I live in Japan and actually have had a chance to listen to the S-1ex, as well as the newest model, the S-3ex - It is exactly the same as s-1ex, but has smaller dimensions and instead of a beryllium tweeter, it has a 'ceramic graphite' tweeter. Retails for around 6k USD. They sounded very alive and extended. My initial thought is that the S-1ex is perhaps a touch smoother and has more extended low frequencies, but the S-3ex sounded very similar overall. I heard them on two different systems, different days and rooms, so comparisons are admittedly difficult and subjective.
