After auditioning 30.2 Anniversaries, I thought they were better but too similar to my Sonus Faber Cremona Ms to warrant a change. About 6 months later I bit on a pair of 40th Anniversary SHL5+ in Tamo Ash sitting on Deer Creek Audio stands. I recently switched from a VAC 160i integrated (87W with KT88s) to PASS INT-250 to a darTZeel CTH-8550 (200W into 8ohms and 330W into 4ohms) and it’s wonderful. I auditioned ProAc but just think the Harbeths are more musical. I listen 80% via a Lumin S1/Roon and 20% AMG Viella V12/Lyra Kleos. I’m always tempted by SET/high efficiency speakers at shows but then I just melt in my chair and let the hours go by in utter bliss. The speakers completely disappear. I do use a REL T9i crossed at 40Hz with a volume set so you can’t pick it out directly, but just feel a subtle more fullness. I’d really love to find someone who needs to downsize from their 40.2/40.3 and trade my SHL5+. To me the SHL5+ are a big step up from the 30.2/XD. I’m guessing the 40.2/3 will be as well.
I’m in Alan Shaw’s camp and not big into power cords or interconnects. I hear different tones, but no better or worse and after a few days I’m used to it. If I switch back then I hear it differently and again get rapidly used to it. I have high end gear and a very resolving system but I always fail a blind test so for me I use good quality used stuff. I use 3 PS Audio AC-12 power cords (bought for $100/each). A Nordost Frey 2 phono cable bought used for $500 and a Cardas Golden Reference XLR to connect the Lumin server (bought used for $450), and AudioQuest Rockefeller 2.5M 72V speaker speaker cables (bought used for $250). So my entire cables were $1500 total or about 2% of the cost of my system. YMMV.
I’m in Alan Shaw’s camp and not big into power cords or interconnects. I hear different tones, but no better or worse and after a few days I’m used to it. If I switch back then I hear it differently and again get rapidly used to it. I have high end gear and a very resolving system but I always fail a blind test so for me I use good quality used stuff. I use 3 PS Audio AC-12 power cords (bought for $100/each). A Nordost Frey 2 phono cable bought used for $500 and a Cardas Golden Reference XLR to connect the Lumin server (bought used for $450), and AudioQuest Rockefeller 2.5M 72V speaker speaker cables (bought used for $250). So my entire cables were $1500 total or about 2% of the cost of my system. YMMV.