Harbeth 40.3xd vs Graham LS5/5

The hardest speaker to manage to listen to is the Spendor Classic
100. It is a no-show at the few, rare stocking dealers in the USA. Love the old BC1s.

I have heard the all the Harbeths and personally prefer the HLS 5+
followed by the 30.2 and the 40.2 comes in 3rd.  Just my ears.

Heard the ATC 40 passives a few times and they were the people's choice in our Speakerfest 2019 event. Heard them again in May and they
are super clear. Poorer recordings really can't be listened to. 

Grahams are Eric's choice from Gig Harbor Audio- one of my favorite haunts. Last month I listened for a good while to his top models.

So Mr. Echo I suggest a trip to the Great NW and a visit to Gig Harbor
Audio-Graham and Hawthorne Stereo-for Harbeth.

Someone once told be the truly best sound comes from Stirling
speakers. May have to visit London to hear those.

Final word-Harbeths resell pretty fast.

@echoz  You really need to listen to various makes and models in person; it's too risky basing a purchase of this magnitude on votes in a thread.

I don't dispute what @chorus heard, but here's my contrasting experience.  Listened to SHL5+ at Hawthorne in Seattle, in that brick-walled room with top-end Naim, and found them unbearably bright.  Heard 30.2 at CAF and thought them very good though inevitably with restricted bottom end.  Heard 40.2's at Deja Vu in Washington DC and immediately fell in love with them.  As I said, I was in England when I heard the Spendor Classics.

Inevitably, YMMV.

If you do start to try to hear some models, add the Yamaha NS-5000 to your list.

I dont think anybody is debating that there is nothing like listening. However given the current circumstances its not possible to listen.....hence the question to compare. @twoleftears  - u purchased the 40.2 but  couldnt listen to the 5/5 and that is unfortunate.

This was a couple of years ago.  At that time I think the only pair of 5/5's this side of the Atlantic was in Canada.  And don't think I didn't think about it...

@echoz - you’ll probably love any of these speakers at this level of bbc monitor style and probably love the ATCs as well.  These are strong speakers that all will like and most will love.  No weaknesses of the smaller siblings, which are all great natural sounding monitors regardless.