Good day Gentlemen,

It was a customary obligation of mine to visit this forum every year to post about my M3s. But life has its own way of taking us places and that is exactly what happened to me. Traveling on work has been a blessing. Meeting new people and having new experiences has been a meditative affair. Through it all, when I come home, there are some constants that serve as a reminder on what time is all about. The M3s sit there waiting for me along with my family.

As much as I have aged over 17 years, so have the M3s. Their sound has mellowed as well, perhaps just a perception of mine that lends a certain acceptance to all that serves us, organic and inorganic. They still sound clear, no damage or vibrations from the drivers. I have removed the subwoofer from the setup as my tastes have moved towards easy listening, spiritual, the occasional pop, my daughter’s girly music. Gone are the days of turning my brain to mush with Metallica and Judas Priest.

As I sit right now listening to the M3s, I am a little surprised to see them on a new leash in life. I made the simple fix of adding a FiiO Q1 DAC and FLAC music routed to the aging Onkyo receiver. The sound is certainly better and my quest for high quality recordings is the new interest. The M3 v1s are a fine piece of equipment, impeccably made during their time and robust in construction to manage cyclical periods of the extreme 43 degree Celsius heat followed by cool winters down to 12 degrees. This is Hyderabad, India, not Canada. 12 degrees is winter. The drivers still work just fine.

I guess we can always want more. Who doesn’t? But at the end of the day, I consider myself a very lucky person to have what is necessary for happiness in life. A great family, good work, food, shelter, clothing and then a few comforts. Destressing and joy is achieved through music for me. Listening to these trusty little gems for nearly 2 decades is a reminder that though there are always better sounding speakers out there, I have what I need and never had the itch to “upgrade”. This forum has always been a very supportive one and I am happy to see the stalwarts like JohnK, pmbuko and 2x6spds still playing admin and anchor roles.

Take care everyone and thank you for reading.

Shankar