Are Harbeth S HL5's As Good As Reviewers Claim?

Chashas1, I totally agree that we should not pay too much attention to what others or reviewers say.

On the other hand, as I read this thread, I realize that lots of people seem to have had similar experiences with Harbeths -- they talk about musicality and there is this notion of listening to more music.

That makes me think (also because this is precisely what I experienced with my system) there there is some truth in this.

Perhaps, it's certainly not worth arguing the point. If he hears them and likes them, case closed. But, one strong rule of thumb to go by is, if they're getting good word of mouth, almost envariably they'll stink in the end or certainly won't be to someone's liking. Case in point, spendors are great speakers for what they do, and if you still like that sound, then they're great for you. I find them to be way too polite and have moved on. Hence the harbeths, same scenario. I have one reviewer I like, jeff day--still loves the HL5's. Another reviewer, bob neil, loved the spendors, then harbeths, now he's onto something else, audio notes, i think. You could line all these guys up with their harbeths on here and hear praise from them. If I listened and started nodding off, like with spendors, then they're definitely not for me. It's fun to talk about all this gear and our experiences, and yes, the opinions, but that can only go so far as to making a purchase.

how's the bass performance of the SHL5 compared to typical floorstander?

thanks

Just got a pairs of HL5s. I am a Thiels owner for 20 years. I brought the Harbeths because I had got a good bargain and was thinking of reselling for a profit. My first impression was that something missing up top and the mids was slightly coloured. Definitely, I felt there was not enough definition from individual instruments and vocals. After half an hour, I thought I was hearing more into the music itself! As a whole, it is giving me lot more musical information then the Thiels can do! Wow, I have never listened to so many old disks without flipping though the remotes before. These Harbeths do know how to recreate music as it should be. Will I miss my Thiels? Not really, only when I listen to the handful of super audiophile disks. Will I sell the Harbeths? Not until I can find one speaker which can do both! I think they are as good as they claim as an instrument in recreating musical truth but they are not precise instruments for creating the ultimate HIFI experience.

I get the feeling the designer knows the kind of sound he likes and that his speakers are very well desinged towards that goal - he knows what he is doing, and he speakers are well sorted out. You cup of tea? Who knows, but obviously many folks are happy with their sound. They also have a reputation for being fairly forgiving of the electronic they are used with, and that can be a good thing, especially if you are on a budget.