What amplifier for Harbeth HL-5?

I have been using an ARC LS-16 pre and Plinius SA-100MkIII amp to drive the SHL-5 since I bought the speakers last month and am extremely pleased with the results. Recently I was informed that some exotic integrateds like the LFD Zero MkIII and Lavardin IT are on another level and will outperform my separates to a large degree. As some might have known, when Sam Tellig reviewed a pair of Compact 7ES-3 sometime in 2007, he loved it so much that he bought a pair for himself. When he reviewed the LFD Zero MkIII in 2008 on his Harbeth, he also ended up buying the amp. Apparently the combination between the LFD and Harbeth is labeled as a match made in heaven. I have yet to verify this but a few Compact 7ES-3 and SHL-5 owners have confirmed the LFD to be an excellent match with Harbeth speakers.

After almost 3 weeks getting accustomed to the SHL-5 with the speakers almost completely run-in, I begin to appreciate the finer qualities of the Harbeth after prolonged listening sessions. This may have been repeated many times before, but in the simplest choice of words, the Harbeth SHL-5 presents music in a wholly natural way without any listening fatigue. The midrange has a nice warmish feel and the highs are sweet, smooth and extended. Although there lies a super-tweeter in the SHL-5 that in the mind of some folks would extend the high frequencies in having more clarity and detail, the speaker is not the last word in transparency. The treble does not sound as airy and extended as some speakers I’ve owned or listened to. However, this is neither a disparaging comment nor criticism towards the SHL-5 as the lack of transparency and detail can be seen as a favorable trait that may appeal to listeners with specific listening preferences. This particular inherent characteristic of Harbeth speakers, I believe, has been fundamental in creating a zero listening fatigue which in my opinion is vital in contributing towards the musical enjoyment with many hours of listening pleasure.

The coherency of SHL-5 again never ceases to amaze me. Of all the speakers that I have owned previously, the SHL-5 does everything right and very little wrong. If there is one minor flaw that I can pick on, it would be on the low frequency reproduction. The bass on the SHL-5 does not seem to go as low as some other speakers I have listened to but this is not a bad thing. I have used a PMC TLE1 subwoofer with the SHL-5 to great effect and it complements the speaker nicely. The last amount of tight deep bass from the sub albeit just a little produces a more solid bass foundation when used with the speakers. I reckon this would not be an issue with the larger M40.1.

I am extremely pleased with the sound I’m getting with the SHL-5. I recently manage to run the Plinius in Class A and the sound become even more sublime. This Harbeth speaker is the best I have owned so far and I don’t think I’ll ever find another pair that can surpass the sonic performance I’m currently getting. Different maybe but certainly not better.

Pdreher, I hope you will get the Skylan stands soon and have the M40.1's properly set up before carrying out a proper evaluation on their sonic performance and actual capabilities. I might have been too critical on the bass performance of the SHL-5 in my earlier post with my nit-picking. I also find them to be excellent in the bass department that is more than adequate for most material. It's just that by reinforcing the low frequencies just a tiny bit produced a subtle but appreciable difference to my ears. I can still live with the speakers without a sub for sure.

After reading through most comments from Harbeth owners, I concur with the notion that the Harbeth will work well with most good amplifiers out there. In other words, the sonic difference between good amps will be subtle at best. You will gain a little here and there and then lose some. If one already has a good amp that matches well with the Harbeth, I think it is more worthwhile to concentrate more on the source to obtain a more appreciable sonic difference. I tried a better phonostage on my analog setup just recently and was astounded by the degree of improvements it made to the sound.