I heard exactly what you (the original poster) did with my SHL5s and always found myself leaning into the speakers trying to listen for more. Eventually I sold them due to this thinking this sounds more like mid-fi (despite the protests over on the Harbeth Users' Group saying there must me something wrong with my ears).
Piano Notes On Harbeth SHL 5
Hi
I heard this speaker recently and the slightly rolled off highs are pleasant to listen to on most recordings. However, one thing seemed to bother me - piano notes seem fat and thick. This seems in contrast to more neutral speakers like Dynaudio where the treble is more extended, rendering piano notes more crisp. I have had people say to me though that they thought the tone of the piano sounded more natural and real on the Harbeth's, so is it only me and do real pianos sound that thick?
I heard this speaker recently and the slightly rolled off highs are pleasant to listen to on most recordings. However, one thing seemed to bother me - piano notes seem fat and thick. This seems in contrast to more neutral speakers like Dynaudio where the treble is more extended, rendering piano notes more crisp. I have had people say to me though that they thought the tone of the piano sounded more natural and real on the Harbeth's, so is it only me and do real pianos sound that thick?