Leben CS 600 and Harbeth vs Audio Note vs ATC vs JM Reynaud

Leben CS600? If the sounds is as half as beautiful as its looks....

Said to work well with Harbeths.

I posted a while ago on an auditioning of Audio Note and Harbeth, and elsewhere on Spendor.

AN have a wonderfully natural timbre.  But to get the best bass, they do need to be wall-adjacent, and that compromises sound-stage depth.  Trade-offs.

I've heard 40.2 several times and are very good all-rounders.  Very good.  Close runner-up to this model is the Spendor Classic 100.

I saw your post.  Interestingly I am trying to upgrade my Spendor SP-1s from 1988.  I heard the A7 but found it a little sparse, though more dynamic than the SP1s.  It did not have the magical mid range.  I would be interested in the Classic 100, but cannot find a place to audition them.  Found the Harbeth SHL 5 a little edgy.  Also trying to find Graham to audition- the distributer is trying to set up a local demo for me.
Anyway thanks for your insightMP

@mpomerantz I too found the SHL5 bright, though I gather many people do not.  However, it is voiced differently from the 30.2 and 40.2, both of which I've heard and liked a lot.  The only dealer I know of that has Classic 100s on the floor is David Lewis in Philadelphia.  There must be a couple of others, somewhere.  I've never heard the LS5/8, but would have liked to have done.

Wow, my SHL5 plus are anything but bright.  Very interesting... I will continue to repeat though, that Harbeths need power to sound their best.