Hello All,

Hope you are all well. I have had my M2i's for about 2 weeks now and have just noticed that sometimes they seem a bit harsh in my room. When I first got them they were so much better than what I had it took me a while to notice a slight harshness.

So, I decided to hook up my Yamaha EQ-70 graphic equalizer between my analog outputs from my CD player and one of my analog inputs on my HK AVR 630. I was using the digital output. As far as digital vs. analog output, with the EQ disabled I could detect no difference in sound quality.

Next I went to the SoundStage review of the M2i's and printed the NRC data for the M2i's. I noticed some peaks and valleys that could be ironed out easily with the equalizer.

Here is the link to the NRC data.

Here are my settings of the bands that I changed; +1db at 240Hz, -.5db at 1kHz, -.5db at 2kHz, -1.5db at 4kHz, and +.5db at 8kHz. These are the closest bands on the EQ for the hills and valleys in the M2i graph.

Of the above settings it is the -1.5db at 4kHz that I found critical in my listening environment, and as you can see in the NRC data there is a large peak there right around the 4kHz area of the graph. Also as the NRC data shows when you go off axis more, the 4kHz area of the graph stays much higher than the rest of the spectrum. I believe that energy interacting with my panelled walls was causing the slight harshness I was hearing.

With these settings the M2i's now sound even better in my room than before. I did not think they could get better when I first got them. Just proves to show that as you listen longer you hear more, and may or may not like what you are hearing.

Alas, they don't make the EQ 70 anymore, it is a great EQ with high 107db signal to noise ratio. I went looking for another EQ and it seams they have fallen out of favor, except in the Pro Audio world..and those did not have standard phono plug connectors, only the professional ballanced or 1/4" TLR type connectors.

Yamaha has built in parametric equalization in their new receivers, makes me think maybe I should have purchased one of them over the AVR 630 just for the equalization capabilities.

Isn't audio fun?

Later all,

TonyM