I got a bit side-tracked last night, so apologies for not having had time to take any pictures. While waiting for my Minis my system changed quite a bit without my knowing if any of the changes worked since I didn't have any speakers! So for example, I took delivery of a pair of NuForce Ref 9V2 at the beginning of the year but I only just found out that one of them had a loose wire. So I had to debug the problem, crack out the soldering iron, etc.
The upshot is that I only had a brief time with the Minis in an operational system last night, and then only pretty much while watching an HD-DVD. Nevertheless, I had an interesting experience with the Onkyo PR-SC885 surround sound processor that I've been playing around with. This piece, if you recall, is the electronic equivalent of the Integra DTC-9.8 that has been so well-received. The sound of the processor is so-so, but the big draw for me is the Audyssey MultiEQ XT automatic room equalization. Perhaps to no one's surprise, the impact of the Audyssey EQ was much less than I had expected, almost trivial in fact, something I can attribute to the controlled dispersion of the tweeter as well as the very tight performance of the bass. The Minis are really quite forgiving in terms of room interaction!
I know the innovations are more in the tweeter waveguide, but I'm still in awe of the Mini's bass. Given the size of the cabinet (the Minis are definitely not mini!) I was really apprehensive about how they would excite my room nodes. But I haven't been bothered by bass anomalies at all, even when paying attention, and instead have been enjoying the superb extension and power. I really had not expected to get that kind of overall bass performance, though Bob had done his best to prepare me. Sorry Bob for not listening!
