To Harbeth or not to Harbeth, That is the question...

@jwcinsd

i agree with your assessment... to me c7 and shl5 are proper full range speakers whereas the mon 30 is a midrange/vocals monitor, more ’hyper accurate’ but lacking in bass support

the c7 and shl5 are specifically for domestic environments, and depending on placement and how much bass reinforcement is gained from that, they can be run with subs or are fine without them

that said, the mon 40 is a step up for sure, in all ways, but one needs to have the right (meaning a quite large volume) room for them, or else they may overwhelm, especially if placed anywhere near room boundaries

i also agree on your take about cabling... well said... yes different cabling affords a subtly different presentation, but better or worse in often dubious... especially once done intently a-b ing...

So, maybe my ears were not deceiving me when I found the 30.2s better than I expected. I plan to spend some time listening the 5+s at Hawthorne in a couple weeks. I do love quads sound. But I think my dual concentric Tannoys FSMs may remain as the last man standing. If somebody made an open baffle, 15" Dual Concentric speaker I would be forced to investigate.  Meantime the hunt continues.

Audiophiles hate this kind of thing, but using a low stand like the Mapleshade Bedrock can do wonders at low levels.  I had a pair years ago with some small monitors and it was quite amazing.  Yes, the image changes, but you can adjust the tilt to compensate.  Before you say no, try putting your speakers on the floor with a few books to tilt them up towards you and check it out.  Costs you nothing.

So my final take is:
-Chord ESL
-Rogers LS 3/5
-ProAc Tab
-SHL 5 +

Interesting thread.  I have the Super HL5+ (anniversary) and P3ESR SE.  I had the Super HL5+ in my main system for a while and eventually replaced them with KEF Reference 1.  I do like to listen loud sometimes and the Super HL5+ get a little edgy (my room, my electronics) when pushed, while the Ref 1 will take whatever I throw at them in stride.

The Super HL5+ are now in my office system, where I listen to jazz most of the day at low volume, and they are great for that.  I have them paired with an ARC Vsi55 50 WPC tube integrated.

The P3ESR are in my computer system set up near field.  I play these at fairly low volumes and they are great for all types of music.  I enjoy them more than the Super HL5+.  They are very balanced with just the right amount of detail.  They are powered by a Simaudio 600i solid state integrated and it's a really nice match.

A friend has the 40.2s.  They are some of the best speakers I've heard.  He listens at moderate levels and they sound simply amazing.  He has a really well treated room and had the Super HL5+ before the 40.2, and his HL5+ sounded a lot better there than mine do in my room, so I know the HL5+ can sound superb in the right conditions.

You mentioned taking a trip to Hawthorne.  If you're in the Seattle area, you should definitely check out Gig Harbor Audio also.  Eric loves the British sound and carries a few different British monitors.  He seems to be particularly enamored with the Graham Audio speakers.

Hopefully I don't lose what little bit of credibility I might have by saying this, but you should give some consideration to Klipsch.  Most people seem to associate Klipsch with loud rock, but at low to moderate listening levels the Heritage models really shine with acoustic music and vocals.  I have a pair of Klipsch Quartets that do those things better in some ways than the Harbeths or KEFs.  They only get "shouty" or "bright" when you crank up the volume.  I think you'd find them more like your Tannoys than different.  If you can find some older Heresy, Quartet, or Fortes you wouldn't have to spend much to try them out and if you buy used could flip them if they are not for you.  They aren't hard to sell.