Ascend Sierra 1s to Harbeth 7ES-3s?

Big step up in performance. You won't be disappointed.

I would hope that the Harbeths would sound better as they cost 4X the Sierras ($3650 to $900).

FWIW, I had Spendor SA1's ($2K) and replaced them with the Sierras and have been very pleased with the change.

Rich

IMO, the Harbeth midrange is neither lush nor romantic - more natural and clear. But Harbeth does a nice balance of the accuracy and musicality, so that might very well appeal to you!

Rar1,

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Spendor's are somewhat similar to the Harbeth sound, which is also British. Nonetheless, your comment is intriguing as it gives weight to the idea that it really comes down to the listener -- not the price.

Zkspb8 made the observation that the Harbeth's are neither lush nor romantic, but more natural and clear. From reading the various forums, people have described the Harbeth's as having a lush sound. We all hear something different, but I wonder if this perception is due to the combination of the great reproduction of the midrange and the type and quality of recordings (vocal) that are generally being played with these speakers?