Zu or Harbeth

I haven't heard any of the Zu's, but I love the Harbeth 40 (haven't heard the 40.1) and I would buy them in a second if I had the means. Speakers are always an individual choice, but try to hear them before you make a decision.

For what it's worth, I have heard the M40 driven by MC402(forgotten the preamp but it's a Macintosh as well). Mcintosh goes very well with the M40 and M40.1 as with any other speakers. If you listen to a lot of natural vocals, some orchestra and favor a sound that is free of listening fatigue, the Harbeth is a good choice. I agree with Tvad's assessment that the Harbeth can be slightly bland in comparison to some other speakers which offer higher resolution of detail, punch and drive, so it's best if one can listen to these speakers before making a decision. I have a friend who loves the punchy and uncolored sound of his PMC EB1i driven by Bryston 4B-SST and describes the Harbeth SHL5 similarly as what Tvad has. Voices also sound good on the PMCs but more organic with a slight tinge of warmth with the Harbeth. It may be due to the different sources that we used as he was using a Mac connected to an Ayre DAC while I had an analog rig hooked up to the Harbeth. In the end, two different kind of presentation and sound on two different setups.

I have not heard the Zu's so no comment there. Nevertheless, if you want a speaker that you can sit down and listen to for hours until you fall asleep on the couch this is it. The Harbeths are very smooth and revealing and yet enjoyable. Not to be confused with "laidback" as with some comments about blandness and lack of excitement. There are always other speakers that can offer a higher degree of resolution and excitement with more punch, dynamics and attack, as with some other speakers that are more colored in comparison(such as the lower range of Sonus Faber Grand Piano and Cremona) which can sound more bland and lacklustre. Bottomline most speakers sound different and comparisons are relative, and it's a matter of picking one(or a few) that suits one's listening taste and preferences.

Both the Harbeths and either Zu model are excellent speakers. You have more than enough power to drive any of the three speakers well, so you're not practically limited. I've heard the Harbeths, know the importer and own Zu, as a matter of background.

Harbeths are the kind of speaker I spent decades owning; tonally neutral, smooth, conservative in their presentation. All of this is to the good and by any measure the Harbeth 40.1 is a musically sincere speaker. Zu Definitions (or Presence, in lesser doses) deliver the tonal neutrality needed for credibility to a "neutral junkie" but deliver speed and tone density the Harbeth can't match. Similarly, the Zu speakers will be dynamically effervescent compared to the Harbeth's more reserved nature, and Definitions in particular will scale up to the sonic space of your large room.

Some people might hear the Harbeth as the slightly more frequency-accurate speaker, but this comes at penalty of crossover characteristics. Where Zu leaps ahead is in dynamic fidelity and the ability to recreate a better representation of the transient aliveness of real instruments. The powered sub-bass arrays in Def 2 and Presence are a bonus underpinning the music with a convincing foundation.

While Zu Defs and Presence have 101db/w/m efficiency ratings, unlike most full range driver speakers in that efficiency league, power handling is robust. You can use Definition with dreadnought amps without fear.

Phil

Phil, does your Zu assessment pertain to the Essences as well? Maybe when the Zu boys make their new statement speaker then it'll really be something.

I think this a really hard recommendation to make beucase they sound so completely different that it should be easy for you to detemrine which approach you like. The differences are not hair splitting, and it really is a personal preference. I would undoubtedly choose the Harbeth over the Zu, which doesn't mean it is better. I suspect Mac and Harbeth would make a very good combination.