They arrived last night
They are freakin' huge!
They are also not too pretty, not much WAF here.
Once I set them up, the first thing that got my attention was the soundstage/imaging. It is a really large, immersive soundstage, within which the imaging is every bit as precise and focused as the S30 minimonitors. (I would like to try a binaural recording on these, as the sound is decidedly headphone-like.) The sweet spot is also quite large.
The top end is rolled-off but retains plenty of detail. This is not for everyone, but appeals to those of us who dislike brightness. There is no doubt that I can listen for long hours without fatigue.
Midrange is lifelike, sounding like real instruments rather than speakers. It is, in fact, virtually indistinguishable from the excellent midrange of the S30s.
Bass does not have quite the level of visceral impact that one might expect from the size, but is is very much present and well-balanced with the higher frequencies (as opposed to being overemphasized.), and the extra 10Hz of extension below the S30s is quite noticeable with the right material. As claimed, it is very tight and detailed. The bass notes on Andreas Vollendweider's electric harp were as clear as I have ever heard them (these are a tough test for any speakers.)
In conclusion, these are a lot of speaker for the money, and I am quite happy to have purchased them. More listening will be required before I decide if they are my new favorites or not, but that is a possibility. (They compare favorably with the B&W 685s, which are about the same size and a lot more expensive.)
