Alright, initial (~20 minutes after setup) reactions:
The HSU is more controlled, and integrates better with my setup than the EP175. Not sure if it has anything to do with front-firing vs. downward firing, but it's more difficult to localize the HSU, which is a good thing. I'm just listening to music right now, but it seems like more of a seamless blend. Cleaner, I guess. I can't define "better", but I know it when I hear it...
...all of which kind of pisses me off. The nice thing about the EP175 is that the finish (Boston Cherry) is matched to the rest of my Axioms, and the EP175 is a tad smaller. Width and height are about the same, but the STF-2 is a bit deeper. As I said, I'm in a cramped living room and the GAF (girlfriend acceptance factor) does come into play. Now I've got this obtrusive black box where the EP175 used to disappear. I'm going to throw a few movies at it tonight (maybe Gladiator, Empire Strikes Back, U-571) and listen to some more music tomorrow. Right off the bat, though, I'm very impressed.
