Does anyone have any input on these speakers from experience or secondhand?
In general, I agree with lovinthehd, Beave, and lp85253. His efforts to sell expensive crossover components as upgrades to his kits are questionable. They may earn him more money, but they earn my distrust. There is no evidence that these more expensive items add anything to the overall sound quality.
The mid-woofers that GR sells, the M-130 and M-165, are inexpensive and quite good. They have smooth frequency responses, and display no ugly or hard to manage traits. I believe the M-130 is in the A/V1 kit, and the M-165 is in the X-LS Encore kit. In general, I'd say that the tweeters in the GR Research kits are not nearly as good as the woofers.
I'm more familiar with the smaller M-130 woofer. The 2-way kit that GR Research sells, the A/V1 uses the same woofer, but with a tweeter that is unfortunately not as smooth as the M-130 woofer. I've used the M-130 to build several other small 2-way speakers, the Dennis Murphy-designed MB20 and
MB27. They are both quite good, but the tweeter in the MB20 is no longer available. Their better tweeters and crossovers, in my opinion, significantly improve their sound.
This same M-130 woofer is also used in the better known Dennis Murphy designs, the MBOW1 2-way and MBOW1 3-way. They both use a much better tweeter, and have crossovers that are designed and function much better.
In the past, I learned that the M-130 was made by Peerless of India, and that GR Research had exclusive rights to sell it in the USA. I don't know if that is still the case today. I don't have first-hand experience with the larger M-165 woofer, but it looks good on paper. I believe it is also made by Peerless of India.
