Curious discoveries about my M80s:

1. If the speakers are toed OUT slightly from "perpendicular to the back wall," an extremely deep center image is created with an amazing "wrap around effect." The tonality of instruments and voices becomes emphasized at the expense of imaging specificity. If you've never listened to your speakers this way (most haven't), then it's worth a try.

2. I've tried several "pro" power amplifiers with my M80s. So far, I'm one for four in the sound quality sweepstakes. The three that were not quite equal to my "normal Emotiva XPA-1L" amplifiers included the Crown PS-400, the Crown XLS-1500, and the Crown XLS-2000. They weren't bad, but the weren't great, either. The standout is the Yamaha P2100 with only 85 WPC. This bad boy makes the M80s sit up & sing! Should you ever find one (they're long discontinued), snap it up.

3. I've tried driving power amplifiers directly from my Oppo BDP-105 and through a preamp (the Emotiva XSP-1, generation 2). Most of the time (but not always) having the preamp in the signal chain improves the sound. Your mileage may vary...

4. I've used the threaded feet on the M80's aluminum spreaders to tilt the speakers slightly back & up so that the drivers are more closely pointed at ear level for the seated listener. I like this effect and will continue to use it.

5. Everyone (EVERYONE) who has seen my speakers loves the finish. I've got a dark wood vinyl with a tan grill. They look significantly different than the majority of speakers on the market with plain black grills. The response from friends and family is an enthusiastic thumbs up. So don't hesitate to go with an unconventional grill color - You'll probably love it.

6. This goes without saying, but just for the record - I pulled my listening chair out about three feet from the back wall and both the bass and the imaging improved by orders of magnitude. I have a sound absorber on the wall behind the listening couch, but the system still sounds better with the listening position away from the wall. I played some songs from Madonna's "Immaculate Collection" CD the other night. The album uses "Q-Sound" coding to create an extended sound stage (and it works). When listening to "Like a Prayer," I heard an effect I'd not heard before - The sound swirls around the room, and appeared to come from BEHIND me. This with only two speakers and conventional stereo amps...

Cheers & Merry Christmas! Boomzilla

My opinion is worth exactly what you're paying for it!