$2500 For These? Triangle Comete Compared to KEF R3 Meta and X-LS Encore! 

Love this format. Sound clips of three comparable speakers provide a great reference point. The Sound Shed is truly paying dividends in the investments. Congrats Ron!

I am an owner of Trianle Comete 40th anniversary and I think they sound amazing. Warm amp, sub in larger rooms and they make outstanding sound. Nothing here was said about soundstage, musicality, 3-dimensionality, analitic aspects, whether they are "emotionally" sounding. Only tonality was covered in this video, wchich is not everything. By the way: why the frequency range graph was only presented up from 200Hz? What about below? In Europe we are lucky - they cost around $ 1800-1900.😃

Great in-depth review. I love how you back up your impressions with explanation. Well done Ron!

This is a revolutionary way to describe the sound of a speaker. Your viewers can follow your thoughts and verify it through the sound clips and understanding what you are describing. This takes away the subjective weight of using words or graphs as we have been accustomed to seeing from other reviewers. You should patent this method.

Great review as always, Ron! Please review the Holo Cyan2 soooon!!!

Great format and teaching points on how to discern between equipment and how to best match my listening preference. This has been one of the best teaching format and looking forward for more reviews like this. Also, thank you for including the GR speaker into the mix as I’ve always wondered how’d they measured up. Very surprising.

THANKS RON 🤗FOR SHARING THIS AND MAKING GOOD USE OF YOUR NEW ROOM 💚💚💚

Great comparisons especially with the reference music. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent format, keep it up! You, Sir, gained a subscriber.

Love how you’re incorporating sound clips with your observations. I, and other consumers, are always more interested in differences in sound than listening to any single component in isolation. Also, your recordings are fantastic! Hope to see tons more comparisons like this. Kudos!

Why the fudge do you not have 2 million subscribers? You have the best, most informative, honest reviews on the web. Even though I can’t afford most of the equipment you review, it’s still an amazing educational experience. Time for your subscribers to spread the word about your channel

You can hear why the R3 Meta is an easy recommendation, honest with a little color, like a well-edited photo...

Thinking probably need to break in more? Somehow I had different experience with this speaker. I had this Comete 40th for about a year now & love it. Yes it did a bit toward bright at the beginning. It needed to break in about a recommended 200 hours according to my dealer and Triangle. Yes it was quite long but it loosened up the woofer and improved the drivers integration and more balanced. The bass improved over time. I also did not find the tweeter harsh or sibilance in fact it was very smooth and very good in conveying delicate detail especially with a well recorded music and good quality cables. The sound was vivid and lively. The Comete paired well with tube integrated amplifier and good quality cabling. it improved everything. At the end of the day I think it matters of individual’s taste and gear matching as with any other speakers.:)

Ron you deliver! Great review with real sound comparison. Even more happy that I jumped of the cliff in 2020 and listened to your review of Lundy’s Encores and then bought the kit from GR with upgraded parts and shipped all the way to Sweden. I love my speakers and sealed GR sub.

Ron, hands down for another great test. I’m a subscriber from the early hours and I like the path you walk today. Please keep up this fine work. Warm greetings from the Netherlands, Bram

Wow…..really well done Ron. Discovered your channel and really enjoying your approach to reviews. Solid commentary , blended with data, and honest subjective and objective thoughts. Keep em coming! 😊

Looking good, man ! =) Nice to see ya. Good format ..and valuable comparisons. =)

Great comparison video and excellent production as always. I hate to bring this up here but it sort of started with your original review... When do we get to see the in- depth review of your delivered Caladans? Anxiously awaiting a production update from Clayton!

Thank you, someone is finally using the reference track to compare against the speakers. I wondered a while ago why people don’t do this. All of your observations were spot on to me.

Well done and informative.

I am on my second year as owner of the 40th Anniversary Triangle Comete speakers. I really like these speakers in almost every way. My sources are Vinyl via a Dual 721 turntable with Ortofon OM20 cart. PSAudio BHK Signature Preamp into PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube amp. My other favorite speaker is the ELAC Signature UBR62's. I routinely swap these back into my system after listening to the Triangles. LOVE the ELAC's as well. They are more well-behaved and solid....but the Triangles are just more exciting. Keep up the great work, BTW!

Great review and information given here. I do wish we could hear the 3 speakers back to back to really hear the differences a bit.

Great video, Ron! Happy to see you again. To me, it looks like Triangle chose to use no baffle step compensation on this speaker to keep the overall sensitivity higher. Definitely would expect more for the relative cost.

X-LS Encore sounded best with my new cheap Fiio JT1 headphones. Kef sounded nice but polite. Triangle sounded thin with tinnitus-evoking highs.

Great to see you Ron ! Your absence had some of us a bit worried. Whew ! 😅 Now back to NRD …🙏🏼🔊🎶😁

Terrific review in a terrific review. In terms of natural sounding standmounts with strong bass performance, I am curious when you will review either the Dynaudio Evoke 10 or Dynaudio Contour 20i? As these are the two most balanced standmounts in the Dynaudio range and a sound which I am addicted to (when paired with a high current amplifier as they are low efficiency speakers).

Really dig the A/B:ing of the reference track combined with comparisons, A+ work! BTW, the GR Research was my favorite. Excellent sounding speaker, balanced all the way through the freq range and dark in comparison, but not too dark. I felt like I didn't lose too much information in the last sound clip, if that makes sense.

Almost everything you played sounded amazing through my diy mtm monitors... ❤️

I own these and for low to medium volumes they excel, to much the tweeter tends to breakup (rated 90W). They are a mixed bag on paper and front ports have energy The tweeter for a horn is designed well,up top is never fatiguing just* and tone has great strengths. Also SET tube/SS class A amps are cream on my Comete 40th. Thank you Triangle.

Hi Ron, great and informative video. Just a thought, how do you avoid copyright strikes?

Great content brother I'm in the process of building a set of encores what ample for would you recommend?

I think the Triangles would do better closer to the wall and looking at the horizontal off-axis, it seems the top end falls more in line and they're counting on an untreated environment. However, it does seem that Triangle has gone more in favor of lean bass recently.

Brilliant review, Ron, one of your best!

I bought the Comete about a year ago after I auditioned them at the store. The are much cheaper in Europe 1300€ a pair. Well, it ended bringing them back the next day. High frequent was too much for my taste. Now I own a pair of trinagle 40th duettos and the are a complete different story.❤

This gives me a reason to send my Comete speakers to GR Research for a checkup. Thanks

this is by far the best reviewing format on youtube for me, I do follow nearly every hifi reviewer

This review is a prime example of how RU-vid audio clips, when well done, can be useful tools in hearing Relative differences in sound quality.

I love the articulate and revealing nature of the Triangles (even tho I'm a Kef fanboy) and I know I'll never need to dampen the cabinets by placing heavy towels on them. The Comete rate a 9/10 and look as great as they sound. PS I'm NOT French, so have no dog in this race

Triangle Comete EZ could be bought for $800 very often in Europe before they got discontinued.

Probably the best speaker review ever, great format, spot on comparisons. Top quality.

Here in Norway the triangle's are $1200 USD. The r3 are $2300 USD and the x-ls are not available. I think the US pricing on triangle is making them less competitive that what they really should be.

Well done. I want to emphasize that the question in the end is framed. Ultimately, the buyer will go to a showroom and sample a bunch of speakers. The preference for one speaker or another is subjective. I understand that you have the point of view of a reviewer.

please explain through what speaker or equipment you record the reference track.

Aren’t these in the Santos Rosewood finish? I’ve had that finish and, in my system with Moonriver 404 Reference integrated amp, the Comete 40th sounded pretty good. Yes, they needed a sub, but the sound was clear and fairly musical.

Calling out caveats makes for an honest review. Keep telling it like it is. Also I like the sound of the XLS encore! Would you be able to do a comparison between Technics SB-C700 and Kef R3 meta 🙌

Hi Ron, so comparing with the Borea BR08, do you believe the Borea is a more linear and true to the reference sound speaker? It's interesting if so, solo based on the fact that this is a speaker that is one or two steps "above" the Borea range.

Hmm, not all speakers need to be located in the exact same position in the room to sound their best, also toe-in might need to be adjusted individually. Not sure how the Comete reacts on improvements in this regard, but in the end I‘d assume some/many/most? speakers for that price do not end up in the middle of the room. But yes, the 3 speakers sound very different indeed.

Firstly, thanks for using a metal track, as it is something most reviewers are lacking in videos like this. It is important to include as it is a style that kinda throws everything at you at once, and one needs good speakers to listen to that type of music. Us gitar nerds like details too, and we like it fast and heavy. Is the Kef R3 also a reference speaker you use, or just something you added as it is popular. It might have been more interesting with a Meta version in the future. I agree that the encore and Kef sound alike, and I have been looking into having a Kef too as I feel they both have something in common, but a slight difference which are both welcome to my ears. I feel like the Encore is a bit more rounded at times, which kinda makes it slightly warm, and the Kef maybe has some more directness in the high mids and treble. Anyway, might be interesting with the Kef LS 50 meta as the body is more rounded, which they claim will give a better off-axis response, which could be great for when having guests and multiple listening positions. Anyway, still eagerly waiting for the Arendal's review?? :)

I like the A-B testing approach and the differences were obviously audible. I have to wonder why this review is out of step with virtually every other of the many reviews of the Komete 40th anniversary speakers?

Ron, I've seen your clips of the GR X-LS Encore's in your other video's, along with this one, and I'm struck by the similarity of the reference sound-clips to those reproduced in-room by the Encores. They sound pretty damned good.

Hi, Ron. What is your take on the speaker at a third of that price -which is the list price in Spain? Sometimes even cheaper on certain days.

i bought the cometes for 1100$ so im incredibly happy with em :), im more of a fan of the speakers coloring the music the most, and the amp coloring it the least

NRD speaks the truth.

The last test was interesting regarding Encore, who put the curtain down. And ofc it is a small speaker and couldn't match the bass of the ref. I almost bought the Triangle, but never found a decent test. So thank you, think I avoided some wrong speakers at home. However I did buy speakers that I haven't heard before. Never really cared about it either. It is Wharfedale. I hope the tweeter is more subtle than the triangle. (It's the Elysian 4). Are you going to test them btw? Thanks for a great and informative review. :) Edit: The wharfedale is still in customs.

For me New Record Day is back on track! what a great review! Thanks Ron, you reminded me why I began on this Audio Adventure.

Very interesting video. I have the Triangle Esprit Titus EZ and I think these are incredibly special speakers for their under £800 price point. They are dynamic, fast, yet textured and subtle and never fatiguing in my system. For their relatively diminutive size their bass is punchy and tight if not particularly extended. I've heard that speaker manufacturers sometimes produce a goldilocks speaker in a range of speakers where others in the range do not hit such heights. I think the Titus is such a speaker. I have tried several rival models up to £1000 (these include Dynaudio emit 20, Acoustic Energy ae500 and Sonus Faber Lumina ii) and none have equalled them. I was very therefore curious when I had the chance to pick up some Comete 40th for a ridiculously low used price. My findings? Pretty much the same as yours. An overly prominent treble and a woolly, light sounding bass that I put down to the lack of power in my amp (Denon pma 800ne). I sold them on at an even more ridiculous low price. I am now of the opinion that system synergy and in room performance are the key rather than saying that such and such a speaker is always the best performer.

The "bright" response in the 5K-15K range is nearly meaningless IMO. The signature differences we're all hearing that are meaningful are driven by the weak bottom end (partly from being so far away from any walls) and that sharp peak from ~500-1400hz. I think a lot of people look at a response plot and try to think of the entire range as having the same "meaning" but it just isn't true. The bulk of audio energy in music happens from ~40hz-4Khz. I wouldn't focus too much on the response of a speaker above 5K as we're not very sensitive to it and most of the energy up there is not what we think of when we think of "treble." It's more like the "air" on top of treble. It just needs to be present, it doesn't need to be particularly "flat" up there to sound fine. Takes young ears to hear much of anything above 10K anyway. A few dB of response variance right smack in the middle of soprano vocal and very common octaves on many instruments... THAT is going to sound problematic.

I know the optimal way to listen to these test clips is headphones but honestly I'm astonished by how well my own speaker flesh out all the differences. Everything you described Ron is there coming through loud and clear. Notable is that the bass energy is much better coming through the reference tracks (the actual track) overall the Encore is the most resolving and not at all missing much depth compared to the KEFs.

It appears that you have the Santos Rosewood version. The Golden Oak's (shown in stock photo at 1:17) are a lighter brown. Thank you for the review, you may have saved me some hassle. I love the looks of this speaker but I think I'd like a more neutral response.

Great setup and comparison. The selection of songs is very limited though, when all your differences are either enough meaty and with body or not.

Ron, Do you feel that different amplification would change the Triangle as proportional as the other speakers? Perhaps change the character of the Triangle. Also would a unique placement change your readings and observations? Thoughts ?

Yep the encores sound amazing

When we listen to the speakers compared to reference through our headphones, what are we listening to on your review ?. Are the speakers recorded in your room using microphones in order to produce your audio/video here on RU-vid?. Just trying to understand the process .....If it is using a mic, would results what we hear) be different for each speaker using a different mic ?.

NICE review. Even though all of these speakers are out of my price range, it was clear, the Encore's sounded the best and yes, I have a decent sound system on my computer. I could definitely hear the differences between the three speakers. The Triangles sounded hollow and 'reverby' with a crunchy high end, as the OP stated. The Kef was better. The Encore's, which are priced at $1300 for the pair were the best. The measurements back up the listening and it is a clear example of how you don't always get what you pay for, especially with speakers. While I am not overly familiar with Triangle, I wouldn't even think of paying that asking price they are asking for that speaker. As for KEF, I have been seeing them start to go down the road of a 'troll manufacturer' as they are getting greedy. This is most noted with their LS-50's and the meta version. I don't think they are anything special and certainly shouldn't be commanding the $1500+ for what performance they give. As it is, I find it hard to spend more than $640 for ANY bookshelf speakers, period. As it is, the higher in price you go, the less you get in terms of returns. The Law of Diminishing returns comes into play here. BUT, as I said, I really liked how this video was done and came along for the ride, and even though I can't afford the Encore speakers, those would be my choice as well. @New Record Day. One improvement I could recommend is to chain the audio clips of all three speakers in succession without talking between them, so one could get a more immediate comparison without delay in switching from speaker to speaker. Otherwise, nicely done!

I owned the Triangle Comete 40th anniversary and to be honest I struggled with them in all areas having had PMC tb2i for many years. They are very directional and require a 45 degree angle towing. Tonally they were very dark and were not easy to pair with amplifiers even-though the three solid-state amps I used were neutral. The audio lab 8300a matched the best, but Atoll IN200 signature had better dynamics as the speakers performed much better. My EL34 tube amp simply sounded very thick with them. The tweeters were very clear but bright and that made cymbals sound unnatural. Sonically, they changed quickly when moved farther from them. The mids were rich and the tweeters projected highs from within the horn so they were recessed, but I did improve this with kimber 4tc cable. In my opinion these are overrated with the Santos rosewood finish contributing to their appeal. By the way, if you install the metal rosegold cones with the metal discs and place them on their stand, you will gain more dynamics and speed. They scale up with better and more expensive amplifiers giving more dynamic and clarity. These were my experience with them and I am certain owners of these speakers have better pairing and get better results than I did.

I bought some B&W 706 bookshelf speakers and they are dull and lifeless and they cost me AU $2,400! I bought them for reference for my speaker building madness. They work well for basic bass, med and treble content. They are a great help and I couldn't do without reference speakers. But the 706s lack "breathiness" in the female voice sound (really badly) and the tone in the med sucks. My home built speakers absolutely flog them (hands down)! I just added my own personal touch to the copied sound, and increased about 5 khz a bit (on my built speakers). And of course I kept the 706s original. I bet the whole 3 speakers in this video would be better than my 706s. 😅

What speaker was the reference?

Triangle Duette 40th Anniversary speaker didn't have any of those descriptions as you stated on the Comete, I found the balance of their tweeter and woofer in the Duette to be the most balanced speaker I have heard out of any Monitor. Also as we age, we tend to gravitate more toward higher frequency because you tend to loose those first when we age.. Ironically I found the KEF to be kind of subdued.. The Comete definitely have more going on in the high frequencies, but they are also using a horn tweeter, which I normally never like. With the Duette's the speaker seems more balanced but I agree with your assumptions, as this is a hobby of perceptions and opinions.. You like what you like..... is the saying I use... Plus the Triangles excel with Tubes, it tones down the extra liveliness of the Triangles. Nada on the X-LS they were a toss up for 2nd choice! ;) The KEF sounded the closest, but placement can be key, and different equipment matching is helpful with some speakers, I would definitely pair the Triangles with Tubes.

Time Stamps: 00:00 Start 01:04 General 03:31 Impressions 06:53 Sound Clips 20:08 Straight Lines 23:33 Measurements 26:12 Final Thoughts

GR Research is the best. I know those aren't the r3 metas but that's still an impressive win for the encores. Too bad they're tiny whimpy things and I need 15"s.

Hi, this format educates the audience, thank you. The way you describe the audio qualities is so nuanced and refined, it's a skill that comes from experience. 2 thumbs up! I'm a long time supporter of the XLS Encore (would never sell) and I've recently bought the PROAC Response DB1, and I would say that it's on par with the XLS Encore. They both have their strengths, both are warm, one with greater soundstage, and the other greater bass. I wonder why you have not reviewed any PROACs?

X-LS Encore impressed. I think a speaker company would be wise to send you their new designs before putting them into production. And of course, pay you a consulting fee for your time and listening room expense.

I agree with everything that you described while listening to these speakers, with the exception of the Triangles being sibilant. Could be my ears could be my headphones?

There appeared to be a narrow band in the 2 KHz range that was a distraction to the sound quality of the Comete's. I noticed it in the strings and some of the vocals. I also noticed the anemic bass punch. Now to see if your measurements reflect what I heard. Comment at 21 minutes.

I got a pair of triangle magellan duetto sw2, i like those speakers, but my problem is they are my first speakers. I pair them with a Rega Aethos and soon i will get denefrips pontus or venus i havent decided yet as of know i use a bluesound node n130.

First, love the use of comparison tracks. I wish more people did this in reviews. Second, I imagine the Cometes are quite fatiguing. They sound altogether too eager on treble.

Who are the performers of the test tracks?

But does the trinagle comete sound bad,good ? Does a speaker only sound good if it sounds like a super flat studio monitor ? Dit you try all 3 speakers with an amp that has room correction and a mic the yamaha R-N1000A or the R-N2000A ? (digital in with yamahas)

Since the ports are super thin and plastic, it’s always made me wonder if just simply wrapping them in sound deadener or no would prevent some of those lower note vocals coming through. Meaning it’s exciting the tubed ports themselves instead of allowing the sound to escape due to a back wave.

I have the Comete 40th and i like them. Before i had the KEF R300 and to me they sound aluminium, not natural. It's personal taste.

I find this way of compairing speakers very revealing and interesting. But! In real life you simply do not place different sounding speakers in the exact same place. Every different sort of speaker always needs to be tuned to the room by moving them and angling them in order to find the subjectively best possible match with the actual room accoustics.

good tutorial on how to listen

Do real-time level-matched switching between speakers please if you really want us to notice the differences. The auditory memory is only a few seconds so unless it's a really bad issue it gets muddled having to sit thru the (informative) pep talks.

Excellent review !! Very informative,and concise .. G&R research sounds like a winner … be nice to try out the “Bully’s’

I have had these since they came out and, whilst I love the sound for tracks without midrange, I find myself constantly fiddling with the positioning to counter the nasal mids. I can't get them just right without an EQ, then the EQ adds noise and I turn it off again. I've settled on blocking the ports and toeing the speakers to 6" past my shoulders. Arghh, but they look so good, grr.

What I noticed in Kef R3 reviews from all kind of different reviews is always the same phenomenon. I really like the sound but they feel 'far away' or if i would listen to them behind a really small invisible wall. Someone has insights what coudl cause that feeling of mine?

ok so...I admit I'm cheating a bit, since I'm listening to this on the first go using my every day speakers (very modestly priced elac dbr62s). Can anyone explain why my "local" speakers make the reference track sound much fuller than any of the recorded speakers do? Could this be a level matching thing or what? As from where I sit, my speakers are already meatier and bassier than any of these three! True, they lack a sense of "air" but if that comes at the expense of body I'm not sure I want it :/ yes yes I will dig out my headphones later for another go, but this is also a bit questionable to me and raises a basic question for our host: you say "which speakers sound most like the reference track" - but what are you using to determine what the reference track sounds like? I'm not trying to be facetious - it just popped into my head and it's kind of breaking my brain at the moment :D GREAT format regardless - I really value this sort of demonstration very much. Is it everything? no of course not - as you are demo'ing in a symmetrical room with good treatment and ideal speaker placement (or is it? if all speakers are placed in the same location for testing that seems questionable to me), whereas I would be listening in my tiny apartment with the speakers barely 50cm from the wall if I'm lucky. Still it's an interesting demo!

Nice review. Measurements lack a whole spectrum of frequencies bellow 200Hz if I saw it correctly though.

I don't find triangles aggressive at all; just a wonderful soundstage

hey NRD guy. Since I'm a moron, what is the reference track source?

I love music. In order to listen to music, in ‘full effect’, you need good audio equipment. So, as soon as I became a wage earner, in the early 80s, I started dabbling in the world of audio. In theory, I would hope that the audio equipment I invest in, will allow me to enjoy music, as the creator intended. But as my system has evolved over 40 years, I realise that I’ve put together a system which allows me to enjoy music, reproduced the way I like to hear it. The only way to achieve that is through trial and error and experimentation. I’m not claiming that I’ve reached my ‘audio desti’, but, I’m certainly cruising effortlessly along a high speed, freeway. My current speakers are the Meta big brother of the Kef R3. I’ve had them in my system for almost 3 years and have no plans on the horizon to upgrade them. I think that must say something about the type of audiophile, that I am. Mi don’t have the luxury of a dedicated listening room. My hi-fi has to fight, for it’s right, to be in our family lounge. My lounge is untreated. I believe the soft furnishings keep RT60 levels, well within acceptable limits and multiple subs ensure an even well balanced bass distribution. I don’t employ DSP or EQ. My philosophy is to use speakers which load the room correctly, not use EQ to compensate for the speakers inadequacies. I would describe the sound signature I’ve achieved as being:- relaxed, effortless, detailed but not to the detriment of harmonic richness, a polished smooth top end, natural open mid-range, well textured defined and tight bass, a wide and deep soundstage, with a wide sweet spot. Might not suit everyone, but it suits me and I listen to it, more than anyone else.

You are the best. Again, Ron for president. Triangle Comet 40th is a terrible speaker 😠 The KEF R3 still does not convince me, Meta or not. The woofer ruins the good job they did with the 5.25" coaxial. KEF R5, R7 or R11 but not R3.

The Triangle did sount last on your test, but they are not like that at all. Perhaps another 150 hours of burn-in and then redo the test. I did sell mine as I still prefer the PMC TB2i with their ever slight bump.

Nice comparative review. 👍 It quickly demonstrated that these would NOT be speakers I'd even begin to consider, regardless of price point or aesthetics. The FR of the Comet are a travesty IMO, but just looking at the overall design I'm not surprised, including the "compression chamber" tweeters. In addition to the KEF R3 Meta and X-LS Encores that you compared them to, the Ascend Acoustics SIERRA-1 V2 for less than $1k/pair measure and sound infinitely better. Q: When actually listening to all of the speakers in your room are they all aimed directly on-axis to your listening position? And are your microphones that capture the in-room audio clips also on-axis to each speaker as well as at the designated vertical reference height for each speaker? I realize that this was already a long video and a lot of work with the 3 sets of audio clips as well as measurements, but it might have been interesting to hear your in-room audio clips and see the corresponding measurements with just the Comete standmounts aimed 15°-30° Off-Axis (Toe'd Out), especially if they have narrower HF dispersion where side wall reflections might not sum as much with the direct sound resulting in even more HF elevation. That might help to tame the elevated HF in what looks like a very directional/narrow dispersion tweeter. However that relatively consistent boosted response above 4.5k would be difficult to offset and would make this way too sibilant and fatiguing for long term listening IMO. If it were me, I'd apply -3.5dB high-shelf cut from 4.5k up to ~13k, and then try to fill in that dip just before it a bit from 2.5k-4k about +1dB to 1.5dB (not completely). It looks as if the XO is just above ~3k and the narrow vertical window and that suck-out are due to the large center-to-center spacing between the tweeter and midwoofer (compare to the X-LS Encore), as well as using a deeply inset horn-loaded "compression chamber" tweeter. Even the On-Axis response through the XO region is really poor with that semi-wide dip that then transitions to an immediate significant peak at ~4.3k. :/ I understand that your gated measurements that omit the LF response are necessary due to limitations of the measurement setup and environment, but especially because the low-end response differed so much between these, it would have been really nice to see those measured differences as well. But I know it's A LOT more work to measure and stitch the LF separately. Ultimately, these are just too much of a mess, especially at their price point and with inherent design flaws that even a modified XO couldn't remedy. :( The port resonance and anemic midbass response definitely don't help the matter. Listening to your clips, I agree that the X-LS Encore were the closest overall to the reference tracks in regards to spectral balance. And while not quite as close in that regard, to my ears the R3 Meta seemed to provide just a bit more underlying definition and detail. That could be sighted bias playing a role, though. I'm also wondering if you move your mics ~15% closer to the speakers for the in-room audio clips to mitigate just a bit more of the room's contribution would help in the overall perceived clarity....or do the microphones' current distance/placement more accurately represent what you actually hear in your room at your listening position? Cheers

Encores for me.

Listening on my meze empyreans.. Lets see.

Hey Ron, with the current mess coming from Erin's Audio Corner/AudioScienceReview and Erik Alexander of Tekton, you might want to keep an eye on things. I know you can't address the stuff from 2019, but it appears Mr. Alexander is back at work going full lawsuit on other reviewers who don't think his speakers are unassailable. I'm guessing you are aware of this, but I figured it didn't hurt to try and get it on your radar if you weren't.

How do you think these speakers pair well with my Pyle PDA29BU.5 amplifier?

I hear a lot of your room reverberations! That's the main difference with the original recordings.

It is really obvious to me that a speaker should be transparent to the music. it is not the job of the speaker to alter the music. If someone prefers a non linear FR for whatever reason (e.g. high frequency hearing loss) then I think it would be best to address this using electronics with tone controls?