Although I have never heard the Minuets, at their price point, they clearly appear to be candidates for "best buy" status.
A good friend of mine, Texas42 (you can chime in anytime, Dave), is better qualified to speak on behalf of the Silverline's, as he owned a pair of the Preludes, and has first-hand experience with the Minuets.
From what I heard of the Preludes at Dave's, and I only had a brief encounter, they were absolute stunners. Amazing dynamics and a wonderful, rich tone, for such a diminutive floor stander. If the Minuets are half as good sounding as the Preludes, they are certainly worth the cost of admission.
On the other hand, I have owned several pairs of Harbeths, and am fully accustomed to their sound. The P3 series, most notably, is the finest sounding mini-monitor I have ever heard/owned. Size notwithstanding, they throw an absolutely huge soundstage, that extends way beyond the boundaries of their cabinets.
Short story, so please bear with me. The first time I heard a pair was in London, shortly after their debut. My wife and I were in town shopping for a stand-mount speaker, and had spent the entire day searching for a pair to take home. We listened to virtually everything that was available (in London, at least) at the time, but were not satisfied with what we had been hearing.
It was our last shop to visit, and we were already exhausted from all the walking around and train rides to get everywhere, so we were not in the best frame of mind for yet another fruitless audition. We merely wanted to get it over with and get back home.
Reluctantly, we explained to the salesperson the kind of sound we were looking for and, without hesitation, he said he had just what we were looking for. He brought out a pair of the then new Harbeth HL-P3 loudspeakers and set them on the stands. When my wife and I saw just how small they were, we just looked at each other and thought, "yeah right."
Well, I have to tell you, within three seconds of the speaker's being played, we both perked up and did a double-take. The sound emanating from those little boxes was nothing short of breathtaking.
I had heard a lot of speakers in my time, indeed that day; however, none of them could match the little Harbeth's for producing such a vast and transparent soundstage. Totally believable in every (audiophile) sense of the word. Within the context of their capabilities, they were simply remarkable. Needless to say, we bought a pair right on the spot. To this day, no other loudspeaker has had such a profound effect upon my first listening.
While this is hardly a comparison between the Silverline's and the Harbeth's, my point is that both speakers could very well be capable of giving you exactly what you have been looking for, albeit at different price points. I don't think there is any right or wrong in choosing one over the other, except where, perhaps, budget is your first priority. In the end, your purchase of either loudspeaker will be fully justified by the wonderful sounds they can produce. I hope this helps.
William
