I guess it depends on the sound that you want. Missioncoonery made a good point on vintage speakers. FWIW my friend who owns the 40.1 actually has another pair of Altec Lansing Valencia in a 2nd system. He got the Altecs so that he can have the best of both worlds. The Altecs gave him the raw, forward and live sound but severely lacked the detail and refinement of the Harbeths. The Altecs were also brighter in comparison and tonality were not as accurate as the Harbeth. The Harbeths gave him the smooth, composed and refined sound but lacked the big and life like presentation of the Altecs. One cannot have everything in one package that does it all.