@itzhak1969 & others You find the CM9 bright, lean and "artificial"?!!! My dear friend, the CM9 and CM8 are some of the best and musical speakers under 10 grand! If you run them with a crappy amp and front end they will just reflect whatever is fed thru them, nothing more, nothing less.... No Monitor Audio or Golden ear speakers regardless of price can hold water compared to CM8s in musicality and truth of timbre IMHO.... That CM9 sound lean and lack of bass is a function of your room or poor set up. If anything the CM9s have too much bass compared to the CM8s which have one of the most musical midbass of any speakers at any price! The CM8s are comparable to the vintage Goldmund/Meta Research speakers in absolute performance...And those are legendary... NO Sonus faber models can touch either CM9 or the the CM8s unless you go the Stardivardi or Elipsas at above 20 grand.... Normally I seldom critique others tastes (as we do hear differently), but my friend in this instance you have to have your system, or your hearing examined...