When I bought Harbeth SHL5+, I had the Cronus Magnum II and tried it with the speakers. It was a very good combination. I then bought a Luxman 590AXII, now we're talking. It really opened up the SHL5+ and had a sweet, inviting, revealing, and very open sound. It showed me all the nuances in the music, something the CM2 was not able to do quite as well. I found it to be better in the dynamics and bass areas as well. Overall, it was much more refined than the CM2. Of course, it's quite possible that CM3 is a huge improvement over CM2, so please take my impressions with a pinch of salt.
I later bought the Audio Hungary Qualiton a50i. Compared it to the Luxman and decided that for my taste the Qualiton was a clear winner. It has all the attributes of the Luxman but adds the holographic, 'big and juicy' sound that only tubes can provide. It also does not lose anything in terms of clarity and resolution. Yes, it doesn't have quite the same bass slam and dynamics as the Luxman, but what it provides in exchange was enough for me to sell the Luxman.
