Harbeth SHL5 or M40

I have done a lot of rerearch on which Harbeth to get and would advise against the M40 for your room, I have a larger room 19 x 21 10ft high and still went for the shl5.the owner of Harbeth warns that the m40s are not designed for domestic hi fi,more for large studios and a lot of people usingthem have had to buy extra bass equalization devices to make them work.

I received the SHL5 in Febuary. My room is a bit bright. I have damped what I can with room treatements. The SHL5 was Very enjoyable/ Super resolution but a little light on the bottom end for my taste. I probably would have been happy with it the rest of my life... But I recently had a several hour listen to the M40. I went back again for a second listen and placed my order for the M40.

I listend to the M40 and Audio Connect in Verona NJ and it knocked me off my chair. I loved it. In my opinion its not the super resolution monitor the SHL5 is. But after several hours of listeing to the SHL5 my ears know I have been listeing to the SHL5. Not so with the M40. The M40 wich many write about as having excessive bass, seemed just right for me. It filled in what is missing from the SHL5 - a 12 inch woofer!

It can take months to receive the M40s. It took me 3 months to get my SHL5 - but I think that backlog has cleared.

I had the fear of god in me from all the reports of booming bass I read on the Harbeth news goups in regards to the M40. I heard none of it when I listened.

I had to make adjustments to the room when I received the SHL5 and I will probably have to adjust again when the M40 arrives. I will report back then


John made me an offer I could not refuse!

It is my understanding that Harbeth is about to release a home version of the M40. A friend of mine heard the prototype at CES and thought it was his favorite speaker. He said that it has been designed to work in a typical home listening environment, not in a recording studio like the original M40, FWIW.

There is a home version of the M40 but it the only difference is the wood veneer vs the grey paint on the studio model. The internal organs are the same.
Its been 7 weeks now and I am still waiting for delivery. But its worth the wait for a sound like the M40.