I own the Super HL5's. I have not heard other Harbeth models, but they all use the Radial drivers and are voiced for flat frequency response, so there is probably a strong family resemblance. As to the sound, they are not bright, forward, hyped, romantic etc- they don't have a strong signature because they really do have a flat frequency response (room permitting). In a demo situation, they could come across as boring or clinical because they don't have major colorations (especialy tipped up treble or hyped midbass) that would make them stand out.
Harbeth's are probably a good bet for those who want a slightly laid back speaker that works well on all kinds of music, and are easy to listen to for long periods of time, and disappear without drawing too much attention to themselves. However, if you want a speaker that pushes all the audiophile buttons- vivid, hyperdetailed, transparent, holographic etc they may not be the best choice. They are more about music than sonic hyper-reality.
As to associated gear, although not high-efficiency they are very easy to drive. I would avoid too laid back of an amplifier (for example I found them too mellow with a Plinius 9200), and the Odyssey mentioned above seems a good bet- also Naim and Bryston seem to common partners. Choosing a source and an amp with a good PRAT factor is probably a smart idea. I myself, have mostly used tubes. 30 triode watts is more than sufficient (either an ASL integrated or Granite Audio monoblocks).
Harbeth's are probably a good bet for those who want a slightly laid back speaker that works well on all kinds of music, and are easy to listen to for long periods of time, and disappear without drawing too much attention to themselves. However, if you want a speaker that pushes all the audiophile buttons- vivid, hyperdetailed, transparent, holographic etc they may not be the best choice. They are more about music than sonic hyper-reality.
As to associated gear, although not high-efficiency they are very easy to drive. I would avoid too laid back of an amplifier (for example I found them too mellow with a Plinius 9200), and the Odyssey mentioned above seems a good bet- also Naim and Bryston seem to common partners. Choosing a source and an amp with a good PRAT factor is probably a smart idea. I myself, have mostly used tubes. 30 triode watts is more than sufficient (either an ASL integrated or Granite Audio monoblocks).