What amplifier for Harbeth HL-5?

I use Leben CS600 and Plinius 8150. Leben can't quite control the Harbeths' woofers... I've had better results using Leben's 4 ohm tap rather than 8 ohms, although Harbeths' nominal impedance is 8. Better bass control, but you do sacrifice a bit of naturalism, imo... as far as I'm concerned, having lived with Super HL5s, you're better off with a high quality solid state amp with moderate output than tube amps. The Plinius sounds fantastic with the Harbeths.

Thanks for all your answers. I am intrigued in particular by Ryder's suggestion that LFDs or Lavardins might be in a different league. Has anyone ever tried these amplifiers with Harbeths?

Talk to Gene Rubin out in Santa Barbara. He is a dealer for both and a nice guy. His site can be found by typing in "Gene Rubin Audio".

After almost 3 weeks getting accustomed to the SHL-5 with the speakers almost completely run-in, I begin to appreciate the finer qualities of the Harbeth after prolonged listening sessions. This may have been repeated many times before, but in the simplest choice of words, the Harbeth SHL-5 presents music in a wholly natural way without any listening fatigue. The midrange has a nice warmish feel and the highs are sweet, smooth and extended. Although there lies a super-tweeter in the SHL-5 that in the mind of some folks would extend the high frequencies in having more clarity and detail, the speaker is not the last word in transparency. The treble does not sound as airy and extended as some speakers I’ve owned or listened to. However, this is neither a disparaging comment nor criticism towards the SHL-5 as the lack of transparency and detail can be seen as a favorable trait that may appeal to listeners with specific listening preferences. This particular inherent characteristic of Harbeth speakers, I believe, has been fundamental in creating a zero listening fatigue which in my opinion is vital in contributing towards the musical enjoyment with many hours of listening pleasure.

The coherency of SHL-5 again never ceases to amaze me. Of all the speakers that I have owned previously, the SHL-5 does everything right and very little wrong. If there is one minor flaw that I can pick on, it would be on the low frequency reproduction. The bass on the SHL-5 does not seem to go as low as some other speakers I have listened to but this is not a bad thing. I have used a PMC TLE1 subwoofer with the SHL-5 to great effect and it complements the speaker nicely. The last amount of tight deep bass from the sub albeit just a little produces a more solid bass foundation when used with the speakers. I reckon this would not be an issue with the larger M40.1.

I am extremely pleased with the sound I’m getting with the SHL-5. I recently manage to run the Plinius in Class A and the sound become even more sublime. This Harbeth speaker is the best I have owned so far and I don’t think I’ll ever find another pair that can surpass the sonic performance I’m currently getting. Different maybe but certainly not better.

Glad the Harbeths have worked out for you. Your findings seem to mirror mine, even though our systems are different.