Which Harbeths?

All great responses. I’m with Arafiq on this one. I’ll make this short.

Obviously the choice will be dependent on listening taste and preferences. In my view and experience (which may not apply to everyone). M40.1/2 and P3ESR excluded.

SHL5+
Most balanced all rounder which plays all music genres well. From jazz to pop, rock and dynamic music. Leanest and brightest sounding in comparison to all other Harbeth models. Bass sounds fuller and deeper than the other smaller Harbeth, going down to 40Hz. The bass has better punch, slam and dynamics than C7ES3 and 30.1/30.2.

C7ES3
Sounds slightly warmer and fuller in the midrange than SHL5+. Bass is adequately balanced although it doesn’t go as deep as the SHL5+.

M30.1/30.2
More refined in the treble with better macrodynamics than both SHL5+ and C7ES3, notes leap out more from a silent background, contributing to a more forward presentation. Treble is smoother and rounded. Excellent in jazz, small ensemble music and capable of reproducing human voice to sound as lifelike as possible, in this regard better than SHL5+ and C7ES3. Doesn’t play rock and dynamic music as well due to the added smoothness. Bass is lighter and doesn’t have the slam in comparison.

M30.2 sounds more open with more extended treble than 30.1. M30.1 sounds significantly more open with extended treble than M30. Avoid the M30 at all cost as I find the treble rolled off and clarity lacking.

Amplifier (and source/DAC if it’s not transparent enough).

Investigate the gear if you want to salvage the Harbeth. I’m not sure about the Mcintosh you have. Try other options such as Pass Labs, higher range LFD or Naim etc. Use open frame lightweight stands. Also, good suggestion to give the Harbeth some run in time. It will open up a bit more after few hours.

Totems are brighter and have higher energy in the treble so it will sound more lively and engaging although the amp and source have a warm or dark sound. The Harbeth will sound duller with the same components. I have tried the Totem Model 1 in my system before so I know who a Totem would sound.

Fwiw I ALWAYS change the amp when I get new speakers into the system. It’s a vicious cycle. The amp needs to match the speakers, that’s the first critical step. Further improvements with the source, accessories and cables can come later but the amp must come first. Just to share, when I bought the SHL5 about 15 years ago, I swapped 6 or 7 amp combinations within the first year to make the Harbeth work on the system. The Harbeth sounded like mud with the Plinius amp I owned during that time. The Naim NAC 202 / NAP 200 did it for me and the SHL5 stayed for 7 years before it was replaced with the SHL5+ which I currently own right now.

If all else fails, the Harbeths are not for you then.

Just to add on to the above excellent post by Arafiq. I understand the OP is disappointed with the hype surrounding the Harbeth and is not willing to try other amps. To reiterate, the Harbeth really come to their own with select amps as they sound horrible with the wrong amps. The SHL5 sounded like mud with the Audio Research LS-16mk2 / Plinius SA100 mk3 amp which I owned. Better results with Rega Elicit, Nait XS and couple more amps but still underwhelming and far from great. The LFD Zero LEIII transformed the speakers as the Harbeth sprung to life when driven by this little marvel. I eventually got something else as the LFD didn’t come with a remote and the build quality did not meet my expectations.

I owned the Mcintosh MC275 mk4 before and it sounded a little like mud to me with the overly warm syrupy sound. Although it may not be the model that the OP currently owns, I suspect it may be the bottleneck and culprit to the poor or dismal result. It is unfortunate that a different amp (or other Harbeth models) is not in consideration. For this reason it may not be appropriate to brush aside the Harbeth and regard it as an underwhelming or underperforming speaker if it’s not properly set up since it is not showing its true colors.

A point to note is the Harbeth does not provide the short term thrills in comparison to other more forward and brighter sounding speakers. The midrange and treble of the Harbeth are very natural and to me is superior to the Totem model 1 which I tried. I’m not sure how different is the Rainmaker though. When moving from the Harbeth, see if you would miss the more natural/neutral sound presentation of the Harbeth.

Indydan, similar experience though mine is with the Totem Model 1. When I tried the Model 1s about 10 years ago, I already own the Harbeth SHL5 during that time. The Model 1s were lively, fun and engaging with a lit top end. That’s where the good story ends. There is a certain harshness I hear somewhere in the midrange and treble, a metallic harsh sound which is rather irritating to the ears. The Harbeth not only sounds a lot smoother but is letting a lot more fine detail through which contributes to the added clarity. Somehow the Totem is masking some of the detail and sounds less transparent.

I’m not sure about the higher range Totems such as the Hawks or Forest Signature etc. which are well received by many owners. Based on my experience with the Model 1s, I find it unrefined and harsh with reduced clarity and detail when compared to the Harbeth. It’s not exactly a bad sounding speaker. It’s fun and lively but the shortcomings or differences are apparent once you compare it to the Harbeth or other superior designs.

you had removed the grilles => try to put them back. The grilles are part of the design loop, and John Atkinson did not removed them to measure the M30.2 Anniversary (which does not emphasize treble). The grilles off -> +1.5dB above 6KHz, IIRC.

Perhaps the XD has been made to sound noticeably more transparent and lit in the treble as this is the current trend with the evolution of Harbeth speakers people have noticed. I have personally experienced this increased clarity and brightness in the treble with the M30 series, starting from the M30 right up to the M30.2 Anniversary.

M30 - rolled off treble and sounds excessively warm and dead (avoid this)
M30.1 - sounds brighter and more open but still warm
M30.2 Anniversary - sounds brighter and more open
M30.2 XD - ?? (no experience with this one)

My experience with the SHL5 and SHL5+ (more than 12 years now) is they sound great with the grilles on, more open and transparent with the grilles removed. Similarly I understand that the grilles are part of the design. Nevertheless, owners have the option to listen with the grilles on or off depending on their listening preference. If one finds the speaker to sound too bright in the treble, leave the grilles on. If a bit more clarity and sparkle are preferred, remove the grilles. I used to listen with the grilles off but now leave them on. It’s quite troublesome to keep removing the grilles and putting them back on every time I want to listen to music.