Dennis,
Nicely done!
Can I just go ahead and buy them?
Or do you need to get this pair back?
Quick and dirty review:
While not as forward as I like, it is a very well-balanced speaker!
Bass is very impressive; much more than the Pioneer FS-52 (if memory serves). I would not need a sub for music. If I understand the mods correctly, you didn't really do anything to enhance the low end except for the bracing to prevent it from getting mushy. I suspect measurements would show a little bass hump in the low end to compensate for not going down to 30Hz, but it is well executed.
The cabinet/construction is definitely one place that costs have been cut, but ultimately, it is the sound that matters and with the bracing and Dennis's mod's, these speakers exhibit great control. I noticed (a precious few) challenging places where some of the finest detail did not come through, but these speakers never made an offensive sound. That is unusual for speakers at $1000/pair, and truly exceptional for a speaker in the $200 range! I am serious about buying them if they are available.
Caveat: Thus far, I have listened critically for about 2 hours. I will post an update after I get more listening time on them (looks like next Tuesday).