wow. Thanks for sharing some good real world experience. A lot of very helpful recommendations here. I am scrolling down and realizing only now that I have overread a good amount of advice (and questions). Icrim, I actually was eyeing the EM7 for a while. The XRS has indeed considerable bass extension. I did use the box EQ and played with a couple of different resistors to hit the right spot, with Rogers patient guidance. After coming quite close I figured I would want to lose the box, input chooser and all to simplify things and just made all parts and my interconnects one component. Looks a bit funny but does the same trick sonically. Still in my research phase (trying to forget the system and just listen), I am not yet sure if it does what I expected. It's tricky...
JLM, interesting summary about the different tube types. Even though there will be a lot of exceptions and differing amp designs will play a role, this is the sort of thing I was after. Is there a distinction between 'warm' and 'romantic'? Hearing a bit more about different tube types would be great. 'Warm rock'..hehe, sounds like a filthy habit...but maybe it's not too far off. A lot of the rock music I hear is inherently not warm. Probably rather post punk influenced, some probably not that well recorded and some deliberately 'different'. Balancing this with a bit of warmth might be good. Even though this example is a bit flawed, it might ilustrate my urge: BBQ on my roof, my old NAD and a playstation (as CDP) rocking the crap out of my converted narrow baffle super 3s (formerly known as Minuets). From electro grooves to Motorhead...overall more than satisfying. The sound is dry and powerful and the guitars are 'there'. Lots of pints and lamb chops later we descend into my apartment and throw a couple of soul LPs onto my gucci-ed out zen system and keep turning down the volume...thinness, bordering on shrillness. Obviously, next days' hungover test with the NAD/Minuets/PS in my living room does NOT reveal its overall superiority. Nor does swapping the drivers back to Fostex. It indeed does rock at high volumes from the distance in open air and beer in my hand (which probably also plays a huge role in the experience) but here, I am entirely missing the speed, directness, depth, imaging and a sense of magic which my Shigaraki/XRS has in spades when I sit close and listen to...let's say Boccherinis String Quintet. Now, I guess what I am looking for is this magic, this insight 'into' the music combined with direct and dry lower mid punch, the sense that air is being moved. A 'directness' and immediacy with body.
Thanks again for all the good advice, now I will read again carefully.
