If you decide to try other speakers such as Zus or Orangutan, I would suggest retaining the Harbeth SHL5+. There isn’t any doubt that other speakers will give you more detail and are capable of sounding more spacious, open and dynamic at the frequency extremes but you may later miss the balance of the Harbeth. I find the tonal accuracy of the Harbeth to be superior to most speakers. Other than human voice where the Harbeth usually excel, I usually find the sound of percussion such as cymbals, striking of drums etc. to sound more realistic through the Harbeth. The sound of cymbals and hi-hat through other more revealing speakers usually sound a bit too tinny and metallic as if it’s boosted by EQ.
I have briefly tried the Macintosh MC275 with the older SHL5 model many years ago and didn’t quite like the sound. If I recall correctly, it’s a bit too heavy at the bottom and lacks the transparency, sparkle and dynamics. I’ve upgraded to the SHL5+ and am now using using something else to drive the speakers. I’ve tried not less than half a dozen of amps on the SHL5+ and there are few which made the speakers sound rather special. The SHL5+ can sound lacklustre with most mainstream amps out there. I would suggest exploring few suitable amps if you intend to retain the SHL5+. As everyone hears differently and has a specific preference on how they prefer their music to sound like, I think it’s best if the owner makes his own judgment on amp selection.
I have briefly tried the Macintosh MC275 with the older SHL5 model many years ago and didn’t quite like the sound. If I recall correctly, it’s a bit too heavy at the bottom and lacks the transparency, sparkle and dynamics. I’ve upgraded to the SHL5+ and am now using using something else to drive the speakers. I’ve tried not less than half a dozen of amps on the SHL5+ and there are few which made the speakers sound rather special. The SHL5+ can sound lacklustre with most mainstream amps out there. I would suggest exploring few suitable amps if you intend to retain the SHL5+. As everyone hears differently and has a specific preference on how they prefer their music to sound like, I think it’s best if the owner makes his own judgment on amp selection.