What amplifier for Harbeth HL-5?

Comments thread:

Harbeth's sound just fine with most any decent amp, SS or tube. Harbeth's designer has conveyed this same message over and over. The Harbeth line on sub-implementation with their speakers is "no". Same answer with bi-amping & bi-wiring Harbeth's - no. I have tried those heavy & loaded stands as well as some $150-$200 light, open framed stands. The cheap-o stands sounded better in my space and with my Harbeth's. Really. LFD amps/integrated amps are very minimalistic looking products (thus not appealing to bell & whistle audiophiles) w/o remote control function that just sound really good. There certainly are many amps that probably are just as good, and know also you do not need big watt amps with Harbeth's to be happy. I say focus on the speaker placement and your room acoustics.

Bassoon - What amp will you be using with your 40.1's, and does the rest of your system consist of? I'm currently using a Plinius SA-102 Class A solid state amp with the Calypso preamp with NOS tubes.

SHL5s are not very fussy of amps irregardless tubes or s/s.
I have heard them in most combos and permutations and they sound great.
If you want a warmer presentation, more rounded, the tubes are the way to go!
If you want a more incise, detailed, defined bass presentation, the s/s is the way to go.
If you want in between, go with a tube pre-amp and s/s power amp or vice versa.
Some of the best SHL5s set-up i heard are done in this combo:
LFD integrated amp, CJ/VTL combo, Accuphase int, Accuphase combo (pre/power), the best one so far is in the Far East: I can't recall of the pre/amp as it was dark but the amp were the Lamms hybrid monoblocks. It was awesome!! A bit overkill but the capabilities of the harbeths were just highlighted to the max.
I also believe Jason Parmeter uses the Lamms with the Harbeths.
But the beauty of the SHL5s- anything will be fine!! easy speakers to please really!!

I agree about them being easy to please. I had very good success with Nuforce and Harbeth -- rich, detailed, textured, present.

After reading through most comments from Harbeth owners, I concur with the notion that the Harbeth will work well with most good amplifiers out there. In other words, the sonic difference between good amps will be subtle at best. You will gain a little here and there and then lose some. If one already has a good amp that matches well with the Harbeth, I think it is more worthwhile to concentrate more on the source to obtain a more appreciable sonic difference. I tried a better phonostage on my analog setup just recently and was astounded by the degree of improvements it made to the sound.