I think the main factor that will decide if they are a long term keeper is whether I get the itch for more bass. I would be prepared to spend good money on a very good sub, but my jury is still out on the use of subs without an active crossover.
One other nagging thought about 30s is that they are ported. After a year with electrostats I've started to hear the mid-bass humps and bloated port output that you get with a lot of box speakers. The Compact 7s had this. Perhaps this is why Yogiboy found the P3s so much more satisfying? As the only non-ported Harbeth, they can seem a lot more agile in many rooms.
With the 7s I found their were certain ways of keeping the bass tight. When I was experimenting with Croft amps I found that the pre-amp was crucial. A regulated pre-amp was so much tighter.
With the 30s it will be more about sins of omission. However I spent a couple of evenings listening to them in a room of similar size to my own recently and I was just entranced. And the mid-bass was rich and fruity, even if the lower bass was missing.
One other nagging thought about 30s is that they are ported. After a year with electrostats I've started to hear the mid-bass humps and bloated port output that you get with a lot of box speakers. The Compact 7s had this. Perhaps this is why Yogiboy found the P3s so much more satisfying? As the only non-ported Harbeth, they can seem a lot more agile in many rooms.
With the 7s I found their were certain ways of keeping the bass tight. When I was experimenting with Croft amps I found that the pre-amp was crucial. A regulated pre-amp was so much tighter.
With the 30s it will be more about sins of omission. However I spent a couple of evenings listening to them in a room of similar size to my own recently and I was just entranced. And the mid-bass was rich and fruity, even if the lower bass was missing.