ok, just spent an hour or so listening to the evo3 at spectra, and right now, i'm thinking on whether or not i should go AE or MA.
on its own, the AE was superb, the evo3 had excellen bass, and sounded clear and accurate. now the main difference i noted between the evos and the bronzes lie in their tweeters: the AE, for lack of a better term, seemed shy when it came to its tweeter ouput. comparing it to the b2 i'm listening to right now, the B2's tweeter is sharper. i wouldn't go as far as to say that its bright, or harsh, more like it sounds more accurate, with a tendency towards sibilance (though never unpleasantly so, as the mids and especially the bass contributes towards the overall 'warmness' of the bronzes).
now that i thought of it, the evo sounded more laid back, compared to the more upfront presentation the B2 gives.
i can't really compare bass output, as i listened mainly to the evo3 and i haven't spent much time with its equivalent, the b4. i'd have to say though, on its own, the evo3 makes for an excellent floorstander, more so with the AE sub. now this sub is made excellent low frequency output that perfectly supports the evo3. too bad i didn't have a velo up for comparison.
i was not able to compare soundstaging, as the positioning in spectra is hardly ideal. but listening to the b2s (as well as trying to remember my past experiences with it in the spectra showroom), the b2s seem to be more accurate in terms of positional cues. from the start, what i noticed with the bronzes are their impeccable accuracy and excellent soundstaging.
i got to hear the klipsch rf-15, now that pair of floorstanders kicked major ass: the bass output was so "bilog" and it sort of eclipsed (no pun intended) the evo3, but pairing the evo3 with the AE sub produced comparable results (though more in the slam and fullness department, compared to the bilogness of the RF15).
the verdict, i'm still not sure. i still find the EVOs a tad dry, laid back and shy in the tweeter department, but i'm thinking this will make for a less fatiguing experience especially when it comes to extended listening sessions. the bronzes are very accurate, gives good soundstaging and has a front port. i'm still wondering if i could use the perfect view 30kg wall mount to hold my rear surrounds up as i do not have space for stands (nor do i want to use stands for my rears, as they tend to get pushed around when not careful). i'll be listening more tomorrow and might go all out AE if i end up liking them more. the AEs are very, very comparable to the bronzes and presents us with yet another set of choices at this price level. maui or rica talaga :>
now, does anyone have anything else to add? i'd like to hear your input :>
oh yeah, i am hardly an audiophile by any stretch of imagination, i'm just trying to convey my impressions and descriptions my experience with these sets of speakers. so if i make mistakes when it comes to terminology, please do correct me :>
