I haven't been this excited in a while!

@dhite71 Congrats on acquiring a Harbeth speaker. As you know I owned the Harbeth 40.2 model which I regrettably sold last year. Prior to owning the 40.2, I briefly auditioned the 40.1 at a friend's place. The 40.1 was a little too warm and rolled off for my taste. But my friend actually preferred the sound signature over 40.2. The 40.2 was a bit more transparent and open sounding but your experience might differ from mine. Either way, whether that's your final stop or not, it's worth exploring and enjoying the Harbeth/BBC monitor experience. It might not do everything well but it excels at what it does best -- beautiful midrange, seductive transparency, lifelike vocals, accurate tone and timbre, and musical bass (no, it's not tight or punchy). However, they are not 'trebly' or as airy as some speakers like Focals or Wilson Audio, nor do they disappear as well as some narrow baffled speakers.

Lastly, while I certainly enjoyed it with tube amps, it really needs solid state to grip those woofers and make them obey. A tube preamp + SS amp was the ticket for me.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I might consider buying 40.3XD in the future if and when finances allow.

@dhite71 The following is info I shared within my Audio Group when making arrangements to experience/purchase the Speakers.

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Comments made by those that have been demo'd the Speakers are shown below,
and are quite substantial when a couple of the individuals pedigrees are
known in the World of Speakers.
One commentary is from an individual who works across the Globe as a Speaker
Designer and consultant to Speaker Driver Manufacturers.
Another is from a individual who works with UK Speaker Producers, and is
included in creating designs for very expensive Speakers.
After reading these extracts from discussions had about the speakers, I
think my eagerness to experience the speakers will be understood. 

"I can think of quite a few extremely expensive speakers that frankly don't
do what these can, even without a bit of final fine-tuning, so I'd say a
fitting speaker-build indeed."

" We were treated to world-class sound. It's as simple as that. Some of you
know where I've worked previously, and it shouldn't be surprising that these
speakers cheerfully demolish anything that was built there. Even the
flagship £140k/pair floor standers."

"With the new settings, the upper-bass "punch" is back without needing lots
of EQ, and the rest of the range remains excellent. These speakers are now
some of the best I've heard,"

"I wouldn't hesitate to call these speakers world-class, and would highly
recommend auditioning them if you can."

 "I was immediately struck by the purity and transparency of the midrange
and treble - I commented  that it was ESL-like. (I owned Quad 989s for
several years so I’m in a good position to know.)"
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Hopefully these will be at home with me during December.
They were picked up on the 27th December and had their first home system experience near the New Year.

The following is my description given to my local HiFi Group about the early experiences had with the New Speakers.

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Good Evening Group               

I am compelled to share the unavoidable thoughts that are developed, resulting from the most recent experiences with using the New Speakers.

Since they have arrived, I have been working with Placement and a creating a strong sense there is a Coherence of the sound being produced across the frequencies. 

Coherence is easy to become unbalanced when Gain Controls needed to be used can be a two edges sword. As in Photo editing software's, less usage of the editing tools is much much more beneficial when trying to create the attraction of the end photo. 

The smallest of touches to the Gain brings the most from the times a tweak seems to need to be required, keeping on the side of very attractive is the goal.

Small changes to the symmetry of the Speakers are quite capable to change the impact of the sound being released. I would say at this stage I am with gain adjustment and symmetry alignment, approx' 6+/8ths complete with the task. 

It might take a Room Measurement and a final tweak to the Room Treatment or Speakers programming / Xover design to absolutely nail this one???  

I have also found that Building Up the Height of the acoustic control panels in Room Corners has added a betterment to the Structure of the sound released into the room, the Volume certainly was able to be rotated a little more and remain at the newly adjusted level.

Knowing how well my ESL's coupled within the listening space and how the experiencing of these in this space was to the listener a indelible encounter. Lets say the ESL's were quite special. Totally capable of creating an immersive experience, where sound was well structured and the ambience of a performance has been quite a believable happening.

The New Speakers are far further in their being capable of this, to the point, there is something much more immersive. There is an unusual tangible structure to the overall sound produced.

The affect of the tangible structure of sound produced, is where I am sensing the presentation is within a purpose made structure, think Amphitheatre or Arena and Cavea. 

It is like the Sound has tangible structure and is contained within a visualised 3D Sound Space. There is sensed a perimeter structure which I am contained in as a spectator of an event.

This is a Sound Experience very different to what I have come to know as a quality sound experience. 

These are not typical descriptions, but they are shared as the result of something quite special having been experienced.

That something is not a describable quantity, it is needed to be experienced to get the basics of an understanding of which I am poorly describing.

In a lesser version WOW! WOOW! WOOOW! 

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I have had to purchase additional seating for the Audio Room, the queue has increased in number to get in early, gaining entry and be entertained with the New Speakers and some other new items to be used in my system.

@pindac    I have googled the brand name "New Speakers" and, so far, haven't been able to find any info or a website for this manufacturer. Are you running them with your old equipment or have you paired them with the "New Amps" and "New Preamp/streamer" as well?

I hope you're entertaining yourself with your smug little game.

@dseltz Apologies a Post made earlier should have been addressed to you.

@acresverde The New Speakers are being used at present with my CD Source> Custom Built Valve DAC - Prototype SS Pre (A simplified SS Channel which is belonging to my Custom Multi Valve - SS Pre being built for me) - Custom Built 845 Mono's - New Speakers.

I am yet to have a Vinyl Experience, as I am holding off until my Custom Design / Built SS Phonostage is brought home ( It is now ready for pick up ).  This will then be compared to two Custom Design Valve Phon's through the New Speakers and all available Power Amp's.

I own a 300b Power Amp yet to be heard in use with the Speakers.

I have a loaned Neurochrome Monoblock (Unique Design) SS Power Amp also yet to be heard with the Speakers.

I am also to loan and possibly acquire a SS DAC to enable the Full Valve and Full SS Source > Amp' experience being run through the New Speakers and some other owned Cabinet Speakers.

ESL's are Superseded and won't be reintroduced, unless at another time to enable a individual to have a ESL experience.

The New Speakers are not something I can give a accurate direction to, like all supporting ancillaries upstream of the CDT.

All audio equipment in use, is bespoke design /commission built for me over a very long period of time. Still being done at the current time as well. 

The Speakers as a finished product, are the result of a personal retirement project of a CEO of a Speaker Company that is no longer trading.

The Speaker Company had design support from a few individuals who are long-term with Careers working for the Speaker Industry, where their influences extend to Speaker Drive Unit Design for a few very well known Drive Unit Producers and also for a Selection of Speaker Companies that are with Speaker Models that command very large sums of money as a retail price.

Across Four Individuals, 'electronically', a State of the Art Speaker was designed to be the CEO's, ' Mother of all Speakers Builds ', for his and his Spouses retirement.

Well not all goes to plan in this wonderful world, and the CEO quite early in his retirement passed.

I was informed of the loss and that there was a notion to sell at some time some of the audio equipment that was excess. I assisted when the sales started and paid the Widow fair monies for a range of surplus audio equipment.

Prior to the Xmas Holiday 2025, I was contacted about the interest I may have had in the Grand Finale Speakers. With what I knew, I could not refuse, but did have to dig deep to find the monies to have a offer accepted.

I hope this assists with making the posts more clear.

I am in total acceptance of the comments made available from the Career Professionals who offered much design and final use support for these Speakers. I do not familiarise myself too often, if ever, with Speakers reaching up to £1/2 Million, but do know on very good authority these are the real McCoy to be very very worthy competition.

Imagine a retired engineers Kit Car was taken on as a redesign / build by a selection of Formula 1 and NASCAR Engineers and their available support. The end product would be recognisable but definitely not recognisable to the 'average joe' (which I am one ) for the quality of the thought that has been buried within it and the function on offer resulting from that thought. Only experiencing the End Product would supply answers.   

Imagine being given first refusal on such a vehicle, of course one seriously considers digging deep into their coffers. Especially, if it is most economic way to be fast tracked to the top experiences available from your most preferred and invested in hobby.