Aero, first I agree that 5-6 feet is too close for M80s. Next, the near/far setting on the 525 is for setting up a pseudo-surround effect when only the two front speakers are being used. Whether you like it or not, it shouldn't be used when you're trying to judge the basic tonal qualities of a speaker. V-Max should be left off in such a case.

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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.