Spendor D7 vs. Harbeth Super HL5+


Anyone who has heard both? Comparisons? I own the Harbeth. Curious about the difference with the Spendor. What brand and type of amp used. Thanks!
routeman21
WOW! Thanks guys for the tremendous amount of information. At present I still have the Harbeth's hooked up and they are sounding better (I think?). I purchased them new and I didn't hear any difference up to 100 hours. They now have approx. 150 hours on them and I am hearing a little more opening up of the two tweeters. A little more sizzle & snap as I prefer. Harbeth states in their manual and online that their speakers require very little break in (several hours) except for the supertweeter. Maybe they're right but I am enjoying them more. Also, I bought a brand new interconnect which went into the system when the Harbeth's were reaching 50 hours of burn in. As for the Spendor D7, I decided to purchase a brand new pair of Focal Kanta No. 2 towers from TMR Audio who also are selling brand new pairs of Spendor D7's. I will be starting a new discussion: Harbeth Super HL5+ vs. Focal Kanta No.2.
Thank you all for your comments!

Here is some my thinking out load.
Most of people use speakers with modern sharp tweeters like Beryllium or LPZ use
transistor amplifiers with a deep general feedback. These amplifiers had a big amount of high order distortion that sharp tweeters highlight. 

So, the speakers with Beryllium or LPZ tweeters should sound much better with tubes or transistor amplifiers with low level of high order distortion (like amplifiers designed Nelson Pass).

Regards,

Alex.

Imo wrong to conflate LPZ tweeters with Beryllium tweeters.

Seriously, as someone who has demo’d over 20 speakers before choosing D7’s, the Be speakers rank in the top 10-15% of forward-sounding speakers. The classic Spendor ( non-D series) rank in the bottom 10-30% of forward sounding speakers.

Spendor D series with LPZ ranks in the middle 20% (40-60). They are neutral, not bright.
Everyone will have preference about what sounds good to them. Some will like warmer, some will stress clarity.

But let’s stay grounded in reality here.  My opinion, ymmv, it’s subjective. 
It is hugely subjective. 
One’s system is just that: a system with different components. Then there is the room which is a vital factor. How loud do enjoy your music? One steady volume is much easier than using a wide range. Some speakers/systems sound great at 80 dbls but sound pale at low volumes. Then there is the music: some recordings will just sound bad on certain systems and speakers.

Only you can figure this out at home...
Seriously, as someone who has demo’d over 20 speakers before choosing D7’s, the Be speakers rank in the top 10-15% of forward-sounding speakers. The classic Spendor ( non-D series) rank in the bottom 10-30% of forward sounding speakers.

Spendor D series with LPZ ranks in the middle 20% (40-60). They are neutral, not bright.
I would agree with this completely. The A7's are far brighter than the D7.2's.
I'll also add that I've heard the Harbeths and Spendors. The Harbeths do have a warm midrange; however, they are also very laid back. The D7.2 are very quick, very precise, very detailed, and have a superior low end.
The D7.2's are also less picky with placement. In fact, one of the most forgiving speakers I've owned.
Different people prefer different speakers, and different speakers sound different in different rooms. I would try to demo both in your home.
For me, though, the D7.2's were the better of the two, so I went with them.