Hello,
I don't know that I have ever posted here at audiogon, but I post occasionally on Audio Asylum. I Recently Purchased a Pair of Vandersteen 5A's, but Harbeth monitor 40's were my second choice and I researched them as thoroughly as I could.
I would strongly recommend reading the harbeth users group at smartgroups.com. Alan Shaw, Robert Greene and other knowledgeable people post there pretty regularly.
The harbeth monitor 40's are not as "dramatic" as many other top speakers, they don't have amazing imaging, there is no extra energy in the upper midrange to make them sound "alive", and they need some room. They have a full mid-bass (many speakers have a little trough around 200-300 hertz) which makes them sound warmer than most speakers. They have a wonderful midrange and an excellent transition between the midrange and the tweeter. It's as good as a conventional speaker gets. Also, they do not have the traditional BBC "dip" - Alan Shaw verified this on these users group a couple weeks ago. Alan Shaw also said something a while ago on the users group which I think sums up his design philosophy best: real sound is distant and clear (paraphrased by me). In other words, if you go hear a live orchestra and close your eyes the sound will be distant and clear. That's the way the monitor 40's sound. Bob Neill described monitor 40's as "patrician" and I would agree. The 30's, while also very good speakers, are more forward with a more "audiophile" sound.
The monitor 40's work best with powerful solid-state implication. You don't need to spend big bucks on an amplifier either, something like a Marsh for $2,000 or a used Pass Labs x250 will make them sing. They were not designed for tubes and they are not especially efficient.
I think they are great speakers and only marginally preferred the Vandersteen 5a's. Certainly the Vandersteen's are not 2x as good.
I don't know that I have ever posted here at audiogon, but I post occasionally on Audio Asylum. I Recently Purchased a Pair of Vandersteen 5A's, but Harbeth monitor 40's were my second choice and I researched them as thoroughly as I could.
I would strongly recommend reading the harbeth users group at smartgroups.com. Alan Shaw, Robert Greene and other knowledgeable people post there pretty regularly.
The harbeth monitor 40's are not as "dramatic" as many other top speakers, they don't have amazing imaging, there is no extra energy in the upper midrange to make them sound "alive", and they need some room. They have a full mid-bass (many speakers have a little trough around 200-300 hertz) which makes them sound warmer than most speakers. They have a wonderful midrange and an excellent transition between the midrange and the tweeter. It's as good as a conventional speaker gets. Also, they do not have the traditional BBC "dip" - Alan Shaw verified this on these users group a couple weeks ago. Alan Shaw also said something a while ago on the users group which I think sums up his design philosophy best: real sound is distant and clear (paraphrased by me). In other words, if you go hear a live orchestra and close your eyes the sound will be distant and clear. That's the way the monitor 40's sound. Bob Neill described monitor 40's as "patrician" and I would agree. The 30's, while also very good speakers, are more forward with a more "audiophile" sound.
The monitor 40's work best with powerful solid-state implication. You don't need to spend big bucks on an amplifier either, something like a Marsh for $2,000 or a used Pass Labs x250 will make them sing. They were not designed for tubes and they are not especially efficient.
I think they are great speakers and only marginally preferred the Vandersteen 5a's. Certainly the Vandersteen's are not 2x as good.