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amandela77
01-07-2007, 06:53 PM
:)

I am one happy music lover...

I recently took delivery of a new pair of PSB M2 mini-monitors with dedicated stands and a matching Subsonic 10 subwoofer. The PSB's replace my tried and true Epos ES 22s, speakers that I used for the better part of the previous seven years.

My current line-up includes:

Aragon 28K Mk 2 pre-amp
Parasound A23 power amp
PSB M2 Mini-monitors
PSB Subsonic 10 Subwoofer
CEC 5100Z TL CD player (used as a dedicated transport)
Musical Fidelity X-DAC V3
Musical Fidelity X-10 v3 Tube Buffer
Rega 25 Turntable
Grado Statement Sonata cartridge
Grado PH-1 phono stage
Kimber Cable Hereo Interconnects
PS Audio Ref. speaker cables (bi-wire version)
PS Audio Extreme Interconnets (btwn pre-amp and sub)
Salamander racks
Monster Cable line conditioner

It took the new speakers about 50-60 hours of break-in time to tame a slightly bright treble balance and another week of tinkering to get the right setup in my listening room for maximizing soundstaging and imaging. Once done, the system just "clicked" into place. While I loved the midrange forward sound and bounce of the old Epos speakers, the level of clarity, tonal openess and imaging specificity I get from the M2s takes my breath away. Soundstaging and imaging can be downright spooky at times.

I ended up dialing in the subwoofer at the factory selected settings (about 11am for crossover setting ann output level controls). Funny thing is, I almost never hear the sub in the traditional sense, which is how I like it. The minis do the lion's share of the work, with the sub handling everything below 80hz. The sub never booms, but when the music calls for deep bass, this beast (110 lbs.) delivers, albeit with finesse and subtlety.

More amazing is just how much progress top designers like PSB (and Thiel, Dali, et al.) have made in the past decade. Good as the ES22s were and are, the new system plays in a different league altogether. I ended up getting my speakers from the great folks at DMC Electronics in California. Great pricing, great service, a class act.

I'll try to post pics of the system soon.

Thoughts? Comments?