Kevin,
Sorry to hear about your sailboat, hopefully you get something sooner, rather than later. We can talk about trades offline, but I might need you to work the CNC for a year or two to make that happen!
Ok, finally got around to getting some time on a stereo pair of these and to do some critical listening. I haven't setup the full 5 channel setup yet, I actually placed a stereo pair in the bedroom, just to start listening a bit. I've got a bit of work to do in the main room, including making the stands mentioned above, so the bedroom will have to do for now.
First off, these were an incredibly easy build. A few recesses, some holes, solder four wires and connect. Easy as can be. The cabinets are top notch, as are the components. The PCB pads are pre-tinned, making the soldering as easy as can be. Made it easy to look like a pro!
Next is the sound. I seriously thought I had forgot to change the settings on my receiver and left the subwoofer connected! These babies throw some serious low end. But that's not the most impressive thing about these speakers. A single word, imaging!!! These speakers present the widest, deepest soundstage I have ever heard, including several bipoles. Instruments and voices are on the spot, I can picture each instrument and singer and where they're standing on the stage. What's in front, what's behind, it's all as should be! I've just never experienced imaging this good, and I'm excited about it.
Sound is balanced from top to bottom with some "air" on the top end. It may not give as much "air" as some people might like, but I like the sound quite a bit. It's just enough to add "space" around instruments and voices, but not enough where it seems to distract from the accuracy. I'd say some very sound decisions were made in voicing the crossover. The low end is impressive, while remaining accurate and tight and never seeming "boomy". The mid range is accurate and controlled, maybe not quite as forward as some might like, but still lively. Pianos and vocals sound like pianos and voices! These are incredibly dynamic speakers!
Overall, I couldn't be happier with my purchase and the rewarding experience that comes from assembling your own speaker. I can easily recommend these to anyone who wishes to tackle a DIY project, even for a first timer. It's that easy!
I'd put these above many commercial speakers costing many multiples of their price, and I auditioned a lot of them. And I challenge you to find a better looking loudspeaker at this price anywhere, it's just not possible.
