Electronics for Harbeth, Especially Monitor 40 series

I have only heard the 40.2 with tube amps.  It sounded particularly good with a new re-build of the old Western Electric 124 amp.  This amp puts out about 12 watts; I don't think high powered amps are a requirement with these speakers. 

If speakers sound stodgy and lacking in speed or life, I don't necessarily thing solid state is the way to go.  Yes, solid state can deliver a lot of power, but, that means playing the speakers at much higher volume to bring them to life.  With good tube amps, you get a livelier sound at lower volume levels.  If the sense of speed and liveliness is a priority, you should also look into output transformerless tube amps.

I hardly ever think of solid state amps as "fast" sounding.  To me, most of the better solid state amps sound just a touch lifeless when played at lower volume levels.  Speed and lower level dynamics are not the strengths of most of the better solid state amps I've heard. 

The 40.2s I heard were set up something like 10 ft from the wall and a little more than 3 ft from the side wall.  In that kind of wide open free space, the imaging was fantastic.  A lot of depth, decent center image specificity and a quite large and enveloping soundstage.  There is something about physically big speakers; they deliver a big sound--large soundstage, sound that seems to fill the room, and a kind of weight that works particularly well with large classical works.