Harbeth - Audio Research?

any product that makes one listen more is worthy

The Harbeth is more "natural" and "musical" and will be enjoyable on a wider range of recrodings. You don't find many Harbeth owners unhappy with their speakers. I would love to have a room big enough for the M40s, but the HL5s are proabably perfect for most normal size rooms (12x18 or 20). Will you loose out? Doubtful you'll feel that way - though the HL5 proabably don't go as deep as the Thiel. A more "musical" and "natural" option while maintaining the phase coherency and time alignment you are use to (these type of speakers seem to soundstage differently) are a pair of the Vandersteen 3A Sig, which will indeed be as full-range as what you are accustomed to, and very frequyently matched up with 100 watt Audio Research amps. Add a pair of 2Wq subwoofers and you have one hell of a good speaker system.

I was having a problem similar to yours (reported in other threads)...I was using Vandersteen 3A sigs, which are very nice speakers, but they tell you everything that is wrong with the recording, and I just became terribly fatigued by it. I bought some Harbeth M30's and was greatly relieved. The midrange was much richer than the Vandersteens, which, because I listen to a fair bit of classical music, was quite wonderful. And voices...uhmm, very lovely. However, they are monitor speakers, and are, themselves fairly revealing. I eventually switched to Compact 7's, which are probably a bit more pleasant all around--BUT, I would read the series of reviews of 4 of the Harbeth speakers by Paul Szabady w/ Stereo Times online. In the end, he preferred the HL5, and I think that's probably the way to go.

As it happens, I used an ARC VT100 mkiii with both pairs of Harbeths. It was a fine combination.

As always, if you can try beforehand, do. But I think it is rather rare that someone doesn't like the HL5's. I should add that, with the M30's and the C7's, I concluded that I liked having a modest subwoofer. (I just use a single Essex.) I don't think you'd need that with the HL5's

I do think the HL5 is a wonderful, easy-to-listen to speaker, but I'm very suprised to hear you had listener fatigue with the Vandersteen, not a typical reaction IMHO, but that's what you heard, so can't argue with that.

Out of curiosity, how close to the rear wall can the HL5 or 7ES3 go? I'd like to start another system in a very small room - 12x13.5ft and because of how it is all laid out the back of the speakers will need to be about 6-8inches from the rear wall. I know that is less than ideal, but I'm not after imaging at all in this room. However, I do want purity of tone, harmonics etc. Will this mess that up?