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Harbeth Monitor 40.2 Bookshelf Loudspeakers Location: Class A Audio, 8/585 Blackburn Rd, Notting Hill, VIC, 3168. Trade in, one of the speaker has minor damage to its edge and corner. (Refer to photos) The Monitor 40.2 redefines the term ‘Reference Loudspeaker’. Built on the success of the multi award-winning M40.1, this new generation is the biggest leap forward in sonic supremacy since the design’s launch in January 1998. More efficient, more adaptable to a wide range of listening environments, perfectly balanced and more transparent and engaging, the M40.2 takes the Harbeth sound to a n
Is this A$13,500 Harbeth Monitor 40 a bargain, or is the model mismatch the real story? Based strictly on your database of five recent AUD listings for the Monitor 40, the median is A$18,827 with a 25th percentile of A$16,580, making this A$13,500 asking price a strong deal that sits well below the typical market floor. However, the listing title likely conflates the classic Monitor 40 with the newer, more common Monitor 40.2, which frequently trades near A$13,500 in trade-in condition with minor damage.
If this is indeed the original Monitor 40, you are securing a legendary three-way speaker renowned for its superb tonality and deep, accurate bass that defined the reference standard for decades. The massive upside here is the price: if verified as the original model, you are getting a speaker worth A$18,000+ for roughly A$13,500, a genuine buying opportunity. Only proceed if you confirm the specific model number, as the 40.2 is excellent but commands a different value tier, whereas the original 40 at this price is a rare find.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Harbeth Audio Ltd. traces its origins to 1977, when BBC Research Department engineer H.D. (Dudley) Harwood founded the company in the UK upon his retirement. Harwood, a pioneer in loudspeaker cone materials, commercialized his inventions—including polypropylene cones developed during four decades of BBC-funded research—to produce monitor speakers that echoed the broadcaster's precision standards. This heritage, rooted in the BBC's comprehensive loudspeaker investigations from the 1960s and 1970s, positioned Harbeth as a direct descendant of iconic designs like the LS3/5a.
The brand focuses exclusively on high-fidelity loudspeakers, eschewing amplifiers, turntables, DACs, headphones, or cables. Harbeth's innovations center on proprietary materials and engineering, notably the patented RADIAL™ cone introduced in the 1990s, which minimizes distortion for exceptional clarity and natural reproduction. Standout models include the Super HL5 Plus, Monitor 30.1, and Monitor 40.2, all refined through ongoing refinements to critically damped cabinets, polymeric cones, and crossover networks.
Harbeth commands a revered position in the high-end hi-fi market as a niche boutique specialist, prized by discerning audiophiles for its balanced, transparent sound that prioritizes musicality over hype. Under Alan Shaw's leadership since 1986, blending BBC traditions with rigorous quality control, it sustains an irrefutable reputation for world-class performance at low-to-medium volumes, earning critical acclaim worldwide.
See all Harbeth listings on RADAR.
