Simply not true. Different, certainly, but having gone from SBLs to 30.1s, the latter is categorically not laughable.
As ever, it’s horses for courses, depending on the room, individual preferences etc. Anyone who makes out that there is some objective fact of the matter is simply wrong.
Funny how we perceive things differently.
Harbeth enclosures are based on BBC designs which reduce panel resonances to a minimum to prevent coloration of voices and musical instruments. They also developed their own radial cone material which is renowned to have very low coloration compared to most other materials.
Naim took a way more complicated approach to minimise panel resonances but the result of those efforts have never allowed them to gain a market the way Harbeth did.
If the fog had the same medium as the Harbeth, I will often walk in the bad weather 
Sometimes mixing different sound signatures can work well. If you have an overly bright analytical system mixing with something warm and smooth might even things out.
I have to disagree though at describing Harbeth as resonances, not my experience with 30.1. Every box has a resonant frequency that creates distortion but Harbeth keeps that low in the bass to keep the all important mids clean and detailed. Low bass could be better but for a ported design it’s very good.
My only experience with a Naim speaker is the SL2. I would take a Harbeth over the SL2 any day. Even though I did NOT have the SL2 setup optimally. They were against a brick wall and the distance between speakers was not more than 1.8metres. My floor is also suspended hardwood. Ideally you would want concrete and the speakers placed well apart for better sounstaging and imaging.
Having said that I got an idea of what this speaker is capable of. Even so in my opinion it is bettered by the 30.2. The SL2 has a sweet treble and very good mids. With the same equipment the 30.2 had a sweeter treble and a more voluptuous mid range. The SL2 is very clean and dare I say slightly thin sounding.
The bass is well defined on the SL2 but it did not have acceptable bass extension in my room. Whereas the 30.2 in the same room produced very satisfying bass. Perhaps not as well defined as the SL2, but with a few tweaks this difference can be greatly reduced with Harbeth speakers. Tweaks like keeping the grilles on, slate slabs under the stands and seating the speakers on very rigid but open frame speaker stands. I prefer the sound from wooden stands but metal frame stands also work very well.
To conclude, Harbeth speakers are very well designed and have enough to offer to compete with any speakers brand available today.
Nice. I use the same amplification (NAC 282, NAP 250DR, Hicap DR and NAPSC) driving Harbeth SHL5 Plus. Wireworld Matrix 2 as well.
Chord Epic Twin and Chord Signature Tuned Aray cables and source is Chord QBD76 DAC.
I’ve ended my journey here. Musical bliss.
Need some photos! 
My comment may ruffle a few feathers here. In my limited experience, most speakers I’ve heard may sound cleaner and more detailed but usually thin and sterile. The Harbeth sounds fuller in the midrange and plays with more emotion.
It is further up on post #31. 
AHH. So it is! Lovely. Sorry 
I have some SHL5+ on home demo. Sounding very good on my Naim system. Does anyone have experience of the 40th anniversary? Any difference between the two? Are the anniversary’s worth the extra outlay?
I did a back to back with my SHL5+ 40ths against regular SHL5+ - there is a slight improvement.
Really up to you if you want a limited edition speaker or not.
Do you like the look of the exclusive limited edition veneer versus the standard veneer? Do you think that higher quality binding posts or a modified crossover are worth the extra?
As I said in another thread, the 40ths offer a little future proofing, because back when Alan did the 30th editions the changes filtered in eventually to the regular models.
@marka thanks, I’ve yet to hear to hear the 40ths to compare against the regular SHL5+. I do like the look of the limited edition veneer and binding posts of the 40ths. I’ll wait to see if my dealer can source them so I can do a comparison.
@Marka – can you advice on the stands that you use with the Super HL5 plus? I like the super sleek look of these…
They are Something Solid XF.
@Marka – thanks for you super-quick reply! Happy with these? Crazy in an online world google is unable to provide a manufacturer or any other touch point besides a dealer called Deco Audio. May I ask where you git your from or if you can advice on a contact?
I got mine from HiFi Corner (a Naim dealer) in Edinburgh. Very happy with them. They work very well with thin wall design speakers.
thanks for you super-quick reply! Happy with these? Crazy in an online world google is unable to provide a manufacturer or any other touch point besides a dealer called Deco Audio. May I ask where you git your from or if you can advice on a contact?
The maker of Something Solid stands is - I believe - part owner of Deco Audio in Aylesbury, UK
I went for a demo of the Harbeth M30.2 anivasaries last week. I came away disapointed, not because of the speakers, no, definately not the Harbeths because they blew me away. But it made me realise my system was’nt up to it.
Harbeths definitely sound best on “Something Solid” stands.
They are made to order. You have found the correct link.
