Harbeth SHL5 PLUS XD Review by Craig Chase of Hometheatrehifi.com

[Absolute Phase]

Harbeth SHL5plus XD Speakers Review - HomeTheaterHifi.com

Harbeth continues its tradition of beautiful sound by delivering its SHL5plus XD speakers that are as attractive to the eyes as they are to the ears.

hometheaterhifi.com

HARBETH’S SHL5PLUS XD LOUDSPEAKERS aren’t inexpensive at $7990 to $8390 per pair USD, but they deliver the delicacy, power and bass of far more pricey models while being amp friendly.​

LIKES

• Detailed midrange
• Extended treble
• Accurate yet musical
• Amazing micro dynamics
• Decorator approved fit and finish
• Surprising power crescendos

WOULD LIKE TO SEE

• One more octave of bass

I came into this review expecting a nice, polite British loudspeaker. Over the last 20 plus years, I have had the opportunity to live with Magnepans, Legacy Audio Signatures, Axiom LFR-1100 Actives and a host of other speakers in the $6000 to $20,000 range.

What I experienced was something far above my expectations. Alan Shaw’s dedication to making the 200mm RADIAL2™ an edge of the art driver has brought to the lover of music a transducer that makes a variety of instruments come to life. It does so with the delicacy and power that one might expect in a far larger, more expensive loudspeaker. While the investment in these speakers is not inexpensive, its performance in every aspect makes the price of entry quite reasonable. They are my new reference standard for a passive loudspeaker. When I unboxed the Harbeth SHL5plus XD’s a little over three months ago, I commented that it would be nice to have a pair of speakers that were easy to pack up and return to the manufacturer after the review. It turns out this was not going to be easy at all. I am purchasing the review pair. What better endorsement can there be?

Harbeth Loudspeakers are on demo at Absolute Phase (Exclusive India Distributor)