Differences between Harbeth, Spendor, Graham, etc. ?

@akg_ca +1

I've owned many different model Harbeths.  A sibilance problem is  a source problem not a speaker problem!

@larryi 

 I don’t know of any speaker that is perfect in every way, so I mentioned what I heard as a mild weak point.  It may be a matter of a tradeoff—if that slight peak is tamed, something might be lost in terms of sense of speed and dynamics, for example;

Yes. There are (at least with gear I can afford) always trade-offs. Personally, I'm wiling to sacrifice some detail for the sake of taming  potentially fatiguing frequencies.  

Thanks for the detailed info on the A. Note speakers. I'm not a good candidate, given what you've explained. 

@yogiboy 

FWIW, I've received many different suggestions regarding my sibilance issue, including speakers. 

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Perhaps, "sibilance" was not the right term to use.  At certain upper midrange frequencies there is a slight edge or hardness that will be most pronounced in recordings that have a tendency to be sibilant.  That slight edge also can make recordings sound more detailed and lively, so it is not necessarily a fault.  I hear this with many speakers I like because they are lively sounding speakers, such as Fyne speakers, for example.  As I said before, I like Harbeth speakers, and in particular, I like the 30.2 model.  

@larryi +1

We two hear the same.

@larryi

What I’ve noticed is that most often when reviewers use terms such as "lively" or "exciting" they then go on to say that whatever they’re reviewing presents highs in a tipped up, forward, accentuated fashion that prioritizes detail. I regard this as a red flag because I’m extremely sensitive to highs. I understand that verbal descriptions are no substitute for listening (and I’d never buy speakers without a home demo) but at this point I’m confused. Most descriptions I’ve encountered of Harbeths praise their "warm" midrange. Are you are saying they are both warm and lively?