Harbeth 7es-3 Sound

Now I realize why my PMC speakers, although rated to
go down to 35Hz with a puny 4" woofer can sometimes sound a little
forced when pumping out huge chunks of bass.

That is always the challenge with bass from small boxes it doesn't matter
whether it is PMC or another small ported design with impressive bass - they
all give up some clarity or quality in order to get big sound from a small box.

If you accept this and you prefer the quality/clarity then you should look for
either

1) very big box speakers (where the bass is accurate as well as extended)
2) for smaller box speakers without the bass extension (sealed boxes tend to
be more reliably well behaved in small speakers).

(there are exceptions to these rules but they are few and far between)

BTW - Harbeth are midrange magic! It would make a great choice. I would
add, however, a big PMC with a 3 inch dome mid would also be magic and
give you plenty of bass to boot!

I agree with your statement Shadorne. Most(not all) small bookshelves that I have owned seem to sound forced with pumped up bass in order to sound "big". After listening to the Harbeth speakers, I realized what I've been missing all this while. I'm quite smitten with the SHL-5 and Compact 7ES-3 now, more with the latter since it comes with the exotic tiger ebony finish which looks classier than the cherry(although the former has a bigger sound and bass due to the larger cabinet). Yes, the midrange is truly magical.

I would add, however, a big PMC with a 3 inch dome mid would also be magic and give you plenty of bass to boot!

This I agree, but the bigger PMCs(EB1 and IB2) are not only more costly but need to be driven with Bryston amplification to sound "acceptable". Also, I don't think the midrange of the PMCs can match the surreal and lifelike sound of the Harbeth. I'll probably find a Bryston SST amp to drive my LB1 Sigs in my 2nd system later. As for now, it's the Harbeth for me.

Ryder, if you are actively auditioning small speakers, I can also recommend ATC7s and 11s (which pair well with NAD, Chord, Bryston) and Neat Motives (which pair well with Exposure, LFD and NAIM). All are top tier Canadian and English companies. The ATCs are precise and the Neats are dynamic and smooth.

I'm extremely please with my HL-5 speakers that I purchased back in November 08. Over the past 20 years, I've owned B&W, Apogee Centaur Majors, Vandersteens 2Ce, PSB Stratus Gold i, Revel M20, and Thiel CS6. The Harbeths are the first speaker I can listen to all day and not be fatigued. The midrange is so much better than any of the speakers that preceded them. I listen to all types of music including classic rock and I find they are a great all around speaker. Probably not the speaker for headbangers but for everything else its sublime. I use a REL Strata III sub that integrates seamlessly with the HL-5. Horns sound rich and brassy, strings are sweet and delicate, and voices are absolutely captivating. I use a McIntosh MC275 amp, Convergent Audio Technology (CAT) SL1 Ultimate pre, and a Rega Saturn as a transport for the Benchmark DAC1 PRE. Everything except the amp is plugged into a Running Springs Jaco power conditioner. I enjoy this system more than anything I've owned in my 20 years of high end audio by far.

Thanks for the recommendation Bongofury. I am not exactly looking for small speakers but more towards mid-sized speakers. The Harbeth Compact 7ES-3 is not exactly small in size with its 8" woofer and the SHL-5 is larger in cabinet volume. I do know ATC makes good quality speakers but I'm trying to get something that not only sounds good but looks good as well. That is the reason I'm considering the tiger ebony finish on the Harbeth as I felt the standard cherry on the square box is too plain. The coherency and smooth unforced midrange of the Harbeth not experienced elsewhere have won me over.