It's been a while but I did demo the Studio 20's and 40's years ago when I started my shopping. I like the 40's moreso than the 20's, had a bit more bottom end. Granted that could be resolved with a sub but there are times when I listen w/o a sub. I also compared to some Wharfedale Evo 20's in the same listening room and preferred those. That being said, I ended up with Axiom M22's and I don't regret it much. I only regret not getting M60's right off the bat.
I have some Von Schweikert VR1's which seem a bit more detailed than the M22's but it's not a fair comparison because I havent' really A/B'ed them. They are in different room setups. BUT, the VR1s are more than double. The M22's are definitley a better value.
To ctown's comment, I wholeheartedly agree that Soundstage and Austin City limits are great in HD for music. The 5.1 translates well. I still keep my Jewel on Soundstage on my Tivo. However, I didn't care for Norah (even though I like her music). She seemed like a dead fish during her performance, very lackluster. I wish I could get older performances like Joss Stone on Austin City.
