@jfrmusic +1
You’re right on the money. There’s a reason why the C7 is reputed to be Shaw’s favorite model. I originally bought my pair on Art Dudley’s recommendation. I was pining for my Quad ESLs, which I was forced to sell during a downsizing move, and Art told me something like "Everyone who sells their Quads eventually regrets the decision, but a Harbeth C7 is the closest thing you’ll get to Quad voicing out of a box."
In retrospect, he was 95% right. Especially if you don’t have a lot of space, C7s complemented by a pair of outstanding subs -- I’m talking about Perlistens here, not RELs -- won’t duplicate the ESL’s (as JGH once said) "pant-wetting midrange", but for a total system cost well under $10K, they come amazingly close, with a thunderous low end to boot. And they’re small enough for an apartment, stable enough to be driven by just about anything, & light enough for a senior citizen (like me) to physically handle with aplomb.
Sometimes the upgrade bug gets me and I think about auditioning MBLs or Vivids or whatever. But then I fire up the Harbeths with a UHQR or Living Stereo and just forget about the whole idea. The bigger Harbeths boast greater dynamic range and bass extension, and like jfrmusic says, you simply can’t go wrong with any of ’em. But IMHO, the sweet spot in the product line is the C7, regardless of whether you’re thinking about an E3, XD, XD2, or any other iteration.
Over the years, I’ve upgraded repeatedly from a $1500 ELAC Class D amp & Ortofon 2M Black MM cartridge to a $20,000 T+A amp & DS Audio optical. And at no time could I consider the C7s to be a weak link.
My 2c.