Spendor D7 vs. Harbeth Super HL5+

I currently own the SHL5+ and owned the Spendor D7 previously.
I ran each with a Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II and now Rogue Audio tube preamp and tube power amp.

The D7s are excellent speakers and easy to place with great imaging and excellent deep bass. They are dynamic and energetic. On many recordings they sound very nice- they breathe life into dull sounding recordings. Especially excellent with vinyl playback.

The problem I had with them is that they did not sound natural. The upper midrange was too far forward on all too many recordings and occasionally the treble was over the top. This was after 250 hrs of break in and much cable experimentation to get the best sound.

In addition because of their transmission line port the speakers had excellent deep bass but was lacking in mid bass warmth to offset the forwardness- and integrating subwoofers seamlessly was nearly impossible without high passing them, something I refuse to do.

The SHL5+ are better overall sounding speakers to my ears. More natural despite being somewhat forward compared to other models.
Placement is critical with the 5+, I like them a few inches lower than tweeter at ear level and toe-in is super critical to controlling the overall tonal balance. Less toe-in = more midrange forward, more toe-in = more bass and midbass. Also they need room all around them to avoid bass peaks. I am very pleased with the sound of the 5+ and would not consider going back to the D7. Voices and vocals are far superior on the 5+.
Also the Harbeth are good to integrate subwoofers with if that is of interest.
Sometimes you don’t know what you have until its gone.

avanti1960,
WOW, great comparison! Did the SHL5+ need much break in? Mine are at 100-150 hours of break in and I believe they are getting better although Harbeth states that they need very little break in.

These are my first Harbeths. I have mixed feelings with them. This is why I'm considering the Spendor D7 or D9. I currently own the Ascend Acoustic Sierra Towers and, as of now, prefer them to the Harbeths. The Ascends have more sizzle and snap up top and I prefer this but am looking for a more costly speaker like the Ascends that can give me more refinement than the Ascends can. The softer, more natural presentation of the Harbeths is different for me and may take a while to adjust to. I'm not sure yet so I guess I'm looking for more musicality in a speaker similarly designed to the Ascends even though the Ascends sound musical to me.

I am using a Conrad Johnson LP70s tube power amp which I don't want to change. This is the amp that I'm using for comparison. Also, I own the Conrad Johnson ET250s hybrid power amp. This amp brings out some solid state shrillness in upper end of both speakers so I don't use for comparison.

I do have the Harbeths towed in less and, as you stated, there is an emphasis on the midrange. I'm happy with the bass as I have them paired with a subwoofer. They are about 28" from the front wall. I do not have more space to move them further out into the room. There is plenty of sidewall space. I don't have a boomy situation except for a handful of recordings.

Thank you for your continued input.

My experience was just the opposite.
I owned the Spendor D7 and owned the Harbeth SHL5+ previously.

The midrange in the SHL5+ was marvelous, effortless, warm, and very easy to live with. I really enjoyed those.
The bass was not of my taste, not too much and not so defined and precise.
That´s why I start a search of new pair, and after a long time looking for I arrived to the Spendor D7.
Much, much better bass, more, clear, precise, and scary defined. 
I also found than the midrange was not so romantic and engaging as the SHL5+, but it was definitely  more natural sounding allowing better instrument/voices separation and realism to the presentation.

As the other OP, I noticed that the upper midrange was far too forward, but after 300-400hrs of burn in it was gone.

At one point prior to the 300hrs I was ready to sell the Spendor, but chatting with some others owners calmed down my anxiety.
And it pays a huge reward.

IMHO the Spendor D7 are a tremendous value proposition at their price point. They offer a lot of refinement and high-end sound for the price.

Its very difficult to match the natural, accurate and transparent sound they produce. 
 The SHL5+ is a different kind of speaker, more centered in romanticism and engagement, but not natural sounding as D7s.

So finally is up to you. Try to demo both of them with good amplification and take your decision.
 
Amplifier used in both of them:
Exposure 3010SD
Mcintosh MA252
Leben CS600X
SimAudio Moon 600i

Perfect match for Harbeth SHL5+ was the Moon 600i.
Perfect match for Spendor D7 was the Moon 600i for music that needed more grunt and grip, and the Leben CS600X to increase romantic/engagement factor in more relaxed music like Jazz.

If you are looking for a speaker in this size range then you might want to consider the ATC SCM50 from the classic series you can find them new for just under 10k and used for $5,750.00 right now on USAM.

@routeman21 
be careful straying from harbeth, they can get their hooks in you ! 
i went to spendor after my first harbeths, the c73s3 and eventually came back.  both my harbs took at least 250 hrs for the sound to plateau.  
before i forget-  grilles off!  too laid back with them on, especially my old c7s.  
every speaker worth owning requires (at least for me) lots of work to get the best sound and synergy in your system.  
position fine tuning including height, speaker cables (kimber 8pr sounds great with harbeths and not bank breaking) interconnects (nordost purple or blue brings transparency and air for example).  
"work them" per above and see if you aren't happy.