While I recognize this post is a bit of "preaching to the choir", hopefully it will be help those on this forum who are "Spatial Curious" who are in research mode.
The speakers arrived on a pallet: two flat packs and a third box with bases and hardware. The packing was excellent, with not a single blemish to be found. Dare I say it: the speakers are in perfect condition. Size wise, they are imposing but not terribly so. They are shorter than my Maggie LRS's (on Magnariser stands) but quite a bit wider. Taste is personal but I think my walnut-veneered M3's are very pretty. Something about the proportions that are pleasing to the eye.
The Spatials have not a whiff of the DIY aesthetic that can occur with OB speakers. In fact, they are very well thought-out, with much of the wiring hidden, black painted backs, and really nice hardware. The veneer is excellent - like a piece of mid-century modern furniture - which is very pleasing to my eyes.
I set the speakers up and let them run in (at about 80 db) for three days while we were away, taking heed to the consistent comments that they need a lot of break in. While I expect the sound to change in the coming months, they are already showing some of what they are capable of. Using an EAR 868pl preamp and Pass Labs XA30.5 amp, they play effortlessly at 85 db (I am about 8 feet from the speakers in a medium-sized room). Only during bass-heavy tracks will the blue meter on the amp nudge to the right (indicating that it is leaving Class A). This may have something to do with the drop in impedance in the upper bass that Ron at New Record Day indicated in his measurements.
I bought the M3s because I loved the Maggie sound but wanted a more dynamic presentation, more sensitivity, and bass that doesn't require subs. The M3s deliver on all accounts. In fact, the bass (in my room) is a game changer. It's true: OB bass, done right, is a true thing of beauty. I would say the top end and midrange aren't quite as smooth yet but I expect that to come with time. The detail is there in spades. They don't give up much, if anything, to the quasi-panels. One thing that has been a pleasant surprise is that even though it is early days, I have never heard piano produced so accurately as I have with the M3's. That says a lot about the quality of these speakers, given the difficulty in reproducing piano music.
The LRS's were my foray into dipole speakers, after trying many box speakers, all of which left me unsatisfied. Magnepan sells them (cheaply) as a gateway drug to their bigger (and I assume, more profitable) speakers. In my case, they are my gateway drug to Spatials. It's a shame that the mainstream stereo magazines don't review offerings from Spatial or Pure Audio Project. In the case of Spatial, they are even Made in America! Professionally designed and manufactured OB speakers deserve more attention. I feel like I am now a member of a secret club, one that has solved the mystery of getting amazing sound in a home setting. I can say with confidence that I will never have a box speaker in my main system ever again.
