Bookshelf/Monitor suggestions.

I had two pairs of Harbeth P3's. They were wonderful. I bought the second pair after I bought the first sound unheard and used them in different rooms. I have since replaced both with larger Harbeth speakers. But, believe me, you will not find much agreement with your assertion that the Harbeth speaker is "essentially the same" as the Spendor. It isnt even the same as the new Harbeth HL-P3ES. They are, however, the same size.

You could order HL-P3ES's from Wintertree Audio, or find the Spendors in a store near you maybe. The Spendors even come up used here once in a while. New or used they are less expensive than the Harbeths. The Spendors have been well reviewed and a lot of people like them. They should be fine little speakers. I remember seeing someone posting on AA, however, that he had sold his and gone back to LS3/5a's. I cannot imagine anyone who has ever had Harbeth P3's doing that.

The Spendors are easier to drive. The Harbeths require more and better power. Not a good idea to use them with a bright source or amp. The P3's are near field monitors, but unlike most such monitors do not have a dip in the presence region. They are flat through 20khz. They also have really wide dispersion. To use them, you need to keep them away from reflective surfaces like sidewalls and mirrors or glass cabinets. Ceiling reflections can also be a problem if you sit too far away from the speakers.

Trebleclef, you say in another thread that you have P3's in a den driven by a little NAD amp. In this thread you say you have heard them in a used record store. Which is it?

Here's what a friend of mine who has heard both said over at AudioAsylum about the P3ES - S3/5 comparison:

"The Harbeth HLP3-ES may be hard to drive @ 83db/6 ohms (something like that I think), but if controlled properly, can produce one of the most natural midrange and would offer the wonderful level of transparency to your music.

The Spendor 3/5 is a friendlier speaker, in terms of load and also the sound. They will never fail to please. Sonically, the harbeth and spendors might sound very close, but over time, you'll notice that the spendors gives you an "extra" dollop of sweetness, while the harbeths continue to excel in the transparency and imaging."

The Harbeth needs and accepts more power. The Harbeth is probably the more accurate, closer to your Quad ideal and is probably more dynamic. The component parts of the Harbeth are more costly than the parts used in the Spendor. The Harbeth uses a metal dome tweeter, the Spendor a soft dome tweeter. Some people here will tell you soft is good and metal bad, but it really depends on the quality of the particular tweeters being compared.

When you email someone through Audiogon, it's a good idea to tell them your name and maybe where you live unless your email address identifies you.

Not an intrusion, people email each other all the time. I do it. It's just that my email address tells you exactly who I am, including my last name.

The P3ES should sound very similar to the P3. They were both designed by the same person with the same objectives. But there are differences.

Paul