This never ends does it? Although my experience is limited to the Sophias and WP7s, and unlike Fremer or Oneobgyn they were definitely NOT my cup of tea, I do not agree with the quasi claim that if a speaker does not use exotic expensive materials nor has some new cutting edge propierty technology, it cannot be considered as Reference product. What baloney. This does not just pertain to speaker, or even audio products. Materials, technology, etc are a means to an end, not the end and thus cannot define it. Just look at the stock market for example: some companies may have the best technolgy etc...but does that make them blue chips or perform well? Not if it does not translate into earnings power which is what matters. Likewise, discussion on materials or tech are indeed useful and interesting but in terms of finding out how particular speaker, for example, has certain sound attributes. Nothing more, nothing less.
Instead if Hardesty first really auditioned the speakers, listening to them, found them problematic somewhow to him, then investigated the contruction of the speaker, and tried to explain how perhaps certain design rules or parts etc would have contributed to his unsatisfactory exp with the MAXX2s, the commentary would have been far more relevant and credible...even if you disagreed.
