of detail, but somehow for me seam more coherent in there sound, also I like the bass of the Graham’s more.
Somehow seeing how many Harbeth owners like to use tube amps with their speakers make sense to me.