Micah, bigger bass drivers aren't inherently "slower" and smaller ones aren't inherently "tighter". It's a question of proper design with all factors, primarily magnet size, being adequate to control the larger cone as well or better than a smaller one.
You seem to be missing my point entirely. I don't feel I have the right to say one sounds any better than the other any more than you do. The right I do have however is to say that I myself prefer it, and so might he. Experiment, find what you like, and if you don't like them set to large then to hell with what I say, set them to small. And by the same token, if you do like them set to large, you don't have to feel as if you're doing something wrong, because (sonic) beauty is all in the ears of the beholder.
But certainly you are right in what you say John, it is all in the design, very good point. The well crafted EP800's 12 inch woofer for instance I feel does play much tighter than a normal 6 1/2 inch speaker can. However the 6 1/2 inch drivers they have in the M80's are incredible over achievers in my opinion. Never have I heard such bass coming from such a small driver. It's a testiment to what a fine speaker the M80 is! And I get such a kick out of how well it handles every frequency it is capable of playing, I just can't set the damn thing to small. For me, it would be like disconnecting two of the four cyclinders on my motorcycle and running it as a twin!
LOL
