Wslam,I've enjoyed your posts,on the Valin discussion site.Though I usually find J.V. to be a bit over the top,he pretty much got this speaker "right" in his opinion piece!
I convinced my friend to be open to the "mini-monitor" approach(that "mini" word scared him originally)and he subsecuently bought the Mini II's.He has a room size around 12 x 20,with 8 foot ceilings.These mate far better than his previous big three way.
The new speaker likes his Rowland 8t incredibly much(300 wpc),and he has a superb sense of scale,and more importantly,a superb tonal range.To hear the superb original pressing Mercury LP's,and a vast array of killer discs in such gorgeous/convincing fashion has altered my way of listening at "his" place.Gotta love it!
In his room,with good program material,the low bass can "easily" shake the walls and retain proper scale,and it is HERE that we know it is a good room match,because he is set against a sub.Not needed here!
Of course there are those,in our club,who cannot bring themselves to accept the "fact" that such a "somewhat" small speaker is doing ALL of this "gorgeous music",and they look for little things to pick on(like not enough overblown bass....yes a port cannot match a correctly designed sealed system....IF THE SEALED DESIGN IS PROPERLY ROOM LOADED).
I myself just have to laugh at the contrarians,because though the speaker is getting a bit too costly,it is STILL superb in almost every way!As you know,you have to hear it well set-up to understand -:)
BTW,I believe there is going to be a goodly amount of high ticket competition in the NEW "mini-market",now that Magico has put this speaker on the audio table....
I am anxious to see/hear from TAD,who is going to release their own monitor design,possibly as soon as the RMAF,but no later than Vegas,from what they have told me.That should be "serious" competition for the Magico Mini,and it will be a coaxial mid/tweet,with an 8 inch woof(yet it IS vented,hmm).....Not cheap,at over thirty grand,but Magico needs the competition....No?
Good luck
