Which Harbeth Speakers

Thanks for your responses. As I expected, the opinions are quite varied. I think the Luxman sound, while not the most detailed, is both pleasing and sufficiently detailed. One point about the SHL5 is curious. Some bloggers have noted that it might be too bass heavy for a room of my size. Others note that of the four speakers considered, it can be listened to at soft volumes and still present much of the musical content better than the other speakers at that volume. I know that both these staments may be true. What do you think?

Go to the Harbeth site and shoot Alan Shaw an Email. Dollars to donuts he will tell you that the 3's are a better match for your sized room. The 3's are a set em and forget em type speaker! Bigger is not always better. Take advise from someone who learned this the hard way.Me!

My room is 12X16.. Running M30.. I find the bass just adequate.. Not enough reach down low but that's to be expected..

Opinion seems to be all over the map from the 3 to the 5 to the 30..

I would definitely look at the 5 in your room size..

The US Distributor recommended the 30s based on providing the most information.

That's probably true, but it doesn't mean you'll like them better. As I said above, the SHL5s sound bigger and are somewhat more forgiving. So many people around here are worried about "detail" and then end up whining that their systems are too forward or harsh. Keep in mind that we're talking degrees here. The SHL5s are perhaps only slightly less "precise" than the 30's and offer a bit more warmth, IMO. I've owned both, BTW. Anyway, they're all great speakers and it's your money. But they are expensive, so it's best to be honest with oneself. If you don't have the best components, or you really know you would prefer the bit of extra warmth, you know what to do. Obviously, the best way would be to try them both in your room, but that's not always possible. Best of luck.