Harbeth: HL Compact vs HL7 Compact

Thanks a lot guys!

The availability of the drivers really is an aspect I didn't have in mind.

Magical midrange - that's exactly what I'm looking for. So the magical question is which iteration to take. As far as I know the first model that had the Radial midrange driver was the HL7 compact. Which means the earlier HL compact didn't have it. I wrote an email directly to harbeth and they promised to get back in time. @dodgealum absolutely sure it you owned the HL compact? Their front was all black while the later HL 7' s corpus including the front was brown. 

I had a pair of HL Compacts which I enjoyed for many years. I'm not an expert on the various iterations of the C7 but my recollection is that the HL Compact was the first Harbeth speaker to feature the Radial midrange driver, which has since been revised and is now called the Radial 2. My pair dated from the mid to late-90s. I purchased them used when I was living in the UK. These were my introduction to the Harbeth sound and the magic of the Radial driver. While Alan Shaw has made many revisions to the C7 leading up to the current XD, I have found the more modern Harbeth designs to be less engaging through the midrange than my old HL Compacts which were simply breathtaking in their tonal fidelity and warmth.

Big Harbeth fan, but never heard of the Compacts until now. I think you would be better off asking at the Harbeth Forum.  My only thought is they might have drivers that are no longer available. As far as waiting for the price - if you love them that much, maybe you should consider buying before someone else does because I don’t think you’re very likely to find another local pair you can inspect and listen to before buying. Good luck.