I've been able to follow Harbeth since 1977 and it's been an interesting journey for me. Alan said in a HUG post not long ago that he balanced his older models a bit on the 'restrained' side (I'm being polite) and with a slightly excessive bass in the HL5 family, at least at first and especially in smaller rooms. Compared to whizz-bang 'HiFi' alternatives at shows, Harbeths often sounded too safe and boring to me. Having said that, many UK buyers welcomed the lack of screech and fizz that all too many alternatives still offer in this ageing audio-listener market.
I never liked the C7-ES3, finding the mid-bass warmth overpowering even in free space, but I was stunned by the 7-XD version as to how much better balanced it seemed and so effortlessly clear but without aforementioned screech or fizz. In comparison, the M30.2-XD sounded slightly 'tubby' to me (room will dictate really but this was a known room and system) and opposite of what I heard comparing 7-ES3 and 5+ with M30.1 (I've compared 30 with its direct spiritual ancestor LS5/9 and then the 30.1 which 'flattened' the measured downtilt response of it's forebear and removed the upper mid suckout of the original issue 5/9).
Got to say I wasn't keen on the 5+ at first, but using a powerful amp as all-but insisted by the maker, the penny dropped for me and I began to respect and then to love them. The 5-XD is similar in balance from memory (memories are terribly unreliable though), but the XD just seems a little clearer and easier to listen to I feel.
The post above complaining about driver finish should be addressed to the supplying dealer and then the factory via the distributor (let them work for their profits!). maybe the poster could take a look at other samples to confirm his don't 'look' right. There's a habit in some markets to rip the grilles off all speakers regardless if they do better with them in place, but one man's ugly screws, port holes and cones-domes is another's wonderful looking tech, so there ya go
The price increase is sad for the likes of me now, as I'd love to replace my SHL5's for the XD version knowing how the balance has changed, but there are genuine commercial reasons why, as the brand was beginning to look too cheap in some markets especially when compared with the obvious competing alternatives from a similar distant ancestry - and post-Covid shipping charges are obscene now compared to before. Getting parts and so on is now a nightmare and I can now see why so many businesses fought 'Brexit' so strongly where their businesses in the short term were concerned. If anyone wants to read about how this can affect a smallish electronics form, look at the Schiit blog on Head-Fi. Jason has written monthly blog updates there and from the first 2021 posting, he gave a write-up on the situation they're facing with backorders, difficulty in getting parts, let alone of the right quality, trying to allocate stock to worldwide distributors (the UK/Europe concern is out of many models) and so on.
Hope the above doesn't hinder.
