Midrange Better Than Harbeth or Spendor?

Try and audition the Spendor Classic series as well. Better mid range than the S series. I've had a pair of Spendor SP 2/3 for 1 year. The only upgrade I think about on rare occasion is another Spendor or Harbeth. Why is this? Because now I listen to MUSIC instead of details and components.

Bill - You're absolutely on the right track...a home listen for either Harbeth should provide your answers.

Good listening!

Also Quads and Sound labs.

"Single driver.......Which would you recommend that can match or surpass the clean and refined sound of the Harbeths or Spendors?"

Try Feastrex... Single drivers. It has speed, detail, resolution, nice tone but very revealing of problems upstream..

http://www.feastrex.com/productinfo.html

For what it's worth, I have audditioned the Harbeth shl5 (very nice) and the Harbeth Monitor 40, which I would own if I could afford it. I would say that the overall resolution of the radial driver is higher that that of the Spendors that I have owned, the SP100 and the Spendor 9/1, but they have the same natural sort of presentation that really allows you to stop thinking about the speakers. Vocals on both are great, and I have yet to hear a speaker personally that betters either of them.