Experienced audiophiles best speaker

Can't argue with what you heard, but I never heard Harbeth sound like you describe them, "dry" and "no music" doesn't sound like the Harbeth sound to me. Now, I have always heard them with tubes, but I don't think that explains the discrepancy as most Harbeth users do seem to be using SS and "musical" does seem to be the most common phrase used to describer them - though surely not toe everyone's taste in what they are looking for in a speaker.

Ok. I give up. Full disclosure to come. Not just for products I sell but every thread.

Kubala-Sosna, Wilson Benesch, Esoteric, deHavilland and Sonist Dealer.

Now that was easy, wasn't it? The Wilson Benesch / deHavilland room at RMAF 2008 was one of the best at the show IMHO.

I don't think that explains the discrepancy as most Harbeth users do seem to be using SS and "musical" does seem to be the most common phrase used to describer them

Thats exactly why it was on the top of my shortlist when I was upgrading from my Dyn Contour 1.3SE speakers a year back. I was drooling all over the "Harbeth" brand and the aura around it. At that time I had created threads on AA asking about Harbeth vs other speakers while some people raved about it, some "experienced" guys did tell me to be careful and not buy a Harbeth blind as they are not as musical as Spendors and I may not like them as much as I am thinking. Thankfully I auditioned them, rejected them in 15 mins.

As a long time Spendor user (3/1, 7/1, 1/2e) I took the opportunity to give the Harbeth's a listen before I moved on from Spendor. Yes they are warmer, especially in the bottom end, but I think I understand what Pani is alluding to. There is definitely some dryness in the mid range IMO, which is opposite to the sound and what I love about the Spendor speakers I've owned. Funny thing, at any of the audio shows I've gone to I can "blindly" pick up the sound of a Harbeth speaker very easily.